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bonesquad
Master
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 1993
Location: Petoria
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 Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 12:39 am
Post subject: Nintendo haters unite! Including Matt from IGN? |
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For some reason it seems Matt Casamassina (of IGN.com fame) has been taking heat from Nintendo fanboys for being a "Nintendo hater" and a "Game Cube basher". To which on the IGN message boards he responed with this rebuttel:
| Quote: | Wowzers. Lot of replies to this one. I suppose I should add my (additional) two cents.
First of all, cheers to everyone who understands my point of view. I was happy to see that there are quite a few of you who seem to get it.
But let me respond to a couple of my critics. I'm just going grab a couple of ridiculous accusations and reply:
1. A journalistic need to be constantly negative, rather than objective.
Yes. I go into work every morning with a burning desire to rip into Nintendo. How do you come up with this stuff? Really, this your argument? This is the best you can come up with?
As I stated in the mailbag, if I don't agree with something Nintendo does then I will let readers know. If I do, I will likewise let readers know. That seems pretty fair to me.
It's ironic: you accuse me of painting a one-sided picture, but that's exactly what you're doing with your summary of me. You're ignoring the positive stuff I write about Nintendo -- like, for instance, the Pikmin review, which is just the latest -- and saying that all I do is tear the company down.
Absurd.
2. Wishing that NIntendo had made a console that was basically a clone of the Xbox or PS2.
That's conjecture -- and wrong. I've always believed that GameCube, as a piece of hardware, is amazing. I prefer its design to Xbox and PlayStation 2. I really, really prefer its controller. And the guts in the machine are for the most part incredible. It's such a powerful console for a great price.
But if you're asking me if I'm disappointed Nintendo didn't include a digital out for sound, the answer is yes. And if you're suggesting that I'm angry that the company would also remove the component out from GCN, you're right again. Sorry, but it's true -- and if you had any sense you'd be disappointed too.
If by 'clone' you're suggesting that I'm disappointed Nintendo hasn't tried to appeal itself to the markets that Sony and Microsoft have, you're half right. On the one hand, I realize that the Nintendo brand still carries a lot of weight. On the other, I don't believe Nintendo can still rely on name brand alone. It has to get out there and compete. And when it doesn't, I'm disappointed -- because I'm such a huge fan of the company and want to see it do well. I admit as much.
3. Wishing that Nintendo were on top of the console heap again.
See above answer. But yes, I would love it if Nintendo were on top of the console heap again, if even to satisfy my own selfish needs. If Nintendo were number-one, third-parties would be clamoring for the chance to make games for the console -- which is certainly not the case now.
That noted, I can assure you that I'm not losing any sleep over it, nor am I pushing some secret agenda.
4. Wanting to appear "edgy" and "controversial" by being the only IGN editor to constantly put down the channel he's assigned to.
You're really reaching. Change wanting to appear "edgy" to wanting to "be truthful" and you're right.
5. Loves to make the Nintendo fanboys squirm by going above and beyond the call of duty when criticising Nintendo.
These accusations are so totally ridiculous that I don't even know how to respond. What are we, in pre-school?
6. Genuinely believes that his words will influence Nintendo to change their business strategy. The same strategy that has netted them a huge cash reserve.
There we go! Finally, the truth comes out. You finally said what you wanted to say the entire time. That Nintendo is right and I'm wrong. You've demonstrated at long last that you are exactly the Nintendo fanboy who clings to everything the company does because it worked for it in the past and "netted them a huge cash reserve."
But since we're examing Nintendo's success stories, let's look at the whole picture, shall we?
Nintendo was the unchallenged US market leader in the early 90s. Let me ask you something, is that still true today? The answer will probably be very difficult for you to admit. You'll instead repeat to yourself over and over in a reassuring voice: "But Nintendo is still profitable!" You'll say this until it's the only thing that matters. But it's not.
Nintendo went from being the unchallenged US market leader to being number two in the days of PlayStation and Nintendo 64 and now number three this generation. For the first time in the company's history, it lost money during a fiscal quarter. And its name brand, once used to refer to videogames in general ("My son plays Nintendo"), has dwindled so much that many kids today view Nintendo as un-cool. Parents today say "My son plays PlayStation."
And competition is getting stiffer, not going away. Nintendo has remained profitable over the years due in large to its handheld business, not its console one. When you say that Nintendo is making so much money because "it knows what it's doing," you're simply wrong. Nintendo is making so much money because it remains almost unchallenged in the handheld sector and its Game Boy absolutely dominates the field. The company's GameCube business is a distant -- from one galaxy to the next -- second.
These are not my opinions, but fact. History shows what happened. Market research will back up my claims.
The difference between us is that I have watched too many of Nintendo's recent decisions backfire. I saw what happened when the company unveiled a purple console and tried to market it as a toy. I saw what happened when it stressed GCN-to-GBA connectivity over online games. And I learned that -- at least in some regard -- Nintendo really, truly does not know what it's doing. Or if it does, it sometimes has a warped perception of what US gamers want.
Do I think that my ramblings will have an impact on Nintendo? Perhaps not. But it can't hurt to try. Nintendo executives read my mailbag every single day. So do publishers and developers. Maybe one of these readers can make a difference.
Matt |
I know I'm not a huge IGN fan, but Matt is 100% right. If I didn't already know Nintendo doesn't listen to its fans, I'd wonder if he could actually make a difference... I mean I'm a huge Nintendo fan, but I can't help but to find myself continually disappointed with something Nintendo has or hasn't done in the last few years. And any real fan would be too. |
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Hybrid
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Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 2263
Location: New England
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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 8:12 pm
Post subject: re: Nintendo haters unite! Including Matt from IGN? |
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Matt IS completely right. It's his job to be vocal about it. I have been dissapointed with Nintendo decisions in the past, but I don't let that deter me from enjoying lots of games on their console. It's a shame that I was once in the same mindset as some of these fanboys. Though I think sometimes my apathetic reaction to the little mistakes Nintendo keeps making, makes me seem like I find them infallible.* It would be nice if Matt's words made a difference.
*I do react to the big ones like online and such. |
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bonesquad
Master
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 1993
Location: Petoria
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 12:51 am
Post subject: re: Nintendo haters unite! Including Matt from IGN? |
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Yup, it does sound hypicritical, but it is possible to dislike the business side of Nintendo, but enjoy the game side. At least that's what I tell myself, heh. And at this point, it's hard to be anything but apathetic to what Nintendo does because their bizarre moves are now the expected fair.
And oh, I second thought I don't agree with everything he said. While the GC controller may be the most comfortable in your hands, it's very subpar functionality trumps that. Hence I don't like it.
(Side note: I was just thinking, has any game other than Sunshine used the 'click' ability of the triggers? I can't think of one.) |
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Hybrid
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Joined: 17 Apr 2004
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Location: New England
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 2:15 am
Post subject: re: Nintendo haters unite! Including Matt from IGN? |
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Oh I actually do like using the cube controller more than any other. The grip is the sweetest plum. Of course it does depend on the types of games you play. If you desperately need that diamond layout or frequence tapping of the Z button, you won't like it. Of course both of these issues are in the MINORITY of games released so it's not a big deal.
Rogue Leader uses the click feature. I know there's a couple more. |
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bonesquad
Master
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 1993
Location: Petoria
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 3:29 pm
Post subject: re: Nintendo haters unite! Including Matt from IGN? |
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Hmm, okay. That's two. I looked at all my games, and Sunshine and RL were all I could fine that used that 'click'. It's just hard to use a button that requires you to go through L/R first, unlike L/R3 for example.
But maybe I shouldn't complain since the games I have a problem with are non-Nintendo games, and who plays those on GC? Heh. (It's partially cause games are made with the dual-shock in mind, and partially cause Nintendo just doesn't make the problem games like fighters.)
Back to topic... I caught the end of an Icons episode talking about the game industry crash of '84. And at the end when asking some developer if it could happen again, they said they'd like to think not because if they learned anything from then, you can't put all your eggs into one basket (ie game or game type). You need to diversify, have a selection, so when the industry grows and changes, you still have something they want. Seems to me this is exactly what Nintendo ISN'T doing. At least not on GC. |
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