Nintendo U.K. Boss Praises Sony and Microsoft

[Andy Chalk]

Nintendo U.K. Boss Praises Sony and Microsoft

Microsoft [http://www.nintendo.co.uk/], saying that both offer "really powerful programs and games" on their consoles that have helped drive the videogame industry to where it is today.

Hearing a Microsoft executive zing his Sony counterpart, or vice versa, is always fun but rarely surprising. The console wars is a take-no-prisoners conflict, after all, and everyone's playing for keeps. What is a little surprising is when somebody says something nice about the other team, which is exactly what Yarnton did today at the Learning Without Frontiers [http://www.learningwithoutfrontiers.com/] event in London.

"As an industry we can provide people with a lot of different options across formats with the view of having something that can appeal to everyone," he said. "Really powerful programs and games that come from Sony and Microsoft" can help game developers and encourage growth of the entire industry, he added, pointing to the PlayStation 3 exclusive LittleBigPlanet [http://www.amazon.com/LittleBigPlanet-Game-Year-Playstation-3/dp/B002ELCUUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294782272&sr=8-1] as a "fantastic example."

Yarnton said that although Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all part of the same industry, each brings something unique to the party, noting that Nintendo in particular has expanded the videogame market far beyond old stereotypes. With so many options on the market today, the "old image" of gamers as anti-social teenagers hooked on violent games has been largely wiped away. "That might be true for some games," he said. "Everyone I'm sure has heard of Call of Duty [http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Black-Ops-Xbox-360/dp/B003JVKHEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294782327&sr=8-1], but the industry is far more diverse than that."

Source: MCV [http://www.mcvuk.com/news/42483/Nintendo-sets-aside-rivalries-in-praise-of-console-diversity]


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[vrbtny]

Go him, I say.

Good to see that the guys at the top aren't just there to throw shit at eachother like monkeys.

Sony, Microsoft, take notes.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

And that is the sign of a confident, secure company (or person). The can openly praise their rivals for success without needing to puff themselves up.

Nintendo isn't scared of Sony or MS because in reality there is no competition. Nintendo is uniquely Nintendo and has been since the NES. They can afford to sit back and innovate and let Sony and MS expend money on marketing that just expands the market for Nintendo products.

I bet the Nintendo lab geeks were extremely excited when Kinect came out because it would give them a chance to do something even crazier to top it.

 

[Nimzar]

I don't know who that guy is but he just earned some respect points.

So... um... when can we expect to get these kind of statements from other companies?

 

[Georgie_Leech]

Bravo Nintendo. Even managed to hide the self-promotion. I wonder what effect opening the market will actually have on our stereotype?

 

[Spoon E11]

PR stunt?

anyway go Nintendo for making them look respectable, far more so than microsoft and sony anyway.

 

[Autofaux]

Awwwww, no verbal fisticuffs. Oh well, this is decent consolation.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Good for Nintendo. Its a business, not a school yard. No need for pointless berating of your rivals, that just makes you look like a tosser.

 

[mikecoulter]

Wow, sense in the video game industry at last!

Thats like him saying, "Hey, we're all good, high five!"

I like that.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

First I've heard of Nintendo UK.

I'd like to hear more.

 

[V8 Ninja]

Maybe that's why Nintendo EU doesn't care about its gamers.

HEY-YOO!!!

No, really, it's nice to see opposing companies respect each other. While I doubt that alone will open up new avenues for game making, it at least shows that the internet stereotype of the companies hating each other is wrong.

 

[Megacherv]

You see this? This is the kind of shit we want. Not just from people in the industry, but from EVERYONE! You hear my fanboys? I'm calling you out. When the head of Nintendo UK (which is a fucking high position in a company), praises his 2 biggest rivals; you can do the same for them.

Of course this is The Escapist where there are no fanboys whatsoever (LALALALAICAN'THEARYOUTHEREAREN'T!!!)

 

[mjc0961]

Never heard of him before today, but I applaud him. THIS is how a company bigwig should act. Not like a bunch of 12 year old fanboys from GameFAQs (not that that's the only place that has fanboys, just that they seem to be the worst ones I've seen). After all, how are people supposed to learn to stop acting like fanboys when the CEOs and other bosses act like them?

To all the bosses in the industry, pay attention to how David Yarnton has behaved himself and start acting more like him instead. Bobby Kotick and John Riccitiello, that goes double for you.

 

[Quaidis]

Microsoft and Sony will probably end up replying with something like, "Shut up! Stop acting better than us, cause you're not." And then somehow insult each other in the process. Then the shit tossing shall resume.

 

[Layzor]

That's all well and good but who is that pro wrestler in the picture?