Miyamoto: Don't Blame the Economy, Blame Unfun Games

[Mr. GameBrain]

GoG does nothing that a motivated gamer can't do (after more or less efforts depending on the games); but the mass of those who can't be bothered to understand the DosBox and learn minor tech skills represent a big market potential.
Those with the know how will keep pirating.
I just hope they won't make it illegal to download old games noone really owns anymore because they did some minor tweaks I could do myself, that are certainly not worth even just 5 bucks !

Actually as a former pirate myself, I don't mind buying games from there.
Not because I'm lazy, but because I can cheaply and with no fuss buy the right to play the game. (Not sure if I own the game, per se, as nobody seems to have the right to own anyhting these days... )

 

[The Cake Is Annoying]

No arguments here. Too many franchises and not enough new ideas.

Franchises are not bad, in fact, new ideas can be more of a problem. Remember how many new ideas Hollywood used to have? They ran out. Now look at the movies these days. Do you want gaming to end up like that? Also, he REALLY creeps me out. He's childlike and idealistic. That just seems creepy coming from anything that isn't dumb or too young to know what the world is like, and he is neither of those things.

I don't think there have been enough new ideas used lately for them to be a problem.

Regarding hardware - The Wii is a new idea and its helping grow the gaming industry. iPhone gaming (though I haven't tried it) at least is making a consistent gaming platform out of the mobile phone (and hopefully Android will prevent the creation of a monopoly).

Regarding delivery systems - Steam is helping small software companies - Introversion Software accredit Steam for their continued existence. And even if you don't like new games, a similar service (Good Old Games) makes sure you can get older titles cheaply for the PC with reliable compatibility - which is something that even piracy doesn't offer.

Regarding gaming - Heavy Rain is (arguably) helping bring back the Adventure genre. Scribblenauts really injected alot of new ideas into what a platform could be(though its execution a lot to be desired).

I don't see a problem created by new ideas, am I missing something?

And so what if Miyamoto is childlike and idealistic? Computer gaming became a successful industry because it grew beyond making toys for kids; but Miyamoto has been there from the early days. And that he's still there simply means he's successful. He understood the kids and still understands what is fun.

Perfect man for the job I say. I'd sooner trust what he says than some suit talking about long term company directions, franchises and jargon.

While some new ideas are good, we want a slow trickle, not a huge flood. A huge flood gives us lots of bad games with stories that can't be used again, wasting that story. Heavy Rain isn't exactly new, since it's gameplay style is taken from one of their older games, Scriblenauts is one of the few good ideas out there, and I'd sooner trust someone who isn't idealistic, but is nice and a fellow nerd/gamer. For example: Gabe Newell. The problem with new ideas is basically alot of them have bad gameplay, making it a bad game. A bad game wastes a story, just like a bad movie.

EDIT: An example of a wasted story is this: A huge Evil Dead game (Evil Dead: A Fistfull of Boomstick) where Ash has to fight deadites in different time periods. Sounds cool, right? The gameplay sucked, wasting a great idea.

I think you may have a point about there being a safe limit to the amount of new ideas - I'd argue the Dreamcast (perhaps the Saturn) had a wealth of new ideas in its gaming, but not enough more mainstream title sales to keep the system alive (to clarify though: I don't think new ideas alone are the reason Sega hit the wall. There were plenty of other reasons too - the 32x and Mega CD were probably big holes that a lot of money went into and never came out of - but getting back on topic...).

While that gamble may have cost Sega dearly I don't think that either Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft have invested so much in new ideas that if the ideas don't work it could kill a gaming format (The Wii, though hated by some has really highlighted the difference between graphical refinement and innovation).

And as for new ideas killing a developer? Well, maybe. Game development cycles are long now (I think I read somewhere now that PC titles are about 2 years), and a failure could send a developer under I suppose, but its got to be at least as dangerous to put out something that doesn't have enough new ideas and just feels... generic.

 

[incal11]

GoG does nothing that a motivated gamer can't do (after more or less efforts depending on the games); but the mass of those who can't be bothered to understand the DosBox and learn minor tech skills represent a big market potential.
Those with the know how will keep pirating.
I just hope they won't make it illegal to download old games noone really owns anymore because they did some minor tweaks I could do myself, that are certainly not worth even just 5 bucks !

Actually as a former pirate myself, I don't mind buying games from there.
Not because I'm lazy, but because I can cheaply and with no fuss buy the right to play the game. (Not sure if I own the game, per se, as nobody seems to have the right to own anyhting these days... )

So you are content on giving money to someone who originaly did not have anymore rights on the game than you; I do recognize the rights of some publishers to still own the rights of a game after a few ages (though personally I find the 70 years or more lasting patents to be vomit inducing).
Paying conmen for a misguided sense of entitlement is called being a pigeon.

 

[Yumi_and_Erea]

I'm generally speaking not a big fan of Nintendo but I can't help but respect Miyamoto-san.

He seems to be one of precious few people in the company to actually understand reality.

 

[The Cake Is Annoying]

No arguments here. Too many franchises and not enough new ideas.

Franchises are not bad, in fact, new ideas can be more of a problem. Remember how many new ideas Hollywood used to have? They ran out. Now look at the movies these days. Do you want gaming to end up like that? Also, he REALLY creeps me out. He's childlike and idealistic. That just seems creepy coming from anything that isn't dumb or too young to know what the world is like, and he is neither of those things.

I don't think there have been enough new ideas used lately for them to be a problem.

Regarding hardware - The Wii is a new idea and its helping grow the gaming industry. iPhone gaming (though I haven't tried it) at least is making a consistent gaming platform out of the mobile phone (and hopefully Android will prevent the creation of a monopoly).

Regarding delivery systems - Steam is helping small software companies - Introversion Software accredit Steam for their continued existence. And even if you don't like new games, a similar service (Good Old Games) makes sure you can get older titles cheaply for the PC with reliable compatibility - which is something that even piracy doesn't offer.

Regarding gaming - Heavy Rain is (arguably) helping bring back the Adventure genre. Scribblenauts really injected alot of new ideas into what a platform could be(though its execution a lot to be desired).

I don't see a problem created by new ideas, am I missing something?

And so what if Miyamoto is childlike and idealistic? Computer gaming became a successful industry because it grew beyond making toys for kids; but Miyamoto has been there from the early days. And that he's still there simply means he's successful. He understood the kids and still understands what is fun.

Perfect man for the job I say. I'd sooner trust what he says than some suit talking about long term company directions, franchises and jargon.

Good points, however good ideas + poor execution = fail, doesn't helps at all if there's new ideas but no one knows how to handle them properly, unless it makes an incredibly fun thing... much like dropping your "friends" of a pit on New Super Mario Bros Wii.

I agree. And I don't think all new ideas are good ideas (some new ideas are INCREDIBLY BAD IDEAS - Nobody wonders why Custer's Revenge didn't have a sequel for example). But I also think that the industry constantly needs new ideas and innovation to just stay alive, graphical improvements and better sound quality just aren't enough; I'd even say they are improvements that only get diminishing returns.

What will never stop selling is exactly what you said "incredibly fun thing"; word of mouth alone will make sure a game like that becomes a success. But I think the only sure way to get that word of mouth, indeed the only way to get that incredible fun is if it is something that has never been experience before. In a word: new.

 

[Jeronus]

The only game company to do reasonably well gives economic advice that means everyone else should listen and not just copy them then hope for some of their profits to rub off.

 

[Varanfan9]

Man with Miyamoto as their leader its no wonder that the Wii is ahead in sales. He understands how to make a fun game with what you have.

 

[Anticitizen_Two]

The man who pretty much built the current industry from the bottom up is spot on with this statement. 2009 didn't suck for the industry because of the recession, but because there were very few good games released. If they make better games, there'll be better sales, and Miyamoto is looking like he will contribute to that this year with Galaxy 2, Other M, and the new Legend of Zelda game.

 

[The Cake Is Annoying]

Regarding delivery systems - Steam is helping small software companies - Introversion Software accredit Steam for their continued existence. And even if you don't like new games, a similar service (Good Old Games) makes sure you can get older titles cheaply for the PC with reliable compatibility - which is something that even piracy doesn't offer.

GoG does nothing that a motivated gamer can't do (after more or less efforts depending on the games); but the mass of those who can't be bothered to understand the DosBox and learn minor tech skills represent a big market potential.
Those with the know how will keep pirating.

I just hope they won't make it illegal to download old games noone really owns anymore because they did some minor tweaks I could do myself, that are certainly not worth even just 5 bucks !

I can't say I've gotten consistent results with DosBox (which means your tech skills are probably better than mine). But the way I look at GOG is this: say I want to play Duke3D. I could pirate it and try and DosBox it and hope it works smoothly, and if it doesn't (a real possibility) then post on a DosBox forum and wait for a reply while I keep at trial and error... or pay GOG ?5 or 6.

I suppose its paying for convenience, but then again much of the draw of Napster and the other early filesharing networks was convenience too. Perhaps piracy and services like GOG that can compete on convenience side-by-side, games devs get paid and lawsuit drama may dry up.

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

GoG does nothing that a motivated gamer can't do (after more or less efforts depending on the games); but the mass of those who can't be bothered to understand the DosBox and learn minor tech skills represent a big market potential.
Those with the know how will keep pirating.
I just hope they won't make it illegal to download old games noone really owns anymore because they did some minor tweaks I could do myself, that are certainly not worth even just 5 bucks !

Actually as a former pirate myself, I don't mind buying games from there.
Not because I'm lazy, but because I can cheaply and with no fuss buy the right to play the game. (Not sure if I own the game, per se, as nobody seems to have the right to own anyhting these days... )

So you are content on giving money to someone who originally did not have anymore rights on the game than you; I do recognize the rights of some publishers to still own the rights of a game after a few ages (though personally I find the 70 years or more lasting patents to be vomit inducing).
Paying conmen for a misguided sense of entitlement is called being a pigeon.

But you do realise, that the publisher does get some money out of the sale right?
(I mean I don't see companies giving away the right to sell their games for free!),
and if those devs still work there, theres at least some chance of that money going to them.
(albeit indirecty in the form of wage)
Maybe if they sell enough, the publisher might give the games a reboot, (even if its fairly slim), and that is something I wouldn't mind taking a risk on.

Besides, GOG do good work, they give you nice little extras like OSTs and Artwork, that may be hard to track down on torrents otherwise.

Plus, torrent can be a total pain to use. Some have viruses (though you can normally spot those easily!), some lack seeders, (as people LOVE to leech!), and links on file uploaders can die.
At least on GOG, there's always a good link with a nice speed when I can get the game.

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

Does he take into consideration the number of games released? Because new Wii games come out by the shovel load, and not each game is going to be fun.

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

True, he does know how to make a game, but he sure as hell doesn't know anything about quality control. Nintendo forgot those lessons.

 

[The Night Shade]

he totally has a point and he is right

 

[The Cake Is Annoying]

Interesting thought. I'll use that next time I want to say to many scientists and not enough assistants. Hope you don't mind.

Hell, go for it! I feel this way about science as well. For example, I get really pissed off when I hear about "the sun will explode in x^y years and when it does it will envelope all the planets including the earth, it is inevitable".

Inevitable? Really? You think we're still going to be flying around in small space shuttles then, Mr. Whitecoat McScientist? And we're just going to leave this little planet (which apparently you think we don't even have even a sentimental attachment to...) to just burn like spacetoast?

Its like they're declaring there will no new understandings of how the sun works or GIANT ASS PLANET MOVING ENGINES suitable for moving Earth to a nice new shiny non-exploding sun in the incomprehensibly long duration between this moment and the day the sun throws its atomic hissy-fit.

Scientists like that did not get bullied *nearly* enough as children.

 

[incal11]

I can't say I've gotten consistent results with DosBox (which means your tech skills are probably better than mine). But the way I look at GOG is this: say I want to play Duke3D. I could pirate it and try and DosBox it and hope it works smoothly, and if it doesn't (a real possibility) then post on a DosBox forum and wait for a reply while I keep at trial and error... or pay GOG ?5 or 6.

I suppose its paying for convenience, but then again much of the draw of Napster and the other early filesharing networks was convenience too. Perhaps piracy and services like GOG that can compete on convenience side-by-side, games devs get paid and lawsuit drama may dry up.

I still think 5 or 6$ is a bit much for what they actually do with some games, but if it's just for convenience I can understand.

Although it is improbable any actual game dev will see a cent of your money, and since it's a fringe market don't expect your purchases to weight on the publishers decision to finally realease Duke nukem forever for example; unless the mainstream market flock en masse on GoG, even then I wouldn't bet on it.

But you do realise, that the publisher does get some money out of the sale right?
(I mean I don't see companies giving away the right to sell their games for free!),
and if those devs still work there, theres at least some chance of that money going to them.
(albeit indirecty in the form of wage)
Maybe if they sell enough, the publisher might give the games a reboot, (even if its fairly slim), and that is something I wouldn't mind taking a risk on.

From my own research on the subject, I can tell it is exceptional for the right game dev to still work for the right publisher for some insignificant part of your money to come to him.
Reboots made for cheap cash are always a let down, I'm yet to see an exception.

Besides, GOG do good work, they give you nice little extras like OSTs and Artwork, that may be hard to track down on torrents otherwise.
Plus, torrent can be a total pain to use. Some have viruses (though you can normally spot those easily!), some lack seeders, (as people LOVE to leech!), and links on file uploaders can die.
At least on GOG, there's always a good link with a nice speed when I can get the game.

I almost never had such difficulties.

 

[Terramax]

Well, he could get the ball rolling by inventing some new IPs.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Sure, we have a limited income, we always do. We rent games, we read the reviews, we hear about the game, but he's right--if it doesn't sound fun, we don't buy it. The more fun it sounds, the more fun it looks, the more fun, the more we want to buy. Interest has always been equivocated to money, and, even in the not-as-bad-as-we-hear-about economic downturn,we find money for entertainment. With high enough interest, the money will happen.

 

[That's Funny]

Miyamoto, you are my god.