Miyamoto: Oculus Rift-Style VR Goes Against Wii U's Values

[Steven Bogos]

OK will the people screaming at Nintendo actually read the articles linked, then you will see that they have no bearing whatsoever on the headline the escapist used.

Headline "Miyamoto: Oculus Rift-Style VR Goes Against Nintendo's Values"

Article "in direct contrast with what it is we're trying to achieve with Wii U."

So it was specifically talking about the WiiU, not the grandiose statement you are making it out to be.

So i had a look at the Time interview you linked to, to see if maybe i was misreading, however oddly I cannot see any mention of the quote you used as a headline. The closest thing is the quote which basically says they aiming for groups playing, no single person playing which is what VR is suited to.

Any chance of a source for the Headline quote, or was this more Daily Mail/Fox news reporting?

Hey there,

I'm the author of this piece. I wrote the title myself - you are correct: it paraphrased on that quote about being in "direct contrast" with the Wii U - hence why I didn't use quotation marks.

I will, however, admit it was somewhat "sensationalized", and have adjusted it accordingly.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Something Amyss]

I'd buy this more if they didn't make their expensive tablet controller that only one person can use at a time.

2. They tired this. <link=http://youtu.be/OyVAp0tOk5A?t=56s>They failed.

Maybe Miyamoto forgot? I bet Nintendo has tried hard to forget that piece.

Considering their last venture into this gave people headaches and migraines, I'm perfectly happy with Nintendo now trying VR again just yet =P

That didn't stop them from making the 3DS.

I mean, I like the games on it, but the 3D feature can fuck right off.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Your title is misleading because it sounds to me like he's saying that the Oculus goes against what Nintendo is trying to achieve with the WiiU, not their core values.

 

[Dragonbums]

Just looking at the picture just makes me feel gross inside.

Look, man, Oculus Rift has a lot of potential outside of gaming, but personally I really don't feel comfortable with it. When you put that thing on you just have no constant input from the "real" world. No periphery vision, nothing. You are basically left at the mercy of your environment being completely stable. I don't like that. At all. I can immerse myself into a world just fine as it is. However I still want to be aware of my surrounding when I'm doing it. The Oculus Rift takes away from that.

On that note, considering the goals with the Wii U Miyamoto has a point. They just conflict with each other.

Of course I find it funny that the one time Nintendo isn't behind the next big gimmick, people are calling them "behind the times". Heh.

 

[FFMaster]

Hey there,

I'm the author of this piece. I wrote the title myself - you are correct: it paraphrased on that quote about being in "direct contrast" with the Wii U - hence why I didn't use quotation marks.

I will, however, admit it was somewhat "sensationalized", and have adjusted it accordingly.

Thanks for the feedback.

No worries and thanks for making a sensible change!

I know its not much but am trying to find a decent selection of sites to go to for gaming news and sites that go the sensational route for headlines put me off. So any steps away from that increase the chances of repeated visits during the times I'm bored at work

 

[seditary]

Thank fuck there's at least one company out there that gives a shit about people actually getting together to enjoy gaming in the same room.

Nobody else does.

 

[Dragonbums]

Maybe Miyamoto forgot? I bet Nintendo has tried hard to forget that piece.

No.

"All Hail the Virtual Boy" was used in advertising Tomodachi Life on tumblr, Facebook, and the Nintendo Direct in question. Nintendo doesn't exactly have many reasons to bring it up anyway outside of a joke so what is actually the point?

 

[Roofstone]

Fair enough, Nintendo always was the party game king. Many of their games are very well suited for social activity.

 

[Something Amyss]

"All Hail the Virtual Boy" was used in advertising Tomodachi Life on tumblr, Facebook, and the Nintendo Direct in question. Nintendo doesn't exactly have many reasons to bring it up anyway outside of a joke so what is actually the point?

For which you took a joking quip to explain that.

I don't really know how to respond at that point.

 

[Dragonbums]

"All Hail the Virtual Boy" was used in advertising Tomodachi Life on tumblr, Facebook, and the Nintendo Direct in question. Nintendo doesn't exactly have many reasons to bring it up anyway outside of a joke so what is actually the point?

For which you took a joking quip to explain that.

I don't really know how to respond at that point.

Don't respond?

Not sure what the "joking quip" was. That's...what Nintendo did. They recently mentioned it in a "All hail the Virtual Boy" ad for Tomodachi Life.

 

[Saetha]

Just looking at the picture just makes me feel gross inside.

Look, man, Oculus Rift has a lot of potential outside of gaming, but personally I really don't feel comfortable with it. When you put that thing on you just have no constant input from the "real" world. No periphery vision, nothing. You are basically left at the mercy of your environment being completely stable. I don't like that. At all. I can immerse myself into a world just fine as it is. However I still want to be aware of my surrounding when I'm doing it. The Oculus Rift takes away from that.

On that note, considering the goals with the Wii U Miyamoto has a point. They just conflict with each other.

Of course I find it funny that the one time Nintendo isn't behind the next big gimmick, people are calling them "behind the times". Heh.

Well, at least someone seems to share my wariness with this. I mean, VR sounds like a really cool technology and it'll probably be insanely helpful in some fields... but gaming? Yeah, no, I'll stick with my TV and controller, thanks.

 

[Lightknight]

The king of the console gimmick believes that a gimmick they were the first to try to implement is against their values? Har har har. That's rich. I get that it isolates the gamer but not every game they release is a party game.

 

[Laser Priest]

Well considering Nintendo's core values seem to be:

* Remake the same five games over ad nausea.
* Be conservative in every decision.
* Don't use any technology that hasn't already existed for five years.

Then I'd say Miyamoto has a point.

Because no other companies have popular franchises.

And never has there been a more conservative and safe console than the Wii. Not. Ever.

But Virtual Reality is absolutely the most unappealing concept gamers seem to have deluded themselves into seeing as a positive, so any lack of support for the demented Oculus Rift is fucking fantastic.

 

[walrusaurus]

Earlier in the week, we heard from Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Amie about how Virtual Reality isn't quite there yet [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135413-Nintendo-VR-Isnt-There-Yet-Well-be-on-Board-When-it-is], but that Nintendo would be on board when it is.

This right here pretty much sums up the fall of Nintendo in a single sentence. For two decades nintendo was the bravest most innovative company in the industry, taking massive gambles on hardware experiments just to push the bounderies of what was possible in gaming. Virtual boy, the N64 controller, the rumble pak, the power glove, the Gameboy, the wiimote. Say what you will about any of those individually, but noone can deny that nintendo has lead the pack in hardware innovation for decades. Now? "[it] isn't quite there yet, but Nintendo would be on board when it is" .... that just f-n depressing

 

[GoddyofAus]

Nintendo just love their excuses for remaining behind the curve, don't they.

 

[Kiall]

Well considering Nintendo's core values seem to be:

* Remake the same five games over ad nausea.
* Be conservative in every decision.
* Don't use any technology that hasn't already existed for five years.

Then I'd say Miyamoto has a point.

Because no other companies have popular franchises.

And never has there been a more conservative and safe console than the Wii. Not. Ever.

But Virtual Reality is absolutely the most unappealing concept gamers seem to have deluded themselves into seeing as a positive, so any lack of support for the demented Oculus Rift is fucking fantastic.

No other company exploits their popular franchises as much as Nintendo. This is hardly debateable, there's over 105 'unique' games that feature Mario, there's plenty more I just couldn't bother counting titles made after 2001 and yes I did discount all the repeats of Donkey Kong and Mario Bros etc on different systems. Here's a fun link for you:

http://www.thetoptens.com/top-10-nintendo-games/

Spoiler alert - the only games not featuring Mario feature the hardly ever heard of Nintendo hero Link, I'll admit there are a mere 30 'unique' games with him in it.

As for the conservative point I meant primarily socially. I could try to low ball the Wii, saying the tech had been around for several years before hand and it's hardly the bravest move going after the casual market but actually in 2006 it kind of was. I'll give them kudos for that - quite frankly a shitty, boring system that lost all its appeal after an afternoon unless you were drunk but it was the first time a big corp actually tried to attract a non-gamer market.

Regarding the Rift, apart from thinking it'll be cool for horror games I really couldn't care less.

 

[Dragonbums]

The king of the console gimmick believes that a gimmick they were the first to try to implement is against their values? Har har har. That's rich. I get that it isolates the gamer but not every game they release is a party game.

In the article they said it didn't go well with what they want the Wii U to be. Not the company ideal as a whole.

 

[Dragonbums]

Earlier in the week, we heard from Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Amie about how Virtual Reality isn't quite there yet [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135413-Nintendo-VR-Isnt-There-Yet-Well-be-on-Board-When-it-is], but that Nintendo would be on board when it is.

This right here pretty much sums up the fall of Nintendo in a single sentence. For two decades nintendo was the bravest most innovative company in the industry, taking massive gambles on hardware experiments just to push the bounderies of what was possible in gaming. Virtual boy, the N64 controller, the rumble pak, the power glove, the Gameboy, the wiimote. Say what you will about any of those individually, but noone can deny that nintendo has lead the pack in hardware innovation for decades. Now? "[it] isn't quite there yet, but Nintendo would be on board when it is" .... that just f-n depressing

It seems that there is a huge double standard against Nintendo in these things. You accuse them as being conservative as fuck, but they made both the Wii and Wii U. Two consoles that are risky as hell because of the very core of how they play. One was a smashing success while the other is chugging along. People hate Nintendo for being full of gimmicks. A title you don't earn unless your notorious for trying out new products in ways not done before. And the moment they aren't behind the Oculus Rift- the biggest fucking gimmick since the ever hated motion controls- they are behind the times? When you yourself have no clue how this tech will pay off how can you make that assertion?

So which is it? Are Nintendo conservative clowns? Or are they gimmicks express?

 

[Brian Tams]

I'd buy this more if they didn't make their expensive tablet controller that only one person can use at a time.

I'm sorry, but is it unusual for only one person to use a controller at a time?

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

They tired this. <link=http://youtu.be/OyVAp0tOk5A?t=56s>They failed.

I can't believe that wasn't the first thing that jumped into my mind. I'm kind of ashamed of myself.

I don't think Miyamoto is talking out of his ass or even behind the times for that matter though. Nintendo is one of the few companies that's actually keeping local multiplayer alive to any extent, and I don't think it would work as well sitting on a couch with an oculus rift over your eyes.