The Big Picture: Memorium

[sinsfire]

I know it's nit picking but.

I liked this video, it was an interesting and worthwhile comparison and send off to a man who has played a tremendous role in many of our lives. I wish just once though you had skipped the book plug. I got the reference to the critic the first time, and I get that you need your book to sell (because that is what writers want), but I think you could have skipped it this week, bring it back next week and the week after, etc. Maybe this week though you should have taken a break.

Just a thought.

 

[xPixelatedx]

One of the only things we've agreed on in a while bob, but we agree very much.

Putting aside whether or not he was a saint or devil, it's truly sad so many people don't even know or realize who this person is, or how much hes effected all our lives. I bet there are a lot of Sony/Xbox people who (while in the process of making fun of Nintendo) don't even realize what they have might not exist if it wasn't for this person.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Good video for the public good.
Thanks Bob!

 

[Vausch]

Could someone familiar with the Japanese language please translate Bob's final words for me? Thank you!

Gomeifuku wo inorimasu Yamauchi-sama. It means "rest in peace".

 

[Jacked Assassin]

This is one of those times I wish Nintendo Fans would not act like Nintendo saved The Gaming Industry.

Because in reality Nintendo saved The Console Gaming Industry. And IF Nintendo didn't save The Console Gaming Industry we'd probably be thankful to games like Oregon Trail for simply rebranding it as a simulation since the word Game became dirty at the time due to Atari.

Companies I like such as Bethesda & Apogee (Before they became 3D Realms) don't owe Nintendo anything. Why? Because their claim to fame came from making PC Games. The kind of Gaming we basically enjoy on PCs would have lived on. Even better there wouldn't be any console fan boys declaring PC Gaming to be dead. Because either they would not be gaming or they would have become PC Gamers.

If anything Nintendo saving Console Gaming ultimately did more harm than good. We probably wouldn't have had to worry about EA becoming a Massive Giant that would destroy other Developers. Or Sony making Play Station (for revenge on Nintendo) which nowadays feels like an advertisement for HD TVs. Or MS for pretty much abandoning PC Gaming to make Xbox.

I'm sorry this guy died like I would be sorry for anyone who died. And I wouldn't demonize him, but he doesn't deserve the kind of credit he has gotten for this.

My attitude toward Console Gaming will change a little when Ralph Baer dies. But when that happens & articles that state The Father Of Console Gaming has died a lot of the Nintendo Fans (& maybe other console fans) will assume Shigeru Miyamo died. So yeah I'm not thankful for Nintendo for skewing Console Gaming History either. But that respect I give Ralph Baer will have to do more with his history before he even made The First Gaming Console.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Thank you for delivering a positive, less starry-eyed and more grounded obituary, Bob. But, while some people are pointing out that this made him akin to Riccitiello and Kotick, I would at least like to argue that while he was perhaps even more cutthroat, he did what he did for the company and it's future, not just for personal profit of himself or the shareholders. Even if he is in part responsible for creating Sony's gaming division through his decisions, he still laid the groundwork for what a video game and console company should be.

 

[Ken_J]

It brings back memories of history courses asking the question "Was Alexander of Macedonia true 'Great'?"

Yes and well put in the video. Yamauchi, Disney, Jobs, and Alexander were all great men. Ruthless as all hell, and at times holding questionable morality but great non the less. They had power and vision and used it to shape the world ushering Golden ages for their spheres of influence.

 

[RaikuFA]

Much better than my response to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-S0gTla1ss

Oh God, him. He thinks everything Bob does is evil. Hell, he insulted Bob for being happy about Ducktales remastered.

 

[marioandsonic]

Wow, the comparison to Yamauchi to Walt Disney seems really spot on.

RIP, Yamauchi-san.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAPaGu0fWDE

 

[Aardvaarkman]

Would we have gaming websites and gaming culture today if Nintendo had never existed? I'd say absolutely.

I played computer games throughout the 80s and 90s, and never owned a Nintendo product. Before today's interwebs, we were already using online BBS systems to discuss games, and after that, USENET.

It seems to be a common theme among Nintendo fans that think the entire gaming world once revolved around Nintendo. It didn't.

 

[zvate]

I thought Bob's ruminations on Hiroshi Yamauchi were interesting but I found his comparison to Walt Disney a bit problematic because it does do much to Walt's image and legacy to realize that their was a specific group he did not want in his small, small world. It does destroy the myth of the inclusive utopia he was supposedly promoting... because it wasn't; no Jews allowed. The kindly father figure had deep racial hatreds which do undermine his public persona and make it disingenuous. the fact that many in america at the time were racist just means a lot of idiots were gathered in one place...

The comparison with Yamauchi would appear to do the recently diseased a disservice unless Yamauchi was also portraying a public persona at odds with his personal reality. if the president of Nintendo was a cold calculating business man whom never pretended to be anything else then we should certainly give him the credit of his success and accomplishments... I know Bob was trying to show that great things come from flawed people but when discussing those peoples lives the flaws do matter and I'll take the honest ruthless business guy over the racist any day of the week.

To put it another way: yes, Washington kind of sucks because he could go on about the inalienable rights of man while owning slaves and unless Yamauchi deserves a slice of the racist stupid pie Bob should have done him the service of discussing his accomplishments outside of such company.

 

[emeraldrafael]

... Andrew Carnegie... But god damn do I respect that man and what he did for Pittsburgh.

and of course Bob missed the man's biggest contribution. Shadow Owner of the Mariners.

 

[Rad Party God]

THIS is the Bob I know and love respect. Very thoughful and very nice insight, I always related Miyamoto and Gumpei Yokoi as the men that catapulted video games and Nintendo into relevance.

And Bob... that book gag was annoying the first time... now you're beating a dead horse with it...

 

[hentropy]

I totally agree, we tend to glorify innovators but only if they're willing to put themselves out where all the cameras can see them. Miyamoto was an innovator in many ways, but someone still needed to trust him enough to bankroll all the things that started what we love and those people shouldn't be forgotten or written off as just some money-grubbing suit. Not much would get done without someone grubbing the money, after all.

In any case, I've now heard Japanese spoken with Bostonian inflections, so it's been a good day. I'm also glad Bob is on the "screw Edison" bandwagon, that's a wagon that needs more mainstream people to hop on it.

I'm going to regret this, but this is why internet (aside from porn) digress to answer me why more need to be on the Edison was kinda evil bandwagon?

This article encapsulates it: http://www.somethingawful.com/news/edison-jerk-elephant/

In short, while he's credited with so many inventions and is generally considered some sort of brilliant renaissance man, Thomas Edison was really good at one thing: severely abusing the patent system in the time he lived. He's often said to have invented the lightbulb, but in face he just created a new kind of lightbulb, and when I say "create", it means he had a bunch of underlings do all of his work and then take 100% of the credit and profit.

The reason why he has the status he does in the US is simply because he's American. Most of the things he was credited for were originally invented or formulated in Europe, and he found various legal ways to take credit for them here, hence why the list of things he "invented" is so long and so seemingly important.

 

[JimB]

The video won't load past three and a half minutes for me, so I'll try again tomorrow...but I did want to say how surprised and proud I am that no one has come along to yell about how Mr. Chipman is the definition of unprofessional behavior and needs to stop ramming his hate of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days down our throats. Good job, everyone!

 

[Nymi]

Not related to the topic, and this probably won't be a very popular post, but...please. Try to reign in the accent. You had it under control so well for a long time, and then you've slipped again and it just sounds terrible and makes it really hard to listen to more than 30 seconds of your videos at a time. :|

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I'd not heard of the man before, but if he had as much influence on gaming as you say then RIP Yamauchi-san. Gaming just isn't the same without you.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

definitely one of the most important men in gaming and one who changed the course of gaming's history. If it weren't for Yamauchi then console gaming would have been dead.