Reggie Blames Metroid Prime 3 Delay On YOU?
Baby Jesus knows I love Reggie Fils-Aime like my own reanimated love slave, but did he just blame the Metroid Prime 3 delay on his own consumers? Aeropause thinks he did, and I'm tempted to ask the same question. Here's what Reggie had to say about the subject at D.I.C.E.:
"I think it's fair to say that all of us were disappointed with the sales of 'Metroid Prime 2,' Retro included. The focus on 'Prime 3' is to make that the stellar game for a first-person experience on the platform. ... What that means is we're going to make sure it's perfect when we launch it."
Okay, okay, I'm a huge proponent of the "you'll have it when it's awesome" concept of game releases...there have been faaaaar too many potentially great games crippled by the rush to meet a deadline. But I'm not sure tying that concept into poor sales for a previous game is a great way to avoid sounding like you're blaming your audience, just the tiniest little bit. It smacks of repressed resentment. There's also more, when a reporter asked "If it's perfect, does that mean it's going to be online?":
"That's perfect for you."
Ouch. Whose perfection are we aiming for, then? Retro's? Nintendo's? Mine? Admittedly, I have zero interest in playing Metroid online. (None. Zilch. Don't want it; don't care; don't care if thousands of players want it and are suicidally disappointed. Not me.) But in the interest of objectivity within the fury of starry-eyed Nintendobots who can't withstand even the ghost of rational criticism of their beloved megacorp, it seems a potential slip worth pointing out: even Ninty gets sassy.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to read some more reviews slamming Wii Play. And then play Kid Icarus. Hey, consistency is for little minds.
Where Are All The Wiis, DS Lites? Nintendo Exec Has The Answer [MTV]
[via Aeropause]
tiny dancer
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 17 February 2007
· Comments (9)
Other stuff like this: d.i.c.e., metroid prime 3, nintendo, reggie fils-aime, retro, wii
I think trying to put the game online would be a mistake. All too often, when a game has an online component, one of two things happen: Either the online component feels rushed and tacked-on, leaving a bad taste in your mouth, or the single player (or the real game, as I call it) portion suffers due to resources being routed to the online portion's development. Very rarely does a game come along with great single-player AND great online parts in the same game.
And frankly, the best part of Metroid has always been the exploration/puzzle solving parts, not the combat. If they could keep that same sense of wonder and discovery in an online game (nearly impossible, unless you want an average online game to last 5 hours), hey, great. But that would be almost impossible. Metroid is just not designed as a multiplayer experience, and Retro would be better served by focusing on delivering a stellar first-person adventure game instead of worrying about making some half-assed online deathmatch thing that people would forget about in 6 months, when the next "big" online game comes along.
i wouldnt mind if they release a second mini game which u play cooperatively online. actually, that would be kinda sweet. you ever play Sven Co-op? best half life multiplayer experience available
Honestly, I think both you and Aeropause are grossly misinterpreting his remarks. He said that they were disappointed that Metroid Prime 2 didn't sell as well as they as hoped, despite the fact that they thought it was a great game. Therefore, they have to step up to the plate and make the next one even better to attract consumers back.
That last comment though is pretty vague. I almost think he means the reporter and the gaming media, who seem to have an obsession with putting games online that sometimes don't really need to be online.
way I figure it, Metroid needs to stay as far away from online play as possible. as Shin Gallon pointed out, Metroid is about exploration, not shooting everything that moves.
further, I am sick and tired of the mentality that a game is no good unless it is online. you know, when I am playing a game, I don't neccessarily WANT other people to bug me to join a deathmatch of I Shoot UR Dudez 57. sure, online modes have their place, but the way it is permeating modern console gaming is irritating to no end. sure, I would like a 4 player Smash Bros Brawl online, but with the way Nintendo handles "friend codes" and the like, I cannot see myself using that function often. I cannot stand the people on Xbox Live, to the point that I refuse to use the service, and I cannot say I have ever played a PS2 game online. I played FFXI and play WoW now, because /ignore is handled in no time flat. not to mention, you can report abuse FAR easier when there is a printed record on screen.
I dunno about "grossly misinterpreting," that sounds a little ridiculous. Making sure a game is going to be great before you release it should be the norm. Would they have made less of an effort to make Metroid Prime 3 perfect if Metroid Prime 2 had sold well? I hope not. It seems like saying both things on top of the other is what's snarky...
Definitely a "no thanks" to multiplayer. A great singleplayer game is what Metroid does best. Online is overrated.
well, the other thing is that nintendo is the company which relies on online the least. think about it, it's fun to play a game online and to start trash talking everyone, but it's alot more fun to be in the same room as someone and actually start talking to them in person. and when you have 4 wii motes flying in the same room, u get one hell of a fun time
//Whose perfection are we aiming for, then? Retro's? Nintendo's? Mine? Admittedly, I have zero interest in playing Metroid online. (None. Zilch. Don't want it; don't care; don't care if thousands of players want it and are suicidally disappointed. Not me.)//
But then they're not making it for YOU they're making it for THOSE PEOPLE.
I thought of all things a video game company would know that you can't make everyone happy.
And I'm not terribly interested in online gaming...which begs the question are gaming companies too focused on online?
A delay for Wii? No kidding!
Sigh. Each Nintendo announcement makes me believe the machine I bought last month is going to be collecting dust soon.... Zelda sucked (sorry, it's true) and Wii Play is only marginaly fun... Wii Sports is *still* the real star here...
Mario Galaxies goes to very late 2007 (don't be surprised if it jumps to 2008) - being a tech demo now turning into a full-fledged game does that..
I love Nintendo. I do.. But Gamecube had little games I could care for and Wii is fast becoming a Mini-game for the casual and previously non-gamer machine. What about us who like action games, RPG, racing games?
We're doomed, that's what. Its Gamecube all over again.
Sigh.
I don't think people received Wii Play like Nintendo intended. I think they only really meant it as a minigame to give gamers an excuse to buy another controller and play with friends.