BioWare Joins The Wii Bashing Gravy Train
This week has seen quite a marked shift in market opinions on Nintendo's darling Wii. In what strangely has become the year to be hated, BioWare has also chipped in by questioning whether the act of playing the Wii is even attached to the gestalt of "gaming."
BIZ: Well there's the quote: BioWare says Wii is not gaming! [laughs]Zeschuk: If gaming is defined by story, then generally Wii may not be.
Muzyka: I think it IS gaming.
Zeschuk: We don't have to agree on everything, right? The most fun you have is when you get 4 or 5 people together, right? The game they're playing is actually very different than the rest of us. What they're doing as a company is like a different flavor.
BIZ: Well you've not made a Wii game yet either. Maybe that's your next challenge...
Zeschuk: [chuckles]
BIZ: I'm hearing silence...
Zeschuk: Ray vs. Greg Wii Boxing! [laughs] I don't think I could lift my arms long enough!
Muzyka: We've played some Wii games and we're fans of the system, and we're fans of Sony and Microsoft, PC, DS... we like it all. We'll only deliver something if we feel it's really quality, that's the key.
Zeschuk and Muzyka's opinion seems pretty asinine to me, considering that they're in the process of creating Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood for the Nintendo DS.
Does a touch screen really invite ideas of traditional gameplay in comparison to a controller designed around gesture controls? Does a Wii necessitate local multiplayer gaming? Is a Wii title incapable of manifesting an emotional response due to a limited or absent story?
Say what you wish, BioWare boys, but I'm too busy actually playing, and enjoying, games on my Wii than attempting to ascertain the general "quality" of my gaming "experience."
Bioware can't decide if Wii is 'gaming' or not [GoNintendo]
Noun
Posted to Miscellany on 22 April 2008
· Comments (13)
Other stuff like this: bashing, bioware, lame, nintendo wii
Name: Dave
Isn't it obvious Noun?
They're going for renegade on the dialog wheel
Hey! They need their $600 graphics to tell a story. That's why books can't tell stories. Not enough expensive graphics. And it makes your arms sore to hold them up to your face.
What stupidity there exists in the world. Such idiocy presupposes two fallacies:
1, that a Wii game must use gesture controls and
2, that a Wii game is incapable of deep story.
I ask why to both. Clearly games for Wii exist that do not use gesture controls, and what is unique to Wii that precludes story? Is the PS2 incapable of telling a deep and involved and engaging story? What about GameBoy, is it incapable of communicating a story? The hardware medium isn't what limits the ability to tell a story, it's the developer's imagination.
Umm, what I gathered was that the heads of BioWare said that they would only make a Wii game if it they thought it could be a quality game. That's BioWare's stance on EVERY game.
BioWare is focused on storytelling in gaming, something upon which Wii games are generally not focused.
"If gaming is defined by story, then generally Wii may not be."
Games are not defined by story. Maybe they are at Bioware, but that would explain why I haven't bought any of their games since KOTOR1.
"We'll only deliver something if we feel it's really quality, that's the key."
By quality I'm going to assume that they mean money. I don't think anyone here is going to argue that the DS is "quality" in visual terms he's sort of describing.
"If gaming is defined by story, then generally Wii may not be."
Games are not defined by story. Maybe they are at Bioware, but that would explain why I haven't bought any of their games since KOTOR1.
"We'll only deliver something if we feel it's really quality, that's the key."
By quality I'm going to assume that they mean money. I don't think anyone here is going to argue that the DS is "quality" in visual terms he's sort of describing.
I knew I wasn't Mario Kart's gameplay that was fun it was the story line!
I'm so glad thats all been cleared up for me.
Oh! I thought it was storyline that was compelling in Metroid Prime 3, or Zelda TP, or Resi 4, or No More Heroes... silly me it was only waving my hand around that made it fun.
I think I have a certain gesture for all wii-haters out there :P hehehe
This whole Wii-bashing thread shows just how disconnected a lot of the leading game developers are from many of the people who play their games. It's fine to be a fanboy and grow up and make games, but if you refuse to make them for anyone but other fanboys, while your competitors do (and do increasingly well), you're just going to further niche-ify yourself until your skills are comparably worthless in a mainstream market.
Oh, also, don't be a jackass. Games and stories are related and not at all the same thing, and being unable to make that distinction is pretty sad for a professional game designer.
I agree with a lot of people here. If they don't see what they like for the Wii, then make a game they do like!!! I'm sure there is a market there. Just because a lot of companies are focusing on party play, and/or simple storyline doesn't mean they have to do the same.
Like with Epic, Actions speaks louder than words - make a game that they think is worthy for the Wii, not how the Wii defines gaming.
Graphics and Storylines aren't everything. If you aren't having fun then it's just no good.
Two things:
The game devolper makes the story. Not the console. There's nothing stopping anyone from making a game with an engrossing story. But themselves.
And, I'm sorry but something tells me the Sonic RPG isn't going to be a milestone in story telling.
slightly unclear on exactly what there trying to say (possibly made a comment changed their minds)but in any case if there saying its about graphics why aren't they doing a game for the psp & PS3
if there scared of the wiimote why has the crappy CoD 3 got the 2nd best control system ever only out done buy the legendery
metroid (arcade & console controls Combined what more do they want)
And like people say if your a developer and you want something on a console then make it!
"The game devolper makes the story. Not the console. There's nothing stopping anyone from making a game with an engrossing story. But themselves."
That's exactly what I was thinking, Stevie.
Also, I feel that Mario Galaxy was one of my best gaming experiences I've had. I still inadvertantly try to "guesture control" using other controllers, since it just felt so natural and easier than pressing buttons. And so much more fun and engrossing.