GDC 2007: "The Wii is a Piece of Sh*t!"

[wraggster]

via ign

During a session at GDC this morning titled 'Burning Mad - Game Publishers Rant,' time was taken about half way through to allow developers a chance to spew their own rants. One speaker, Chris Hecker, currently working on Spore at Maxis, took the opportunity to call out Nintendo for not taken games seriously.

"The Wii is a piece of $#@!!" Hecker began his talk, which was called "Fear of a Wii Planet." He blasted a few bars of Public Enemy to set the tone. Hecker said the Wii is nothing more than two GameCubes stuck together with duct tape, and that the console isn't powerful enough to provide the next-gen experience he has been waiting for.

Although he stated the system is "severely underpowered," Hecker noted that he wasn't simply referring to the Wii's graphical capabilities. He wants to spend a console's CPU making games more intelligent, and he has found the Wii doesn't have the power to process things like complicated AI.

Hecker also took Nintendo to task for not taking games seriously enough. "It's not clear to me that Nintendo gives a $#@! about games as an art form," he said. To illustrate his point, he searched for references to games as art on all three console manufacturers web sites. While he found numerous such references on both the official PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sites, Wié.com had none at all. He then shared quotes from executives at Sony and Microsoft talking about games as a serious artistic medium, and then a quote from a Nintendo executive saying the company only wanted to make "fun" games.

Hecker ended his spirited rant with two demands for Nintendo: First, recognize and push games as serious art. And two, "make a console that doesn't suck ass."

Vent your anger at his comments

[mcvader]

I have to agree with this guy, if the Wii can't even do good AI then how is it next-gen at all?? The Wii-Remote is a good idea but they havn't even made good use of it yet. I was undecided for ages but I think I'm gonna skip the Wii and save my penny's for a PS3. I'll have to get one some day to complete my Nintendo collection but I'm in no rush, I've only had my NES for a year.

[Balthasar00]

+ 1.

Wii could be the gateway for old school rpg's.. that would be nice.. ^^

[SwordOfZork]

Wow... what a mature way to express you're opinion, Mr. Hecker.

[ICE]

my god!!!!! freaking idiots!!!!! yes its underpowered but so is the ds compared to psp!!! shut the crap up about graphics because its CLEAR that to the AVERAGE gamer they DONT matter!! if you want graphics and ai that stun you DONT BUY THE WII!! its not mandatory that you buy one. you can just ignore it.

[VampDude]

via ign

During a session at GDC this morning titled 'Burning Mad - Game Publishers Rant,' time was taken about half way through to allow developers a chance to spew their own rants. One speaker, Chris Hecker, currently working on Spore at Maxis, took the opportunity to call out Nintendo for not taken games seriously.

"The Wii is a piece of $#@!!" Hecker began his talk, which was called "Fear of a Wii Planet." He blasted a few bars of Public Enemy to set the tone. Hecker said the Wii is nothing more than two GameCubes stuck together with duct tape, and that the console isn't powerful enough to provide the next-gen experience he has been waiting for.

Umm, ok...
...That is just a matter of his oppinion, but the console seems to be powerful enough for the people who did'nt buy it for the power of the CPU

Although he stated the system is "severely underpowered," Hecker noted that he wasn't simply referring to the Wii's graphical capabilities. He wants to spend a console's CPU making games more intelligent, and he has found the Wii doesn't have the power to process things like complicated AI.

One word that describes the Wii compared to the other two more powerful machines, that word is "PLAYABLE"

Hecker also took Nintendo to task for not taking games seriously enough. "It's not clear to me that Nintendo gives a $#@! about games as an art form," he said. To illustrate his point, he searched for references to games as art on all three console manufacturers web sites. While he found numerous such references on both the official PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sites, Wii.com had none at all. He then shared quotes from executives at Sony and Microsoft talking about games as a serious artistic medium, and then a quote from a Nintendo executive saying the company only wanted to make "fun" games.

That says it all, games are meant to be fun!

Hecker ended his spirited rant with two demands for Nintendo: First, recognize and push games as serious art. And two, "make a console that doesn't suck ass."

Hecker sucks ass, he obviously does'nt know Nintendo's perspective on games!

[rabidchild]

Wii doesn't have the super powered CPU and graphics because it isn't designed to compete in the "next-gen" console wars. Nintendo has revolutionized gaming and made it fun and easily accessible for people that would have never otherwise tried it. That totally sucks ass doesn't it? What a complete tool.

[alienanthropologist]

When you start hearing attacks like this, you really do realise how well the Wii has done.

The Wii is causing and will continue to cause serious disruption in the industrly. Because of its radically different approach, and its undoubted market success, some people in the more established part of the industry are feeling anxious about the new changes heralded by Nintendo's new console.

Plus this guy Hecker has a hugely undignified way of getting his point across. In the end it's the consumers who decide, as they are indeed deciding now; and sales don't seem to support Hecker's anxieties.

[Miria]

Hes just angry because he can't code for the Wii.. LOL Complicated AI?? WTF..

Make pong using the Wii-mote and you got money in your pocket.. Gosh how did things get so hard?? Oh thats right.. Sony and Microsoft..

PS3 and XBX360 are more like Hubs not gaming systems. Like your computer...

[HitmanRotto]

He is right on the mark, I think all devs should work on making the graphics and gameplay 100% instead of dabbling in the world of motion sensing that clearly has issues. The wii is such an overated console. I will always love Nintendo for what they have done in the past but Im sorry guys, i just can't support such a boring console.