Gaming Iwata is indifferent on modern games (interview)

[shinkodachi]

Title is a bit misleading (perhaps). Should've stated Iwata is indifferent on modern games.

Translation from the 'GAF: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=959746

Interesting interview. This catched my eye:

Iwata: So [modern games] are backed by this huge amount of effort and technology, but it feels like very few people remember them [story moments] or players skip over things within the game.

Kawakami: It certainly feels like there's too many cut-scenes these days.

Iwata: Of course, you can use them effectively; I'm not trying to dismiss them completely, but I can't help but wonder what could have been instead done with the energy [time, money, resources] that went into them. Miyamoto has never used many cut-scenes, in his games, but recently I think he has begun to think the same way, too.

I guess something like The Last of Us would've been too much for Iwata to handle. Other bits and pieces in the interview that are very interesting, I recommend clicking the original link.

What do you think?

 

[WiiUBricker]

Where does he say that he "hates" modern games? Stop making up things and posting them as facts, especially not as a thread title.

 

[shinkodachi]

How else do you interpret the quote I posted?

 

[yusuo]

How else do you interpret the quote I posted?

I interpret it the same way I interpret my grand parents saying tv shows arent what they used to be. Dude be getting old, and reminiscing

 

[WiiCube_2013]

The one thing I dislike about modern games is that they're all too samey, don't focus much on gameplay and try to be more like films than actual games (no David Cage you make games not movies!).

 

[WiiUBricker]

How else do you interpret the quote I posted?

Hate is a strong word, and from what he said in the interview he definitely didn't express hate towards modern games. Heck, he didn't even dislike them. All what he said is that few people don't remember story moments (does this mean he hates those games?) and players skip cutscenes (again, does this specifically mean he hates those games?). Last but not least he said he don't want to dismiss cutscenes completely, but reduce them. So where is the hate in his statements?

 

[shinkodachi]

I interpret it the same way I interpret my grand parents saying tv shows arent what they used to be. Dude be getting old, and reminiscing

Okay, that can be true. (Translation may also affect how the message comes across.)

Allow me to clarify what I'm thinking though:

I can't help but wonder what could have been instead done with the energy [time, money, resources] that went into them.

Here Iwata is just saying that cutscenes are a waste of development resources, implying games could be better without cutscenes. (Also possible, and he goes on to say that he doesn't dismiss cutscenes in games entirely.) However, then he says:

Miyamoto has never used many cut-scenes, in his games

And a big part of the interview is about Iwata talking about Miyamoto's methodology to creating games. I acknowledge that Miyamoto is a genius when it comes to creating games, but this just implies (in my eyes) that Iwata values Miyamoto's work more than others' simply because of lack of cutscenes in his games.

I just keep wondering how Iwata would react to something like The Last of Us. He said:

it feels like very few people remember them [story moments] or players skip over things within the game

And I think he's generalizing here too much.

That was my angle. Most modern games nowadays are heavy on the storytelling and cutscenes. Can be good, can be bad. Iwata seems to talk like games could be better off without any such aids in storytelling.

 

[rizzod]

It's called "out of touch".
He's been out of touch for years now.

 

[shinkodachi]

It's called "out of touch".
He's been out of touch for years now.

That's it.

EDIT: Iwata is out of touch?

 

[WiiCube_2013]

It's called "out of touch".
He's been out of touch for years now.

Yep, and due to such Wii U exists.

 

[shinkodachi]

Yep, and due to such Wii U exists.

He's been the CEO for over 10 years now... Things are bound to become stale after such a long time.

 

[WiiCube_2013]

He's been the CEO for over 10 years now... Things are bound to become stale after such a long time.

If someone else was in charge we'd have full NES, SNES, N64, NGC, Wii, GB, GBC, GBA, DS and all those games on the Virtual Console on the Wii U but nope.

But hey, they produced the GameCube adapter so that's something and there's the Brain Age DS game for Wii U... *sigh* I'd rather have Mario 64 DS instead. -_-

 

[shinkodachi]

If someone else was in charge we'd have full NES, SNES, N64, NGC, Wii, GB, GBC, GBA, DS and all those games on the Virtual Console on the Wii U but nope.

But hey, they produced the GameCube adapter so that's something and there's the Brain Age DS game for Wii U... *sigh* I'd rather have Mario 64 DS instead. -_-

Pretty sure the GameCube adapter was forced down Iwata's throat by Sakurai. Try ending a match in Smash Bros. using the Wii U GamePad. L+R+Start+A. Just give it a try. Sakurai always wanted the GameCube controller to be part of the game or else they wouldn't use a button combination like that requiring three hands to perform. Iwata wanted us to believe in the Wii Family Edition and Wii mini without GameCube support.

 

[WiiUBricker]

Btw, this thread reminds me of dirt sheet sites like TMZ and stuff who make up facts and use exaggerated shit as topic titles to stir up discussion and get more hits.

 

[shinkodachi]

Btw, this thread reminds me of dirt sheet sites like TMZ and stuff who make up facts and use exaggerated shit as topic titles to stir up discussion and get more hits.

Because getting hits and likes is exactly what I'm trying to do here.

Surely my interpretation isn't that far from the truth? Maybe hate is a strong word, I agree on that.

 

[machomuu]

That was my angle. Most modern games nowadays are heavy on the storytelling and cutscenes. Can be good, can be bad. Iwata seems to talk like games could be better off without any such aids in storytelling.

I don't think he's saying that at all. He's just saying that there are so many cutscenes nowadays and he feels like many gamers just want to get to the "game" portion. As such, in moderation cutscenes can be useful, but when you get a cutscene each time after every level or X amount of time, the player will just get bored and lose interest.

Essentially. Personally, I don't mind. Cutscenes are a part of the experience to me, in much the same way that gameplay, music, and various other aspects are. Especially when done well, cutscenes can be what the player looks forward to most, as they can be excellent forms of displaying cinematic direction and progressing the story. I do think he's onto something, in that cutscenes aren't the only way to express a story and quite a few games nowadays seem to think that, but overall I'm a fan of them.

 

[eriol33]

it's not only Iwata. I HATE modern gamings, especially these shooter games which are branded as 'RPG'

 

[machomuu]

it's not only Iwata. I HATE modern gamings, especially these shooter games which are branded as 'RPG'

Well considering RPG is a parent genre and can't be standalone, it's likely that the shooters are RPGs, whichever games you're talking about.

 

[shinkodachi]

Well considering RPG is a parent genre and can't be standalone, it's likely that the shooters are RPGs, whichever games you're talking about.

Or what you're shooting with is an RPG. But I digress...

I don't think he's saying that at all. He's just saying that there are so many cutscenes nowadays and he feels like many gamers just want to get to the "game" portion. As such, in moderation cutscenes can be useful, but when you get a cutscene each time after every level or X amount of time, the player will just get bored and lose interest.

Essentially. Personally, I don't mind. Cutscenes are a part of the experience to me, in much the same way that gameplay, music, and various other aspects are. Especially when done well, cutscenes can be what the player looks forward to most, as they can be excellent forms of displaying cinematic direction and progressing the story. I do think he's onto something, in that cutscenes aren't the only way to express a story and quite a few games nowadays seem to think that, but overall I'm a fan of them.

I think this nails it as far as how I personally also think about games nowadays vs. before technological advancement. Though it's hard to dismiss that Iwata doesn't at least imply that games are automatically better without resources devoted to cutscenes. That's the vibe I'm getting from the interview (translation).

 

[WiiCube_2013]

Pretty sure the GameCube adapter was forced down Iwata's throat by Sakurai. Try ending a match in Smash Bros. using the Wii U GamePad. L+R+Start+A. Just give it a try. Sakurai always wanted the GameCube controller to be part of the game or else they wouldn't use a button combination like that requiring three hands to perform. Iwata wanted us to believe in the Wii Family Edition and Wii mini without GameCube support.

Hm, that makes sense.

Nintendo needs new blood and with an outdated CEO like Iwata Nintendo will never move forward.