Make games easier - Satoru Iwata

[virtual alan]

This an article that was in a FREE London (Metro) paper yesterday.


"People are in danger of becoming bored with computer games because
they are too complicated" the president of Nintendo warned yesterday.

Satoru Iwata said "the industry had become obsessed with faster processors and better graphics instead of ensuring the games were
exciting and easy to play"

"Looking at the past 20 years, as long as we could beef up the processing power, as long as we could make computer graphics approach realism, then people were excited about the results.Some in the industry still believe we can beef up the current technology in order to provide a constant supply of games to people"

"We don`t agree with that" he said

Mr Iwata spoke after the launch of the new handheld console, the Nintendo DS, which features two screens and simplified controls, including touch screen and voice activated gaming.

He said he wanted the DS to be a return to the simplicity of two-button console, which Nintendo pioneered.



I tend to agree with his sentiments........there are now controllers with almost more buttons than fingers. It may not be to bad if developers used a similar button system/pattern but they offer so many alternatives.

I personally felt that the Tekken system of a few years ago wasn`t a bad idea....one button for left arm, one for right etc etc. But then I can see the afficianados saying that remembering a sequence of buttons to pull off a combo is an art...............but they may play the game until their fingers bleed. :smt022

I must admit I am tending to find that newer games have such a wide variety of buttons to press for different tasks that if you don`t play the game for a few days/weeks you can forget what does what. :smt017

I was quite a whizz when playing Halo....but now I couldn`t remember a damn thing. Where now a quick 1-2 hour stint sometimes does me. But that may be to do with the time I can allocate to playing a game.

What is the general opinions from you all??????

[TheDeathcoaster]

I'm agree with putting less emphasis on graphics and more emphasis on gameplay....but I don't find controls for games that complicated.

Sometimes I find parts of the games needlesy complicated....but in general most of the games I play have the right balance of complication and fun ^_^

[virtual alan]

I suppose there is always going to be that difference of opinions as to what is hard/easy etc etc

So I while we get more complicated controllers.........graphical elements etc that we may have to keep going to back to older and older games.

[AntiPasta]

I agree with putting less emphasis on graphics quality, but we have to stay vigilant for games being 'dumbed down' too much :Hangman:
(Deus Ex 2 being a good example, imho)

Some games just have to stay difficult like a decent shmup every now and then :-)

(totally agree with Maddox on this one: http://maddox.xmission.com/c.cgi?u=ikaruga )

[Yakumo]

Like everyone else I agree with putting less emphasis on graphics quality and putting more into the game but all this about 2 button controllers is a BAD idea. I think that 6 buttons is ideal. no more than six is needed. Of course shooters only need 2 or 3 buttons but fighting games need 4 to 6. If we moved back to two buttons can you even imagine how much this would limit games. I like the DS touch screen but there's no way in hell I want to play a game by touching the screen like Metroid is going to be.

Yakumo

[WolverineDK]

I agree it is not the graphics that matters it is the gameplay that matters.
And buttons is ok if there as many as on a playstation pad.

But ultemately it is the gameplay that matters not graphics, for me it would be ok if there were two buttons
(like for many years ago when i played amiga and c64 games)
as long the gameplay was good.

so 8 buttons or 16 buttons it is not my concern but as long the controls is good.

and that is my humble oppinion.

[Tachikoma]

But little Jimmy doesn't care for gameplay, he wants the biggest, brightest graphics Mummy and Daddy can afford. Look at the majority of XBOX games, totally shite, but very pretty, and they do indeed sell well.

I like my games to look the business, and have to admit to being less than overwhelmed by Ninty's recent graphical offerings on both GCN and GBA. Look at Advance Wars on the GBA, that is a great example of gameplay over graphics, what do the producers then do? make a flashy 3rd person action game on the Cube. Totally destroying the fanbase built up on the GBA game in the process, as it is nothing like an Advance Wars game.

When it comes to buttons, im on the fence as it depends on the game, Splinter Cell need lots of buttons, Super Monkey Ball doesn't. If your console is full of Splinter Cell style games, then more is better. If however you have a console full of Monkey Ball style games, then you can get away with only one button (excluding the start button of course)

We are sadly in a world where companies are out to make as much money as quickly as possible, all 3 major console companies are no exception. The public respond to new technology, by wanting the biggest and flashiest as soon as possible. Look at the IPOD, doesn't do anything that any other large format MP3 player wont, but it is "cool" so people will go out and pay twice the price of an equivalent model of the same quality.

Anyway, rant mode off, im supposed to be doing some work!

[Hakeshu]

Like everyone else I agree with putting less emphasis on graphics quality and putting more into the game but all this about 2 button controllers is a BAD idea. I think that 6 buttons is ideal. no more than six is needed. Of course shooters only need 2 or 3 buttons but fighting games need 4 to 6. If we moved back to two buttons can you even imagine how much this would limit games. I like the DS touch screen but there's no way in hell I want to play a game by touching the screen like Metroid is going to be.

Yakumo

Cant say better ....

[Greatsaintlouis]

I think Iwata is talking out of his arse a bit. I have yet to play a recently released game beyond Ikaruga that I could really classify as "complicated", and this is only complicated due to its difficulty. True, there are a lot of games out there that utilize complex, hard-to-remember control schemes with lots of buttons, but I don't own an XBox, so I'm not bothered by them. ;-) If Nintendo wants to grouse about complex controllers, they should look no further than the GC controller - I for one am not a fan of the nonstandard sized action buttons, the hidden Z 'trigger' and the horrible D-Pad. And I mean Christ, how much simpler can you make Pokemon before it starts getting used as a preschool learning tool? :Hangman:

I am completely with everyone on the gameplay over graphics argument, however, and would much rather play a nicely done 2d game over a mediocre 3D game with changing light sources, z-buffering, and alpha blending any day. It just seems to me like Nintendo is really grasping at straws in an effort to appeal to hardcore gamers, however, their approach is something akin to deciding that all further controllers made will be based exclusively on the Atari 2600 joystick - after all, what is simpler than one button? And speaking of complex, let's make a game system that you somehow have to balance in one hand to press buttons, but simultaneously use a PDA stylus as well. THAT'S not complicated, people do it every day, so it should be a familiar motion! :smt019

With all this talk about "We're about making games" and being in it for the gameplay, I'd like to see Nintendo actually make some good on this promise instead of struggling to reinvent the wheel. Two buttons is ridiculous - anyone try to play Street Fighter Alpha 3 on GBA? Not quite the same with two buttons and two triggers, is it? 4 to 6 buttons, 1 or 2 shoulder buttons, an accessable trigger button, and that's it. As far as I'm concerned, the Saturn controller was the pinnacle of game system controller design.

[AntiPasta]

Two buttons is ridiculous - anyone try to play Street Fighter Alpha 3 on GBA? Not quite the same with two buttons and two triggers, is it? 4 to 6 buttons, 1 or 2 shoulder buttons, an accessable trigger button, and that's it. As far as I'm concerned, the Saturn controller was the pinnacle of game system controller design.

You knows it ;-)
In fact the only system fit for playing SF games is the Saturn due to its button layout, and the DC's D-pad is so decrepit that I gave up on playing SFA3 on it, gonna hunt the Saturn port down now :axe:

[Yakumo]

Yep, the Saturn pad (Not the first US and PAL ones) was the BEST controller ever. I haven't got a clue why people say the PSX pad is best with it's "Blister" D-Pad. Guess it's because it's the most popular which means it MUST be the best :smt019

Yakumo

[Greatsaintlouis]

I like the Dreamcast's controller design, if only there were two more face buttons and the D-pad wasn't such crap...

And honestly, I've never played the second version US / normal Japanese version of the Saturn controller - the one I have is the first US revision. I dunno, but I really like it - the feel is nice and solid, I like the clickyness of the shoulder buttons, and the rocker D-pad is oh so nice...

Anti, there really is a Saturn port of SFA3? I thought they only went to 2, but it wouldn't surprise me - I'm finding new SF series ports every day. I was stunned to find a few weeks ago that SFA2 was released on the SNES here, and that Street Fighter 2: Championship Edition was released for the PC Engine.

[Yceman]

there really is a Saturn port of SFA3?

Yes there is. And guess what, it only came out in Japan.

[cahaz]

i completly agree with nindendo.

my crystal ball say that they will going up in the next generation of console , why?
because microsoft put all ther eggs in the power ''our machine is the most powerfull in this generation'' they said. where is the game play? every real player know that graphics dont make the game ...i guess that xbox player aren't real players (not every one , sure!
i have a xbox too, you know? )

so sony will have competition.... and i they (playstation) just making sequle after sequel without great inovation, nintendo will be first!

lets go nintendo, make the world of video game like when the nes was the king!! :smt040

[WolverineDK]

well my favorite joypad playing the 2d SF series is with the snes pad :smt040

[Greatsaintlouis]

Yes there is. And guess what, it only came out in Japan.

I think those three words "only in Japan" stopped surprising everyone here long ago. :smt011 I'd like to see something US or UK exclusive that everyone from other countries rushes to import. Obviously, our current offerings like Madden NFL volumes I - MCMXVII and the "Pro Skater Sim With Cameos By Tony Hawk" series aren't enough to do it, I suppose.

But never you all fear, when I am graduated and making games, I shall be making product of such a high calibur that Sonic Team, AM2, and even Treasure will be afraid!

.........Provided I graduate college and get a job and stuff like that. Aw screw it, at least it's a nice dream.. :smt022

[GaijinPunch]

but fighting games need 4 to 6.

Sorry, mate. But speaking as the local Virtua Fighter representative, I'm going to have to say that they've made hands down the best fighting game with 3-buttons.

While I'm at it, I'll state that this should be the mascot game for this thread. While the graphics are good, they definitely focused WAY more on the engine than any other fighting game... I laugh at Tekken and DOA.

[Calpis]

DOA was born from an enhanced Virtua Fighter 2 engine. It evolved into something much more though.

[GaijinPunch]

DOA was born from an enhanced Virtua Fighter 2 engine. It evolved into something much more though.

I'm no pro on the older titles, but I've played VF4 & EVO extensively, and have put in a fair amount of time on SC, SCII, and DOA3 (and some DOA2). Their fun-factor is high, but their fighting engines reach about half the complexity of VF's. The whole frame's thing, amongst other things, is just unbeatable. Final Tuned is out in a couple of months, which I'm sure will be no less than amazing.

The only thing that VF4 took a step backwards in is the stages, where DOA has them definitely beat. They should've stuck w/ VF3 style stages, but that's a rant for a different thread.

[Yakumo]

Anti, there really is a Saturn port of SFA3

Yeah there is and it's far better than the Dreamcast version too !!! Live on Saturn !!

Yakumo