Katamari Damacy creator disses Revolution

[soonersfan60]

I am really looking forward to Revolution, regardless of what some detractors might say. But I think it is worth discussing this:

Exclusive: Takahashi Critical Of Nintendo Revolution

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8952

I disagree with what he says. I think there is much more to Rev than just the controller. Nintendo is only hyping that to make sure people don't focus on pure specs. I'm sure Katamari Damacy could have been done on Rev. It may not be as sexy as new hardware, but Namco seems to be doing okay with DS games so I don't see how the Rev is that much different in approach.

Dane.

[basketkase543]

It's ironic because I'd think that he'd be floored by the new controller and the simpler gaming mechanics that it pushes for. To each his own though.

[Dr Mario Kart]

I just read this from elsewhere, and I am shocked. You'd think he'd be all over this. No really, the input system eventually influences what kind of games you can make and experience. Or is adding more buttons the only legitimate solution? Can we play all games with just the NES controller?

"Are you messing with us" with regards to the controller can do, leads me to believe that he has in fact, not had hands on time with it, because practically NO ONE that has had hands on time with it can bring themselves to say anything negative about it.

Boo

[Blind the Thief]

Then again, Katamari was so great because it did something completely new on the existing for of hardware...maybe he's insulted that Nintendo thinks it needs to push developers with this controller to get them to innovate?

[RAMSTORIA]

i dunno if he really dissed em, it sounds to me that hes not entirely convinced, just like im sure a lot of people arent. hell im not convinced yet, im hopeful, but im not convinced.

[jkam]

After playing Katamari Damacy I could care less if he makes games for the Revolution. I found it to be extremely boring. I'm not surprised that there is some negativity towards the new controller though. Nintendo does need to prove that the choice they made was a solid one. He also has the right to his opinion. The only other thing is every time I've heard comments or something this guy said it seems to be of a whiny I don't like it nature. I'm not sure he even knows what he likes. Maybe only his own games.

[Dr Mario Kart]

I believe the guy said somewhere that he doesnt actually LIKE games. I thought he was going to quit gaming altogether to design playgrounds.

He'll come around.

[DomLando]

I really dont think its important what he thinks anyway. But like stated above I dont think hes convinced yet like a lot of people arent.

[Foolman]

Then again, Katamari was so great because it did something completely new on the existing for of hardware...maybe he's insulted that Nintendo thinks it needs to push developers with this controller to get them to innovate?

That is what I was thinking also. Honestly though, Nintendo does need to push developers to innovate. Only a few will do it on their own.

[Fire]

This is guy is just nuts. One minute he saying he hates/doesn't like games and is going to go and build playgrounds and the next he is chastising a system that isn't even out yet and has much potential to yield great innovation and new designs and frontiers for gaming..

[terribledeli]

I think, like many of us, he doesn't know much about the controller or system. And what he does know doesn't interest him.

I'm all for being sneaky and surprises, but Nintendo really needs to sit developers down and allow them to tinker with controller. Telling me something is going be so amazing it'll change the way I play games is one thing, showing me how a different approach to a traditional controller is going to change the way I play games is completely different.

[botticus]

He just sounds ignorant. But regardless, the controller does have an effect on games. It's the only thing that does. The controller affects gameplay, which is really the only thing that can affect games.

[rabbitt]

I think where he is coming from makes sense. There have been innovative games before, with 'regular' controllers, so why do we need the Revolutions' controller to yield 'creative?'

[shipwreck]

Katamari Damacy makes me happy.

Revo controller makes me feel queasy with uncertainty.

I think I see where he is coming from.

[usickenme]

For lack a better word, I think his perspective is a bit lazy. He is not a really game maker, he is not really into the scene so anything that makes his job 'harder" is suspicious . It's like when ever you start something new, you tend to stick with the conventions.

[David85]

I think he is one of the dumbest people in the gaming community.

"I'm not really interested in it. I don't think a controller should have that much influence on the enjoyment of games."

Umm... how do you play games? I use a CONTROLER!!!!

Dumbass.

[TimPV3]

Wow, next I'll read EA was knocking PS3 and X360 for being too mainstream.

[nickmad]

what a dick.

[Reality's Fringe]

I thought this guy doesn't like videogames anyway?

[rabbitt]

Wow, somebody disagrees with your opinion and you curse their ass?

Some of you make me think of a world run by Nintendo, where you are the government officials that keep everyone in line by telling them that their opinion is completely false.

[Vinny]

Wow, somebody disagrees with your opinion and you curse their ass?

Some of you make me think of a world run by Nintendo, where you are the government officials that keep everyone in line by telling them that their opinion is completely false.

Ok... I think you're taking it a bit too far.:roll:

I don't think I'd put of his opinion so quickly. If he can make such an original game from a regular controller than the guy's thoughts are worth something IMO.

Then again, he never plays his own games and I don't think I'd care too much for another Katamari seeing the slow decline of the series from the first to the second to the third (PSP) game.

[Dr Mario Kart]

Well you see, this was something of a surprise. In contrast, no one was surprised when Epic and 3dRealms didnt have nice things to say.

[FriskyTanuki]

I think he is one of the dumbest people in the gaming community.

"I'm not really interested in it. I don't think a controller should have that much influence on the enjoyment of games."

Umm... how do you play games? I use a CONTROLER!!!!

Dumbass.
He's saying the controller shouldn't be the reason why a game is fun, it should be the game itself that's fun. He's saying that Nintendo, and its fans, are putting too much emphasis on the controller instead of the games, which I agree with as we don't know much of anything about the games that are being worked on for this system while we know of a ton on the 360 and PS3.

For everyone saying he hates games, do your research. He's only said he finds most to be boring, but that ICO was a recent game he liked and that he used to play Dragon Quest on the Super Famicom.

[rabbitt]

Ok... I think you're taking it a bit too far.:roll:

what a dick.


Wow, next I'll read EA was knocking PS3 and X360 for being too mainstream.

But regardless, the controller does have an effect on games. It's the only thing that does.

I think he is one of the dumbest people in the gaming community.

This is guy is just nuts.

I really dont think its important what he thinks anyway.

People are willing to worship your every breath, until you say something they disagree with. Then you're a dick, nuts, and a complete buffoon.

[Vinny]

People are willing to worship your every breath, until you say something they disagree with. Then you're a dick, nuts, and a complete buffoon.

Nintendo fans will always be jumpy because guess what, they're the ones putting up with the most shit for being fans. But the reason I said you're over reacting is because you're making it sound like it's just Nintendo fans who are like this.

When Itagaki said the PS3 was crap, did Sony fans just said he has a right to his opinion? When J. Allard or Moore (or whoever it was) said that the PS3 was barely more powerful than the 360, did Sony fans just take their word? Whenever a system exclusive game is picked GotY over the competition, do fans of the opposing system just give it props?

Not all fans are extreme, but most are no matter who you're looking at. You can't be critical of Nintendo fans without thinking about how Sony and M$ fans are.

[dafoomie]

He's not saying anything bad about the controller. He just doesn't like it. He doesn't want to be constrained by the controller. It lets you do new things, but you're also limited by it in some ways. He's levying the same criticisms of the system that most Nintendo fans levy against others. The experience shouldn't be about the system. It shouldn't be about fancy new graphics. It shouldn't be all about the controller. It should be about games, period.

He didn't say it sucks, he didn't say it would fail. He said that he's not interested in doing anything with it. Some of the things you guys are saying are just uncalled for.

[Rozz]

I really don't care what he has to say. This is coming from the creator of a very poor-mediocre game so he has no credibility to me.

However, will the controller work or will it not? We really aren't sure know (you can't really tell until you actually get your hands on it yourself), but we'll just have to see how it all works out when the Revolution is actually released.

And I also think that some of you guys seriously need to calm down a bit.

[Requiem]

He looks young, so maybe he hasn't spent enough time to get aquainted with the history of the industry to appreciate them fully. I also heard he's not really a gamer.

[alongx]

Fuck this whole "shoulder button" and "digital pad" and "analog stick" controller thing. They're constantly in my face with "Look at my controller! Look what you can do with it!"

I'll stick to my numeric keypad, joystick Collecovision, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[botticus]

Eh... I'll be interested to read the full interview. From that excerpt, it just sounds like he's making similar uninformed observations that anyone on a message board can make. If he's actually used the controller, I'll cut him some slack.

I just hope that he didn't think an analog stick was useful for Katamari, though.

[rabbitt]

I just used Nintendo as an example, as this is a mostly-Nintendo article. I hate fanboyism of all types and sizes.

[dastly75]

Wouldn't the Rev controller work really really well for the katamari game???? I don't really care, the game was amusing but not fun.

[FurryCurry]

Let's cut the flying bullshit.

First off, all nintendo has to do to is make a wavebird shell for the Revoultion remote.
http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/article/651/651559/understanding-the-revolution-controller-20050916041026412-000.jpg
(throw in a second Z button and add some buttons underneath the analog sticks and we're in business!)


Then no one in the entire industry has any excuse to not be able to port games that are better suited with old school controls. You could make whatever type of game you want to. Granted, Nintendo has never said anything about this but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to do.

I'm not sure how, with this set-up, developers would be limited. If anything now they can make more innovative games.

[CoffeeEdge]

Actually, FurryCurry, Nintendo has already confirmed that they are making a "conventional" controller shell for the Revo. It's not a rumor or concept, but a definite component of the Revolution.



Anyway, Takahashi's crazy. I mean, he goes around specifically downplaying Katamari's creativeness. I don't think it's worth listening to.

[GizmoGC]

Katamari is about rolling up a ball with random shit. This guy is dissing Nintendo? Who pioneered the D-Pad (Used in every controller) the Analog Stick (Beat ya there Sony), and has more recognizable characters then Sony, Sega, and Microsfot combined. Well, fuck him.

[FriskyTanuki]

Katamari is about rolling up a ball with random shit. This guy is dissing Nintendo? Who pioneered the D-Pad (Used in every controller) the Analog Stick (Beat ya there Sony), and has more recognizable characters then Sony, Sega, and Microsfot combined. Well, fuck him.
Fuck him for questioning Nintendo! All shall perish before the one true company!

[daroga]

This kinda sucks, and I really can't wait to get into the Revolution, but, um, some of you guys are going a bit over-board here. If he eats his words later and does something cool for the Rev, that'd be great. If he just chooses not to develop anything for it, or only develop for the "classic" controller shell, ok, whatever. It's not like Shiggy's up and leaving Nintendo because of the Revmote. Settle down just a bit. :)

[Foolman]

If he eats his words later and does something cool for the Rev, that'd be great. If he just chooses not to develop anything for it, or only develop for the "classic" controller shell, ok, whatever.

He's done developing games, isn't he? I think some anger is to be expected when it is posted in the Nintendo part of the forum. Just like how people reacted to the IGN article in the 360 forum.

[Metal Boss]

I think, like many of us, he doesn't know much about the controller or system. And what he does know doesn't interest him.

I'm all for being sneaky and surprises, but Nintendo really needs to sit developers down and allow them to tinker with controller. Telling me something is going be so amazing it'll change the way I play games is one thing, showing me how a different approach to a traditional controller is going to change the way I play games is completely different.


I think nintendo has been giving devs plenty of play time with the controller, look at how they are helping ubisoft along with red steel.

[botticus]

I think nintendo has been giving devs plenty of play time with the controller, look at how they are helping ubisoft along with red steel.
Indeed... just because this guy hasn't gotten the controller doesn't mean that everyone else hasn't. Is he still really working on games? It's been brought up many times but I don't think it's really verifiable. If that's the case, Nintendo wouldn't bother giving a guy a dev kit just because he created Katamari.