The best interview in the universe

[Not Kuno]

Mygamer.com :: The Best Interview in the Universe! interviews

MyGamer: Which general batch of gamers has been pissing you off lately? Any fanboys that need to shut the hell up?

I'm really fucking tired of people who play Xbox 360 and PS3 calling themselves "hardcore gamers." Look at the list of top 10 games on 360 up above. See anything in common? Those are the games that most people play on 360, and with the exception of Braid, they also happen to be the most popular, most heavily marketed, and most consumer-oriented games in the industry. It'd be like someone eating a meal at McDonalds and saying "I'm a foodie!" No, you're not. If you're into movies, you don't go out and see Jurassic Park and call it a day. You try to see movies that try new and interesting things. The types of movies that only someone who has watched thousands of movies could appreciate for doing something unique.

Similarly, if you're a hardcore gamer, you should be looking for new gaming experiences. You shouldn't be satisfied playing the same old mass market games. Not that these games are bad, but they're not for "hardcore" gamers any more than McDonalds is for hardcore foodies. If you're a hardcore gamer, go out and play Katamari Damacy, track down an old copy of Radiant Silvergun on Saturn, or play an indie game like World of Goo. These are the experiences that move gaming forward. Not blockbuster sequels like Halo 3.

MyGamer: What do you think is the worst thing in gaming right now?

Maddox:The glut of FPS games. We need to move on. I'll only play 1 out of every 10 FPS games that are released, so I have a pretty busy schedule because that comes to about 3 per minute.

[Maxxthepenguin]

I never expected MADDOX to be so right about this shit.

But he is

[fantasticdan]

Where are all these people calling themselves 'hardcore gamers' that he seems to be at odds with? I don't think I've met one outside of gamefaqs.

Fishing games are so much more satisfying with the Wii controller.

Fishing games are even more satisfying on the Wii? Man I've really been missing out.

[Parshias]

Where are all these people calling themselves 'hardcore gamers' that he seems to be at odds with? I don't think I've met one outside of gamefaqs.

I don't know, just about every gaming media person ever? It's always "hardcore" this and "casual" that with those shitheads.

[Maxxthepenguin]

I don't know, just about every gaming media person ever? It's always "hardcore" this and "casual" that with those shitheads.

Not to mention every non-media person who responds to articles of Wii's success with pure vitriol.

[Kohan]

After reading that interview, I think I'm in love. The only part I take exception to is the Xbox 360 dissing. Sure, a lot of the top games are also on PC, but I'd still prefer a 360 to a PS3. Obviously, he wasn't too keen on the latter anyway, so we're cool.

The term "hardcore gamer" definitely is abused to death, and I try not to use it at all, if it can be avoided. It's misapplied practically always, isn't clearly defined regardless, and a lot of the younger journalists who use it don't even understand what old school gaming was really like. Whenever I realize that some people in the industry weren't even alive when the NES hit stores, I feel old...

[Priran]

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1...5565001kv0.jpg


thanks for the link, I'd almost forgotten how much I hated maddox since he stopped updating his page

[Correction]

I'm a little surprised that he rides on consoles that live on nothing but sequels yet spares Nintendo of exactly the same criticism. He's even playing the latest Castlevania and Metal Slug games on his DS.

[Kohan]

The primary game he praised isn't a sequel of any kind, though. Besides, I'd certainly say that the latest Castlevania is superior to the average -- not all, but the usual -- modern day FPS. "Metal Slug"? Well, not so much. Been there, done that; classic series, not as good as it used to be.

[geno]

Sucks he didn't even touch PC gaming outside of his rant on the X-Box360. Its not like a PC is only useful as a gaming machine to play the FPSs you refuse to buy an X-box for. There is plenty of variety including some experiences that really should have been listed in his hardcore gaming rant.

For instance, the entire RTS genre seems like it would be right up his alley with that "You either have what it takes, or you've gotta practice more to get better." attitude he has. And to really get the experience of playing one, you'd need to do it on a PC since thats pretty much the only place they work (even if RTS devs could make their games to work with a controller intuitively, it would still be miles behind what a keyboard/mouse could do for the game.)

Also on the topic of PC gaming, I'd have loved to see what he had to say about MMOs. That coulda been interesting to say the least, lol.

[BRP]

The article is right in some places and wrong in many other places. First I think he is above the hype and has a pretty realistic point of view, but then he instantly disappoints. It started off as "Hmmm, I disagree" to "hahahah wat." Also in classic Maddox fashion his exaggerations may have cost him. I'll just quote some random parts of the interview.

The Wii is the best thing to happen to gaming since the original NES. And if you don't like the Wii, then this is really going to piss you off: Nintendo has single-handedly saved the video game industry. No other company is bothering to move gaming forward like Nintendo is. There are only a handful of genres in gaming, and clearly Sony and Microsoft don't give a shit about any of them except for sports and FPS. I'm so sick and tired of sports and FPS games, and if it were up to Microsoft & Sony, they'd keep milking these tired genres dry and run the entire industry into the ground. I mean, I get it that the industry goes through trends and a few years ago it was RPGs, 2D fighters, shooters, platformers, etc. But this FPS craze has been going on basically since Quake came out on PC. On the Wii, we not only see a representation of every genre of gaming, but we see new genres that didn't exist before the Wii came along (surgery, cooking, balance, etc).

This whole paragraph... just... this whole paragraph is nonsense. First off as great as the NES was it has been overshadowed by new developments many times over. And the Wii hasn't overshadowed much.

He's right in saying "no other company is bothering to move gaming forward like nintendo" because while Microsoft and Sony are focusing on moving their company's consoles forward with graphical, mechanical, and every other important way, Nintendo puts much priority on user-friendly controls and market expansion. Not too important to someone who can already play videogames competently. One could even argue that waggling isn't better than a simple button push.

Actually I am wrong, the shit like Home and NXE means Sony and Microsoft are doing it too.

His claim that Sony and Microsoft only cares about FPS and sport games is copypasta from every nintendo fanboy forum post on gamefaqs(though those might mention black people). They may be the most popular by far, but I am not going to be an idiot and say that's all these consoles have in their library. That's like saying all nintendo's titles are mini-game collections because that's what sells the most.

Oh by the way, those brave new genres like mentioned at the end? Those are mini-games. Some of which are barely able to classify as puzzles. And plenty of them were on the DS first, then ported. So yeah...

Nintendo took the novelty of a motion-sensing controller and turned it into a solid gameplay element in a lot of their games. Before it came out, people couldn't imagine how to play games with a controller that looked so stupid, and now, people can't imagine playing certain games without it. I can't go back to tapping a button to make someone punch after I played the boxing game in Wii Sports. Fishing games are so much more satisfying with the Wii controller. World of Goo would suck without the controller (playing it with a mouse just isn't the same). Now Microsoft and Sony are scrambling to duplicate it with their own versions. The Sixaxis controller seems like an afterthought, whereas the Wii was designed from the ground-up with the gameplay in mind.

You know, this paragraph is somehow just as bad too.

Motion-sensing only comes into play into the few games which are designed only around it. And even in those games, you can find games at an arcade which does it oh so much better than Nintendo did(btw I am not speaking about Light guns). So I imagine not everyone was surprised when they were able to introduce it, but people who don't pay attention to the scene might have.

When you get to the good titles, all but a handful are best played with the Classic Controller or when forced to use the stick and nunchuck it comes down to pushing those obsolete buttons and shaking the stick to do a spin attack or something. Oh and the Wiimote is great for aiming and FPS though... hmmm... but... oh well.

His claim that World of Goo is best played on the Wii is probably trying to hide the fact that like the argument he is about to bring up about the 360, the World of Goo is multiplatform game. And it's probably the highest rated Wii game of the year that actually uses the Wii's gimmick.

Also, when people shit on the Wii, what they often overlook is the incredible library of games available on the Virtual Console.

Hahaha oh wow. Yeah, great selling point there.

The Xbox 360 is a PC with identity crisis. I mean, it looks like a console; you hook it up to your TV, it's smallish, and it plays games, but it's still just a PC.

OH WISE MADDOX!

Consoles.... are limited.... PCs????????

WHAT!!!! WHAT A BREAKTHROUGH. This changes EVERYTHING.

While he is correct about the Xbox360 exclusive situation, he kind of forgets that despite this problem Xbox360 does get almost all of the good multiplat games. Something the Wii sorely lacks. I mean you can get a PS3 or Xbox360 and get a lot of titles exclusives ignored. I am sorry to attack the Wii as this paragraph had little to do with it, but it's obvious which camp Maddox has planted himself in and that's probably where he is coming from when is talks about this.

He is also right in saying PC is better than Xbox360. It is also better than the PS3 and Wii. It will also be better than the PS4 and so on. PS3 and Wii both have more exclusives out of the three though. Xbox360 suffers from the fact Microsoft likes to share some of its hard earned exclusives with their "Windows" console.

One more thing: Gears of War 2 isn't multiplat. Kind of a big mistake... tells me like most people who criticize Xbox360's situation he tends to just gloss over the whole thing. Well he is just looking at the top 10 games and he doesn't actually own a Xbox360... so perhaps he doesn't do his research.

One more thinggg: I realize his second sentence implies PC don't play games and can't be plugged into TVs.

Similarly, if you're a hardcore gamer, you should be looking for new gaming experiences. You shouldn't be satisfied playing the same old mass market games. Not that these games are bad, but they're not for "hardcore" gamers any more than McDonalds is for hardcore foodies. If you're a hardcore gamer, go out and play Katamari Damacy, track down an old copy of Radiant Silvergun on Saturn, or play an indie game like World of Goo. These are the experiences that move gaming forward. Not blockbuster sequels like Halo 3.

I'll sidestep the hardcore/casual argument, because I've had it way too many times. Now this paragraph is funny because Radiant Silvergun is the only semi-obscure game in it(the other two have been talked about to death, one has a shitload of sequels even) and how is an old forgotten saturn game "moving gaming forward"? While his first sentence is right, he seems to be in the state that anything not Halo 3 is an entirely new experience to him. More over, these are all console games and he should probably have mentioned something on the PC because true indie games are only released on that.


Maddox might be a nintendo fanboy giving the how ridiculous some of his arguments are. But I think he is just apart of the whole "INDIE! NOSTALGIA! AND COUNTER-VIDEOGAME CULTURE!" herd.

[Elcura]

I pretty much stopped reading half way. Like BRP at first I thought "fair enough", then I started thinking "really?" Some of the opinions and shit written here are like extremist ramblings that no one can take seriously. If I were the interviewer I'd be pissing myself with laughter at some of those answers.

Christ, what is it with people wanting to be unique and different with the games they play? Who gives a shit what you play as long as you have fun. That's probably the only reason why I support the Wii, cause my family generally enjoys it.

[Jotaru]

" Some of the opinions and shit written here are like extremist ramblings that no one can take seriously. If I were the interviewer I'd be pissing myself with laughter at some of those answers.

Heya, I'd like to introduce you to Maddox.

And to go with your second paragraph thar, a lot of what he's saying is that the people who are claiming they are 'hardcore gamers' are just that- people who just sit around and have fun. That's no more a 'hardcore gamer' than someone who goes out to the movies every once in a while is a movie enthusiast. Its just annoying to hear people say.

[Charismatic]

I hope BRP stands for Butt Really Pretty because I want to fuck you right now.

[Correction]

I think he is just apart of the whole "INDIE! NOSTALGIA! AND COUNTER-VIDEOGAME CULTURE!" herd.

What's bad about that?

[Kohan]

This whole paragraph... just... this whole paragraph is nonsense. First off as great as the NES was it has been overshadowed by new developments many times over. And the Wii hasn't overshadowed much.

He's right in saying "no other company is bothering to move gaming forward like nintendo" because while Microsoft and Sony are focusing on moving their company's consoles forward with graphical, mechanical, and every other important way, Nintendo puts much priority on user-friendly controls and market expansion. Not too important to someone who can already play videogames competently. One could even argue that waggling isn't better than a simple button push.

Your argument isn't any better.

You've defined the way that Microsoft and Sony are changing things as the "important way," which is biased. It's stating that Nintendo's advancements are unimportant, and they aren't. User-friendly controls and market expansion are important. People who grew up on the NES and other systems aren't going to be youthful forever, and trying to adhere to a stubborn mindset on what gaming must be will force it into extinction.

Among the industry's most intellectual, discussion has long been going on about how gaming ways -- and in many ways, still is -- going the way of the Dodo. Focusing strictly on graphics, pre-existing gameplay types and schemes, and the constant re-release of the same old, same old, will kill anything. There's no evolution there, beyond what you've mentioned -- graphics and hardware -- and that is not enough.

Actually I am wrong, the shit like Home and NXE means Sony and Microsoft are doing it too.

It means that they're following the examples of others, much as they do with a lot of their business tactics. NXE is a fairly pathetic copycat effort, but I don't care about the Mii system either as it is. Home, I've never been interested in that, but current virtual worlds like "Second Life" and "Habbo" and all that sort of stuff -- it's not my bag, so I can't really comment on it.

His claim that Sony and Microsoft only cares about FPS and sport games is copypasta from every nintendo fanboy forum post on gamefaqs(though those might mention black people). They may be the most popular by far, but I am not going to be an idiot and say that's all these consoles have in their library. That's like saying all nintendo's titles are mini-game collections because that's what sells the most.

It's definitely what's populating the shelves in gaming stores more than anything else. Certainly it isn't all they're offering, and I myself positively love my Xbox 360, but it would be just as idiotic to claim that the oversaturation in these genres isn't having a negative effect on gaming in general. Though fanboys spew whatever they can think of to slander the companies they're against, that doesn't mean that every single one of their arguments is wrong by default.

Your saying that is as poor of an excuse as someone abusing the whole hardcore gamer terminology.

Motion-sensing only comes into play into the few games which are designed only around it. And even in those games, you can find games at an arcade which does it oh so much better than Nintendo did(btw I am not speaking about Light guns). So I imagine not everyone was surprised when they were able to introduce it, but people who don't pay attention to the scene might have.

What arcade games have done it better? As someone who loves those dying creatures, I'd like to know. I've played boxing, dancing, even fighting games that track your entire body -- I've played pretty much all of it, and I can't think of an even halfway decent amount which eclipse the Wii. Whether you agree with Maddox or not, he did cite examples. You haven't, so what are they?

When you get to the good titles, all but a handful are best played with the Classic Controller or when forced to use the stick and nunchuck it comes down to pushing those obsolete buttons and shaking the stick to do a spin attack or something. Oh and the Wiimote is great for aiming and FPS though... hmmm... but... oh well.

His claim that World of Goo is best played on the Wii is probably trying to hide the fact that like the argument he is about to bring up about the 360, the World of Goo is multiplatform game. And it's probably the highest rated Wii game of the year that actually uses the Wii's gimmick.

The rest of your argument is much of the same. You've claimed that he merely exists to be counterculture, and as he is the opposite of the mainstream gamer, you're acting as his opposite, but I can't see you clearly aligning with anything at all. That may sound good in a way, as if you were completely unbiased, but you're not backing up your arguments with anything. It's as if you're counterculture simply to be counterculture without knowing what you're fighting for.

[SephYuyX]

Great interview.

[BRP]

What's bad about that?

In pieces it's not too terrible, but it is incredibly annoying when it is like this interview. It gets in the way of making sense. And oh man is it a common one.

You've defined the way that Microsoft and Sony are changing things as the "important way," which is biased.

I admitted in the next sentence that the improvements nintendo is pushing is mostly useless to someone who can competently play videogames. I am biased in that case, I am not trying to conceal that.

Continuing on this quote, I think you missed a big point here. The Wii plays the same as the Xbox360 or PS3 or PC. At most you can say it has training wheels attached for a quarter of the games. Games are still going down the same path they were on the turn of the century. At the moment nintendo has pushed business scheme to create a bigger market out of folks who barely know what Mario is and it has been successful, but games are still played the exact same way. If more than a fifth of this new market sticks around for anything else but the Wii and Wii successors is something only time can answer.

Gaming wasn't showing any signs of death though. It didn't need the Wii to become mainstream. Halo and Beatmania clones are a testament to that. Also I think you don't put enough weight behind technical growth. It's more than just pretty graphics. The more powerful the system, more potential can be realized and with more polish. ie: Dead Rising Xbox360 compared to Dead Rising Wii.

What arcade games have done it better? As someone who loves those dying creatures, I'd like to know. I've played boxing, dancing, even fighting games that track your entire body -- I've played pretty much all of it, and I can't think of an even halfway decent amount which eclipse the Wii. Whether you agree with Maddox or not, he did cite examples. You haven't, so what are they?

What is there to say? The Wiimote is very limited. Arcades are going to have the upperhand here. There is the "plus" expansion coming out, but I don't have my hopes up for that.

Well he mentions the boxing game. Wii Sports' Boxing. To that I say Mocap Boxing is superior. A personal favorite of mine actually. And he mentions how great fishing is on the Wii. There is also Sega's Bass Fishing(this not too hot for me). Both of these games have been around forever though and I can't tell you if they had any significant sequels. The latter was actually ported to the Wii. It might be the one he is playing.

but I can't see you clearly aligning with anything at all

I am not existing to be his opposite for I can enjoy the Wii and probably all of the games he mentioned. The big difference is that I don't believe much of what he says when it comes to the Wii and the other consoles. If I had to align myself with something it would be the PC I guess? I am quite open to all the current platforms, none of them have disappointed me to the point of buyer's remorse. My point of view is going to clash violently with someone who thinks the Xbox360 and PS3 aren't worth getting because of "sports and FPS."

[Charismatic]

Anyone who thought gaming was dying after seeing the PS1 and PS2 needs to get their brain checked.
Especially the PS2.
Console Gaming isn't going anywhere anytime soon, the sales numbers say that much... I don't think I need to even continue there.

Also, in the case of NXE and Home... who exactly are MS and Sony following? Have you even looked at Home? I'll admit that I know next to nothing about NXE but Home is not like Habbo Hotel, pretty stupid to even say that.

[Correction]

Console Gaming isn't going anywhere anytime soon, the sales numbers say that much... I don't think I need to even continue there.

I think it's incredibly short sighted to think there can't be another video game crash. Money isn't infinite and even though Nintendo is able to sell to people who don't buy 60 dollar titles once every other month, the market for it will saturate as the economy worsens.