Epic VP slams Rev and others

[Jonbo298]

The vice president of Epic Games, the studio behind Unreal Tournament, Unreal Engine 3 and forthcoming Xbox 360 title Gears of War, has unleashed a stinging attack on the Nintendo Revolution "freestyle" controller.

Speaking at the IGN Live event, Mark Rein told the audience: "Don't kid yourself - you're going to see more gimmicky, crappy, cheap, I-wish-I-hadn't-bought-it gimmick games based around that controller than you can ever possibly imagine.

"I guarantee you there's going to be lots of people who say the whole reason for this game is this controller, we made the perfect game for the controller. And all it'll be is about the controller, and not necessarily a great game."

That said, he went on, "Nintendo, you know, is going to make amazing games. I mean that's a given." Rein then conducted a quick audience survey to find out how many people present owned a GameCube - and seemed a bit disappointed by the rather large number of hands raised.

So he asked everyone who didn't also own a PS2 or Xbox to put their hands down - and concluded that under ten per cent of the audience were Cube owners only.

"Hard to make a business on less than 10 per cent," Rein said.

When asked if he could envisage an FPS controller that might beat the old mouse and keyboard combo, Rein replied: "I could, but it's not the Nintendo Revolution controller... Didn't you see when Iwata-san held it up? The two controllers are the little wand controller and the other one is a joystick - and it's a joystick with a bunch of ribs under it.

"Remember the one that nearly destroyed your thumb on the Dreamcast, and on the N64 remember how after you played a game for a couple of hours you had to suck your thumb for a month? It's that kind of controller."

Another developer on the panel argued that the Revolution controller would indeed suit FPS games perfectly, but Rein was having none of it. Holding up an Xbox 360 pad, to whoops and cheers from the audience, he proclaimed: "This is the Xbox 360 controller, and there's nothing wrong with it.

"It works just fine for playing games, and it works fine for first-person shooter games, as evidenced by the fact that they sold more first-person shooters on consoles than anybody's ever sold on PCs."

Rein wouldn't be drawn on which next-generation console he preferred, telling the crowd: "Both of the next-generation consoles are great machines. They both have lots of power and they both have lots of memory... I don't think anybody's going to be disappointed with either of them."

By "either" and "both", he's referring to the Xbox 360 and PS3 of course - Rein said the Revolution didn't count since "most developers know nothing about the Nintendo system. They haven't gone and announced specs so I can't say.

"If you read the rumours apparently it's a great machine, but nobody really knows yet."

But as powerful as the PS3 may be, Rein is no fan of its controller, either - at least as far as the prototype's concerned.

"I don't think anybody knows what the PlayStation 3 controller looks like," he said.

"I think we all sure as hell pray like hell it's not that stupid-looking thing they showed at E3."

Not content with having taken a pop at both Nintendo and Sony's controllers, Rein also took the opportunity to have a go at his biggest rivals - who he claims are being far too grandiose when it comes to developing next-gen games.

"I've heard EA and Activision make absolutely ridiculous statements about, 'Oh, it's going to take 30 million dollars to make a game and we need 300 people - that's just a bunch of bullsh--.

"They're just covering up for their own management and incompetence. Or mismanagement I should say.

"Our team size is only about 50 per cent higher than it was last generation, and we're making fantastic games. Gears of War is only about 25 people, and that's smaller than most current-generation game teams."

You can watch the video of the event, during which some other people whose names we didn't catch did try to get a word in edgeways, over at IGN. Gears of War is due out on Xbox 360 some time in 2007, and while it might get a PS3 port we wouldn't hold your breath for a Revolution version.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=61438

Finally, a developer that isn't afraid to give his opinion. I gotta say, it was a good laugh though in ways of how he did comparisions, etc..

[Dyne]

"So he asked everyone who didn't also own a PS2 or Xbox to put their hands down - and concluded that under ten per cent of the audience were Cube owners only.

"Hard to make a business on less than 10 per cent," Rein said."

What a specious bastard.

[Professor S]

Well I think we know who Epic is going to develop for...

[DeathsHand]

Hey that's the guy PSM interviewed awhile back (though the say his name is Mark Reign)...

And I found this little interesting quote which I had always wanted to point out everytime someone talks about how PS3 is crazy expensive to develop for, and how smaller developers would probably opt for 360 or Revolution:

"We recently announced a deal with Sony that will soon make it free for PS3 developers to try out Unreal Engine 3 toolset for PS3. It is my hope that putting these tools in developers' hands will prompt enterprising developers to explore some cool and original ideas. A game like Katamari Damacy, for example, could easily be created in Unreal Engine 3 for PS3, and I'm willing to guess it could be made for less than what it cost them to make it for PS2"

Hmmm *ponders*

But yeah he seems like kind of an ass... Though I guess most people who aren't "Afraid to speak their opinions" come off as such...

Though I kinda half-agree with his views on the Revolution... I can't wait until the upcoming CONSOLE WARZ start to heat up... I ponder how the Revolution will sell, and if it will end up pleasing all those people who seem to think it'll be the best thing since sliced bread...

[Crash]

talk about a scientific survey

how many people own JUST a psp or JUST an xbox... no one owns JUST one games system.

*shrugs*

plus:

Gears of War is due out on Xbox 360 some time in 2007

yeah, I'm sure that'll do so much better against the PS3, AHEM... sega saturn to THE MAX!!!!!!

[GameMaster]

I typically don't applaud such strong opinions and such is this case for this guy's. If he can tone it down a little and make it more general, then maybe I'd agree with it.

I would be upset if all of the Project Revolution's games were based around the new controller scheme. I don't want to move my hands much more than I do now.

[MuGen]

Simmer...simmer...... ok... now that we're simmered...

At times in that statement it seemed like he was kissing Iwata's ass...

"Nintendo, you know, is going to make amazing games. I mean that's a given."

Then he continues to bash Nintendo's market strategy w/ All about the controller. I think he has a general point though...

Although developers could spend their precious time making great games... they will be spending their time on figuring out how to play around this new controller... which works against Nintendo...And the games will more or less play around the controller rather then the game itself.... I'm not bashing the Rev's controller, rather I'm simmering down his arguments and making them rational.

He's basically saying that theres nothing wrong with sticking with the basic Xbox 360 layout, PS2 controller layout (Hence the "ps3's controller is ugly'' statement).

My Opinion The Rev controller can prove to be a really cool controller to play with. But as seasoned a gamer as I am... I really have no time to be fooling around with button layouts and getting used to another layout. I'd rather plug in my traditional X, O, [], ^ layout and playing the game. Same goes with the 360 controller...

With the new revolution controller... the console no longer becomes ''plug-n-play'' in a retrospect... you now need to get used to the layout and then get good at it. I will be giving it a shot next-generation however.... I will be purchasing a PS3 and a Revolution.... since I trust Sony and Nintendo more than Microsoft whose only been in this console war for 1 generation.

[Perfect Stu]

the guy doesnt like the Revolution interface because he wont be able to sell the Unreal engine to as many REV developers...think about it, which systems' software are going to use the Unreal 3 Engine the most?

PS3 and XBox360 by far

Nintendo designed the Revolution for 1st party games FIRST. They always do, but in this case it's most obvious. They shouldnt really care about a guy who's trying to whore out his middleware software...

[DeathsHand]

Originally Posted by Sony

But as seasoned a gamer as I am... I really have no time to be fooling around with button layouts and getting used to another layout.

...?

So you'd rather things stay the same forever because you don't want to have to take oh, the... 10 minutes it'd probably take to get used to using the controller?

I don't see how getting used to a new controller is much more difficult than getting used to a new control scheme (and the general feel of the game) on an existing controller... And I'm sure you'll run into a few of those on 360/PS3...

[Jonbo298]

That doesnt mean NIntendo wont release an accessory thats the 'cube controller but used over REv for the new games

[Teuthida]

I enjoy consuming my bread in chunks rather than slices.

[Xantar]

The Xbox sold more first person shooters than ever were sold on the PC? Where does this guy get his facts? And from this he draws the inference that the Xbox 360 controller is great for first person shooters, probably better than the PS3's?

And I don't know about you, but the N64 never destroyed my thumb. Didn't even wound it.

He may have a general point here and there that's worth noting, but his ranting is just so brain dead stupid that I can't bring myself to agree with any of it. And the IGN video that's linked in that article just makes him look like an ass.

[Shadow Fox]

Originally Posted by Xantar

The Xbox sold more first person shooters than ever were sold on the PC? Where does this guy get his facts? And from this he draws the inference that the Xbox 360 controller is great for first person shooters, probably better than the PS3's?

And I don't know about you, but the N64 never destroyed my thumb. Didn't even wound it.

He may have a general point here and there that's worth noting, but his ranting is just so brain dead stupid that I can't bring myself to agree with any of it. And the IGN video that's linked in that article just makes him look like an ass.

Agreed.

That's some nice damage control though- the way he changed his question from "how many people own a GCN" to "how many people own ONLY a GCN"...just classic desperate measures to slam GameCube, knowing full well that the same could be said of almost any system in the past barring the NES and PS2.

More and more people own more than one console now.

The rest I kind of agree with regarding Revolution- many people are more worried about the interface than about making a good game now, as evidenced with DS.

And this, my friends, is where the "Nintendo Seal of Quality" should come in, more strict than ever. The controller shouldn't be the basis of horrible mini-games and shoddy ports with mini-games tacked on for the hell of it.

I do agree though; unless the new Controller S has changed from original Xbox, the 360 controller will also be good for First-Person Shooters. PS3's pad, in it's current form, doesn't look as pleasing, but that's just me...

[Dark Samurai]

I dont know if you all noticed it or not, but every generation, Nintendo always, (emphasis on always), brought something different to the table.

NES = D-Pad, A-B buttons
SNES = 4-button layout, Shoulder Buttons
N64 = Analog Stick, Rumble
GCN = Wireless Controllers that didnt require you to be directly in front of the sensor

And now with the Revolution, technology that lets you move, and not stay in that same position anymore, you know the one, sitting down with hands together.

And look how everyone's copied it. Just about everything I mentioned here, is on another controller or two. The N64 was the greatest controller for FPS, and I think we can all agree with that.

I tried out the XBox 360 controller over at EB, and it feels great, in fact, I think its going to be the best "regular" controller this next gen, but Nintendo will have the best controller overall, but not because its different, its because it can be applied to any genre, and make it better...

So, Sony, what youre saying is you dont like change? I've gotten used to every Nintendo controller theyve ever made... and its never stopped me, and its in that statement, where my point lies. I love Nintendo more, because they never copy any other company's ideas, because they are the originators, who do you think brought you the D Pads, shoulder buttons, analog sticks, 4 button layouts, rumble and wireless technologies? Nintendo, thats who.

What did both Microsoft and Sony bring?

[Jonbo298]

Sony brought a Boomerang