GDC 2007: The Wii is not a piece of sh*t

Wii News | Oops, time to build those bridges.

Chris Hecker made headlines yesterday by calling the Wii a piece of sh*t in a GDC game developer's panel.

Just one day later Hecker has retracted his statements, with Kotaku reporting his apology, which goes a little like this:

"I don't know who has read the internet, yesterday. In a [unintelligible] panel I said a bunch of things. I was trying to be thought provoking and entertaining and fun and a lot of the stuff went too far over the top - on the entertaining and fun side, so that it was no longer thought provoking, just inflammatory. And in the process I hurt a bunch of people I care about. And so, I want to apologise now. When I'm on stage, I'm me. I'm talking talk from me. From me. I'm not representing EA or Maxis. I want to make two things perfectly clear.

"I do not think the Wii is a piece of sh*t. Nintendo needs to be applauded for trying to interface on the controller front, the user interface front, on making games accessible, on making a console that you don't need to mortgage your house to afford.

"Secondly, it's totally obvious - and I'm sorry that I implied otherwise - that everyone at Nintendo is passionate at making great games. Some of the games give me hope that we will be seen as an art form on par with movies and books."

Related Content

Easy Mode #24
14 Apr, 2006 Better than Creme Eggs.

The Wrap #7
03 Apr, 2006 Lazy Eye, gaming anaesthesia and drive-by-shootings.

Sony top brass slams Microsoft over two versions of Xbox 360
01 Sep, 2005 Yes, it's Phil Harrison again. On PS3, innovation on the PSP, and his love for Nintendogs.

Page12 Next

27 Comments

admeister

5 years ago

Well, there you go. He's taken back what he said since he realised that it was a bit extreme. Seems a little forced though.

Timmaaah

5 years ago

it seems like someone was controlling the strings there

arbok

5 years ago

hahaha - obviously someone made him take back what he said. but does that actually mean anything? he's already said what he thinks.

Karai Pantsu

5 years ago

Want to know why? Read that apology again... There! Did you see it?

"I'm not representing EA or Maxis."

You can bet your top dollar that company execs heard/read about what he said and hit the panic alarm - They know that the Wii is selling like hotcakes, tech limitations aside, and want their future games on it without any problems or bad feelings from Nintendo - and made him retract his statements quicksmart.

Edit: I'm slow at posting... Arbok beat me to it.

renegadesx

5 years ago

Doesn't sound sincere. I think he truly believes the Wii is a piece of s**t and was forced to say the opposite. Sounds insincere and pre-written

ittekimasu

5 years ago

nod nod i guess anyone who reads that would think the same, this would probably just be for formalities to state that he isnt representing the companies. Even if he did think it wasnt all that top notch even i urked when he went off the top the other night and i'm not much of a nintendo fan either

rodvcpetrie

5 years ago

Maybe before press conferences they need to say a message similar to what you see before a DVD audio commentary: "the opinions of those on this panel are in no way endorsed by (insert company)."

zissou

5 years ago

What was it his first day? Even if he does think it, what sort of mental defective says something like that at a press conference? Of course he was made to backtrack, not that it matters now, damage done

ObsoletE

5 years ago

imo, this apology makes it seem like his initial rant was taken out of context. like the panel was designed to be inflammatory and this was his effort at inflaming, and someone took those words at face value.

an entire transcript of that panel would be interesting.

(if i were a betting man, i'd say this is more likely Foot in Mouth Disease than anything contextual, but you never know.)

Se7en

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

I agree entirely. Still, backflip much?

Rush152

5 years ago

firstly... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

Quote

Hecker also believes Nintendo just aren't taking games seriously. "It's not clear to me that Nintendo gives a sh*t about games as an art form". To prove his point he compared quotes from Sony and Microsoft executives about their games being a serious artistic medium, he then quoted a Nintendo executive as saying the company only wants to develop fun games.

To conclude his rant, Hecker ended with two demands: "First, recognise and push games as serious art. And two, "make a console that doesn't suck ass."

How could you possibly go that far to prove a point and now take it back saying I love Ninty

*applause*

Marlor

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

The panel was called "Game Publishers Rant About Industry", and it is meant to be a total flame-fest, often attacking things that are currently popular in the industry.

So, it's no surprise that the Wii came under fire. I would have been surprised if it wasn't attacked.

The things that were ranted about were:
- "The shoddiness of Vista".
- "Bosses in the industry doing a "lousy job", due to them being trained by the "public education system".
- Lack of PR for attracting students to a career in games development.
- Games developers not being widely-read enough.
- "Games should be art", and "The Wii is a Piece of ****", which was delivered to a "Public Enemy" backing track :-0.
- "Dishonest developers" who lie about their capabilities.
- An attack on "online distribution", arguing that this is a way for console manufacturers to take over the distribution chain and exert even more control over developers.

Apparently, some of the content was serious, but most of it was exaggerated, since that's the idea of the rant session.

dullestrobert

5 years ago

Hope he gets fired.

The Brett

5 years ago

What he was trying to say was true, but the way the internet percieved it was not. It's true that developers are being lazy slackarses, and it's not even reaching 1/100 of its potential- in tha respect the Wii is a **** purchase, but it's not a **** console.

He should have stood his ground.

Jellyfish

5 years ago

The Brett wrote

He should have stood his ground.

Aye, totally agree. He made a somewhat true point and now he's had to take it back. I mean who really cares what this guy said, it's not like he's insulted your significant other or a relative.

Jimmi1005

5 years ago

Step 1: Manufactured apology.

Step 2: Rehab.

?oe?oe

5 years ago

Step 3: Shave his head.

Step 4: Back in rehab.

The Brett

5 years ago

Step 5: You guys are losers.

Qbert

5 years ago

Yes if he believed what he was saying, then theoretically he should have held his ground. However, I'm assuming keeping his job was the top priority at the time, not keeping his integrity, which is more than fair.

renegadesx

5 years ago

^^
That is Step 6. Profit

Ellegarden

5 years ago

Step 7 Who cares. Guy obviously doesnt like wii but enjoys getting the rent paid. Dont give a **** either way.

dullestrobert

5 years ago

I'll admit he did originally have good points but the fact that he presented them like a primary school student made his speech laughable.

Crestfallen

5 years ago

dullestrobert wrote

I'll admit he did originally have good points but the fact that he presented them like a primary school student made his speech laughable.

In the guys defense, it seems that kind of thing was encouraged by giving him his own personal 'rant'.

Jabjabs

5 years ago

On of the best back flips I've seen in a while, a classic right here.

Page12 Next

View as forum topic

Add Comment

Like this news?

Share it with this tiny url: http://palg.nu/3be

| More

Currently Popular on PALGN

Australian Gaming Bargains - 08/12/11
'Tis the season to be bargaining.

R18+ Legislation
R18+ Legislation

Letter from the Editor - Farewell to PALGN by Jeremy Jastrzab
This is good, isn't it?

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations Preview
Hands on time with the game. Chat time with the CEO of CyberConnect 2.

PALGN's Most Anticipated Games of 2007
24 titles to keep an eye on during 2007.

PALGN's Most Anticipated Games of 2008
And you thought 2007 was populated.

Product data & content syndication by DVDFeed
Website spell check powered by CheckDog.