The Stupid Gamer

Denis has been a very outspoken defender of Too Human on mainstream news sites, enthusiast press sites, message boards, blogs, and anywhere else anybody will offer up a soapbox for him to stand on. Well, a while back Denis made a bet with the NeoGAF community over how Too Human would be received. Earlier this week reviews started rolling in, and it quickly became obvious that Denis was on the losing side of the wager. Today, in a post started by site admin EvilLore, Denis’ plate of crow was offered up. The thread can be found here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=331932.

Now, Denis got himself into this, but really I think we as a gaming community are being just a bit harsh on him. Yes, it’s providing some nice comedy for anybody willing to watch things unfold, but I think amid all the mudslinging that people should at least be giving Denis some props for being so candid and accessible to the general gamer. Denis, you blew it, but I really hope this doesn’t prevent you from interacting and communicating with the gaming audience. It looks like your game didn’t turn out as well as we (and you) would have liked, but I guarantee if you come back strong with a new project after Too Human that a lot of this can be swept under the rug.

CAG (http://cheapassgamer.com) has launched its highly anticipated redesign and has begun to roll out the new site user features. In recent episodes of the CAGcast, CheapyD and Wombat have discussed how the new site will help the community to be more expressive, interactive, and to play a more prominent role in the day to day happenings at the site. The new look is still simple and reserved, but the functionality is quite impressive. I even started my own blog over there (first post can be found here: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=48).

Surely this blog will still remain my focus, but hey, how can I resist the charms of the CAG community, especially after all the great deals I’ve found there lately? Hey Cheapy and Wombat, keep up the good work with the CAGcast, and good luck with everything going forward.

Check here for a list of site changes and updates: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/?f=3

In a brave and crazy move, Denis Dyack started a new thread over at NeoGAF asking members of the forum to “stand and be counted” by stating whether they are for or against Too Human at this point. Denis goes on to say that if Too Human releases and it’s no good, that he’ll gladly accept the tag “Owned by the GAF”. These sort of things seem stupid for a developer to do, but I think it’s kind of cool. Yes, it can backfire in a big way, but I really like that a developer is willing to interact with the gamers in a public forum. However this turns out, you can bet it will be fun to watch.

Here is the thread over at the NeoGAF forums. You don’t need to register to view posts. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=318653

Now, I’m hoping that the game turns out to be good, because I’ve been following this game ever since it was in development for the PlayStation, then the GameCube, and now the Xbox 360. The demo I played at E3 two yaers ago was atrocious, but it seems that a lot of progress has been made since that point in time. Here’s hoping that Silicon Knights really has turned the game around, because I still think it has a lot of potential.

1up has reported that Tomonobu Itagaki has resigned from Tecmo, effective July 1, 2008. In a statement released by Itagaki, he had some harsh words for the current president of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda. It also signals the end of Itagaki’s involvement with both the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises. Itagaki’s statement reads (bolding added by me):

“I, Tomonobu Itagaki, hereby announce that on the 14th of May 2008 I filed a complaint in the Tokyo District Court against Tecmo Co., Ltd. for unpaid completion bonuses, and against the President of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda, for such unlawful acts as unreasonable and disingenuous statements made towards me, claiming damages in total of 148 million yen. I also announce that this complaint was delivered to the defendants on May 22nd of the same year. In addition, I hereby announce that I have today submitted a letter of resignation to Tecmo Co., Ltd. stating that I will resign as of the 1st of July, 2008.
“Before the start of development on Dead or Alive 4, Tecmo Co., Ltd. had agreed to pay a completion bonus to me for this Xbox 360 title, which I produced. However, when the time came for the actual payment, Tecmo Co., Ltd. went against its previous agreement and refused payment. President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me ‘if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it.’ In addition, he made demeaning remarks about me to my subordinates and colleagues, causing me significant emotional distress and worsening my personal relationships and work environment. Thus, I have no choice but to resign from Tecmo Co., Ltd.
“The conduct of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its president Yoshimi Yasuda towards me has been unbefitting of a publicly-listed company. I have filed this lawsuit with a strong intent to question the social responsibility of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its President Yoshimi Yasuda, as well as condemning them for their unjust acts. Today, in addition to announcing the reasons for this lawsuit, I make clear my reasons for resigning.

“To All Game Fans

“I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. Ninja Gaiden 2, which will launch on the 3rd of June will be the last Ninja Gaiden I will create. I will also never be able to make Dead or Alive 5. I regret the circumstances that have forced me to leave Tecmo, where I had worked for so many years, and I regret the disappointment this will cause my fans. However, I can no longer continue to work with President Yoshimi Yasuda, a man who chooses not to honor promises even when he is able to do so. I truly hope that nothing like this happens again in the future.”

For fans of Team Ninja, this is truly a day of ups and downs. Ninja Gaiden 2 ships today, pretty crazy timing for an announcement like this. It’s sad to think that after his resignation that Itagaki will no longer have a hand in the Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive games. To say that this came as a shock is a severe understatement. It will be interesting to see where Itagaki goes from here, and how many of his fellow staffers will join him wherever that might be.

In an emotional post over at 1up, Jeff Green, the EIC of the now dead Games For Windows Magazine announced that the publication is finished. The magazine, which was originally called Computer Gaming World, was started 27 years ago and was always a trusted and well-respected source for news, info, previews, and reviews. The magazine editors will stay on as full-time employees of the 1up Network, but nothing was said regarding the fate of the rest of the staff. Here’s hoping that everybody involved has a successful future.

For the original blog post, visit the link: Jeff Green’s 1up Blog

Phil Harrison, after spending 15 years with Sony, is leaving the company to accept a position as President at Infogrames/Atari. With Atari’s recent troubles, it seems weird that Phil would be joining up with them, especially since the PSP and PS3 are really picking up momentum right now. Of the move, Phil said, “This is the perfect time to join Infogrames and help shape the future of Atari - one of the industry’s legendary brands. As the game business moves rapidly online I believe we have an outstanding opportunity to create amazing network game and community experiences for players the world over. I am especially excited to be working on this challenge together with David, one of the most respected leaders and successful executives in our industry.”

Just a year ago Phil Harrison was showing us “Gaming 2.0″ with Home, LittleBigPlanet, and the future of the PS3 and PSP at GDC 2007. While I’m sure that Home and LBP are in good hands, it’s strange seeing the guy that championed the projects more than anybody else walk away before their official release.

Good luck, Phil. I’d love nothing more than to see you revitalize the Atari name. I just don’t fully understand the jump from a highly stable job environment to such a shaky one. Maybe the guy likes a challenge, huh?

The Internet is buzzing over the recent firing of Jeff Gerstmann from the popular video game review site, Gamespot. In what seems to be a reaction to Jeff’s very negative review to Kane and Lynch, the long tenured journalist was given the axe. So far no official statement has been made from either Gamespot or Eidos (who is being blamed for instigating the whole thing), but Jeff has confirmed via email that he has indeed been fired but won’t give any details.

Look, it’s no secret that I’ve disagreed with Jeff on many occasions in the past and I’ve been somewhat criticial of his approach to reviews, but what is happening here is terrible if all accounts are true. If a video game journalist is fired for voicing his or her honest opinion on a game, well, then the industry is in danger of losing all credibility. Whether you’re a fan of Gerstmann or not, this should trouble any fan of gaming.

Good luck landing on your feet, Jeff, and thanks for putting out an honest and sincere review despite pressure to do otherwise.

For more coverage on the story, Joystiq is giving regular updates: Last update via Joystiq

As a bonus bit of awesome, here’s Penny Arcade’s comic on the story (click image for full size):

I know that this comes a bit late, but I’m hoping the extra attention helps another handful of individuals to get out and see what I feel is one of the best gaming-related films ever made. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a documentary that follows two avid gamers as they compete to claim the world record score for Nintendo’s classic arcade title, Donkey Kong. In typical fashion, the documentary chooses their protagonist (Steve Wiebe) and their villain (Billy Mitchell) early on and encourages viewers to pick their pony to cheer for as the plot unfolds.

As each player makes attempts to one up the other, you get peeks into their daily lives and their lifelong struggles. For Billy, it seems that everything has always come easy to him. He’s always been the best at what he’s involved in. You see montages of Billy being handed awards, being praised, and even being named the video game player of the century. On the other hand, Steve is portrayed as the guy that’s always had a rough road ahead of him. Steve’s music career fizzled and failed, he was laid off of work the day he signed the papers for his home loan, and he just can’t seem to quite get to the #1 spot in anything he aims for in life, despite being a very talented and likeable guy. The emotional favorite defintely is Steve, but there’s something about Billy that makes you want to see him stick it to all his critics and envious opponents time and time again.

There comes a point in the film when it ceases to be about a video game or a high score and becomes more about the human spirit and an investigation into what drives us to seek out opportunities to excel in life. The documentary is full of highs, lows, comedy, and genuinely touching moments that you wouldn’t expect to find in a film tied so closely to a simple video game. The people, while certainly portrayed in a way that nearly reduces them to mere characters (possibly the only real flaw in the film), are so genuinely devoted to their hobby that you can’t help get swept up into the excitement of the chase for a new world record.

I would encourage any gamer to see the film, but I also think non-gamers would get a kick out of The King of Kong as well. My wife, who only casually approaches this hobby was laughing and smiling throughout the showing. And I, as a gamer, haven’t had so much fun watching a documentary in all my life.

Lorne Lanning, president and co-founder of Oddworld Inhabitants, appeared in a 2-part interview with EGM editors on their weekly podcast, EGM Live. This week the second part of the interview aired and it’s worth a listen. Lorne kind of goes off and starts claiming that there’s no link to Osama Bin Laden and 9/11 and claiming that conspiracies exist here and there; and that somehow this plays into the reason why his games have failed in recent years. The whole thing sounded like a guy that is looking for more excuses why his games have struggled to sell lately. Beyond the conspiracy theories you can hear him go off and whine about game types that are popular. Non-gamers, terrorists, Britney Spears fan club members, and more are all a part of Lorne’s ramblings.

Hey Lorne, Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath didn’t sell because EA didn’t promote it. End of story. Either make a good game worth playing sometime soon or shut your hole.

Here’s a direct link to the show: EGM Live

According to a Yahoo! news report, Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation, has officially called it quits. Ken Kutaragi is responsible for the PlayStation line and is a huge reason for expansion in the gaming industry in the past 10 years. Ken was always big on pushing the technological boundaries of gaming further; and some say that he might have been a little too ambitious with in that regard with the PS3. I think the gaming industry needs people like Ken, as crazy as he is.

Enjoy the retirement, Ken. Thanks for your contributions to the industry, and more importantly, for all of the blog fodder over the years.

Full Story here: Ken Kutaragi retires.