J Allard speaks on the GameCube and other stuff
Allard is under the cosh. Find out what he thinks
In an interview with games magazine veteran CVG, J Allard made some opinionated statements on, amongst other things, Nintendo’s GameCube.
“The thing that struck me when I looked at the Nintendo reel is how they have such a strong visual look across the games, and I first looked at it and I said "that looks like an N64 game", but really it looks like a Nintendo game,” the Xbox Godfather said. “There’s this very, very distinct look and I think part of it has to do with the technology, maybe from the beginning but what they do, much like Disney did with animation, they focus so much energy and love on the characters. They put all the technology and all the investment and all the artistry into the characters and very, very spartan backgrounds and that, just thematically if you look across all the games it gives you a good sense for why people have such a strong bond with the characters and why it has such a distinct look. You know, you put in a Perfect Dark or a Goldeneye and it kind of scrambles the pot, but the games that they’re showing, maybe with the exception of Rogue Squadron, all have that same distinct characterisation, and that’s a stereotype, but it’s very powerful as it was with Disney. I walked by and I said "wow, Nintendo" - it just made me feel good. I think it’ll be very successful. It’s a game console for kids but they do well with that audience.”
We thought it was too good to be true. Allard has found himself a the difficult position. E3 was planned to be the final coming out party following a disastrous Tokyo game show. Microsoft did everything it could to minimize damaging press, the most noticeable action being to remove all but one hardware mock-up from the show floor. He now has to decide whether to come out all guns blazing or concede some ground to Nintendo.
It seems this statement does a bit of both. Allard has to concede to the GameCube’s superiority both technically and aesthetically. To argue the point would cost a massive amount of credibility both in the industry and with the consumer. The Xbox just wasn’t up to the challenge.
He then has a bite at Nintendo’s demographic which to be honest, is an old argument and an issue that Nintendo successfully addressed. To write off the GameCube as a kids’ machine is shortsighted in the extreme.
When pushed on this point Allard said, “It’s interesting that they say something differently than what they actually do and, you know, Peter Main [Nintendo of America] will say that they’re going to go with a broader audience, and maybe they will but they didn’t demonstrate that at this show.”
Allard seems to be confusing visual appearance with appeal, an easy mistake for someone, not brought up as a child with Nintendo gaming to make. “Well, the visual look, when you go for a particular demographic and you say, "We’re going to go for younger kids and more cartoon-like games", I think you can have a consistent visual style and I think that’s very appealing in the younger demographic.”
Then Allard makes a bit of a slip: “With our focus being on the older demographic initially, and that’s very, very broad, we won’t have a visually consistent style.” Is he saying that the machine will be an adults only gaming platform? To argue that demographic chic takes precedence over gameplay is ludicrous and he addresses the point quickly. “I think the number one lesson we take away from Nintendo, and the history that Nintendo’s had, is gameplay. We’ve been very, very focussed on gameplay and one thing that I’m happy about is because I did test the products on our showfloor - our gameplay’s very strong. Even the button configurations across the games that we’re showing before… All the guidelines are consistent across third and first party games. So, I watch gamers walk up to the systems and they can enjoy the games immediately, and they can get into the games immediately. So I feel that that’s probably the strongest take-away from Nintendo’s great history; that it’s all about gameplay. It’s all about gameplay fundamentally.”
Yes, it is all about gameplay. It’s a shame that nothing on the Microsoft stand demonstrated this new company directive. Allard has had to swallow his pride following TGS and E3. His Xbox has proved to be no match for the GameCube in all departments and, to make things worse, its going to cost a third more. From expectant complacency to emergency meetings. How things change.
“The thing that struck me when I looked at the Nintendo reel is how they have such a strong visual look across the games, and I first looked at it and I said "that looks like an N64 game", but really it looks like a Nintendo game,” the Xbox Godfather said. “There’s this very, very distinct look and I think part of it has to do with the technology, maybe from the beginning but what they do, much like Disney did with animation, they focus so much energy and love on the characters. They put all the technology and all the investment and all the artistry into the characters and very, very spartan backgrounds and that, just thematically if you look across all the games it gives you a good sense for why people have such a strong bond with the characters and why it has such a distinct look. You know, you put in a Perfect Dark or a Goldeneye and it kind of scrambles the pot, but the games that they’re showing, maybe with the exception of Rogue Squadron, all have that same distinct characterisation, and that’s a stereotype, but it’s very powerful as it was with Disney. I walked by and I said "wow, Nintendo" - it just made me feel good. I think it’ll be very successful. It’s a game console for kids but they do well with that audience.”
We thought it was too good to be true. Allard has found himself a the difficult position. E3 was planned to be the final coming out party following a disastrous Tokyo game show. Microsoft did everything it could to minimize damaging press, the most noticeable action being to remove all but one hardware mock-up from the show floor. He now has to decide whether to come out all guns blazing or concede some ground to Nintendo.
It seems this statement does a bit of both. Allard has to concede to the GameCube’s superiority both technically and aesthetically. To argue the point would cost a massive amount of credibility both in the industry and with the consumer. The Xbox just wasn’t up to the challenge.
He then has a bite at Nintendo’s demographic which to be honest, is an old argument and an issue that Nintendo successfully addressed. To write off the GameCube as a kids’ machine is shortsighted in the extreme.
When pushed on this point Allard said, “It’s interesting that they say something differently than what they actually do and, you know, Peter Main [Nintendo of America] will say that they’re going to go with a broader audience, and maybe they will but they didn’t demonstrate that at this show.”
Allard seems to be confusing visual appearance with appeal, an easy mistake for someone, not brought up as a child with Nintendo gaming to make. “Well, the visual look, when you go for a particular demographic and you say, "We’re going to go for younger kids and more cartoon-like games", I think you can have a consistent visual style and I think that’s very appealing in the younger demographic.”
Then Allard makes a bit of a slip: “With our focus being on the older demographic initially, and that’s very, very broad, we won’t have a visually consistent style.” Is he saying that the machine will be an adults only gaming platform? To argue that demographic chic takes precedence over gameplay is ludicrous and he addresses the point quickly. “I think the number one lesson we take away from Nintendo, and the history that Nintendo’s had, is gameplay. We’ve been very, very focussed on gameplay and one thing that I’m happy about is because I did test the products on our showfloor - our gameplay’s very strong. Even the button configurations across the games that we’re showing before… All the guidelines are consistent across third and first party games. So, I watch gamers walk up to the systems and they can enjoy the games immediately, and they can get into the games immediately. So I feel that that’s probably the strongest take-away from Nintendo’s great history; that it’s all about gameplay. It’s all about gameplay fundamentally.”
Yes, it is all about gameplay. It’s a shame that nothing on the Microsoft stand demonstrated this new company directive. Allard has had to swallow his pride following TGS and E3. His Xbox has proved to be no match for the GameCube in all departments and, to make things worse, its going to cost a third more. From expectant complacency to emergency meetings. How things change.
Companies:
Microsoft
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