GTA IV creator Rockstar’s VP disdains the “casual gaming” of Wii
The main defense presented by Nintendo and Wii fanatics is that the Wii provides a completely different style of gaming, something that appeals to those looking for something non-standard or those who are considered “casual gamers.” Dan Houser, one of the top execs at Rockstar Games, thinks that “casual gaming” is a copout when there is real innovation to be made.
In an interview with the NY Mag, Houser spoke out against the idea of “casual gaming.” Houser said, rather bluntly:
Yeah, fuck all this stuff about casual gaming. I think people still want games that are groundbreaking…We’re hopefully going to prove that there’s also a very big audience for people who want entertainment in another form, who think of games as being a narrative device that can challenge movies.
GTA IV is certainly living up to the challenge. Houser also said that Rockstar has purposefully refrained from pushing out tons of games because Rockstar’s focus has always been on creating a gaming masterpiece, or something that drives innovation, rather than simply forcing out titles that look and play like everything else on the market.
Houser isn’t necessarily against the Wii in concept. He said, “The Wii is doing something totally different, which is fantastic.”
However, there aren’t a lot of titles that are really pushing the boundaries of the Wii’s capabilities, and at least from the contents of the interview, it seems that Rockstar Games isn’t looking to exploit the commonplace or popularized novelties, but rather to create unique titles that push the boundaries of what games are capable of.
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6 Responses to “GTA IV creator Rockstar’s VP disdains the “casual gaming” of Wii”
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May 5th, 2008
true… on some level… I dont think the Wii is being pushed to the limits…
MORE SLASHER FOR Wii !!!! Like manhunt 2 but less crappy…
May 5th, 2008
Im not really sure i get his point. The Wii doesnt just cater for the casual gamer and some casual games are masterpieces just look at Wii Fit.
Nintendo never said there wasnt a place for GTA, infact i think they would be more than happy to have it on Wii.
Sounds like sour grapes because he didnt bring it out on Wii aswell.
May 5th, 2008
Wii Fit is not a masterpiece. Nintendo loves high-priced gimmicky add-ons that make gameplay a secondary concern. They’ve always tried to push them on gamers, but they always fail because gamers aren’t morons (Power Glove, Super Scope, etc). Now they have hundreds of thousands of “casual gamers” that they can feed Wii Fit to, and many will buy it because they’re stupid and don’t know what they’re getting into. I hope it bombs outside of Japan, but I’m not so naive as to believe it will.
That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it.
-Arvis
May 6th, 2008
There’s no way I’m dancing in my living room with that Wii-Fit crap. If need to be healthy, I’d play outdoor sports. Or something thats socially acceptable. And dancing with my grandma isn’t one of them….Screw Wii Fit.
May 6th, 2008
XD
nice nomad…
err… Ill buy Wii fit later… after GTA 4 and MGS 4…
May 6th, 2008
I’ll 2nd that