extravagant size, including some of the Spanner returns with an interesting look there are, in fact, people out there who old faves, Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy, at the rise of America and wouldn’t think I’m a big dweeb for ’s Punch Out and the golden reveals who really is. Allen Varney keeping up with the entire gaming I sat down to write this editor’s note goodness of . I takes us inside during the industry as I do. Keep up the good work! about Nintendo and mentally ran have, because I’m a packrat, Nintendo making of Prime. Newcomer through a variety of ways to approach Power copies dating back to issue 1. And John Schnaars discusses the role of - Scott Hamilton the topic – the importance of Nintendo most importantly, I have a string of in Nintendo’s rise to to games, the upcoming console release, happy memories that trail behind me fame. And of course, this week we have To the Editor: You know, if I don’t work some of the huge titles released by related to Nintendo. part three of Warren Spector’s Gaming at or play or do anything totally else, I Nintendo over the years – but I couldn’t the Margins. want to read. But those are the quite do it. Part of this is because our The NES was a bonding tool for my older moments where I don’t want to sit in writers this week have done an amazing brother and me, giving us some common Enjoy! front of a computer monitor. Could you job of covering most of these areas. The ground and a common goal toward which print your sweet magazine? I’d subscribe. other part is because I cannot talk about we could work. The NES was an ice Cheers, this topic without letting my Nintendo breaker in the college dorm, where it Thanks for reading, Fangirl tendencies show through. was a little on the old school side, next Leon Grapenthin to the shinier consoles du jour. And since Nintendo is the one who really brought then, the NES has been a lonely To the Editor: I’ve been subscribing to me into the fold. I had played Atari and weeknight pal, a rainy Sunday afternoon The Escapist for a while now, got caught Intellivision and various arcade games, diversion and a funny Friday night get- on issue #17 by the article “OMG Girlz but it was the NES that did it. Maybe it together activity. Don’t Exist on the Intarweb!!!”, and I’ve was the full screen of stuff happening been enjoying it, but there is still one and color (hadn’t seen it before, perhaps So, for anyone like me, who’s found even thing. Is it meant to be read only by I wasn’t playing the right games), maybe a little bit of joy in a Nintendo product, To the Editor: Just wanted to let you Americans and only by videogame- it was the intuitive controller, maybe it be it a game, a handheld or a console, know how much I enjoy reading The gamers? Because that’s the feeling I get, was the loveable little Mario guy, but we have a whole issue of The Escapist Escapist. I consider myself someone who and I’m kind of starting to think I should something pulled me in. (See what I for you. And for those of you who are takes gaming very seriously. As a recent go and read somewhere else, or that I mean about the Fangirl?) not so sure about that crazy company college graduate, I feel surrounded by got it all wrong from the start. It just who’s doing their own thing out in left adolescent idiots when it comes to this seems to me that these two attributes And now, I still have my old NES and a field, maybe you can find some topic. Your magazine is a breath of fresh are very dominant in the articles. What collection of enviable, though not appreciation for their methods herein. air in this regard and it’s nice to see that about other games, what about other nationalities, other countries and their sort of other laws they’re drafting based From the Blog: [Re: “Local Goldmines” Unfortunately, before art-house games legislature? on equally bad research. by Dana Massey] You hit the nail on the become really viable and common, the head. Conventional wisdom suggests mainstream must be expanded. In Regards, Not only that, but many of these bills are that the tremendous bloat of addition, games need to find new ways tota known to be unconstitutional even before budgets makes it impossible to develop a of expressing themselves. People talk they’re formally introduced. Some of the competitive game that cannot sell half a about games as art, but games more From the Blog: [Re: “A Huge people sponsoring them have even million copies. Now, the indie gaming profound than an action flick are Disconnect” by Shannon Drake] “We ran admitted to it while still pressing on. scene provides at least one extraordinarily , and those few that a poll on GamePolitics; 45% who These legislators are wasting my money counterexample, but who plays (or even say more aren’t entirely clear on what responded said they would decide their introducing bills that they know are knows about) indie games except people they’re saying. What’s more, the few vote based solely on a candidate’s views going to get shut down by an expensive who have video games in their blood like politically themed games there are on videogame legislation. With issues legal process. Why should I ever vote for a nicotine patch? floating around either base it around a like Iraq, Iran, globalization, energy these people? In fact, I should be suing painfully heavy-handed partisan policy and abortion on the table, that’s them to recoup some of the tax payers’ message, or are so afraid of getting bad actually a little scary.” money wasted by them. press from one side of the aisle or the other that they very carefully refrain Think about it this way. Finally, as Dennis even mentioned, some from saying anything at all. Granted, a of the bills are so clearly motivated by part of that comes from the Any politician devoting time on such an baby-kissing type of election hyperpolarized political climate that important issue as video game campaigning that there’s no question as exists worldwide... and political games censorship during the time when there’re to where that person’s priorities are: are still pretty heavily US-centric.... much more pressing issues to getting re-elected no matter what. These It’s a very tricky puzzle indeed, and I concentrate on is not fit to represent us. sort of people should not get a single think in the long run no amount of vote either. concentrated effort from developers will Furthermore, a large percentage of these be half as significant as the market bills are based on such shoddy, So in essence, I don’t think it’s such a forces that are making Flash game incomplete or downright dishonest bad idea to base your decisions on who portals and MMOGs into a huge market. research that anyone basing legislative to (not) vote on the candidates’ views on efforts on them should be kicked out of video game legislation. -Mark office immediately. Just imagine what -Pixelante Anonymous Nintendo wasn’t born with a silver of niche markets, one of which was the joystick in its mouth. It fought, clawed blossoming American videogame trend. and clamored its way into a world that As with all its endeavors, this product didn’t want it, and despite making line was approached with Nintendo’s mistakes over the years (there is yet to trademark innovation, and as the be a success within the industry who Japanese public’s interest increased, so hasn’t), the Japanese pioneer deserves did the company’s investment. Despite recognition for forging a path of its own making an early start on the gaming design; a company built on the passion scene, Nintendo’s domination of the of people who knew they had something industry was a long way down the line, unique to give the customers they just and would actually be kick started by the couldn’t reach. A driving vision, steely recklessness of its competition. determination and a refusal to be intimidated ultimately led to Nintendo Not that the Western industry actively being established as the world blocked any Japanese attempts to find a videogame power it is today – an finger hold in the Trans-Pacific market, inspiring lesson to us all. No matter how but gaming trends across the basin were powerful your rivals may appear to be, so radically different that finding a title the future is shaped solely by your own with universal appeal was an immensely desire to achieve, and can only be difficult task. It’s not at all unlikely that subverted if your resolve allows it to be. attempts at transcending the ostensibly impenetrable cultural barrier, in either Even during the golden age of gaming, direction, would have been viewed as Nintendo was not a young name. impossible if not for the few anomalies Reaching back as far as the late 1800s, that had produced the same impact on it began life producing Japanese playing both shores, such as Pac Man, Space cards made from bark known as Invaders and Gun Fight. But no matter hanafuda. For almost a century how much the gameplay of these thereafter, Nintendo kept itself happily success stories was dissected, analyzed ticking along by dabbling in any number and put back together, recreating their quintessential, global appeal was The game quickly established Shigeru every major player on the scene wanted becoming the Holy Grail of videogame Miyamoto as the right dude for the gig the rights to the monkey, it was development. when single-handedly eventually bagged by Coleco, who had rescued the failing Nintendo of America, previously known some success with a While most coin-op manufacturers of the which had already defaulted on its home system (a dedicated Pong clone late ‘70s and early ‘80s concentrated on warehouse payments and whose three known as the Telstar), though ultimately the more attainable goal of localized employees were preparing to file for won the contract via its intention to take success, Nintendo set itself the bankruptcy. In apology, president of Nintendo’s obstinate anthropoid to prodigious task of breaching that trade Nintendo of America, , multiple formats, initially accompanying barrier once and for all. To this end, the renamed the hero of Donkey Kong their new console, the ColecoVision, as Japanese management decided a radical (known simply as “Jumpman”) after its flagship title. Third-party ports were approach to game development was Mario Segale, the landlord of the to follow for other home machines, as required, and sought an alternative path warehouse he had previously been well as the handheld games market in to designing the Eastern title that would unable to pay. which the Connecticut Leather Company enthrall the Western arcade. A greenhorn was already immersed. Taking Nintendo artist and designer from Nintendo’s toy It was 1981. Times were looking good, from strength to strength, Donkey Kong manufacturing division was drafted in and Nintendo had finally found its way to licensing went into full throttle. and given the ambiguous assignment of the Promised Land. realizing this much coveted, and It was 1982, and Coleco was celebrating previously unattainable, goal. Young Ever since Atari first had the notion of its 50th anniversary. The launch of the was a complete licensing arcade games for conversion to ColecoVision was to be a precision newcomer to videogames, but together home systems (with Space Invaders), operation. The home videogame market with veteran engineer , the the arcades had become vast, neon- was already well established (and dynamic duo soon created a game that coated advertisements and intense, practically owned) by the two major would open the door to the American expensive testing grounds for the real players who already had a substantial dream. Unable to speak English, profit behind the industry, the home back catalogue of games before Coleco’s Miyamoto-san took up a translation games market. It was clear that Donkey contender was even released: the Atari dictionary to fathom the title “Stubborn Kong was just such a license waiting to VCS and the Mattel Intellivision. The new Gorilla,” and mistakenly christened his explode in a ball of green flame. deal with Nintendo to deliver the hottest magnificent machine as Donkey“ Kong.” Nintendo was unprepared for the rigors game of the year into people’s houses of the home console wars, and, although was more than just a potential goldmine, it was the title that could make or break would undoubtedly have disputed, but Six months later, the president of the ColecoVision. In order to capitalize when suddenly faced with a “sign now or Universal Studios, Sid Sheinberg, heard on their investment, Coleco wanted to lose the license” order from high within about Donkey Kong and was advised by approach the deal with Nintendo as the Nintendo ranks, Coleco was over a one of the Studio’s lawyers there were cautiously as the tight time scale would barrel and would have signed anything strong similarities between the game allow, but were unprepared for dealing to get the deal. It would prove to be and , the movie. Sheinberg with the no nonsense Japanese. astute foresight on Lincoln’s part. arranged a meeting with Arnold Greenberg, CEO of Coleco, insinuating Nintendo of America was a very small When Randy Rissman, President of Tiger that Universal was interested in investing operation, and made regular use of a Electronics (manufacturers of dedicated in his company. lawyer it had established a good working handheld games), saw Donkey Kong, he relationship with, . immediately realized the potential this At the meeting, instead of discussing the Lincoln, like Shigeru Miyamoto before game had for one of his company’s joint venture he thought he was there to him, was a complete novice to the handheld systems. What he did next set negotiate, Greenberg was threatened videogame industry (as well as much of a chain of events in motion that would with immediate legal action if he didn’t the manufacturing know how required ultimately establish Nintendo as a major pay royalties on the King Kong likeness. for videogames), which ultimately player in the videogame ranks, though Panicked that a massive corporation like granted him a fresh perspective on how not before potentially casting it adrift. Universal Studios, with unlimited legal proceedings would best be handled. In resources, was bearing down on him just general, licensing contracts were written Rissman mistakenly assumed the game as the Coleco was about to launch, so the licensor remained responsible for to be based on the movie King Kong, packaged with the Donkey Kong game any legal action arising from licensed and rather than approach Nintendo to that was the key to establishing their products. Seeing no benefit in this for arrange a license for Donkey Kong, he machine, Greenberg rashly agreed to Nintendo should any difficulties crop up, went to Universal Studios and asked for Sheinberg’s demands. It was an unusual Lincoln wrote a clause into the the rights to develop a game of the agreement that wasn’t so much a agreement absolving Nintendo of any movie! Universal’s trademark search copyright license as a “covenant not to responsibilities from legal difficulties revealed no reason why such a license sue.” So long as Coleco paid Universal brought on by Coleco’s license. Naturally, could not be granted, and in 1981, sold some Donkey Kong royalties, Universal had Coleco’s attorneys been given the Tiger the rights it had requested quite would refrain from suing them! Once opportunity to see this clause, they out of the blue. again, Coleco was backed into a corner Kong actually did breach any Universal by hastily signing paperwork. owned rights, despite the people at the table insisting they did. Now that Donkey Kong was on their radar, Universal traced the game all the Lincoln asked Universal for a legal way back to Nintendo. The same document called a “chain of title,” used demands made to Coleco were issued to to demonstrate the legal avenue by the Japanese company. They were which Universal could prove their ordered to cease all marketing of Donkey ownership of the name, story and Kong products, destroy all Donkey Kong character of King Kong. When the inventory and produce a full statement document failed to appear, Howard of profits made from the franchise within Lincoln advised Nintendo to challenge 48 hours. Nintendo were as baffled as Universal in court; a difficult battle, but they were irate. one which Lincoln felt was within Nintendo’s scope to win. Being a quietly Another meeting was arranged, and this analytical man, Lincoln’s own research time Nintendo were also invited. Still suggested that Universal’s claim was so incredibly anxious about the impending tenuous, no amount of lawyers could launch of their new console, Coleco sway a courtroom into agreeing with the played Devil’s advocate to Universal unfair demands, and the legal skirmish Studios, pushing their licensor to sign an would merely be a formality. agreement promising royalties to the movie makers. Present for Nintendo In a similar move to Sheinberg’s meeting were Minoru Arakawa (president of with Arnold Greenberg, Nintendo of Nintendo of America) and his outside America arranged to meet with the legal council, Howard Lincoln. Lincoln did Universal president, insinuating they not feel quite so threatened, mainly due were ready to make a deal. When to the clause he had shrewdly written Arakawa and Lincoln came face to face into the agreement with Coleco, but also with Sheinberg and told him they were because his own copyright searches had not prepared to pay Universal a penny, not thrown up any evidence that Donkey his temper apparently got the better of him. He warned them to start saving for they did not immediately desist from their lawyer’s fees, as his legal department using the Donkey Kong image. While “even turned a profit!” There was no some of them were reassured by turning back now. The bridges were Nintendo’s refusal to kowtow, most burned and a court case was inevitable. backed down, cautious of the legal powers at Universal’s disposal. Tensions within Nintendo began to rise, as any rocking of their newly acquired Before the court battle got going, American boat by the massive legal Universal also went back to Tiger weight of a powerful company like Electronics, who they had first granted Universal Studios could easily wind up the King Kong game license to, and told sinking it. Arakawa was warned and kept them to change certain details of their under close scrutiny by his Japanese game to ensure it was sufficiently superiors during this tenuous time, different from Donkey Kong. This understanding it was his head on the involved altering the platform block if matters took a turn for the environment, changing the barrels to worse. Despite this, Arakawa stuck with bombs and crowning the hero with a Lincoln, and refused to bow to the Studios. fireman’s hat.

On June 29, 1982, Universal prosecuted The case was heard at the Nintendo for copyright infringement of District Court for the Southern State of their rights to King Kong, by virtue of New York before Judge Robert Sweet, agreement with RKO Pictures (who made lasting for seven days. By this time, the original film). On top of this, Arakawa had made Lincoln the Senior Universal Studios’ legal department Vice President of Nintendo of America for approached the dozens of licensees of his sterling work as its outside legal the Donkey Kong franchise (from toys to council; a position he held until 1994, chocolate bars and cartoons), when he succeeded Minoru Arakawa as threatening them with similar action if President of Nintendo of America. Lincoln hired John to represent In 1975, Universal Studios had In good Nintendo fashion, the company Nintendo during the court case. Kirby successfully taken RKO Pictures to court once again issued an immortalizing proved himself to be equally adept, and in order to prove the image and story of thanks to someone who had served the once Universal Studios had presented King Kong were over 40 years old and company well. This time, John Kirby had their claims, he stunned the room with a therefore in the public domain, clearing a popular videogame character named fatal blow to Universal’s already the path for Dino De Laurentiis to after him: The amorphous Kirby weakening case. remake the movie in 1976 without character from their hugely popular (and paying any expensive royalties. Coupled ongoing) series, so people would always with Universal being unable to convince remember the service he had done them the court there would be any confusion in winning that monumental court battle. between Donkey Kong and King Kong, They also bought him a $30,000 boat Sheinberg’s reiterated comments about christened the Donkey Kong, but that’s his legal department being able to turn a nowhere near as prestigious as having a profit (which did not impress the Judge videogame character named after you, one bit) and the subsequent scare tactics I’m sure you’ll agree. used against Nintendo’s licensees, Judge Sweet ruled in favor of the Japanese. It wasn’t until 1985 that Nintendo filed a counterclaim against Universal Studios, Although Nintendo also had the who Judge Sweet subsequently ordered opportunity to claim damages from Tiger to pay $1.8 million in expenses to the Electronics for their infringement of the videogame developer. Both appealed the Donkey Kong image (as Judge Sweet counterclaim a year later, but the determined the alterations were not previous decision was upheld, most likely sufficient to differentiate it from to put a lid on the massive, ongoing case Nintendo’s game), Arakawa and Lincoln once and for all. instead decided to let Tiger off the hook and reclaim the profits Universal had Naturally, many of the other companies made from the original King Kong who had been muscled out of their license; publicly embarrassing the Studios. lucrative Donkey Kong licenses and had their valuable relationship with Nintendo But Nintendo had already proven its severely shaken (including - and mettle in overcoming seemingly hopeless especially - Coleco) followed the David odds, and was not about to let the and Goliath example and filed suit industry it had strived to conquer against Universal. In Coleco’s case, disappear on account of the public’s Universal went right back to the original refusal to buy games. Digging its heels in notion it had used to bring Arnold and marching headlong into an arctic Greenberg to the table with Sid blizzard of consumer apathy, Nintendo of Sheinberg and purchased a large amount America set its iron resolve to rebuilding of stock in recompense. the industry it loved after the fatal market crash of 1984. There are few Nintendo was finally recognized as a people capable of facing such major player in the industry, and one not overwhelming odds for a third time, but to be trifled with. They had shown a this was a company built on a fearless passionate dedication to deliver and unswerving belief in its products, innovative new products to the hungry and though rough times were ahead, consumer, but had made it quite clear there was no better collective of that any business would be done on their dedicated individuals to accept the terms. Unfortunately for the new power challenge than those at Nintendo of on the block, and despite the felling of a America. mighty adversary, timing was ultimately against them, and before the legendary Spanner has written articles for several court battle of Universal City Studios, publications, including Retro Gamer. He Inc. vs. Nintendo Co., Ltd. had even is a self-proclaimed horror junkie, with a finished, the entire industry had deep appreciation for all things Romero. collapsed into a black hole of avarice. Unerringly, Svengali-like, you can tell if a friend has played the original 1986 Metroid for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Pick your target and read this aloud: “The fastest known Metroid speedrun – a complete play-through, start to finish – is 18 minutes, 35 seconds.”

Did your friend gasp?

Move Seasoned fans remember Nintendo’s Metroid for its pioneering open-ended action-adventure side-scrolling platformer gameplay. As galactic bounty hunter , players ran and jumped and rolled (in “morph-ball” form) through labyrinthine alien ruins. Automap? Automap was for wussies! In 1986 – that archaic aeon before strategy guides – Metroid players wandered those trackless low-res polygons for 10, 12, 20 hours. They dodged floating jellyfish monsters, fought Space Pirates and found a dozen weird devices that let them explore still further. When they beat the big final boss, , they ran like mad to escape the ruins before the whole joint blew up. And they liked it!

They liked it so much, Nintendo produced two more Metroid games in the 1990s, each bringing the familiar gameplay to a new platform: Metroid II: Return of Samus (, 1991) and the much-loved Super Metroid (Super NES, 1994). The Metroid gameplay influenced Konami’s Castlevania games so strongly that reviewers coined the umbrella term “Castleroids” to describe the style of “nonlinear exploration-based gameplay with lots of power-ups.”

But the Metroid franchise lapsed through the era. Players wondered if Samus Aran had blown up her last labyrinth. Then, in 2000, in advance publicity for leading second party was Rare Ltd., the the N64’s successor console, the U.K. house responsible for GoldenEye GameCube, Nintendo announced a new 007, and its Metroid game was in development. This sequels, and the Perfect Dark and Banjo- shocked fans in two ways. First, the Kazooie series, among many others. But side-scrolling series was moving not only in the late 1990s, as Nintendo prepared to 3-D, but to (gasp!) first-person 3-D. the GameCube, Rare’s involvement with Second, the new Metroid would be Nintendo was declining; later, in 2002, Gunpei Yokoi (1941-97) started with created not by Nintendo in-house, but by acquired Rare. To support its Nintendo as a toy designer; in 1980, he a new, unheralded outside studio in, of GameCube publishing strategy, Nintendo created the Ten Billion Barrel puzzle. all benighted places, Texas. On sought new second parties. After developing the Game & Watch, newsgroups and message boards, Yokoi headed Nintendo’s Research & longtime Metroids publicly weirded out. About this time, Jeff Spangenberg was Development Unit 1, where he helped seeking new horizons. He had already produce the Donkey Kong arcade games Move with Nintendo’s rising , Shigeru As it turned out, the fans had excellent racked up more hits than most producers reason to worry. But behind the scenes, enjoy in a long career. Six-foot-eight, Miyamoto. In 1984, Miyamoto left to lead Nintendo management was pushing past self-taught and saturnine, Spangenberg his own R&D unit. Yokoi’s R&D1 obstacles and exploring alternative paths started out in the late ’80s porting produced the firstMetroid in 1986. as risky as anything Samus Aran ever arcade hits (Afterburner, Space Harrier) Nintendo released it simultaneously with faced. The outcome of the GameCube to the Amiga. In 1991, he started Iguana another fondly remembered Yokoi title, Metroid project is an object lesson in Entertainment in Santa Clara, , . both creativity and management. then moved it to Austin, Texas in 1993. The next year, the studio scored its first After Metroid, Yokoi’s R&D1 went on to Going Retro big success with NBA Jam. In 1995, create the Game Boy. But after his Nintendo has historically had fair-to- Acclaim bought Iguana and renamed it flopped in 1995, Yokoi left mixed luck with its second-party Acclaim Studios Austin. Spangenberg Nintendo in disgrace. He started Koto developers. (“Second-party” means soon rose to President of Worldwide Laboratory, which partnered with Bandai Nintendo has part ownership in the Product Development, overseeing to develop an interesting handheld called company, as opposed to third-party Acclaim’s software studios. His hits from the WonderSwan. Yokoi died in a 1997 companies to which Nintendo licenses this time include : Dinosaur Hunter car accident, two years before the development rights but has no and several sports games. He made a WonderSwan’s release. Bandai ceased ownership.) Through 2001, Nintendo’s bundle; a February 1997 article called production of the WonderSwan in 2001. head of Nintendo’s Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) division, Miyamoto supervised relations with Retro, and in fact assigned it .

It was the first time Nintendo had worked closely with a foreign “Boys and their fast toys” in – not not two, but five major GameCube development team to create a game making this up – the Lubbock (Texas) projects. One, begun right away but not from scratch. EAD held monthly phone Avalanche-Journal quotes Spangenberg announced until 2000, was conferences with Retro and exchanged buying a red Ferrari 355 Spider (“It was Metroid Prime. employees every two or three months. sort of like an impulse buy, really”) and In a February 2003 Kikizo.com interview Move planning to get an $85,000 Hummer (“If On all five projects, almost from the Miyamoto said, “I’ve actually, from the anybody gets in your way, you just drive start, things went wrong. A lengthy N- very initial stages of this project, been over them”). Sider Retro retrospective tells the tale: directly involved with the producer; and Working in black, windowless offices actually, at EAD in Japan, I have three But Spangenberg was fired from Acclaim deep inside the building, employees staff members who are almost kind of in July 1998, allegedly because he had endured political infighting, egregious half-directing the game, in cooperation said he planned to start a new company crunching and a paranoid atmosphere. with Retro Studios. So our level of after his contract ended. Three months They missed milestones. They couldn’t involvement is very, very high on later, having secured millions in financing make the games work. Spangenberg the project.” from Nintendo of America, he delegated a lot and was often absent. incorporated Retro Studios as its owner, “Nintendo would come down about three with Nintendo holding a minority At this point, Miyamoto got involved. times a year and rip on most of the position. In June 1999, Spangenberg games,” a Retro employee told Electronic opened Retro’s 40,000-square-foot Knocking Over the Table Gaming Monthly in April 2001. In 2000, Austin complex, including a state-of-the- Shigeru Miyamoto, world-renowned Miyamoto himself visited Retro, an event art motion-capture studio and onsite designer or producer of Nintendo’s most compared to the Emperor visiting the theater. Poaching big-league design and popular games – Mario, Zelda, Animal Death Star. But a closer parallel might be art talent from many competitors, Retro Crossing and many more – had never the 2003 filmLost in Translation, where undertook an ambitious slate of not one, been involved in a Metroid game. But as Bill Murray plays an American actor vainly trying to get direction from a Installing a New Regime Japanese-speaking filmmaker. A former Miyamoto pressured Retro to cancel Retro employee recalls, “[Miyamoto] several other projects, first (April 2000) would rant at us in Japanese for a an action adventure (working title: minute and a half, and then the “Action Adventure”), then (February translator would just say, ‘He’s upset.’” 2001) their football and car-combat games, and finally (July 2001) aZelda - In Miyamoto’s lecture at University style roleplaying game called Raven in July 2003, he said, “You fall into the Blade. The action-adventure team dilemma where the guys up top are like, shifted to Metroid, but the later ‘Are you working, or what?!’ and the cancellations forced corresponding guys down below are like, ‘See, it’s the layoffs. For the second layoff, of 26 people up top! What can you do?’ And employees, CEO Jeff Spangenberg was the project begins to go haywire. When so distraught he didn’t show up for work. it gets to that point, I bust it all out in a conference. People refer to that point as His distress apparently didn’t last. In the time where I ‘knock over the table.’ 2002, photos were posted on the web [...] When I flip out, it’s because I’m showing Spangenberg in hot tubs with being sincere in my desire to get lightly-clad (or less) women. Soon after something done with the project.” this, Nintendo abruptly bought out Spangenberg for $1 million and he left Miyamoto sincerely disliked Metroid Retro, sort of the way King Kong left the Prime’s original camera system. He Empire State Building. Later that year, ordered the game changed from third- he founded Topheavy Studios, which in person to first-person, which destroyed 2004 released an interactive peep show the schedule. He commanded Retro to called The Guy Game for PS2 and . implement several types of visors Samus In assigning it a Poor rating, an Aran could use in the game, such as a Honestgamers.com review suggests scanner to bring up gameplay hints or playing The Guy Game is not only dull, it interesting history about targets. And his lowers your sense of self-worth. In changes didn’t stop with Metroid. December 2004, a coed who appeared topless in the game sued Topheavy, Microsoft and Sony on the grounds she universal acclaim. Its current Metacritic was underage when the footage was score is 97%; on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s shot; last July a judge ordered The Guy 100%. Prime took Game of the Year at Game yanked from the shelves. It is the 2003 Game Developers Conference, unclear whether anyone noticed among many other awards, and became its absence. the GameCube’s flagship title. Reviews praised Prime’s impressive look, fine Spangenberg’s replacement as Retro soundtrack, smooth control scheme, CEO was Steve Barcia, who had joined creative use of the visors and ingenious Retro as VP of Product Development puzzles. Many commented on how, even after many years at Sim-Tex and with the switch to first-person 3-D, the Microprose (he designed Master of game still felt like a Metroid: the open Orion). But this did little to improve staff world, the doubling back to reach areas morale; the current version of Barcia’s previous inaccessible, etc. In short, it Wikipedia entry alleges Retro was a total success. disgruntlement. In April 2003, Nintendo replaced Barcia with longtime company Nintendo’s successful takeover of Retro insider Michael Kelbaugh, who still runs contrasts with the similar case of Retro today. Barcia now works at EA buying another Austin Canada in Vancouver, where he produces studio, . Origin’s acquisition led to the Def Jam series. its lingering, agonizing death, owing to EA’s pernicious company politics. Also, These changes, covered extensively in EA annually shifts managers among its the gaming press, brought Metroid fans divisions; each new manager arrives, to despair. After this troubled gestation, sweeps away his precursor’s work, starts what could they possibly expect for everyone working on some new project, Metroid Prime other than sheer disaster? and then the next year, before anything ships, bam! it all happens again. Happy Ending Metroid Prime debuted in America in In comparison, Miyamoto’s EAD unit November 2002. Every Nintendo fan stuck with Retro for years, maintaining knows how the story turned out: continuity on a critical project, rotating in new managers until someone finally modern graphics for the Game Boy Given that Samus morphs into a ball, worked, and then (note well!) stopping. Advance. The Zero remake adds an 2005’s Metroid Prime Pinball is perhaps The results speak for themselves: Retro automap that helpfully indicates where defensible. From Greg Kasavin’s glowing today is, by all accounts, a much nicer you should go next, which means you GameSpot review: “Not since The Pinball place to work. And after its halting finish the game in not much longer than of the Dead has a concept of Metroid progress in its first four years, Retro has 18 minutes, 35 seconds. (Okay, five Prime Pinball’s caliber become a reality. already followed up Prime with a direct hours.) When you complete the mission, Seriously. Well, sort of.” sequel, Metroid Prime: Echoes (2004). you unlock the original NES Metroid, 1986 version, on the same cartridge. Newest in the growing family is Metroid More Metroid, More! Prime Hunters, just out for the Nintendo Though Nintendo let the Metroid Which makes it odd that Nintendo then DS. A first-person shooter (unusual for franchise languish for eight years, reissued the original NES Metroid, 1986 the DS), Hunters introduces six new Prime’s success heralded a resurgence. version, as part of its Classic NES Series, bounty hunters for four-player wi-fi Nintendo has now embraced Metroid and also for the . They deathmatches. You unlock the new released a slate of products that elevate should have subtitled it “Generation characters by completing the single- it, lo, even unto the lofty heights of Gap.” If you’re old enough to have player adventure. Mario and Link. played the original, the Classic reissue instantly recalls your halcyon youth. If Meanwhile, Retro Studios is working on Metroid Fusion (2002) for the Game Boy you’re younger, well.... Check this Metroid Prime 3 for the next-gen Advance was released in conjunction startling comment from one “big_tom_ Revolution console. According to the with Prime. A disconcertingly linear 2k6” titled “rubbish RUBBISH”: sparse Retro website, they’re hiring. A sequel to Super Metroid, the game “sometimes nintendo can lack off and former employee says, “From what I obsessively limits the player’s ability to this my friends is one of them they hear over there now, it’s like night and “sequence break” the layout, to make brong out puzzle games for ds that are day” from what it was. speedrunning less rewarding. (Current rubbish and bring out so called ‘classics’ best time: 50 minutes.) If you plug an but [...] its all in the past just like an Allen Varney designed the PARANOIA Advance running Fusion into a embarrasing thing you done 2 years ago paper-and- roleplaying game (2004 GameCube running Prime, completing or setting an old womans house on fire edition) and has contributed to computer each game unlocks new content. and nobody knows it was you so please games from Sony Online, Origin, leave it all behind we dont want to see Interplay, and Looking Glass. In 2004, Nintendo published Metroid: it again.” Zero Mission–the original Metroid with In the last installment of this series, we talked about what might be called “soft” problems — games and culture… gender, age and ethnicity issues… gaming as a social or solitary activity…

This time, I want to talk about “hard” problems — hardware and business issues. And I want to talk a bit about content.

Hardware

The Situation Existing hardware allows us to do amazing things. New hardware on the horizon offers staggering possibilities.

In anticipation of the , Revolution and PS3, I’m digging out proposals and design concepts conceived 15 years ago because, finally, the hardware seems capable of realizing a vision that was literally impossible to pull off back then. Everything’s about to change and, in all likelihood, get better — graphics, sound, AI, physics… you name it.

Shortly before I gave the talk that inspired this article, I showed a friend an early, un-retouched screenshot from a game we were prototyping at Junction Point Studios and found myself marveling at it — not out of any sense of , but, rather, out of a sense of awe. It looked like something pre-rendered, not something playable in real time.

But power comes at a price. Once the hardware is capable of something, someone’s going to do it. And once someone does it, everyone will be expected to. So, for example, once someone throws 100 artists at a game, and it looks like something from but real time and interactive, we’re all going to be expected to ooch ourselves above that new, higher, way more expensive quality bar. When that happens, team size goes up coming, with all sorts of incredible the same folks who’ve proven risk averse • Now there are computer games, for everyone, development time goes up, capabilities we “have” to exploit! in the past. I’m not optimistic. videogames, PDA games, handheld games costs go up. That means marketing costs go up. Next thing you know, independent There is an upside in all this. Games will Not just next-gen consoles and more • Heck, my cell phone is more powerful than developers have it even tougher, the rich look better than they ever have. And powerful PCs… the computers on which we developed the get richer and finding someone willing to there’s at least the possibility (remote, old and Wing Commander games! back you in any sort of risky endeavor I fear) that someone will harness the As if powerful new consoles and PC’s becomes harder than it’s ever been — power of the Xbox 360, PS3 and weren’t enough, they’re only part of the Now, in one sense, more platforms are a and it’s never been easy. Revolution (and whatever comes after near-future picture. We also face good thing — platforms that don’t them) for something other than putting another set of hardware challenges. require crazy graphics or support the In the last decade, my games have gone prettier pictures on the screen — non- depth of gameplay that drives costs up from $2.5 million dollars and 30 person combat AI, characters you care about, • Used to be, there were computer games. offer small developers new options. teams, to $5 million and 40 people to problems that can be solved without That’s all to the good. $12 million and around 90 people. resorting to guns, knives and baseball • Then, there were computer games and Move The interesting thing is what happens Looking to the future, that seems like bats, anyone? videogames. the place you start if you want to play in when players start expecting to be able the next-gen, triple-A game development But the cost of exploiting all that power, to access their games wherever they are game. And it may be more hype than even for Good, is going to be great. And and via whatever hardware they happen reality, but I’ve talked to plenty of folks the experiments we get to try will be to have handy. That day’s coming, planning on spending $20 million and up determined by the folks with money — sooner than most of us expect. And we on future games. better be ready for it.

And I’d bet that 90% of that cost is The Choice down to that terrific new hardware Given the way the game business works these days, I’m not sure there is any choice to be made as we face a frightening future of high-priced hardware. Given our single-funding source model (publishers) and our near total dependence on boxed games sold at retail, you’re either a player in the triple-A videogame arena or you’re not. You either spend what it takes to be bets failed (and given the “four out of and the 1,001st damaged-DNA knockoff competitive — $8, 10, 12 million and up five” game failure rate the received of … — or you better not even try to compete. wisdom says we suffer now, you know Go where EA and Activision and the big- most of those bets will fail), a lot of Internationalization time MMOG guys aren’t. Make puzzle publishers are going down. games or boutique games aimed at a The Situation more targeted (and likely smaller) And as far as games that operate across The internationalization of the game audience. And spend a couple million PCs, consoles, handhelds, cellphones and business is inevitable. It’s no longer bucks or less. so on? Well, that’s going to require IP worth thinking about as something that ownership and distribution that reaches might happen someday. It’s already The Outcome consumers on all those platforms — happening. Until and unless the business model that’s a mighty big play, one available changes, I see only one possible only to the existing power players, or Sales Move outcome: A business that’s already new players with sufficient cash and For years now, a bit more than half of heading in a rich-get-richer direction will connections to buy their way in. my sales have come overseas. Last time see the trend accelerated and the Developers who own their own IP? I checked, a third of those sales came situation exacerbated. They’re going to be even more of a rara from Germany alone. From a business avis than they are now. perspective, anyone who isn’t thinking Those who can afford to compete at the about foreign sales is leaving a lot of triple-A, movie-budget level will; those In many fields, more horsepower can money on the table. who can’t will either be driven out of provide the little guy with tools to business entirely or driven to different challenge The Man. Call me cynical, but But internationalization means parts of the business — boutique online in the world of game development, I see something more than just selling your games, cell phone games, casual puzzle upcoming hardware shifts benefiting the product overseas. It means competing games… existing power elite more than anyone with developers who are as clever and else, maybe exclusively. Unless the creative as you are — and typically get Even mid-pack publishers will have business changes in some radical way, paid a lot less. That’s a scary trouble competing in the coming years, and/or the powers that be support more combination. and marginal ones will cease to exist. interesting work than they’ve been There just aren’t many companies that willing to support in the past, gamers will Foreign Competition can afford more than a couple of $20 be stuck playing prettier GTA clones, There’s always been healthy competition million bets a year. If even one of those sports games, shooters, me-too MMOGs between North American and Japanese developers. The Final Fantasy series most industries. Unless you’re a major could never have been made in the U.S. player with a major cash-cow hit, and it’s unlikely Doom could have come competing in the triple-A game space from a Japanese studio. requires teams far bigger than you can build internally. But now, we’re seeing games like Serious Sam coming from Eastern Sure, I know of studios throwing 100- European teams a quarter the size of plus people at projects. I tried a bargain many American teams. We see terrific basement version of that approach at studios like Io and others creating games Ion Storm — with over 90 people with universal appeal, and typically doing working on Thief: Deadly Shadows. And it for less money than U.S. developers looking at the demands of next-gen with no noticeable difference in quality. hardware, it looks as if teams of 100, Move 150-plus people will become increasingly And if you haven’t checked out what’s common. happening in Asia outside of Japan, it looks as if there’s going to be an At Junction Point Studios, a start-up explosion in creativity — and competition working on its first project, I simply can’t from that quarter as well. afford that. And, frankly, I wouldn’t want to deal with the management and team/ Outsourcing studio culture issues associated with As costs increase, in any business, teams that big, even if we could afford everyone starts looking around for way it. To compete, we have to look to Asia to economize. Clearly, the easiest way to and Eastern Europe to supplement our reduce costs is to pay people less. Can’t internal asset generation capabilities. do that locally, without losing resources to competitors — and other industries — Am I putting American developers — willing and able to pay more. artists, mostly — out of work? I guess so, and I hate it, but I don’t see any What happens next is utterly predictable: other choice, any other way, to compete Jobs are increasingly “off-shored.” It’s in the triple-A game space. happening in games as it’s happening in The Choice If they can make games with strong Along those lines, I have a fantasy that How do North American developers sales appeal at lower cost than we can, involves a game development world remain competitive in the global more power to ‘em. that’s a bit more like the movies, where marketplace? That may end up being the there aren’t a lot of 200 or 300 person most critical question we face, thanks to And if there are folks in Asia and Eastern film studios waiting around for their next a perfect storm of business and creative Europe who can provide art resources at project to start. Instead, there are lots of elements. low enough cost to allow independent producers, in tiny six person offices. The developers to compete with the internal people there create and nurture • Should we ignore the problems we cause publisher teams, we should take properties until they have one around Move for local talent by off shoring jobs? It’s just advantage of that all day long. (Though, which they can build a “package” to take business, right? to be honest, I’ll be hoping for the day to a studio. Only then do they build the when those folks realize they’re being team to make the movie. • Should we make games that appeal largely, underpaid and start demanding higher if not exclusively, to local audiences, ignoring wages, which will level the playing field Maybe Wideload Games is onto the huge potential audience beyond our again.) something, and there’s a game borders? We’re making plenty of money… development future that includes many The Outcome(s) independent shops of anywhere from a • Should we ignore the competition from It’s hard for me to see a downside to dozen people to, say, 50—production foreign studios whose capabilities more and internationalization. Smaller, cheaper, people, designers, programmers, artists. more frequently match those of bigger, more more agile developers competing with Those people would create concepts, established studios in the traditional game bigger, more established players can only shop them to funding and/or publishing development powerhouses of the U.S., make the medium stronger. And, frankly, partners and then form the core that Japan and Western Europe? “They’ll” never short of cutting a lot of peoples’ salaries, shepherds the concepts to completion. be able to compete with us, creatively. there doesn’t seem to be much we can These shops would have a consistent, do about studios in parts of the world on-staff, creative core, and a leads group To be honest, I love the idea that there where they can pay people less than to prototype and prove concepts, are game development “garage bands” we do. pipelines and so on. Those same folks out there who can beat the pants off us. could then coordinate and lead the efforts of outside resources who would Most of the product (and I use the word surface of what games can and should generate the assets necessary to “product” purposefully here) consists of be. complete the game. sequels and licenses. That in itself isn’t a bad thing at all, as I said in my design The Choice Maybe that really is a fantasy, but I’d keynote at GDC a few years back. Once again, we can just continue on our rather see five independent studios of 50 Personally, I still hope to work on a merry way, hoping no one notices that, people than one, monolithic, licensed game before I hang up my past the glitzy graphics, past the development studio any day. And it development shingle and move on to pounding soundtrack, past the supposed would take advantage of outsourcing in a whatever comes next. What is a bad opportunity to “live the movie,” there’s way that could benefit everyone. thing is the quality of those sequels and just not much going on that’s new, licensed products. The processes that different or uniquely “game-like.” It’s the Content, Stupid! lead to a proposal being greenlit by a The last crossroads we face is a content publisher seem driven less by any kind I’ve been told by people in positions of Move crossroad. Let me get this out of way: of creative spark than by mandated authority at more than one publisher — I’m sick to death of the constraints we release dates, insufficient budgets and people who ought to know better — that impose on ourselves when it comes to licensors/IP-owners whose demands “GTA clones are making money hand gameplay, game genres, visual and reveal little knowledge of what makes over fist. All we have to do is keep thematic approaches — the whole our medium special. making them until players tell us to content shebang. stop.” And, worse, to my mind, even the The Situation “original” product is pathetically “me With attitudes like that driving decisions The range of content we explore is so too.” It’s hard for me to get worked up at the top our only realistic funding and narrow, it’s kind of scary. But there’s even about new IP projects (with distribution options, is it any wonder more to content woes than that. The apologies to Will Wright, Nintendo’s first- that, from a content standpoint, games amount of content we generate in any party developers and a handful of just haven’t made much progress in the given year is just overwhelming. Look at others). last decade? With rare exceptions, it’s . It’s getting bigger, louder, more still all-combat (or all-sports), all the crowded and, unless you’re blind, deaf Creatively, I see some real challenges time. and dumb, way more depressing every ahead. For us to say we’ve fully plumbed year. the depths of game design would be Alternatively, we can acknowledge that insane. We’ve barely scratched the (though I’m saddened that I still have to say this, literally, 10 years after I first spoke those words at a conference at elements of more mature content are at the same audience is obviously short than pulling this trigger or that. I’m not MIT), games remain an infant medium. least as challenging and fun to tackle as sighted. proposing we jettison the old content We can resolve to grow up, at least a the graphics, sound and physics stuff we but, rather, that we find ways to make little. When I first started thinking about usually go after. Surely, there are people At a time when seemingly every other experimentation possible, that we find games as developmentally challenged, out there champing at the bit to tackle medium is moving into narrow-casting ways to do some R&D that doesn’t back in the ‘90s, I thought we’d be so them. mode — finding ways to reach involve renderers or the purely technical much further along by now than we are specialized audiences with an insane aspects of game development. — I figured we’d at least grow up to be The Outcome variety of content — gaming is stuck in whiny adolescents. Sticking with the tried and true might mass media theory of the 20th century. Next Time result in financial success, for a time. But With all of these problems ahead of us, The plus side of the realization that we’re stagnation was never the friend of any So, the easy answer is to say: Let’s start all these big choices we have to make, is stuck in a content and gameplay rut is medium and filling the retail channel varying things up, people. Let’s tackle there any hope? That’s what we’ll talk that there’s plenty of room for with tons of me-too games all aimed at the design and technical risks associated about in the fourth, and final, installment Move innovation! I mean, where are our love with trying to solve really hard of this series. stories and soap operas? Where are our problems… let’s try making games that comedies and musicals? Where are our are funny and sad, try to find ways for Warren Spector is the founder of suspense dramas and political satires? players to interact in non-competitive Junction Point Studios. He worked And where are the Carmack equivalents but interesting ways. previously with , Looking willing to tackle problems like non- Glass Studios, TSR and Steve combat AI, virtual actors, conversation I wish it were that easy. But there’s real Jackson Games. systems, collaborative storytelling risk here — far more than in, say, questions? The technical challenges reaching out to women developers or associated with these necessary giving players more interesting choices A company’s narrative is equal parts Power has had a unique part to play public back story and manufactured throughout videogame history. As the concept created by the company’s magazine’s managing editor, Scott image. By creating a theater in which Pelland, wrote in an email, “Telling the consumers can interact with and learn story of Nintendo is really at the heart of about their purchases, as well as new what we do. Every page is telling part of products that have yet to hit the market, the [company’s] evolving story.” a company can often control its own destiny. Nintendo Power’s lineage can be traced by Jon Schnaars Nowhere is this concept more important back to its ideological predecessor, The than in the world of videogames. As a Nintendo Fan Club Newsletter. Beyond medium, videogames are a form of acting as a forum for fans to sound off communication unlike any other, allowing about games and receive information consumers to interact and participate in about upcoming titles, the Newsletter their entertainment in a way unlike any also provided gameplay tips and secrets. seen before. This interaction and Pelland described how, with assistance participation opens a window through from Japanese publishing company which any company able to tell a good Tokuma Shoten, the concept behind the story can climb in and form a Newsletter was fleshed out into a full- relationship. Perhaps no company has fledged magazine. done this with more style and enthusiasm than Nintendo. “At the time, the concept of creating a corporate magazine was quite novel, and Since it first hit newsstands in July of there were no other North American 1988, Nintendo Power, the official publications that were dedicated entirely magazine of Nintendo, has had a special to videogames.” Pelland wrote. “The role in bringing exclusive coverage of all early content reflected the look of things Nintendo to the horde of Donkey Japanese gaming magazines since the Kong, Link and fans. By designers at Workhouse USA were speaking directly to consumers, Nintendo trained in that business.” Less than two years after its inception, As the next generation consoles move Casamassina continued by underscoring Nintendo Power became a monthly closer to market, there has been a great this philosophy, “One thing I’ve learned publication. By this point, tried-and-true deal of discussion and speculation about about some of my Xbox 360 games is departments such as Game Watch, what Nintendo’s role would be. For its that while the graphics are initially Classified Information and Now Playing part, the company has fueled this debate impressive, you eventually take them for had developed their role and could be by largely remaining tight-lipped. When granted, at which point gameplay counted on by frequent readers to they have spoken, however, their words returns to its rightful place as the most provide the coverage that they had come have carried great weight. In January of important factor.” to expect. With gamers reading Nintendo 2005, a newspaper interviewed Power, Nintendo, through its new Nintendo’s president, , and He concludes by arguing that the venture, had expanded its influence he offered few details, but said only that Revolution, with its innovative yet beyond the time consumers spent in the company’s newest system, the familiar looking controller and front of their television. Revolution, would represent a “paradigm significantly smaller price tag, will be the shift” in the world of gaming. system that truly breaks into the Today, Nintendo of America stands at the mainstream market. Games like Grand precipice of what they hope will be a In a March 8th editorial for IGN.com, Theft Auto may sell three million copies, quantum leap forward not only for their veteran Nintendo critic Matt he says, but the Revolution has company, but also for videogames as a Casamassina, armed with the latest ambitions of bringing current non- cultural medium. A look at the information released about Nintendo’s gamers into the market and, well, videogame best-seller charts reveals new console, discussed Iwata’s revolutionizing the way the populace little in the way of variety. Instead, it’s proclamation. He explains that at the thinks about videogames. the Grand Theft Autos, the Final crux of Nintendo’s planning is a Fantasys, the FPSes and the EA fundamental disagreement with Sony Casamassina’s ideology is one that melds franchises that dominate. And why not? and Microsoft over the future of seamlessly with the story being produced Like most Hollywood studios, game videogaming. “Nintendo bigwigs believe monthly by Nintendo Power. The design houses have learned that to that graphics have reached a ‘saturation paradigm shift spoken of by Iwata is minimize risk and maximize profit; their point,’ and that gameplay, not more evident in the editorial content of the best bet is to stick with what works. detailed game worlds, is in need of a voice of Nintendo. It becomes even more They pump out sequels and brush ups of renaissance.” visible when one compares it with the older, successful titles. official voices of Nintendo’s two main competitors, Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox. Like NP, the Official deal. Meaning bizarre or unconventional, PlayStation Magazine (OPM) and the gonzo recalls wild-man journalist Hunter Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) seek to S. Thompson or the eponymous blue- bring gaming coverage directly to the haired, loose cannon of the Muppets. fans of their respective systems. For the Adorning the cover alongside the purposes of comparison, let us look at headline is one of Nintendo’s newest the March 2006 issue of each magazine. gaming creations, the gonzo Chibi Robo.

The cover of a magazine is the most Turning inside the magazines, the important editorial space in the differences become even more marked. publication. As in any business, it is NP’s cover story, titled “Breaking the critical that a magazine put its best foot Mold,” is almost too obvious in its forward. In the case of videogame furtherance of Iwata’s mantra. The magazines as a genre, this usually article opens by stating: “For discerning means highly illustrative cover art, game enthusiasts—those who shy away typically from the game that will receive from cookie-cutter sequels and status the most coverage within the magazine. quo action bonanzas—the pickings can This holds true in the case of all three be brutally slim at times.” The piece, a official magazines.OPM features a “tour of the unexpected,” then goes on largely bare (by game magazine to profile five games, all Nintendo standards) cover, split only by a circular exclusives, that break with what most bullet hole. The headline, referring to the would consider traditional gaming genres. highly polished FPS which reached shelves this month, reads: “Black: The Last In his March editor’s letter, Pelland Great PS2 Game?” OXM trumpets an emphasizes the shifting paradigm, as “exclusive hands-on” feature on Scarface. well, when he refers to games discussed in the “Breaking the Mold” feature. Meanwhile, NP’s cover is much more text “[They] explore topics and game styles heavy; the largest element is a two-word few gamers or game makers have ever headline that screams: “Gonzo Gaming!” contemplated…[They] aren’t just The choice of adjective itself tells a great technical or visual experiments; they’re innovative games that lead to truly great Among this coverage is a three-page game screenshots and a chart of weapon No, we haven’t suddenly regressed and often-surprising experiences.” spread, part of a now eleven-part series, illustrations (fetchingly titled “Nice into a staff of babies, but there are focusing on the team developing the Rack”) predominate. True to FPS form, quite a few aspects of Animal In full, the magazine dedicates 34 pages forthcoming Zelda game, Twilight bullets are flying and things are Crossing for the DS that we’re to features covering upcoming or Princess. This nearly yearlong exposé is exploding. OPM’s verdict on the game jealous of… We’d rather have a new recently released Nintendo-only games. the perfect example of Nintendo allowing speaks volumes: “It’s gun porn.” and interesting game that its fans an exclusive view into the world emphasizes socializing, debt of the games they love. Each month, a In comparison to NP’s “Gonzo” feature, repayment, tree planting, letter different member of the development OPM reviews upcoming PlayStation 2 and writing, and T-shirt designing as team writes in the first person about PSP titles whose genres should be easily opposed to yet another game that their experiences not only with Twilight recognizable to anyone who has held a has a gun, or a sword duct-taped to Princess, but also with other Zelda and game controller in the last decade. Aside a gun. Nintendo exclusives like ’s Mansion. from the Black review, the magazine also For those who are familiar with the titles, breaks down five 3-D action/adventure In terms of editorial content, OXM offers this type of interaction leads to greater titles, four RPGs, three sports cartridges, even less than its PlayStation enjoyment of their purchase. For those a , a WWE title and a couple counterpart. The only features to speak who have yet to play these games, the of other retreads and ports — all in all, of in their March issue are the extended series engages them in the continuing nothing that steps outside the standard preview of VU Games’ Scarface and a story of Nintendo and its games, asking fare. very similar write up on the much- them to join in the conversation. delayed 3-D Realms/Human Head What was perhaps most interesting, Studios FPS Prey. Their eight game The editorial offerings from OPM and however, was a one-paragraph note in reviews feature a handful of sports OXM, while similar to one another, are OPM’s front of magazine section called franchises, racing extravaganzas, a vastly different from the coverage in NP. Hype. In the short take running under fighting game and other equally Both magazines contain features, but the headline “Game Envy,” the staff picks pedestrian game concepts. neither offers anything comparable to the game it would most like to see on the substance in Nintendo’s publication. the PlayStation. Their pick, Animal Where both OPM and OXM do succeed in OPM dedicates its largest spread to its Crossing: Wild World, wasn’t nearly as out-dueling NP is in their coverage of the cover story, a sprawling, eight-page interesting as their rationalization. They technological advancements of their review of ’s Black. In- write: next-gen consoles (read: flashy graphics). But in doing so, both have been introduced and others have publications, and the companies been phased out. Through four providing them material, are playing household consoles and six instantiations right into Nintendo’s hands. of their handheld unit, Nintendo has occupied and fascinated generations of Instead of trying to “wow” gamers with gamers. Nintendo Power has played a stunning visuals, Nintendo has set a unique part in Nintendo’s history and will course to engage the hearts and minds continue to shape the company’s future. of game fans. That is not to say they have pushed visuals aside; quite the As Scott Pelland points out, it’s all about contrary. Recent titles like Windwaker the story. “When [editorial consultant] and have proven that the Reggie [Fils-Aime] talks about business company is quite capable of producing a strategy or [staff writer] Chris Shepperd visual experience on par with any gives insights into beating Castlevania competitor. The Revolution will continue DS, it expands reader’s perception of the to push the boundaries of graphic gaming world. We believe that we have representation in games, but as Iwata the most compelling story in the game made clear and NP shows month in and business to share with our readers, and month out, innovation will be the new our insider status at NOA, while it may bar by which Nintendo products will be be questioned by some, gives us the measured. best position to deliver those stories with accuracy and passion.” Just as they did in their March issue, the staff at Nintendo Power magazine will Jon Schnaars is a freelance writer with continue to engage their readers with the interests in genre and representation in story of Nintendo. It is a story that gaming. He blogs full-time about issues stretches back to the coin operated in psychology and mental health for Donkey Kong that put the company on Treatment Online. the map. Along the way, new characters EDITORIAL PRODUCTION BUSINESS Executive Editor Producer Publisher Julianne Greer Jonathan Hayter Alexander Macris

Content Editor Layout Artist Associate Publishers Joseph Blancato Jessica Fielhauer Jerry Godwin Gregory Lincoln Contributing Editor Lead Web Developer JR Sutich Whitney Butts Director of Advertising Susan Briglia Research Manager Web Developer Nova Barlow Erik Jacobson Media Sales Associate Laura Rotondo Contributors IT Director Shannon Drake Jason Smith Chairman of Themis Group Ian Easton Thomas S. Kurz Gearoid Reidy John Schnaars Spanner Warren Spector Allen Varney

Volume 1, Issue 39, © 2006. The Escapist is published weekly by Themis Group, Inc. Produced in the United States of America. To contact the editors please email [email protected]. For a free subscription to The Escapist in PDF format please view www.escapistmagazine.com Mainstream: It’s the gamer’s comfort pulp entertainment for the brainless word. Since the advent of the masses, gaming can take to the PlayStation, we’ve been told in countless mainstream - but only when it makes breathless media reports that gaming is itself relevant to the lives of ordinary now mainstream. That now it’s OK. working Joes.

But in reality, the only thing mainstream The Real Revolution about gaming is its perception in the Enter Nintendo. media. While Nintendo’s new console may or Gaming targets young, well-off males – may not end up being called the exactly the type of people who dictate in Revolution, on the streets of Japan, the the media what is and isn’t hip. Games, real revolution is already here, and it’s we have been told, need no longer rank taken many people by surprise. alongside building model planes and attending Star Trek conventions in the After all, when the DS was first playground of “cool.” announced, the sniggers of journalistic derision were audible. Compared to the Just like in the playground, that sleek PSP, it had a screen that many cell acceptance brought solace. And yet, phones would be ashamed of, and all the gaming is still a niche, still with power of a hot Baghdad afternoon. shockingly few games that target anyone outside the 13 to 25 age bracket. These journalists - all predominantly well-off young males, of course - forgot Gaming is now at a curious crossroads, one thing: Their graphics-are-everything one where many other forms of media, view of games is not one that is shared from science fiction to rock music, have by everyone. Every week of sales figures stood. Like them, once considered crude, for Japan is proving Nintendo right. The real revolution began with Otona no DS Training is made for adults. Well, of course they aren’t. For years, Nintendogs, which, as already reported, Professor Ryuta Kawashima, upon whose Nintendo has been telling anybody who’d was a game many had thought could not design the game is based, is a genuine listen that this was the new market for - should not - succeed. and well-known Alzheimer’s expert. The games. And right now, Nintendo is the game tests your “brain age,” with the only one exploiting it – with games like Instead, Nintendo bypassed the fanboys lowest possible score - i.e., the best - Eigo Zuke, a drill for improving English and carved out an entirely new market, being 20. There are no flashy graphics, that at once skillfully exploits both a composed of both the curious novice and nothing more than basic sounds, and niche in the English-obsessed Japanese the bored hardcore, men and women in absolutely no signs of Mario. The newest market, and the unique handwriting almost equal proportion. It’s a market version has you do such un-game tasks features of the DS. Or the forthcoming Nintendo continues to mine. as writing haiku and counting change. DS Bimoji Training, a drill for improving handwriting, which taps the grumble of : Wild World may look The result is something familiar yet many elderly Japanese that cell phone- like a kid’s game, but Japanese entirely new. It may not be a classic by obsessed youth can’t write properly. A commercials have pitched it toward most gamers’ definitions, but it is a talking cookbook and dictionary might stressed-out women, who can enjoy the game with almost universal appeal, one well outsell the more talked about web “slow life.” The result was Japan’s anyone can pick up and play instantly. It browser and TV tuner. biggest-selling game of 2005. is a game that is drawing the attention of the world. But more than any other, the game that has found a new audience is Nou wo At the beginning of March, the DS made Kitaeru Otona no DS Training, which will headlines across the world, thanks to an come to the West as Brain Age. Associated Press story on its success Combined, the original game and its with older gamers. recent sequel have sold over 3 million copies in Japan. To put that into context, “People who never even liked computer that’s more than twice what any Xbox games are now getting hooked,” the game other than the Halo series has sold article quotes Nintendo’s Ken Toyoda as worldwide. saying. “We’re not surprised.” There Is Another bright. Xbox 360 and PS3 games, sold cool. With consoles threatening to aim The success of these games is forcing on the promise of high-definition increasingly at a tech-savvy early- publishers to slowly realize that, in their graphics, will bring the colossal risk of adopter market, handhelds might just be pursuit of fanboy homage, they are having a multi-million dollar flop that the way gaming finds the mainstream - letting a world of profit pass them by. could ruin companies. Games threaten compared to the investment needed in a further appeal to the lowest common 360 or a PS3, handhelds are practically No less so than movies or music, the denominator for maximum possible impulse buys. game industry must take stock of itself profit. and ask why it’s losing customers. Why And with smaller budgets, niche games statistics show that teenagers are But there is hope. The success of the DS are possible. Seeing the success of DS playing less games, and the market has in attracting new gamers hints the future games such as Trauma Center: Under declined since its peak in the late 1990s. of gaming may lead in a different the Knife or Phoenix Wright warms the Why half of the top-selling PC games in direction. heart because it offers a peek into the U.S. in 2005 weren’t even released exactly the sort of new market games that year. Why the U.K. top-seller list Until this generation, handhelds, with can tap. There are millions of people could have come from 1995 or any year their inferior screen and archaic stuck in Dilbert cubicles who dream not since - two soccer games, two movie graphics, had been regarded, at best, as of being a sword-slinging warrior but a licenses, GTA. an aside, at worst, as gaming’s black lawyer or a surgeon. These games are sheep, the relative you try not to bring the first steps toward letting them live It may be an exciting time for the up at parties. that dream. market, but the future may not be so But now, like the original PlayStation, It’s time the games industry learns that handhelds have broken through a even when we grow up, we can still want barrier; the one that Steven Poole, the games. We can still have fantasies, and author of Trigger Happy, once described not all of them need be final. as “the switch from ‘that looks like a computer game’ to ‘that looks like a film.’” Gearoid Reidy is a journalist working in Japan, and yes, he is a well-off young These sleek handhelds exist in a time male. You can find him at when portable electronics like cell www.gearoidreidy.com. phones or iPods are commonplace and On a date I’ll avoid mentioning, the it debuted, the DS felt like a gimmick, a world changed. Simply acting odd in an bunch of input geegaws and doodads airport now might result in an off-record that might let you pet an e-dog. It felt trip to a nightmare gulag and getting more Virtual Boy than Next Generation electro-shocked until you admit to Jack of Interaction, if you get my drift, Bauer that you know might where the something that let you play a few pseudo- anthrax is, when all you really know games before giving you awful headaches. about Anthrax is they are f-ing metal, man. You can imagine my distress at However, developers picked up the being forced to do unnatural things to concept and ran with it, as Phoenix electronic devices in the middle of LAX. Wright was busy showing me in LAX, despite my reluctance and fear of jail. I I leaned down and blew very gently on blew gently on the DS to gather my Nintendo DS, shifting my eyes side- fingerprints, shouted into the to-side like a cartoon villain. Fortunately, microphone, used the touchpad to zero the coast was clear, and that meant no in on items of interest, and otherwise screaming headlines (“Terrorist and shifted through a series of interaction Internet Jerk Arrested for Being Just Plain methods that seemed wholly unnatural, Weird with Electronic Box”) and no pre-DS. It was all smooth, transitioning scream-inducing torture in my future. My from method to method as the game client needed me. I had to get these demanded, rather than some forced, fingerprints even if it meant a long time half-baked system grafted on top of the in a prison that doesn’t exist. If Phoenix standard two-button, D-Pad setup. Wright can endure, so can I, and we needed these prints to prove our client innocent. Looking back, Nintendo may not have officially standardized gamepad design, The dust drifted away and the fingerprint but they did lay waste to the became clear, and I had my first inkling competition. Pre-NES, the controller that something big was coming toward world was a Wild West of joysticks and me (and not just that LAPD cop). When twisty knobs and all out keyboards. Nintendo’s massive success imposed a movement detection open up whole new cleansing alternative on the input-device possibilities, like treating the controller world, and though you can still pick up as a fishing pole in a fishing game, or arcade sticks and weird devices at your using it to conduct a symphony, or leisure, the Dual Shock, Controller S and waving a sword around to smack other standard controllers are all lineal Ganondorf right in his pig face. Imagine descendents of the classic NES gamepad. concepts like that with a year or two of Like European nobility, the controller refinement, simple but revolutionary family tree is more of a straight line, things like actually batting in a baseball which explains the occasional genetic game, or squeezing the stick and pulling oddity like Sony’s lamented “Boomerang” the trigger for a goalie-killing shot as the for the PlayStation 3. Fat Guy in Ice Hockey, or chopping up food and stirring the wok in a bizarre If the signs coming out of trade shows Japanese restaurant game. and the press are any indication, the DS was just the beginning of the beyond- Shigeru Miyamoto’s known for game the-usual forms of interaction Nintendo industry blasphemy, such as, “We want a plans to unveil in their next console. The system that takes advantage of new Revolution’s controller is, if nothing else, technology for something that anyone, very different, and if the concepts regardless of age or gender, can pick up they’re playing with in the early previews and play. [Something with a] gameplay are any indication, a new way to play is style that people who have never played hovering just around the corner. games can pick up and not be intimidated by. We wanted a controller PC gamers have long gloated over that somebody’s mother will look at and mouse and keyboard inputs, while not be afraid of.” And I think they’ve console designers see throwing more done it this time. thumbsticks at a problem as a solution. Nintendo’s design is much simpler: Point The closest analogy I can make is a and shoot. Tilt sensors and 3-D simpler time, back when it was possible to pick up a controller and figure out 16 buttons means every single one of iterations of the More Buttons and without having to sit through 30-minute how to play in 10 seconds, because the them needs to be used in the game, or Thumbsticks school of design, though tutorials where they pretend you’re in a buttons actually did stuff that made you lose (or something). The problem that doesn’t stop anyone from trying. future guitar science lab to explain why sense. We’ve pushed forward in console we’re running into lately is human- hitting Y controls the strum function. A input design since 1986, but it seems to based: Nobody has the octopus-like The Revolution controller hearkens back friend of mine picked up the guitar, put it be common developer sense that having hands required to operate further to those halcyon days of yore, by being on, strummed and pressed the fret buttons, so intuitive you instantly know what to and instantly knew how to play without do with it. Oh, to look up, I point the even turning on the PlayStation 2. controller up? Simple, but at the same time, completely outside the state of the The Revolution controller drinks from gaming industry today. For my Mac-using the same well of intuitive design and compadres in the audience, I’ll make a new ways to interact mean new styles of comparison. It’s like using OS X after game play, the same way I can shout using Windows. Suddenly, you’re in a into my DS to convey to the judge that I world where you have to think like a object in Phoenix Wright or draw out a normal person, rather than an insane spell in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow or computer engineer from the moon. It’s cuddle my e-puppy in Nintendogs. The jarring, but I think ultimately, it will push PSP promised a bigger, brighter screen the industry into a new phase of game and overpriced movies, but the DS keeps design, when it’ll be possible for anyone on selling. The PS3 and 360 promise hi- — Mom, Grandma, the dog — to interact def support and new iterations of the with a game, because we’re back to the same games you’ve played a million controls making sense, rather than “Ye times. Nintendo’s platform offers gods, buttons!” incredible possibilities for new ways to play. Or if you want another… you know, gaming-type comparison, consider Millionaire playboy Shannon Drake lives Guitar Hero. Pick up the guitar-shaped a life on the run surrounded by Japanese controller, eye the five colored buttons, schoolgirls and videogames. He also and how you play is instantly apparent writes about anime and games for WarCry. Ever since the release of the original maintained today), Nintendo was able to Nintendo Entertainment System, maintain a large majority of the Nintendo has continued to be one of the handheld market. But this position didn’t most successful companies in the mean Nintendo stopped developing videogame industry. Even while their hardware; in 1994, the Super Game Boy grasp on the home console marked has allowed gamers to play Game Boy games loosened, the company remains on their TV in 13 colors, through their profitable. Much of this success is owed Super Nintendo, and in 1996, the Game to Nintendo’s portable line with its Boy Pocket offered the Game Boy flagship series of Game Boy systems. experience in a greatly reduced form factor with an improved screen and Released in 1989, the original Game Boy battery life. featured a 160 x 144 pixel monochrome screen capable of four shades of gray. The 1998 release of the Suffice to say, even though it was a was a sign of things to come. While often great improvement over its Game & seen as merely a small improvement Watch ancestors, in the beginning of the over the original Game Boy, the Game 16-bit era the capabilities of the 8-bit Boy Color was a separate system in its Game Boy were less than impressive. own right. While maintaining backwards What set the Game Boy apart from its compatibility with previous Game Boy competition (aside from increased titles (a first for any videogame system) battery life) was the software, namely the Game Boy Color featured an improved that the Game Boy came bundled with processor and its own library of exclusive Tetris. By 1992, three years after its games. Despite this, many Game Boy initial release, over 32 million Game Color games were developed to be Boys had been sold. compatible with the original Game Boy.

While emphasizing quality software and In 2001, just three short years after the gameplay experiences over pure release of the Game Boy Color, Nintendo hardware power (a stance still introduced the Game Boy Advance. The Game Boy Advance offered a full fledged Despite the failure of the Virtual Boy, Nintendo handhelds have always successor to the Game Boy line. Armed Nintendo has continued to push the appealed to a wide audience with new with a 32-bit processor, the Game Boy envelope with innovative hardware. In and interesting game play. If the Advance is capable of 15-bit color on a 2004, Nintendo cautiously released the Revolution’s design reflects this 240 x 160 pixel display, and its power Nintendo DS. Without the Game Boy philosophy, it will have the potential to has been compared to the highly name, the DS is very much a departure be something truly special. regarded Super Nintendo. While the for Nintendo handhelds. Like the Game Game Boy Color was often relegated to Boy family, the DS is backwards Brian Easton is a freelance writer playing software that was merely compatible with Game Boy Advance currently working on his first novel and a enhanced and retained compatibility with games, but it will not run software new entertainment website. the original Game Boy, the Game Boy designed for the original or Color Game Advance enjoyed a great amount of Boys. The largest departures, however, success with its own library of software. are the additions of a touch screen, By late 2005, Nintendo had sold over 70 microphone, and Wi-Fi capabilities. million Game Boy Advance units, and over These innovations have opened the 296 million Game Boy Advance games. market to a wider array of customers and game play styles; without the But such success in the handheld market microphone and touch screen games like did not come without its failures. In Nintendogs or Feel the Magic would be 1995, Nintendo released the Virtual Boy, impossible. And while the touch screen a device that would live on only in and microphone allow for new game infamy. Seemingly modeled after virtual experiences, the upgrade from a link cable reality helmets found in popular science to Wi-Fi puts older games like Animal fiction, the Virtual Boy was intended to Crossing and in a new light. bring gamers a true 3-D experience. Unfortunately, it often gave its users The handhelds shows headaches and back pain. These an emphasis in innovative software, problems, coupled with a small library of hardware, and low consumer costs over titles, resulted in the Virtual Boy being pure processing and graphical power. discontinued a year later. From Tetris to Pokémon to Nintendogs, remedy this gaping void in my gaming was some sort of cyber-cowboy, education. equipped with the latest in law- enforcement technology kept me Warren Spector, “Gaming at the entertained for hours... Wow - I am a nerd. Margins, Part 3” Each week we ask a question of our staff and featured writers to learn a little bit DS all the way. The touch screen offers JR Sutich, Contributing Editor about them and gain some insight into where they are coming from. This week’s truly new gameplay possibilities. The RAM Expander Pack for the N64. It question is: Multiplayer magically works, whether made Episode 1: Racer a completely you’re in the same room with other different game. It doubled the awesome. players or halfway around the world. Graphics and sound are more than good Joe Blancato, Content Editor enough - the built-in microphone even I’m going to go with the Virtual Boy. lets us talk to our games! And the DS is Hey, I didn’t get migraines or backaches Gearoid Reidy, “Pensioners that Play” Spanner, “The King and the Donkey” small enough that I always have it with from playing the thing, and Mario Tennis The Nintendo 64. More than any other I have a growing collection of Game & me. Home run, Nintendo! kicked all sorts of ass on that thing. I console before or since, playing games Watch units, which I began collecting never actually bought it, just rented it like Mario 64 or GoldenEye felt like new when I was a young ‘un. All these bloody Jon Schnaars, “Nintendo’s Power” from an EB. That was a great weekend. experiences in a different world. Every ‘retro gaming’ fanatics (yeah, I’m talkin’ I was one of the eight people in the U.S. console and game I’ve bought since then about you) are driving the prices up, to actually purchase a Virtual Boy. And Julianne Greer, Executive Editor has been a futile attempt to recapture though. Stop buying my stuff off although it gave me wicked headaches Yikes, I have to choose just one. As what I felt playing them. Ebay! Get your own hobby! sometimes, I loved it with all of my 13- brilliant as the DS is, and as much as I year-old heart. It remains one of my love my red Game Boy Advance, I have That sounds suspiciously like what Allen Varney, “Metroid Primed” favorite, albeit ill-advised, video game to say the original NES game pad. So habitual junkies say, but anyway! Like much of the planet, I played Tetris purchases of all time. simple, so intuitive – it’s the model for on the Game Boy until my thumbs all current controllers, as Shannon says Shannon Drake, “A New Way to Play” ached. I’m abashed to confess I haven’t Jon Hayter, Producer in his article. It’s really one of the most Light gun. When you absolutely, owned any other Nintendo hardware, My favorite Nintendo hardware is important advancements in console positively have to kill every last motherf- save for an old Nintendo 64 I got last definitely the light gun from the original gaming. --ing duck in the room. Accept no year at a pawnshop for $20. I need to NES. Aside from the joy of using it as substitutes. load up Mario 64 and GoldenEye and intended - running around pretending I