Tuesday, July 17, 2007

MIYAMOTO PART II

Usually when stuff I say pisses off my net brothers and sisters, I usually chalk it up to:

a- I just rub certain people the wrong way. Fair enough, I know people in my life as well who- from the instant I met them- I just did not like. I can see myself generating that kind of response in some folks, especially given how outspoken and opinionated I can be and how some folks feel we should all instead just be respectful and quiet at all times. Fair enough- different strokes and all that.

b- People still want to say I am arrogant even tho I'm a very, very smart person and very intuative as well- more so than most people would ever be- and because I am so smart and bright and do alot of introspective thinking, I think it's pretty safe to say I am not arrogant. Hmmm...do I put a smiley here or just leave it as is so more folks miss the 'joke'...I think I will just leave it.

c-Sony haters. It's like sports I guess. Some hardcore Nintendo Fan Boys and Xbots hate me cause I am a Sony game maker. Fair enough I suppose, even though I have expressed my love for work both of those companies have done many, many times.

So there you go, right? Can't please the world and I am cool with that. So somewhere along the line, I gave up trying.

BUT when the Miyamoto write up hit and people started saying I was thinking I was BETTER than Miyamoto or I was DISRESPECTING the man or I felt his games post Mario64 were lame....I mean, that really, really bothered me alot because that is not what I said at all. Now sure, some would argue: well, why did you even THINK those things?!? Why did you SHARE those things?!? You are both professionals and should never talk bad about one another in public.

Well I was not talking BAD about Miyamoto or his games, I was simply waxing philisophical on the fact that these days, the man's genius- and I use that term with uttmost seriousness- is not meant for me.

This post I made the next day on NEO GAF expresses how I feel about the whole thing pretty well:

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If I may, just to be clear:

1- LOVE LOVE LOVE Mario64...one of the best games ever made. And for those who are scared of the F word: FUCKING FUCKING FUCKING FINGER LICKING FUCKING LOVE that game.

2- I NEVER said the stuff Miyamoto did AFTER Mario64 was crap or bad. I just said that those products did not float my boat. I DID give him the proper respect and awe the man deserves not ONLY for his older games but made it clear that he and his POST Mario64 work were responsible for creating the amazing biz we are all a part of. There is no ounce in my body that has anything but the uttmost awe and admiration and respect for the man.

3- Does that mean I am not allowed to say that games like NINTENDOGS and Wii Sports and Brain Age are not my cup of tea? Shit yea. I respect those games and am so in awe of how amazing Miyamoto is at reading what a huge slice of the market wants. But those games are not for me and were not designed to be for me.

Please- if you don't mind too much- stop trying to turn this into a 'JAFFE DISSES MIYAMOTO' deal because there could be nothing farther from the truth. I hope to achieve 1/50th of the success that that man has gained. He is the father of the modern game industry and I was proud and honored he posed for a picture with me.

David

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So there you go. And for those who have asked, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the 2d Zelda games. I have fond memories of staying home from school senior year and finishing Zelda 2 and then right when I finished it, the mail came and there was my college acceptance letter! It was a great day! But the 3D Zelda games have never been my cup of tea...they are too overwhealming for me, too big and too easy for me to get lost and lose the pace of the game as I fall off the tracks and get lost just wandering around. But I know many LOVE those games and I respect the brilliance that went into making them. Also, for the record, I have not played MM and I heard that is the best 3d Zelda yet.

Take it easy ya'll,

David