J Allard on Revolution remote News
Xbox 360
Wii
News
by
Ellie Gibson
Xbox corporate VP J Allard has criticised Nintendo's "freestyle" Revolution controller, claiming that he had a similar idea which was rejected after consultation with gamers and developers.
Speaking to US website Gameinformer, Allard said the controller was "Well intentioned" but argued that he couldn't see it being used to play sports or racing games.
"I don't think most Electronic Arts games are going to be played with that thing, I think they're going to be designed for the classic controller," he added.
"Four years ago I wrote an email treaty and said, 'Why aren't accelerometers in remote controls? Why can't I scroll down my channel guide with a gesture instead of up, up, up, up?"" Allard revealed.
"We did a lot of research with gamers, talked to a lot of game developers and said, 'Should we put an accelerometer in there and do the tilt thing?' And there wasn't that much enthusiasm around it."
Allard did note that the Xbox 360 remote control features A, B, X and Y buttons, and confirmed that "You're going to be able to play casual games on Live Arcade with the remote control."
He also conceded that Nintendo could make good use of the controller in first party games, and that it could prove a hit with gamers as a result. He went on to praise Nintendo for its innovation, suggesting that Microsoft might also consider producing a simplified controller in the future.
"Remote control, that's great," Allard said. "Let's take it one step further and do a simple controller. We've talked about it. I like the idea."
But that doesn't mean Allard is sold on Nintendo's version - "I don't know if I like the implementation because it ain't my remote."
"How am I going to watch a movie on Revolution? Am I going to have a different remote than that or am I going to have to use the four colored buttons?"
Allard's comments suggest he is less keen on the Revolution controller than fellow Xbox VP Peter Moore - speaking to GamesIndustry.biz at the Tokyo Game Show last month, Moore said he wanted to "give kudos" to Nintendo, adding that he could see how the device might bring lapsed gamers back to gaming and attract new consumers.
Allard hit back at critics of Microsoft's decision to offer two versions of the Xbox 360 in a separate interview with Edge Online, claiming that the move will be welcomed by consumers.
"Consumers like choice, and it's a very pro-consumer move on our part," he told the website.
"You buy the Xbox 360 Core system, you can build up to the premium system and you won't be left out of anything along the way. You can pace into this however you want, unlike any of the traditional categories," he said, citing the iPod Shuffle as an example of a piece of technology that can't be upgraded - leaving consumers who want an iPod Photo "screwed."
"There isn't a game on 360 that you can't play without a hard drive, so I think that's a good thing for consumers. We've made a commitment to broadening the audience," Allard stated.
He went to concede that some developers may have been disgruntled to learn that not all Xbox 360 consoles would come with a hard drive as standard, telling Edge Online: " Sometimes doing the right thing means doing the hard thing."
"Are there developers who are disappointed? Yeah, sure... It was a difficult one. I was the biggest fan of the hard drive and its potential, but the problem is that we sold 22 million Xbox consoles and 5 million, maybe 10 million just don't care about it."
But Microsoft picked up the tab for those unused hard drives, Allard pointed out - which raised the question of who should pay this time around.
"We can either ask the gamer to pay for it, pay for it ourselves, or prove that there's enough value in it and have the gamer say 'I want to pay for it'," he said, adding: "I think that's the right model."
"You know, being first you sometimes get some crap, and we've had some crap," Allard concluded.
"But I think it's very pro-consumer and very pro-developer, and I think that in five years everybody will look back and say that this was a very, very good move on our part to launch worldwide and to have the flexibility for consumers to decide on their products."
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Derblington
07/10/05 @ 16:31
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"I was the biggest fan of the hard drive and its potential, but the problem is that we sold 22 million Xbox consoles and 5 million, maybe 10 million just don't care about it."
WHAT?????? Well under half (or less than a quarter, depending on the figure - he doesn't seem sure himself) of the userbase didn't care, that means over half (or over three quarters) DID want the HDD, and they cut it anyway. Fucking idiots. |
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Hahaha...
Yeah.. I invented it yeaaaaaaarsss ago.. I had the idea first.. But I didnt use it.. because.. because.. erm.. because.. it.. erm.. it sucks.. yeah.. thats right. It's like being back at primary school.. :-) ". He went on to praise Nintendo for its innovation, suggesting that Microsoft might also consider producing a simplified controller in the future." lol.. Translation.. we'll let you take the risks.. if it's successful, we'll "borrow" the idea.. "There isn't a game on 360 that you can't play without a hard drive" Erm.. hasnt square said they're releasing a game which requires it?
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most recently on 07/10/05 @ 17:34
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Cock & bull imo. The rev controller looks very prommissing. Although, he does have a point with the whole €A company without the originality to use it for their games. I think that there will be a lot of games that use it, but mainly 1st party games and games made by companies that think that good and original games are just as important as making profit (companies unlike €A). So most likely no €A crap on the rev, even more reason to get it imo. To be honest, the movement thing isnt that original (i mean, its original, but more or less predictable. if i recall correctly, a chap on the forums made a similar suggestion before the launch). Weve been using things like lightguns for ages. The gyroscopes and such are just the next step. A great step, but the only one that could be taken imo. (the controllers that are around now cant be improved imo, unless the replace a stick with a trackerball)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 07/10/05 @ 17:40
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"Although, he does have a point with the whole €A company"
Realistically though.. How many of their games are worth playing anyhow? I can think of burnout, then i get stuck. :-) So hardly a big loss :-D "Weve been using things like lightguns for ages." I look at the revo controller, and i see a more-accurate-than-mouse controller. And pc games have been controlled by mice for ages. Surely this'd mean the revo is more likely to get pc ports than console ports? Then again, that's all a cetrain other console is getting anyhuws (lol).
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 07/10/05 @ 17:43
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GuiltySpark
07/10/05 @ 16:48
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hmm
i think what he said was true and pretty fair (regarding the hard drive and the controller) please dont hurt me |
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alimokrane
07/10/05 @ 17:10
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I think this debate about not including the hard drive in the core system is Sooooo Pointless and EG better f***ing igonre it... Buy the BLOODY COMPLETE THING for 279.99 and ignore the 209.99 version for God's sake .... the core bundle is for idiots !!! ...
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ProfessorLesser
07/10/05 @ 17:20
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To be honest, it's only the design and implementation that Nintendo can be given credit for with this controller. Obviously, that's potentially a lot of credit, but the actual fundamental workings of the thing could've been thought up by anyone.
But as we all know, that's not the point. The point is that Nintendo are the ones who did it, and saw a way to use it. The market will always be so much better for Nintendo's input, whether they get it right every time or not. They're not given enough credit for taking these risks, as somebody mentioned. They're called gimmicky or ridiculous, but at the end of the day, there's a chance (and a good one) that it'll be damn good fun. So get off your fucking high horses. And if it is fun... well done Nintendo. If it's not... well done for trying. What's next on the cards, Mr. Iwata? |
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speedstars13
07/10/05 @ 17:41
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J. Allard is just jealous. Even if it was his idea, he still needs to make it possible and patent it, which he didn't. What a loser.
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The Revolution controller is like a Columbi Egg: Anyone can do it, but one actually has to do it.
The XBox 360's biggest drawback will be the small sized media: DVDs become too small when you have twice the resolution and power. But Microsoft apparently thought that first-to-market was more important than using HD-DVD drives. I mean, the Dreamcast beat the PS2 since it came first? Yes? No? Damn! |
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For someone who claims 'he already thought of the idea' how the hell can't he work out how to use the controller for driving games? Or better still, not being able to work out how to use the controller to do a simple operation, like watch a mucking fovie? Allard must be one of these people who can't program a video recorder. :)
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> 'Should we put an accelerometer in there and do the tilt thing?' And there wasn't that much enthusiasm around it.
1) The Rev controller does 3D positioning. It's a major upgrade, as in "actually useful". 2) I'm sorry to hear that focus groups are killing innovation. It must be so annoying. > How am I going to watch a movie on Revolution? What a disgusting thing to say. > I don't think most Electronic Arts games are going to be played with that thing Is that an attack or a compliment? I can't figure it out. Well, I was neutral about Allard until now. I understand his job is to be a fanboy, but this is just terribly narrow-minded. Boo. |
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Captain-nippon
07/10/05 @ 18:56
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My GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER from the Qin Dynasty had the same idea to
. I think he came up with the idea when i point his sword at someone neck and said wow this can be fun. Fucking idiots. What the point of saying you the ideas if you don't even use it. That does count asshole. |
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Cosmopolitan
07/10/05 @ 19:02
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He used the word 'crap' two times. Is this how MS execs talk in public, given how America is supposed to be prude? Weird...
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bootsy_NL_30
07/10/05 @ 20:34
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I guess Allards comments just highlight the conservatism at microsoft and electronic arts...he came up with the idea...it was a good one , or so he thought....and EA and microsoft panned it.
Nintendo supports new ideas , Microsoft buries them.....thats the vibe I'm getting from this guy and he's running the company (although I also have alot of reservations over that controller) |
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"What's a a Columbi Egg?"
The story goes that Christopher Columbus, on returning from the New World, was derided by someone who said that anyone could have done it. He then took an egg, and asked the persons to make it stand on the end. They tried and failed. Columbus then took the egg and smashed its butt end lightly on the table so that it stood upright. "I could have done that," said the indignant gentleman. "Yes, but I DID it!" said Columbus. |
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GuiltySpark
07/10/05 @ 22:17
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"dont you people agree that its time for a new controller"
only if the new games justify having a new controller |
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he couldn't see it being used to play sports or racing games.
"I don't think most Electronic Arts games are going to be played with that thing, I think they're going to be designed for the classic controller," ROFL, oh jesus christ, that's so typical you'd think it came straight out of a web comic. Listen, Allard, I know you don't get it but that's the fucking point! It's a good thing. |
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elvenearth
07/10/05 @ 23:19
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The Revolution controller can stick into a Wavebird like shell anyway, which will be included in the Revolution packaging, and can be used for more traditional 3rd party games. While in the gamepad shell the remote controller still has all its functionality and can thus be used in intruiging ways in a traditional gaming pad - to supplement the more creative ways of using the remote controller by itself. So J. Allard is just plain wrong, every type of gameplay and gameplayer will be covered in Nintendo's plans. Unfortunately even EA's generic crap will be quite playable on the Revolution...
By the way I have sourced all of this information from IGN.com, Eurogamer also had an article which mentioned this, but not in a particularly thorough way. |
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elvenearth
08/10/05 @ 01:25
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"elvenearth: I hope you do realise that the controller shell shown at IGN is just a photoshop mockup done by IGN themselves...and the article around it mostly speculation."
Yes I did realise it was a mock-up, however IGN made it quite clear that it was Nintendo themselves who had said there would be such a shell - Nintendo has merely not released any pictures of it yet. Furthermore news stories on gamespot and eurogamer itself have confirmed that Nintendo is planning to release just such a shell. |
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elvenearth
08/10/05 @ 05:45
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Nikanoru,
See also this interview with Nintendo of Europe, at http://www.computerandvideogames.com/front_index.php? "At E3, you said that the Revolution would include ports for GameCube controllers. However, we've now heard that Nintendo intends to deliver a controller cradle housing the new input device for certain games. Is this true and does it mean you've done away with those GameCube ports since we last saw the console? Jim Merrick: We'll go both ways. The four ports for the GameCube controllers are still on the top, you can use your Wavebirds controllers and existing wired controllers - and that's great because if you've got GameCube games, you've probably got GameCube controllers too so there's no reason not to use them. Not only for GameCube games either - we have something called the Virtual Console which allows you to download N64 games, Super Famicom games - what am I going to do with those? NES games are obviously easy - you just flip the controller on its side and you're there. For other games, and even for today's games, we're not trying to say that the existing controller designs are not useful, there are many great games that play very well with existing controllers. We will offer what we call the Classic-style controller which is based on the more traditional controller - or at least as traditional as you can get in an industry that's only twenty years old. Basically, it has a hole that you slot in the free-hand controller so that brings wireless communications, rumble pack and other features and you just slot it right in there. It's an easy and presumably - I don't have any pricing yet - inexpensive way to give you another controller option. So we're really excited about having this expansion port on the controller - you start realizing there's all kinds of things we can do. One of the reasons we didn't show it at TGS though was we haven't completed the design yet - it's not completely signed off. There's been a lot discussions about what kind of features does it have to have to support N64 games and GameCube games and NES games, and what a third party might expect on a cross-platform controller because, let's face it, every hardware manufacturer wants third parties to write games exclusively for them and take one hundred percent advantage of what's unique on their platform - but, in reality, third parties have to write cross-platform - and there has to be some commonality between them, or at least they'd like it to make their job easier. That said, there are good examples, such as the Sims 2, which really uses the DS' unique features and it certainly is a cross-platform game." |
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"ROFL, oh jesus christ, that's so typical you'd think it came straight out of a web comic.
Listen, Allard, I know you don't get it but that's the fucking point! It's a good thing." He clearly hadn't thought that the whole fucking point of the controller was to move so far away from the derivative gameplay EA pushes out... |
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I would have been completely happy if Allard had just said "it sucks", but since he got wordy...
""Well intentioned" but argued that he couldn't see it being used to play sports or racing games" -What the? I thought that the aformentioned gamepad-addon for the Rev-controller was for these kind of things? "I don't think most Electronic Arts games are going to be played with that thing, I think they're going to be designed for the classic controller," --which was the point for it, not to force 'em use a control scheme that doesn't work. Also that sentence makes it feel like all 3rd party games are from EA. "I don't know if I like the implementation because it ain't my remote." --this is the least important I'd say, but... he doesn't like it purely because it ain't his? "How am I going to watch a movie on Revolution? Am I going to have a different remote than that or am I going to have to use the four colored buttons?" --I'd figure the same way you watch a movie using a gamepad (at least PS2 could do that). "You buy the Xbox 360 Core system, you can build up to the premium system and you won't be left out of anything along the way." --except a bunch of cash compared to going for HDD one straight away. "You can pace into this however you want, unlike any of the traditional categories," he said, citing the iPod Shuffle as an example of a piece of technology that can't be upgraded - leaving consumers who want an iPod Photo "screwed." --I'd imagine that if I would have bought a iPod Shuffle, I wouldn't be giving a damn about a screen anyway, not to mention about watching pictures out of one. Also with digital players you know what for and how you will be using it, there won't be a mp3 file that suddenly demands you to have screen w/ colors all of a sudden. Or 40 GB space instead of 20 GB. "There isn't a game on 360 that you can't play without a hard drive, so I think that's a good thing for consumers. We've made a commitment to broadening the audience," --so he's saying "all games currently work without a hard drive"? I'd be surprised if there was, I thought the 360 hasn't come out yet. Enough smart-arsing. At the very least the FFXI will be needing a hard drive, which hints that there will be more, so people might be forced pay the ridicilous price of the HDD. I don't know about the interest of gamers in that research, so no comment. But as I see it, I'm with the Penny-Arcade guys, which, as I've understood, goes like this: "There is no Core package." |
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J.Allard is a cock.
If he thinks EA games, sports game and racing games are the be all and end all of console gaming, he's sadly delusional. The fact is the Revolution remote has the potential to be the best controller for FPS games, action adventure games, platformers, flying games... and that's before you even start to think about the new ideas Nintendo will come up with. And losing the standard Hard Drive is undoubtedly a mistake. About the only thing J.Allard has confirmed with these comments is... that J.Allard is a cock. |
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GuiltySpark
08/10/05 @ 11:17
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i dont see the problem with the two packages
i mean its giving you a fucking choice for shit sake if there was only one package and the hard drive was gonna be released next year or something then you could be pissed off but as it stands its fine. if you want a hard drive. buy the premium. if you dont (or mite want one later) buy the core what is the fucking problem with that? |
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a couple of things first. i think it is a good idea offering the 2 packages. i mean, say for example you are just wanting the console and a game & nothing else because of lets say...financial constraints, then you are catered for and then if you are more financially well-off then you opt for the full package. for me i would probably opt for the basic package and then later on upgrade. Having choices is always good as it does not alienate people who are in a different scenario. i mean look at the ipod, they started off with just one model, and now? there are somany versions. and they are all in different financial brackets. Ultimately, what i envisage M$ aiming for is to get a huge userbase just like Phoney have done. And that way they can make some ground up for all the tens of millions that they have lost since the inception of the 'box. But, one thing that i did notice in the article is the Allard was trying quite hard to convince everyone that this is why we did this and that. I suppose he has to sell his product. And as for the revolution controller, It is all a bit late to go around claiming that he also had an idea like that. Does he take us consumers to be stupid or what?
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