Epic Games prez compares Wii to a "virus"

The folks at Epic Games certainly haven't been shy to make their feelings about the Wii known in the past, but company president Michael Capps took things up a few more notches in a recent interview with IGN, with him not only once again bemoaning the Wii's underpowered hardware, but even going so far as to compare the console to a "virus." You can find Capps' complete musings on the matter at the link below, but the short of it is that he thinks the Wii maintains its success by building on a chain reaction of sorts, with one person buying the console only to get tired of it two months later, but not before they showed it to someone else, who also though it was cool and went out and bought one, and also got bored with it a couple of months later, and so on and so on. Capps does add, however, that there's obviously "a class of people who really love it and enjoy it and are getting into the games," but that he's waiting for "that one game that makes me play it," and that "maybe Wii Fit will be it." That apparently still doesn't mean you can expect to see any games from Epic on the Wii, however, with Capps flatly saying that "we go forward, not back."

[Via Wii Fanboy]

[Timothy Sottek @ Apr 21st 2008 1:10PM]

I bet he plays Crysis.

[Dustin Frazier @ Apr 21st 2008 1:59PM]

I bet you use a Mac.

[Matt Keller @ Apr 21st 2008 2:17PM]

I bet both of you just sat on a tack.

[Ian @ Apr 21st 2008 2:44PM]

cuz your both a hack

[Craig @ Apr 21st 2008 2:47PM]

Rhyming skillz you lack

[Timothy Sottek @ Apr 21st 2008 2:48PM]

re: Dustin:

Actually I loathe Apple (not that its relevant).

I was just saying that cause I'm a big fan of pushing graphics forward too, and have no interest in the Wii. I wouldn't go so far as to say its a bad system, though.

[uclatommy @ Apr 21st 2008 3:17PM]

C-C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!!!!!!!!

[NineT9 @ Apr 21st 2008 3:57PM]

I 100% agree with the Epic Games president, I own a wii myself with 200 games... and everything he said was true :(

[Abuzar @ Apr 21st 2008 4:50PM]

At least my name isn't Clak.

[doudOSX @ Apr 21st 2008 5:06PM]

re:Timothy Sottek
"Actually I loathe Apple (not that its relevant). was just saying that cause I'm a big fan of pushing graphics forward too, and have no interest in the Wii. I wouldn't go so far as to say its a bad system, though. "

ummmmm..if you like garphics so much then why do you hate apple..the just do everything difrent than micosoft and a littel (or with vista a lot) better..peopel dont by macs for games you want a game sestem by a xbox or a ps3 or a windos computer just dont go pissing all over apple 'caus it cant "play doom"

[Timothy Sottek @ Apr 21st 2008 5:23PM]

RE: DoudX

"ummmmm..if you like garphics so much then why do you hate apple..the just do everything difrent than micosoft and a littel (or with vista a lot) better..peopel dont by macs for games you want a game sestem by a xbox or a ps3 or a windos computer just dont go pissing all over apple 'caus it cant "play doom"

Actually, I didn't say anything like that. I don't like Apple products for other reasons (I'm not going to get into them cause theres no reason to start a flame war... its just my personal preference).

As for gaming, it just makes sense for me to play on Windows. I like to build my own machines. I also like to see graphics get pushed to new levels. Sure, its an expensive cycle for early adopters, but I can appreciate Capps' position. I don't think he needs to hate on the Wii so much, since there are plenty of platforms for him to build games on, but hes a businessman.

[Dustin Frazier @ Apr 21st 2008 6:28PM]

My bad Tim. I took what you said as a dig against Crysis.

[JohnTitor @ Apr 21st 2008 7:06PM]

a lot of you got some 1337 comment skillz but now its time to end it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2b1D5w82yU

[Chris Macdonald @ Apr 21st 2008 7:59PM]

Craig, you are my hero.

[TheAssailant6661 @ Apr 28th 2008 3:47PM]

F#$K EPIC! Wii FTW!!!!!

[Ken @ Apr 21st 2008 1:13PM]

Crappy software engineers are the first to complain about hardware because they don't have tons of resources to piss away.

[Rich @ Apr 21st 2008 1:39PM]

1) He's not a software engineer.
2) Epic's Gears of War is probably the best looking console game ever made. Epic certainly don't piss away resources.

[KangMin @ Apr 21st 2008 1:41PM]

Ken got PWNxxxorrreded

[John @ Apr 21st 2008 2:05PM]

I think he meant computer resources. As in, they have plenty of room to run inefficient code, since the high processor speeds make it barely noticeable anyway.

Anyway, while I agree that the Wii is no marvel of technology graphically, it's nice to see that Nintendo is branching off and trying new things. We've gone so far down the road of graphic detail that it's not even worth noting anymore, and as a result, one good game spawns 1000 knockoffs, none as good as the original. Is the Wii a 100% success? No, but there is always room for improvement. Even that "future-proof" PS3 will get an update in a few months and will probably give the shaft to all early adopters (much like how the PSP Slim and Lite is the only one getting new features now). I look at the Wii as a step beyond the proof-of-concept, and once Nintendo has seen how it works in vivo, we'll get a better next-gen product.

[Ken @ Apr 21st 2008 2:06PM]

"Epic's Gears of War is probably the best looking console game ever made. Epic certainly don't piss away resources."

They should not have any problem creating fun and profitable games for the Wii then. Epic's problem isn't that the Wii is anemic. Epic's problem is that the Wii is not a hardware platform for first-person-shooters. So because Epic can't do anything but make FPS's, the Wii must be fundamentally flawed.

I'm sorry, I should have used the title "software developers" but the term escaped me as I wrote my comment. "Engineer" was the closest that came to mind. And yes

[Ken @ Apr 21st 2008 2:13PM]

Woops I got cut off...

And yes they are pissing away resources if the only way they can improve the profitability is by bumping up the eye-candy.

[Quix @ Apr 21st 2008 2:26PM]

"Epic's problem is that the Wii is not a hardware platform for first-person-shooters."

Huh??? And how is this exactly? No, the Wii doesn't have the visual horsepower of the other current-gen consoles, but I don't recall first-person shooters posing a problem for the original Xbox, which the Wii certainly equals if not betters.

And I'd love to see a console controller better suited to shooters than the Wiimote. Analog thumbstick? Puh-lease. Try RE4: Wii or Metroid Prime 3 to see how laughably bad shooter controls are on XB360 or PS3.

I greatly savor the thought of a shooter using the Wiimote for aiming/shooting and the Wiifit board for moving around (think Hoverboard in Unreal Tournament 3 but in a forward-stance, like the Green Goblin's "goblin glider"). A game like that could easily be the best (and most realistic) shooter of all time. Bonus: it would get lazy gamers off the sofa. Imagine the fun of playing a game like that with friends.

No, Epic's problem is they aren't willing to step back from the poly-count wars and come up with a killer FPS for the Wii.

Think different, Epic.

[John @ Apr 21st 2008 2:41PM]

Also, Goldeneye is still the greatest FPS ever made. You complete missions, run/sneak around, shoot the bad guys, protect the good guys, run to level's exit without dying. Show me an FPS that's deviated from that formula at all. In Gears of War, you have the extra burden of reloading at the correct time, which I guess was put in place for those craving a Guitar Hero fix, but overall it makes the game more frustrating than rewarding. The Unreal Engine is just a festering gangrenous dead horse that continues to be beaten repeatedly, with each new open wound heralded as revolutionary in terms of graphic detail. They should really apply their resources to something more worthwhile.

[rv @ Apr 21st 2008 4:32PM]

Goldeneye is definitely not the best fps game ever made. It certainly is the best fps game relating to its time. Is goldeneye better than halo 3? No. Goldeneye is boring as hell to me 11 years later. But is it the better game for its time? Yes.

[Mal F4cti0n @ Apr 21st 2008 5:00PM]

Ken,

EPIC's proboem with the Wii is that people buy the console, play it for two months and then after that never use it again.

This results in a huge hardware install base that does not buy any games.

All the developers are scrambling to make games for it because of very successful hardware sales, but no one will buy the games, which is what he is pointing out.

Although the 3.7 per console tie ratio does not seem to be that bad as the leader is only 1 game more than that at 4.7 (360)

[Boltron @ Apr 21st 2008 5:03PM]

Dudes, Gears of War is totally third person...

[peter @ Apr 21st 2008 5:52PM]

idk, i for one hate the wiimote. it seems gimmicky and i can never get the system to do quite what i want it to. sure the point and shoot concept of the wiimote maybe be well suited to FPS games, but that doesnt mean the thing actually works well. granted, i havent spent much time playing the wii and i didnt play an FPS game, but i have been very unimpressed with my wii experiences.

[aplen22 @ Apr 21st 2008 5:55PM]

"And I'd love to see a console controller better suited to shooters than the Wiimote. Analog thumbstick? Puh-lease. Try RE4: Wii or Metroid Prime 3 to see how laughably bad shooter controls are on XB360 or PS3."

Amen, sing it brother.

As for this prez from Epic, dude quit being a douch and realize that most of us are still playing our wiis. Everyone i know who bought one still plays it and enjoys it. It was the discreet lack of games at the beginning that bored everyone. Remember a couple years ago before the wii came out how no one was banking on the wii even lasting a month, so duh, no games were made. Now, rather than sitting on the sidelines whining like a little bi*ch, create a really cool game that makes people want to play their wiis. It has been a really long time since i've played a game that I couldn't put down. I'm still waiting, and if you think you're all mighty as a dev, then I guess us wii owners should be calling you out on this one!

[AJ in the East Bay @ Apr 21st 2008 9:51PM]

@Peter: Play RE4: Wii Edition or Medal Of Honor 2: Heroes so you can stop being "unimpressed".

Regarding that douchebag from Epic, he talks as if Galaxy or Brawl never happened.

[Gaz @ Apr 21st 2008 1:13PM]

Hes just jealous of Wii owners having more fun and getting laid more than him :P

[darkstar @ Apr 21st 2008 1:25PM]

dammit!
i knew i shoulda gotten the w!!

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 21st 2008 1:35PM]

I concur with Peret Moore's broth... what? It isn't his brother? Are you sure?

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 21st 2008 1:36PM]

Fffs. Apologies for the spelling: PETER Moore.

[rockintom @ Apr 21st 2008 1:59PM]

Um... people with Wiis get laid?

When did this happen?

[zshift @ Apr 21st 2008 7:00PM]

@rockintom:
reread the statement you wrote a few times, then think about how silly what you wrote sounds...
lol

[mattbates @ Apr 21st 2008 2:36PM]

old people. they're the ones using it and not realizing the graphics and dlc suck. and if anyone has ever worked in a nursing home, you know they get laid all the time.

[nah @ Apr 21st 2008 4:57PM]

u know, playing with ur wii is not actually considered as getting laid...

[Mitch @ Apr 21st 2008 1:13PM]

Can we say sour grapes? The system SHIPS with a game that makes you play it...my son and I still get a kick out of playing wii tennis, bowling, and boxing together. It's nice to see a system who lets being unique sell it...and doesn't count on having the newest, liquid nitrogen cooled beast of a graphics card thrown in. I have an xbox 360 also, and find myself playing the Wii far more frequently. The stuff may LOOK better on the 360, but it's just not as much FUN!!!

[Kurian @ Apr 21st 2008 2:07PM]

Yes, childish games are more fun than sawing up someone with a chainsaw bayonet.

[hold @ Apr 21st 2008 2:10PM]

Probably because Wii Sports is still the only good multiplayer game on the system. The Wii is full of shovelware. Zelda and SSB:B are the only decent games on the system and they're Gamecube games.

I guess No More Heroes is pretty good, but one really good game with motion controls over a year after the console ships is pretty awful. And it's not even first party. Of course the legions of Wiidiots are going to chime in "it's not a system for hard core games" followed by lots whining and waving their arms about. Not really sure what "hard core" games are but I guess they involve fun because the Wii is just sad. The best game on the system is a free game that was supposed to be a tech demo.

[Ridgecity @ Apr 21st 2008 2:36PM]

I bet all kinds of developers say:

3rd Party: "I like your engine can you sell us the Wii version? That console has the biggest market for own game!"

Epic: "nah, the Wii sucks use the xbox360 instead! it's HD!"

3rd Party: "xbox360? nah, I made a game for xbox360 and sold like shit, we wanna try the Wii, can you send it to us?"

Epic: "mmmm, we don't have any development tools for the Wii..."

3rd Party: "Ok... Thanks anyways, I'll think about it... bye..."

Epic: "..."

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Apr 21st 2008 2:40PM]

@hold: Wait, wait, wait... Zelda and SSBB are ports? Twilight Princess was originally started as a GC project, yes, but that changed rather quickly. And SSBB was built for the Wii - it's not a port.

Perhaps you think they're ports because they only look marginally better than the GC... but that's because the Wii is very much a GC inside. While TP was just barely different than its GC counterpart, I can't see how a GC would have ever pulled SSBB off.

I'm not saying that you're wrong about the shovelware, and the actual ports (looking at you, Resident Evil 4), but be precise, please.

[Vanillacide @ Apr 21st 2008 3:50PM]

Wii Mario Kart is great fun, especially when playing against your friends and family. The Wii wheel is suprisingly good too.

[Mal F4cti0n @ Apr 21st 2008 5:07PM]

The guys is not knocking the system, only the way it gets purchased and that he feels the majority of the install base buys it and then never uses it after two months as seen by the low games to console tie ratio.

Probably just worried about developing a game for a system that a lot of people own but do not buy games. Good for Nintendo and their hardware sales, bad for developers and their game sales.

[bobartig @ Apr 21st 2008 5:23PM]

His 'forward, not back' sentiment reeked of hardware superiority complex. In that case, then console gaming (every 4 years between new hardware) is clearly a dead end. Portable gaming? Cellphone games? Forget it. The whole casual games market must be some kind of fad. At least, Epic will never be associated with such low-brow fare.

[JerkfacedFed @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:47PM]

To you and Laughing Man below:

Typical non-gamer Wii owners. You know nothing about hardware, software, the game industry or the hardcore gamer demographic. You are NOT a gamer like those are that play Xbox 360 PC, and PS3. You are a casual gamer that played Wii sports at your friends house, thought it was fun, and bought the system. I know so many people (not on the internet) but in real life, that are just like this.

I'm not attacking you, personally, in fact youre probably cool guys, and I'd play Wii with you too. But youre just not informed and I do not like it when people make assumptions about things they know nothing about. I'm just defending my demographic and the developers who put in such hard work to appease us.

I agree with Epic on this one because the developers for the Wii don't put in 1/1000th the effort in the engine department as Epic. In fact, nobody does, not even any other 360 or PS3 developer. To put it in perspective, Wii developers can use their old gamecube and ps2 engines, while Epic has spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing the Unreal 3 Engine.

Just to inform you a little about Epic, prior to Gears of War, all of their games have basically been Deathmatch style FPS games that showcase the newest Unreal Engine tech. The games sold pretty well on the PC, but nothing to write home about. Their main source of revenue is actually licensing the Unreal Engine, to other developers whether it be Unreal 1 2 or 3. Essentially, they sell the software development kit that lets them use the engine, and scripting / debugging tools to speed up development by an enormous amount. It allows them to focus on creativity and not the bugs of the engine powering it. They sell the SDK for around $300,000 to start, and then take 3% of overall revenue for the game.

Theyre working on Unreal 4 right now, for the next next gen, and its about a 6 year development time, JUST for the engine. No game will come out of this time. This is why I agree with Epic about being a virus of sorts in teh game industry. It captures a certain demographic, but it is not the one they support and want to please. They have a fanbase and want to keep it by not selling out.

Keep up the good work Epic, hardcore gamers all love you guys.

[Craig @ Apr 21st 2008 1:14PM]

Here's the head of a software company whose products work on competing consoles dissing the console his software does not run on. What a shocker.

[shanoboy @ Apr 21st 2008 1:53PM]

Sad thing is, his company could probably make an amazing game on Wii if they're just work at it.

While Metroid Prime is no Gears of War graphically, it's still pretty damn nice looking. So nice looking games can be done!

[John Z @ Apr 21st 2008 2:43PM]

Totally agreed. My first thought really was "All right, then, man up and port UE2 to the Wii, then. You're the president of a major game company. Put up or shut up."

But then they "go forward, not back". Funny, but the money just happens to be "back there". Oh well, you guys go forward, then, someone else will pick up these fat stacks of cold cash you're ignoring.

[Laughing Man @ Apr 21st 2008 1:15PM]

And sucks at it. What does Epic make anyway?