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Editorials   ... Or Quantity?
- By Neal Gittens [Associate Editor]

There is such a broad spectrum of things that I could write about in this space, that choosing one is often a time consuming activity in and of itself. While trying to think of one, I usually write an introductory sentence, similar to the one I just wrote, which makes it sound “off the cuff” and natural. Unfortunately for me, it ends up making me sound like I’m writing drivel for the most part, but it does serve as an introduction to a subject which otherwise may be difficult to lead into. (Yes, I too am amazed that I was ever hired for the sole purpose of writing for anything more advanced than coloring books.)

Today, the thing that has been weighing the most on my thoughts is: quality. Yes, this actually is something that has been on my mind. It was all prompted by the fact that the movie M.V.P. (Most Valuable Primate, about a baseball-playing MONKEY, and starring Matt LeBlanc of “Friends” fame.) was on television earlier today, and I was once again astonished at how in the world some things get made. How something as incredibly stupid, inane, and mindless as that movie could ever be green-lighted is beyond my realm of comprehension. I think the script to this movie was the end result of some kind of experiment meant to prove that old adage: “If you put a thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters, they will eventually produce the worst movie ever written.” While it does give hope to anyone who believes that they can write a screenplay, it can nonetheless be annoying to think that someone in a position of power can say one word and we will see yet another addition to the “Kickboxer” series. (Without Jean-Claude van Damme, no less!)

This relates to video games as well. For example. Someone once looked at the final version of Superman 64 and said, “Yes, that looks good. Go ahead and ship it out. People will love it how it is!” Now I am not trying to insinuate that making a great game is easy. I have no authority to put anyone down for the quality of game they put forth, because I can in no way do better by myself. What I can comment on is the fact that games may get pushed out the door well before they should. Many times I’ll play a game that has the basic makings of a really good game, but the finer points get lost or overlooked in favor of getting it out the door.

This is yet another thing that I admire about Nintendo. They have an extreme, almost pornographic, commitment to quality. While they may not be able to ensure high quality for offerings that are not first or second party, they can definitely guarantee that everything they put out themselves and through their close associates is the cream of the crop. It may lead to countless delays, and a bit of frustration on the part of consumers, but once we receive the final, polished product, all is forgiven. Once you see that there is something brilliant to wrap your hands, eyes, and mind around, you’ll forget that the game was supposed to be put out two years earlier. Goldeneye, anyone? To this day, I still put in countless hours of Goldeneye with my cousins, brother, friends, etc… Would I still be doing so if it had been rushed out before it was this great? Doubtful. In fact, I can assure you that I wouldn’t. It is just one example of a game that was allowed to flourish by going through a full development. There was this other little game, called Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I believe, that came out “OK” after undergoing delays. (Does sarcasm come through in written text?)

These are just some of the examples of Nintendo taking games that they have control of, and putting in the time and effort, and more time, and more effort, and probably even more time and effort, to make them the best games available. Of course now Nintendo’s initial release dates are things of ridicule, and probably rightly so, but it’s a small price to pay for excellence. When I got my GameCube, I knew that the incredible games that I bought it for may be far between, but they will come, and there are always games to tide you over between AAA titles. Just this month, Spider Man and Resident Evil will be great games for the Cube, (many see RE as a AAA title, and I find it hard to disagree with them from what I’ve seen) and two months from tomorrow, June 24, will mark the arrival of Eternal Darkness, which will be the first offering from a first or second party since NBA Courtside in January.

I’ll end this long rant for the sake of those who actually decided to read this far, (Gracias to you.) on this note: To me, nothing can replace quality. I don’t need a game a week. If I get one incredible game every two months, I am ecstatic. Starting now, I can be certain that those expectations will be met and even exceeded from now through the end if the year and beyond.

And to those of you who think the same way that I do, don’t try it. I’m going to be the one to submit the idea for the game based on M.V.P. (Hey, if someone was crazy enough to make the movie, then there is always hope for something like this.)