The lights are on
Nolan Bushnell is deservedly respected as a key figure during the early days of the video-game industry. As founder of Atari, he nurtured the early arcade scene and helped to lay the foundation for home gaming. Perhaps we can forgive him for being a bit of a crank these days.Pure Nintendo attended this weekend’s SIEGE event (Southern Interactive Entertainment and Games Expo, for you acronym hounds out there), and Bushnell had a few interesting things to say about the future of video games.If you’re playing games on the iPhone, iPad, and Android platforms, congrats. You’re part of the future. If, however, you have your nose buried in a DS, you’re about to be lumped in with a decidedly different and uncool crowd. “No one over the age of 8 will be playing with their DS,” he is quoted as saying during a talk at the expo. He must have missed out on that whole 3DS thing.He also says that bioimplants and brain and eye tracking are going to be a part of the distant future of gaming, and that he’s a fan of augmented reality in the meantime. At the risk of sounding like a world-class jerk, are Bushnell’s opinions on the gaming industry still even slightly relevant? Honestly? By now he’s forgotten more about the early days of gaming than most of us will ever know, but does that mean we have to nod reverently when he says something this ridiculous? Apparently Atari thinks so, since Bushnell rejoined its board of directors back in April. We'll have to wait and see if he still has the magic in him, or if he's better off trying his hand at the restaurant industry again.[Via Destructoid]
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I haven't played, nor have I touched my DSi for OVER 3 years. I would agree with Bushnell.
I'm 8 times two and I play my DS all the time, and Iphone gaming is a fad, Ipods are for music........
Gotta love morons, let's see how those eye implants work out for you.
Everyone at my school seems to have a DS.... Did I mention we're all over 8?
Interesting view on the DS, last time I checked I was over 8 years old and played the DS. Different systems appeal to different age groups, if you enjoy gaming it shouldn't matter what it's on. A phone, iPad, PSP, or DS.
and that he’s a fan of augmented reality in the meantime. Really, augmented reality? Hmmm, interesting.
i wouldnt take too much stock in the fact that he is on the board of directors. atari hasnt been relevant for a while, just like this guy
That is a true statement
I don't know what era this guy is stuck in, but he's already wrong, especially in regards to female tastes, let alone the entire country of Japan. And yeah, as you say, the 3DS is not even out yet.
Ha yeah, and the PSP was supposed to have "mass appeal". I have friends who I graduated high school with who still play Pokemon entering their twenties. Not even I'm that hopeless >.<
I'm getting a 3DS on release and I will love it. Problem, Bushnell? /trollface
Bushnell's getting senile in his own age.
Phone gaming sucks. The only thing that will destroy Nintendo's ownership of the handheld market in the foreseeable future is bad games.
If I want gaming on the go, I'm taking a dedicated platform.
He obviously haven't heard about the 3DS, and I will point out that I play my DS and PSP because I hate playing games on my phone. I not saying it sucks, but its phone games are just not for me.
I love my DS, and to deny the "over 8" demographic would be a huge mistake
I'm not too sure about Bushnell's legacy either, considering that PONG was essentially a ripoff of Ralph Baer's gaming system, simplified.