Brian Seiler
Good Shape

Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 41

You know, I'm torn on this, because I hold no personal animus to the guy, but he seems to me to be the worst human shaped thing in the games industry today. The man is a walking PR disaster, and I don't think he's much of a designer either. I know a lot of people love Ninja Gaiden, but doing everything you can to make your game difficult and frustrating seems to me to be entirely wrongheaded, and every single time I've tried to get into that game (and I've tried....maybe Sigma will help me out more, since he hated it so much), I've bounced off of it somewhere between the beefy nunchuck swinging jerk that's actually a friend who beats you to death and the horseback guy (a.k.a. The Worst Boss Ever). Dead or Alive always seemed like a second rate fighter more obsessed with the latest iteration of its autonomous nipple physics than with actually being fun to do, as attested to by the interesting language my upstairs neighbors' child picked up through my ceiling when I was trying to just clear the game in single player with all the characters.

So I don't like him, but he does have the occasional good idea. I sincerely hope that he lands somewhere where he can make a difference without ever being allowed to speak to anybody with a camera, microphone, or notebook. He makes a good case for himself as a Microsoft fanboy - maybe MGS? Just somewhere where a producer with an iron fist can keep him firmly in his place and focus him on the parts of his games that he does well. And never let him speak to the public. Seriously. I can't bring myself to make an argument that a game could ever possibly be considered art because this guy is out pretending to be a rock star and generally making an ass out of himself, and, by proxy, one of my favorite hobbies.

Jab2565
Social Worker

Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,700

I'm still not sure what to think about him, having never met the guy. I loved Ninja Gaiden Black and consider it one of the best action titles I've played, but his actions haven't been positive (the sexual harassment suit for example.) I'm interested to see what his next move is going to be, and I hope he finds work creating more action titles, but I do wonder if another company is going to put up with his ego or not.

idrisz
Spinning Toe

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Posts: 757

Originally Posted by delirium
He was demoted for his personal shenanigans interfering with his job responsibilities, not for sexual harassment. It's not like Tecmo just said that to cover the whole thing up. An actual court of law found him innocent.

I don't know, I have my doubts sometimes.

OJ Simpson kind of pop in my head.

usedpilot
Broad Band

Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 192

I wouldn't question the verdict because of that so much as the way women are treated in Japan.