Post by: ruby_onix on May 28, 2004, 03:06:19 AM
In case you don't know, he's apparently never been much of a Nintendo fan, and co-hosts The Electric Playground videogame TV show, along with a former (N64-era) Nintendo fan, Victor Lucas. They earned some infamy a while back by being the only two reporters in the videogame industry to give SSBM a 2 (from Tommy) and a 3 (from Vic) out of 10 (IIRC).
Anyways, apparently in the latest episode of his other TV show, he gave Nintendo's E3 booth this year a "5.5 out of 10", saying that it was "barely above average", and that's a generous score, since he seriously judged it on it's own merits, and if he had actually compared it to the other "great shows" of E3, it would've scored even lower than that.
Also just recently, a particularly ugly video interview with Tommy from E3 has surfaced, in which he rants about how Nintendo fanboys are the worst part of the entire videogame industry (and he honestly has no clue that there's such a thing as an XBox fanboy, seriously), and how he wishes they would all just shut up and stop trying tell people like him what they think of things when he says that Nintendo sucks.
After some dissent popped up in his own show's forums he went on a bit of a rant about how he's allowed to have his own opinion, and that he thinks that all the other reporters out there think like he does too, but they just say what Nintendo fans want to hear, to avoid their wrath, and he's the only one with the balls to speak the truth about Nintendo. And that he must be right, because the PS2's sales numbers back him up.
Personally, I consider myself a fan of The Electric Playground (I haven't seen his other show), and usually don't mind Tommy or his (often absurd) opinions, but sometimes he just seems like an %#&@. So yeah, I guess I'm doing a bit of muckraking by pointing this out. I guess I like it that his position as "enemy of the Nintendo fans" is getting solidified. Because that'll make it all the more entertaining, watching him eat his words when the numbers back Nintendo up instead of Sony. Have some rope Tommy! All the rope you want!
Post by: Ocarina Blue on May 28, 2004, 04:23:08 AM
These guys claim to base a show on personal opinions only, which is okay in my book I guess. He does, however, seem to think that he can use this to stand up to any criticism what so ever towards his work. If all this latent support for his view exists, as he so claims, where the hell is it? The only thing wrong here is how his crappy journalism gets any respect. Even the guy at GameSpy made an attempt to justify his rating of Nintendo's booth. His seeming paranoia, conspiracy theories and inability to come to a logical conclusion when faced with lucid evidence indicate symptoms of schizophrenia.
Nintendo gave the all-out this year, I couldn't think of two titles that Nintendo could display that would capture the 'mainstream' audience more than RE4 and a 'mature' Zelda.
Post by: The Omen on May 28, 2004, 06:29:56 AM
I have a few other horror stories about Mr. Tallarico from my teachers here, but I think you get the point. I despise him. More for being pompous than anything else.
Post by: Ian Sane on May 28, 2004, 07:17:55 AM
It's like because the N64 didn't live up the success of the SNES suddenly Nintendo was blacklisted like sticking with cartridges was some horrible sin that can't be forgiven. How often do you see people say stupid sh!t like "Nintendo screwed me because I bought an N64 and had like no games and it was a total ripoff"? Maybe next time you should do some f*cking market research before buying a console. The fact that they make games that are suitable for all ages gets a lot of flack too as if all games must be dark and only suitable for adults. If you're a "professional" that sort of thing is not supposed to affect your opinion. Imagine how stupid it would be if Roger Ebert bashed Finding Nemo because it was a kid's movie.
Post by: The Omen on May 28, 2004, 09:19:02 AM
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on May 28, 2004, 12:14:36 PM
Reggie's ass-kick-of-justice will have a field day.
Post by: Mario on May 28, 2004, 02:37:26 PM
Attention whore.
Post by: vudu on May 28, 2004, 02:50:54 PM
Quoteby the same token, doesn't nintendo have a bad reputation for monopolising tactics in the handheld industry? or even in the console industry back in the days of the NES?
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I've never quite understood why some members of the media have such a hatred for Nintendo. What the hell has Nintendo ever done to earn this hatred? I can understand hatred for MS because they have a bad reputation for monopolising tactics in the PC industry.
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on May 28, 2004, 03:56:16 PM
Post by: Ian Sane on May 28, 2004, 09:49:33 PM
Nintendo's handheld "monopoly" was created because the Gameboy was a high quality system that had long battery life and one of the greatest system sellers of all time in Pokemon. It also had the advantage that none of the competition "got" how to do a handheld right and as a result nothing really sold well enough to provide a serious challenge. Therefore the portable monopoly Nintendo has is well earned and wasn't obtained by shady business tactics. Nintendo has to my knowledge not done anything to prevent competition in the portable industry.
Post by: KDR_11k on May 29, 2004, 09:32:42 PM
Post by: Infernal Monkey on May 29, 2004, 10:32:53 PM
I'll put this Tommy Rugrats guy on the ignore list in my head, then. THERE'S NO WAY SMASH BROS. CAN BE SCORED WORSE THAN ASTEROIDS HYPER 64 OR SOUTH PARK RALLY. IT DOESN'T COMPUTER.
Post by: Deguello on June 02, 2004, 07:06:17 AM
With these facts, I believe it is quite easy to figure out Tommy's hatred for Nintendo.
A hypothetical situation, if you will.
Tommy sent some music to Retro+Nintendo. They, upon listen to his material, realize he is quite mediocre, and send him a "thanks, but no thanks" style response, possibly at the same time they discovered that it would be cheaper to just make it themselves. Tommy, feeling slighted that somebody didn't require the services of such a revolutionary video game icon, decides to do what mediocre men do when slighted. That is, rag on them any chance they get to get some kind of retalliation.
Unfortunately for Tommy Tallarico, the only person who takes Tommy Tallarico seriously is Tommy Tallarico.
Is he a new target? I am actually glad he might be. Used to be the targets for Nintendo Fans were game execs and producers who spouted stupid crap to cover their own asses about things. It's would be refreshing that the new target be a man who overestimates himself and his contribution to the industry he ostensibly knows all about when he asserts to unsuspecting (I'd also wager uncaring) people that he is, in fact, Tommy Tallarico.
Post by: The Omen on June 02, 2004, 01:03:36 PM
Seems to me that he's had a negative feeling towards Nintendo since the early 90's though, when he first started on the competing console. At least I seem to recall something happening. Either way you look at it, T.T. thinks hes a big fish, and hes not.
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on June 02, 2004, 01:07:35 PM
It almost sounds like a Rugrats episode.
Post by: King of Twitch on June 02, 2004, 01:25:42 PM
"YOU NINTENDO FANBOYS ARE ON CRACK!!!!"
"BUT DON'T YOU DARE try to tell me that my opinions and tastes are wrong... especially when the worldwide numbers back up how I personally think."
etc etc
The Reg will set you free
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on June 02, 2004, 01:32:14 PM
Post by: Ian Sane on June 02, 2004, 01:56:12 PM
Wait, isn't this guy a COMPOSER? What the hell does that have to do with the actual process of MAKING a game? Elton John wrote songs for the Lion King but that doesn't mean he knows anything about making movies.
Post by: Syl on June 02, 2004, 02:47:39 PM
/me goes and runs back to ocremix forums.
Post by: Infernal Monkey on June 02, 2004, 06:19:30 PM
"What happened to you Tommy, you used to be cool"
Post by: Uncle Rich AiAi on June 02, 2004, 08:29:56 PM
Post by: King of Twitch on June 02, 2004, 09:18:43 PM
Post by: Oldskool on June 03, 2004, 11:05:03 AM
Post by: GoldShadow1 on June 03, 2004, 05:32:12 PM
Post by: Deguello on June 03, 2004, 08:24:19 PM
Well after Earthworm Jim I believe he used 2 minutes, and by ignorantly attacking fans (professionalism is overrated) with words and "opinions" created with inflammatory intent and base purpose, he used up another 3 minutes.
I wonder how he'll spend the next 10.
Post by: oohhboy on June 04, 2004, 05:20:13 AM
Shoot to maim on sight order issued.
Post by: Berto2K on June 04, 2004, 10:46:04 AM
There once was a huge back and forth arguement btwn him on his boards and a mod from the ign boards. Tommy was very unprofessional in calling out insults and not responding to the others honest and structered questions. He has said that he is not a game reveiwer, but then why does he score games on his own show? He may know his music, but he sure doesn't know games. Except for Metroid Prime audio, he talked crap about that too, coincidence? He's a graphics whore and Nintendo hater, nothing more.
Nintendo's booth was way better than MS or Sony's. At least they had working models of their new handheld system, and not computer network fed lcd screens running in empty plastic casings
. Sony's had no organization, and MS was uncomfortable with how packed it was because there was only one entrance/exit in their closed in booth.
Post by: Deguello on June 06, 2004, 01:34:43 PM
http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v240/Deguello/Herk.jpg
Yes that item in question is exactly what Tommy Tallarico thinks is wrong with the GCN version of the Sims.
If people in the industry actually think like this, the industry is doomed.
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on June 06, 2004, 02:03:27 PM
"He who knows not and knows not he knows not, he is a fool -- shun him."
--Bruce Lee
"I'm going to kick his ass!"
--Reggie
Post by: manunited4eva22 on June 06, 2004, 03:46:28 PM
Post by: KDR_11k on June 06, 2004, 10:15:37 PM
Post by: Deguello on June 07, 2004, 11:23:56 AM
One thing I noticed over the years is that Tommy might be the video game version of Payola. On Electric Playground or whatever his show is called this week, he was spouting MONTHS before their release that Blinx and Kung Fu Chaos would be THE games to get on the Xbox. Really, though? And he hates Nintendo games?
Post by: The Omen on June 07, 2004, 02:07:56 PM
Post by: King of Twitch on June 07, 2004, 02:34:09 PM
Post by: manunited4eva22 on June 07, 2004, 06:43:42 PM
Post by: KDR_11k on June 07, 2004, 11:16:11 PM
Post by: Caillan on June 07, 2004, 11:17:02 PM
Quote
One thing I noticed over the years is that Tommy might be the video game version of Payola.
It seems to me that the videogame media is perfect for payola. Is supplying a news site with a beta demo a form of payola? It certinally attracts additional publicity that would not be gained otherwise.
If you have decent arcives and can offer downloads, you can essentially get away with anything. Look at IGN... I remember cracking up laughing when I once went to their site to see it covered in McDonald's goodness. Pity it lost its humour the second time when it happened with EA.
