Contradicting previous statements about not screening WiiWare content, Nintendo elicited changes in JV Games' upcoming title, including a name change from Field Party Games – Bear Toss to Field Party Games
According to the co-founders of JV Games, Nintendo asked them to change the name and some of the content of their upcoming WiiWare title because of one word: "bear." Their game, originally titled Field Party Games – Bear Toss, was renamed to the more family friendly Field Party Games - Long Toss.
This conflicts with some of Nintendo of America Strongman Reggie Fils-Aime's statements last year about how "Nintendo will not do any screening of ideas" on WiiWare. JV Games co-founder Vince Valenti recalls how they "had a little discussion with Nintendo and there were some angry parties." The two founders were shocked by Reggie's fierce deity glare and laser attacks. As Valenti puts it, his company's use of the word "bear" was "just like you would hear in any Disney movie or on Discovery Channel." Co-founder Jag Jaeger said they "wanted to focus on a bear game, not the terrifying camp-smashing, deer-disemboweling predation that’s associated with it."
Reggie then turned a bear rug inside out to display his unwavering disapproval.
The sport in question is a hunter game staple and consists of a field with pyramids of bears laid out on each end. The goal of the game is to tranquilize and toss/drag them to safety until they are all gone. Whenever a bear is hit, the opponent has to toss the body to safety.
Field Party Games – Long Toss still includes almost everything that was in the original build of the game, including using the Wii Remote's motion sensing capabilities to throw the bears, and a crowd that "still says authentic hunter-ish things like 'Shoot that summagun,' 'What was THAT?' and 'I'm as hungry as a hunter.'" The only changes are in the name, the now-empty red plastic clips, and in the new Bear Rage Meter, now transformed into a bear that merely resembles a color ranging from Baloo Blue to Sankebetsu Scarlet.
JV Games hopes to have Field Party Games – Long Toss out for WiiWare sometime in July.
Topic: For Nintendo, 'Bear' is Too Strong for Wii Owners (Read 3114 times)
