45 replies to this topic

[DracIsBack]

OK - let me clear the record before I rant.

I like Apple products. I'm typing this on an iMac. an AirPort extreme is sending WiFi throughout my house. I have an iPod touch, iPod Mini and iPod shuffle. I have an Apple TV feeding my tv.

I don't quite classify as an insane Apple nut who will leap to their defense when someone says they aren't perfect in every way. There are things I don't like about their products too ... and I also have products by Google, Microsoft, RIM and Adobe and find things I like (and dislike) in all those as well.

I also admire Jobs as a product visionary, a many who pushed user focused design and - in the end - I think caused many products (not just his own) to reach higher. I just finished the new biography which I found interesting in terms of how he pushed the bounds and also eye opening at how much a despicable person he could be on a personal level. But his place in history is rightfully honoured.

With that said, I was shocked to read that people recently voted him the 'most influential person in all of gaming history'. Over the folks from Nintendo. Atari. Sony. All the big game houses and many others.

And all I could say is "what the *^&$?"

How do they figure that????

What games did Apple create that were 'revolutionary'?

He certainly didn't pioneer putting them on a mobile device (see Nintendo and Atari). He certainly didn't pioneer putting them on mobile phones either (see - oh - every phone for the last ten years). He didn't invent an App store to put them in (see the dozens of different stores that pushed Nokia, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry apps long before Apple even had an SDK). He didn't even promote casual gaming. What he did do was package it up nicely and usher in an era of casual games on mobile devices, on a good platform that was disruptive to traditional handheld devices.

But to call him the most influential person in all of gaming history? CMON ....

Jobs is a legend. No question. but sometimes people take it too far. This is one ...

[bennybingo]

I am a huge Mac fan...always have been. I have never owned a windows based computer (other than at work). I am also in awe of the accomplishments of Mr. Jobs.

That said, I have to agree with the OP entirely. I can't even see the logic. As a Mac user, I have missed out on more "PC only" game titles than I can count. The Mac OS, more often than not, is overlooked entirely by game developers / publishers. IMHO, Mac computers haven't been game friendly since the advent of the iMac...maybe even before then. As for the iPhone being a "gaming device"....not even close.

I'd give him some "street cred" for his work back in the day at Atari on breakout, but I would never call him the most influential person on video games...that's a stretch - no matter how you look at it.

[Nuclear Pacman]

Is this a news story from a publication, or just some crazy Apple nuts you talk to? Because that premise just defies all logic.

[A_Locomotive]

I'd love to hear how they came to the conclusion he is the most influential. Because honestly I'd be willing to bet money that the kid with the power glove in The Wizard had a greater impact by helping sell that piece of crap.

[HuckleCat]

Agree with the OP.

So many people are riding the bandwagon of praising him, but this is just stupid. Who said this?

Wozniak made the Apple, Jobs sold it. I'm sorry, I know loads of Mac fans will hate to hear somebody say this, but I'm going to:

He was nothing but a great salesman with an obsessive-compulsive taste for aesthetics. The only thing he did that "changed the world" was reinvent the Sony Walkman.

If he changed your life, do yourself a favor and get rid of the phone.

Edited by HuckleCat, Tue Nov 8, 2011 9:38 PM.

[MN12BIRD]

Must have been because of the Apple Pippin....

[Rybags]

What a crock.

But then again, we're talking a public poll.

The average person wouldn't know if it was Edison or Bushnell that pioneered the coin-op videogame industry, and would be equally clueless about the dozens of other key people in computing advancements from World War 2 to the present.

[moycon]

Maybe because he brought video games to the masses via the iPhone?
I dunno. Seems like Nintendo did the same thing with the Wii. (Even if most of those folks wouldn't spend more than 20 minutes playing)

[Rybags]

I'd say probably not.

The biggest steps forward in expanding videogame audience I'd say:

Atari 2600, Commodore 64, NES, Playstation 1, Nokia phones. And maybe the Wii. Possibly IBM/Win PC compatibles but they're growth was spread over decades rather than suddenly exploding onto the scene.

[Mirage]

I think it's just yet another poorly written and administered poll, including but not limited to the audience it was asked of. I wouldn't give the poll any credit whatsoever:

http://www.forbes.co...-of-complaints/

Further, I think there seems to be some confusion about what the poll was really asking. Many sites talking about it refer to it as "the most influential person in gaming" (implying currently) and others refer to it as "the most influential person in gaming history". Huge difference there. I can't find the original poll to see how it was actually presented originally.

I agree Jobs (more specifically, Apple) has had a role in shaping the future/present of modern gaming, but to say that Steve Jobs is the most influential person in gaming history would clearly be absurd.

[Brian O]

Jeez, Willy Higginbotham was more influential than Jobs.

-B

[Emehr]

If this were true, Halo would have been released on the Mac as originally intended.

[atarian63]

not a fan of apple products and jobs had zip to do with video gaming

[Asaki]

Well, Halo started out as the Marathon series on the Macintosh, and everybody loves Halo. Therefore, Steve Jobs wins!

HuckleCat, on Tue Nov 8, 2011 9:38 PM, said:

Wozniak made the Apple, Jobs sold it.

Right, that was my other theory...I know a lot of classic game devs started out programming on the Apple ][, and a lot of highly influential games began life on that platform, but that was more Woz and less Jobs.

[Lendorien]

Meh. The same survey gave Mark Zuckerberg 3% of the vote. Ignore it.

[keilbaca]

A_Locomotive, on Tue Nov 8, 2011 9:20 PM, said:

I'd love to hear how they came to the conclusion he is the most influential. Because honestly I'd be willing to bet money that the kid with the power glove in The Wizard had a greater impact by helping sell that piece of crap.

I love the power glove. It's so bad.

They asked the public. Depending on the amount of people that they talked to, most probably have iphones, and most probably have his name in their heads due to the recent passing. Its the freshest name in their heads, so they voted him.

[Lord Helmet]

No friggen way was jobs the most influential person in videogames. I agree with the OP.

[godslabrat]

I own three Macs, two iPods, an iPhone, and I much prefer using them over their competition... and my day job is as a computer tech for Microsoft-type PCs.

...but this is a crock. Joe Cracker has influenced gaming more than Steve Jobs has.

[Seob]

Bushnell would be the most influenced person in gaming history. The Apple II was a great platform for a lot of success titles that jumped cross platform. There are also many programmers that started programming on the apple II. So Woz and Jobs did have influence in the gaming scene, but like i said Bushnell has had more influence.

[Eltigro]

I like Woz better.

[Animan]

Well, he did work at Atari for awhile.

[S1500]

Apple had no more influence than video games than Atari did on portable music players. Apple did things great in some aspects, video games was not one of them.

[Tr3vor]

Shigeru Miyamoto?

[Shannon]

Dying gave him a HUGE boost in rep points!

[Video]

Ya mean, none of the guys that literally invented gaming were as influential as jobs? You'r right. Myomoto and bushnell didn't have jack squat to do with games. In fact, gaming didn't even exist before the I phone came out.

I'm sorry, I'm not really anti apple, though I may appear to be from the looks of it, as I don't have any apple computers, no Ipod, no Iphone, and I can't stand Igames. To be blunt, it's more to do with price, and the lack of flexibility than anything else. Look at the specs for the Iphone, look at the specs for an android, look at features, look at price. No brainer. Look at the specs for Ipad, look at specs for other tablets (galexy,fire, etc) look at features, look at price, no brainer. Look at average apple computer, look at any other similar speced computer, look at features, look at price. No brainer.

Apple does NOT have bad products. They got really good products, in fact, they got great products, great reliability, great customer service, and a great look. Unfortunately, they don't have the one great thing that counts (for 90% of people in the world) and that's price. If I want an object, go to the store to get it, and see an apple product, then a device right next to it that does the exact same thing just as well, for half or a quarter of the price, guess what? I'll buy the competition. I'm not rich, and even if I was, I don't worship money or anything, so why go with something that does the same thing, but costs so much more?

Anyhow, I have no problem with people that are small minded and loose with their money either. I hang out with a lot of those types. Maybe I'll get some apple stuff, but you can bet it'll be really cheap, or free when my friends get bored wit it, or mindlessly go to the next "big" thing.

Shannon, on Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:46 AM, said:

Dying gave him a HUGE boost in rep points!

Yeah, he should have thought of that along time ago. LOL

Sorry, couldn't help it.