Fischer regrets “geek and otaku” remark, Jaffe reacts
In a PR faux pas, Nintendo of Europe‘s Marketing Director Laurent Fischer commented that the only people concerned with the Wii’s limited flash memory are “geeks and otakus.” This statement managed to raise the ire of God of War creator, David Jaffe. Check out Jaffe’s heated response (when did he last issue a lukewarm statement, anyway?) in the full article.
When asked about a question regarding the Wii’s rather constricted system memory, Nintendo of Europe‘s Marketing Director Laurent Fischer uttered quite a confusing remark, saying that “geeks and otaku” are the only ones who are concerned with the issue.
Needless to say, the small quote ruffled the feathers of many gamers, and even some game developers such as David Jaffe.
Here’s what Jaffe had to say about Fischer’s comment, as written in his own blog. Yes, it’s quite an earful, so ready your fire hoses:
This statement, especially coming from a marketing person, reeks of one of two things: A – Arrogance at a level that should make Nintendo – if this statement reflects the core of the company – very ashamed. B – A marketing person who has no real clue about games and thinks sheÂ’s being cute and coy by dissing the ‘geeksÂ’ cause she thinks the mainstream loves them now.
Fischer later issued a statement that he “regrets” his remark, saying, “I have huge respect for those who, like me, share a common passion for Nintendo and want to make it clear that I would never use and I didnÂ’t use this terminology in such a context or way to cause [offense].”
Via videogaming247