Why did you start a Nintendo specific blog?
Simple: I really like Nintendo games. They just do it for me on a personal level, and I wanted to start what I then hoped would become a more intelligent place to commune with like individuals. As a bonus, running Infendo keeps me young at heart, which is a hard thing to do in life as the adult in us slowly takes over.
What influence do you hope to have on Nintendo as a company?
I hope Infendo does its part keeping Nintendo honest as a company for its very loyal customer base from an enthusiast perspective (read: I hope to influence both the company and its fans for the better). Remember how arrogant Nintendo arguably was during the mid ’90’s after a 10 year reign of home console dominance? We as consumers lose in that scenario as company interests and gamer interests are sometimes at odds. I also hope Infendo can help in avoiding “Nintendo game droughts” so common during the GameCube era.
What makes your site different from GoNintendo or 4 Color Rebellion?
I think Infendo caters to a bit of an older demographic. In a recent poll we ran, over 40% were between the ages of 25-30, and 35% were over the age of 30. At the same time, our newsletter ninja, Chris, is just 16. In addition to our age demographics, a lot of our reader feedback indicates a healthy liking for our community comments, which was important for the site since day one. Hopefully Infendo can be used as a great place for original commentary on key Nintendo happenings or as a supplement to readers who get their primary Nintendo news elsewhere. In short, I’d like to think of our site as our new tagline suggests: Intelligent passion for all things Nintendo.
Do you do it for the money, the respect, or the power?
I do it all for the respect. I hope to be respected by readers as a notable influencer in the world of Nintendo. The bonus (or curse) is that respect inevitably drives both money and power. I’ll evaluate those if/when I cross that bridge (Jack, could you bring me my controller, please?).
The console life cycle is about five years. Where do you see your site at that time?
I hope to be a full-time writer; not writing exclusively about games or Nintendo per se, but I definitely plan on that still being a large part of my life. I see myself with a couple more kids in the house, still working from home, and just having finished up one heck of a 5 year Wii life cycle that will have hopefully revitalized my time spent playing home console games.
What’s your favorite non-Nintendo platform?
Either PlayStation or PC. Sony has some great original IP, and I prefer PC’s for first-person shooters. I also have a soft spot in my heart for the old Sega days. I’m amazed at how that company ended up after being such a giant in the industry. And though not as bad, I see Sony making some very poor mistakes with its PlayStation 3. I really feel that it was their hardcore market to lose this round, and believe they are doing just that at the moment.
Are you an Apple / Mac fan?
Yes only because I think they engineer better hardware (all the time) and software (most the time). I do, however, work on a PC close to half of the time. I have a Compaq AMD desktop machine that I use a lot when I’m not on my PowerBook. I’m more of a “web fan” than either, however. Give me a browser, and I’m happy.
If you were banished to an island and could only take one game, what would it be?
Tetris or Dr Mario. I love both those puzzlers and believe puzzlers have the best return on investment of any genre. Not necessarily the best games, in my opinion, but definitely ones with a very long replay value. So if banishment to a lone island was what life threw at me, Tetris or Dr. Mario would come along for the ride.
What’s your favorite sleeper title / hidden gem?
Beyond Good and Evil (Ubisoft) or Kirby Canvas Curse (Nintendo). The latter is still one of my all-time favorite DS games, and one I feel makes arguably the best use of the stylus interface.
Mario or Zelda?
Zelda.
It might seem a bit self-aggrandizing to claim Infendo as part of the Nintendo Blog Trinity, but this article was inspired by a comment that Eric from 4cr made last month. Speaking of 4cr, be sure to come back on Friday for our final trinity interview with 4 Color Rebellion founder, Nick Luckett.
