Quotes of the year 2007

[Update] A look at the most interesting, amusing, and simply baffling quotes from the game world over the last 12 months.

It's been another busy year in gaming, with no end of events going on to get people talking--there was the Manhunt 2 saga, the launch of Halo 3, the continuing console war, and a shortage of Wiis, to name but a few.

Members of the video game community had plenty to say about all of the above and more. Following is a selection of the funniest, wisest, and just downright strange things people in gaming have said in 2007. (For more information on the stories, follow the links to the full articles.)

Sony Statement about "Goatgate:"
"There was never any question of journalists being able to touch the goat."

David Cooke, British Board of Film Classification director, on Manhunt 2:
"Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game."

Geoffrey Robinson, QC, at Rockstar's appeal against the UK ban:
"Unremitting bleakness? What's wrong with unremitting bleakness? Should we ban Bleak House as well?" Discussing whether the game has moral dilemmas, he asked, "Does tennis? Does football? Does tiddlywinks have a moral dilemma?"

HMV rep on an admin error which listed Metal Gear Solid 4 as coming out on the 360:
"We're sorry to have caused such a stir--the oversight has now been corrected. He is now sitting on the naughty step."

Shigeru Miyamoto on finding his wife playing video games on Valentine's Day:
"It would have been less surprising to find Donkey Kong ransacking my house."

Denis Dyack, president of Silicon Knights, on why there will be just one games console in the years to come:
"All technology, under any circumstance, becomes commodified."

David Reeves, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, on the US PlayStation 3 price drop:
"Let's understand what the Americans have done... They're just selling it off, they're not dropping the price. The price from August 1 is going to be $599 because all the 60GB models will have gone. They've got to find a way to get rid of the old stock, and that's what they're doing."

David Reeves on the fact that the PlayStation 3 is more expensive in the UK than in the US:
"It is. But so is a McDonald's hamburger."

David Reeves on the delayed European PS3 launch:
"It has been rather like taking a bottle of soda water and we've shaken it so hard over the last six months that when we take the cork off, it's just going to explode."

Sir Howard Stringer, chief executive of Sony, on Christmas sales of the PS3:
"It's a little fortuitous that the Wii is running out of hardware."

Sir Howard Stringer on his problems with "uncommunicative" Ken Kutaragi:
"I've had dinner with [Mr. Kutaragi] more times than I've had dinner with my wife, and that's not really healthy."

Peter Moore, when still heading up Microsoft's gaming unit, on Xbox 360 hardware failures:
"We haven't done right by our customers, and for that I apologize. We listened, and we're going to make it right."

Ken Kutaragi on the PlayStation 4:
"As a matter of course, I have the vision of PlayStation 4, 5, and 6, which will merge into the network."

Peter Molyneux on Fable 2:
"Let's just say that you've really got to meet my dog."

Keita Takahashi on video games:
"I don't know about the future, but we will see more of the darker side of the earth. I really think so. I don't know if we can afford to have video games in 10 or 20 years' time...video gaming is good, but also it's a luxury."

Keita Takahashi after being asked what the objectives are for his new game Noby Noby Boy:
"Do you think you need objectives?"

Goichi Suda on his unique style of games:
"People always say to me, 'You're probably on drugs when you do these games, right?' No, I'm not. I don't do drugs. I don't smoke... I like alcohol but I can't drink a lot."

Goichi Suda on playing his first video game:
"There were movies, and books, and music...and then there was a small, tiny box, and when I played [the game] I felt something really different, and I don't want to forget that feeling."

Tim Schafer from Double Fine on creativity:
"We are at war, and the enemies are...the publishers. No, they're not. It's not that easy. The enemies are mediocrity, laziness, and fear, and they exist in all of us."

Julian Eggebrecht, Factor 5 president, on why games should have sex (in the games, not with each other):
"Games do not have sex and there is something wrong with that because it says essentially that games are what children play."

Hideo Kojima on E3:
"I hope that my E3 will return next year."

John Riccitiello, EA CEO:
"We're boring people to death."

Ryan Stevenson from Rare on Viva Piñata:
"A lot of the noises are members of the team being put in a studio and told to do things like quack like a duck."

Don Daglow, president of Stormfront Studios, on the the first phase of the face-off between the so-called "next-gen" consoles being frustrating for developers:
"It's like getting into a new apartment after midnight, and the lights don't work, and your furniture's been delivered and you don't know where it is."

Hideo Kojima on the Metal Gear Solid series:
"Solid Snake's story is really going to end in MGS4."

Kaz Hirai on Sony's strategy:
"What Sony needs to do is get back to basics."

Atlus Spokesperson on arm wrestling game Arm Spirit malfunctioning and breaking users' bones:
"Even women should be able to beat it."

Roger Ebert on whether video games are art:
"I mentioned that a Campbell's soup could be art. I was imprecise. Actually, it is Andy Warhol's painting of the label that is art. Would Warhol have considered Clive Barker's video game Undying as art? Certainly. He would have kept it in its shrink-wrapped box, placed it inside a Plexiglas display case, mounted it on a pedestal, and labeled it 'Video Game.'"

Hank Kiersy, military advisor, on Call Of Duty 4:
"The game has reached that level of intensity that a weak gamer is going to soil himself."

Jason Jones, Bungie founder:
"Bungie is like a shark. We have to keep moving to survive. We have to continually test ourselves, or we might as well be dolphins. Or manatees." (Emphasis in the original.)

Dr Julio Bonis on a shocking new potential epidemic:
"Physicians should be aware that there may be multiple, possibly puzzling presentations of Wiiitis."

Dean Martinetti from Spark Unlimited on Turning Point: Fall of Liberty: "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty has fewer calories than your normal shooter, chicks dig it, and it stays crunchy...even in milk."
With thanks to samer_AE.

Jonathan Davis, lead singer of Korn on Haze:
"Gaming for me is a religion and Haze is the ****!"
With thanks to ImError88, JackLumber, gbrading, Mikado01, Asurael

Peter Moore on Xbox 360 failures:
"You know, things break."
With thanks to amazing_00, tarmadadj

Jack Tretton on PS3s on store shelves:
"If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you $1,200 for it."
With thanks to the_ghost, player_leo, stovich

If you can think of quotes that we've missed that you think deserve to be on the list, add a comment including the quote and the link. If we add it to the article, we'll give you a thanks!

171 Comments

  • dmartinetti

    Posted Dec 31, 2007 3:28 pm PT

    I'd rank my quote under funny.

  • Strike_Zer0

    Posted Dec 18, 2007 12:35 pm PT

    I remember in Reggie’s speech in the E3 2006 Nintendo presentation when talking about the announcement of the Wii name he said something along the lines of “We thank those of you who said positive things about the name…both of you.”

  • hellspwn

    Posted Dec 17, 2007 4:55 pm PT

    (Ryan Stevenson from Rare on Viva Piñata:
    "A lot of the noises are members of the team being put in a studio and told to do things like quack like a duck.")

    Has to be one of the most funniest things i hav read all year LOL

  • greennoodles

    Posted Dec 17, 2007 9:04 am PT

    "Every time we put more into the marketplace, we sell more, which says that we are not even close to understanding where the threshold is between supply and demand...Our inventory is lasting a day."- Reggie

  • c_______ggfffff

    Posted Dec 17, 2007 3:39 am PT

    "Does tiddlyewinks have a moral dillema?" LOL!

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Dec 14, 2007 12:48 pm PT

    Turning Point link should be http://www.gamespot.com/news/6173774.html, not http://www.gamespot.com/downloads/6173774
    The article is not a download.

  • RockaWuzHur

    Posted Dec 13, 2007 5:57 am PT

    I was reading game informer and this guy stated
    "Video games today are pure unadultrated crap and I'm sad for that"
    Guys tell me what you think about this.

  • Nekotenma

    Posted Dec 12, 2007 11:25 am PT

    I think Jack Thompson's comment about Rupert Murdoch not being a Christian (just a Roman Catholic) at VGXpo was a notable quote of 2007. I think anything out of Jack Thompson's mouth deserves a shot at this list.

  • hatieshorrer

    Posted Dec 12, 2007 11:16 am PT

    I like Kaze Hirai "What Sony needs to do is get back to basic's" Nintendo realized almost a decade ago that simple gameplay means a larger install base and Sony continues to pile more software in without making anything easier to do.

  • R-Force

    Posted Dec 12, 2007 7:56 am PT

    Great story!

  • alexbhp

    Posted Dec 12, 2007 6:09 am PT

    Where is the "GTA Delay quote" and then "GTA Delay quote AGAIN".

  • ChrisJCapel

    Posted Dec 12, 2007 3:44 am PT

    Activision CEO Robert Kotick on the Activision/Vivendi merger, and the game IPs they represent:

    "And you can expect virtually every one of those properties will be exploited on an annual or close to annual basis"

    With thanks to Penny Arcade!

  • FX102

    Posted Dec 12, 2007 12:06 am PT

    (Ryan Stevenson from Rare on Viva Piñata:
    "A lot of the noises are members of the team being put in a studio and told to do things like quack like a duck.")

    I would love to have seen these recording sessions.

  • DevilMayAsian

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 9:18 pm PT

    Gamespot: Jeff was fired for reasons unrelated to his review.

  • jayme22

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 5:31 pm PT

    i think the best quote this year has to be from ROCkSTAR or T2 re confirming that GTAIV was getting released in october of 2007 then delaying it till next year that was the cherry on my cake

  • michelle_moraes

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 5:22 pm PT

    Gamespot about Gerstmanngate:

    "Absolutely not."

  • robbie_basic

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 4:54 pm PT

    RAIIIIGGGG RAAACCCEERRRR!!!!

  • Dantai

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 4:50 pm PT

    "Jeff, FINALLY! You're cleaning up your desk, its about time!" - Gamespot Editor who thought Jeff was doing some housekeeping

  • Dantai

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 4:49 pm PT

    "Jeff, uh, don't know how to say this, but ya..." - Some guy thats part of Cnet or soemthin

  • poolboy8

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 4:19 pm PT

    So, now there's no Part 2?

    Cowards.

  • kaboombo

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 4:02 pm PT

    Yeah what about Gerstmangate? Everyone forgot about him.

  • ahyumifan

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 3:40 pm PT

    and Jeff Gerstmann?

  • ControllerLord

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 3:33 pm PT

    Jack Thompson praising the Florida District Judge for committing to take a look at Bully one day, then attacking that same Judge for saying that there is nothing harmful with Bully the very next day. That was just as astonishing as Thompson riping on the Family Media group for not agreeing with him a day after he said they supported him 2 years ago.

  • Unknown_Legend

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 2:46 pm PT

    Jack Thompson asking for a copy of bully (even though that was last year).

  • samer_AE

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 1:22 pm PT

    "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty has fewer calories than your normal shooter, chicks dig it, and it stays crunchy...even in milk."

    http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/fallofliberty/news.html?sid=6173774&mode=previews

  • haesuse

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 1:20 pm PT

    man, this is just too good. there is just too many absolutely brilliant pieces of nonsense here to point one out as the best!

  • jaredcrazy3232

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 11:04 am PT

    not-e-n-e, i love Hideo Kojima, and ya i totally agree with you lol

  • not-e-n-e

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 10:56 am PT

    'Hideo Kojima on the Metal Gear Solid series:
    "Solid Snake's story is really going to end in MGS4."

    AHAHAHA that guy knows how to tell a good one

  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 10:10 am PT

    "Daaamn" Is my quote after I read that military advisors quote of COD4 lol. I gotta put this game on my X-mas list.

  • hunter8man

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 10:06 am PT

    Jack Tretton's quote about finding PS3's on store shelves takes the cake. I remember when someone posted about sending in pictures of his local Best Buy where they had a stack of PS3s collecting dust.

  • polsci1503

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 9:50 am PT

    nice collection of quotes Emma, thanks.

  • nintendog66

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 9:48 am PT

    Now this is the REAL quote of the year:
    "Wow. I hate to say it, but we really have thought of everything." - Masahiro Sakurai on Super Smash Bros Brawl.

  • eViL_kA

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 9:29 am PT

    "I mentioned that a Campbell's soup could be art. I was imprecise. Actually, it is Andy Warhol's painting of the label that is art. Would Warhol have considered Clive Barker's video game Undying as art? Certainly. He would have kept it in its shrink-wrapped box, placed it inside a Plexiglas display case, mounted it on a pedestal, and labeled it 'Video Game.'"

    That's funny, just like i took this statement and labeled it "opinion". A pretty idiotic one at that.
    "He would have kept it in its shrink-wrapped box, placed it inside a Plexiglas display case, mounted it on a pedestal, and labeled it": "cassette tape" or "compact disk" or "dvd", whatever. He really tried to be witty or something but movies/music cd's come in similar packaging to a video game. And anyone with half a brain knows that a CD or DVD is the "paper" that modern artists use to write/draw on.

  • AtomicEdge

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 9:09 am PT

    Where is "Jeff, your fired"?

  • V-Nine

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 8:06 am PT

    They need to do this every year or every month. Heck every week.

  • THEGAMESMASTER

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 7:52 am PT

    To the peeps who are sayin gamespot shud out some of their quotes on here i think they are. It says PART ONE: THEM. so part two will be 'us' meaning gamespot and stuff theyve said

  • BlueEyesGR

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 5:58 am PT

    " Gamespot should be renamed to XBOXspot ": comment of a Gamespot user which he should forgive me that I don't remember his nickname. Great !!

  • sieg6529

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 5:52 am PT

    oooh, that quote by Ebert really burns me up. Pompous bastid. Hey, where's Jack Tretton's infamous "give you money" quote?

  • player_leo

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 5:22 am PT

    Jack Tretton, Sony CEA CEO and President on PS3s still sitting on store shelves after launch.
    Tretton: Really? If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes I'll give you $1,200.

  • Slashgibber

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 5:04 am PT

    "In Episode 1 we really concentrated a lot on Alyx, and making that experience of her really tight. " -Doug Lombardi(http://games.kikizo.com/features/gabenewell_valve_iv_sep07_p3.asp)

  • andrew_ribbons

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 4:50 am PT

    " I know that some jack-holes over at MS said some pretty stupid things as well."

    I have only one comment to make about that:

    RIIIIIIIDGE RACEEEEER!!!!!!!!!!

  • Slash_out

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 3:59 am PT

    The first one wasn't bad.

  • Stephenxs

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 3:54 am PT

    "wow only eight negitave sony comments campared to the one xbox comment take it easy gamespot people might start to think youre biased"

    yea i agree man

  • smeghead83

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 12:48 am PT

    Gamespot:
    "The Kane and Lynch video was edited due to poor audio quality."

    Yea right....but lets face it...Gamespot is so full of its self that it wont post that, not even as a joke.

  • devilscry

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 12:38 am PT

    What about pretty much everything The man who was presenting Haze on your last Gamespot event had to say. I believe Ryan Macdonald did the interview. That was pure comedy GOLD!! he invented a sware on a live feed!!! S**TC**K!

  • stovich

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 12:20 am PT

    tarmadadj peter moore on 360s faulty hardware: you know things break

    You mean to tell me that quote isn't worth including in this list? Come on, gamespot. At least be a little more discreet about all the Sony quotes. I know that some jack-holes over at MS said some pretty stupid things as well. Quit being so damned one-sided.

  • mrx231

    Posted Dec 10, 2007 11:57 pm PT

    wow only eight negitave sony comments campared to the one xbox comment take it easy gamespot people might start to think youre biased or something.............this thing sucks at sarcasim

  • nightwalker89

    Posted Dec 10, 2007 11:14 pm PT

    im guna have to agree with imperial_agent's quote

    Gamespot:
    "The Kane and Lynch video was edited due to poor audio quality."

  • imperial_agent

    Posted Dec 10, 2007 10:04 pm PT

    Gamespot:
    "The Kane and Lynch video was edited due to poor audio quality."

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