Interview with Bryan Wiedey
I was honored and privileged to get a chance to speak with Bryan Wiedey, head of Pastapadre.com. Wiedey, a.k.a. "Pasta Padre," is a sports-gamer enthusiast who runs his page 24/7 on the latest news and updates from around the video game world. His previous projects included MaddenNation.com and Sportsgamer.com, two sites he is significantly proud of working on.
The 'Burgh Blues: What background information can you give the readers?
Wiedey: I've been playing sports video games for as long as I can remember. I've always gone through the annual cycle for each sport's offerings and continue to do so. Working my way through various sites like MaddenNation, SportsGamer and now on Pastapadre.com, I've come to have opportunities to learn much more about the process behind development of the games and have unique insight into them.
TBB: What was it like working on MaddenNation.com and Sportsgamer.com?
Wiedey: It was interesting because the focus and parameters from which to work within were so different, especially compared to what I do now. There is a lot more freedom that comes with working on a community-based site than a media site. Still I enjoyed my time with both just in different ways. Madden Nation was more about the community and finding different ways to enjoy games, where SportsGamer is when I really started to branch out look at other ways to cover them. I incorporate elements of both in how I run my own site now.
Wiedey: There were two main reasons why I decided to go my own route. The first was the independence that came along with it. Essentially, I can cover anything I want in any way I want. And I can post up new content at any time. The other main factor was just about getting back to enjoying what I do. If I didn't enjoy spending my time working on a site then I really wouldn't be doing it. I had lost some of that at one point but once I made the change it was rejuvenating.
Wiedey: Really what I try to do with the site is present the latest news and completely original content on a very regular basis. The site is updated every single day, even on weekends and holidays and the content could be posted round the clock depending on the circumstances. I also have the opportunity to attend different events and provide coverage coming out of those. I write about all of that along with my impressions, thoughts and opinions. I don't review games but I do attempt to hold the companies accountable for not living up to what they had advertised. It's really the only site where that is done when it comes to sports games.
Wiedey: I think first of all that it is great that a new game arrives every year; there is always one to look forward to and is another sign that the new season is approaching. But, it is also unique in that most games have the ability to take wild liberties and can explain off design decisions. With sports games the companies are attempting to recreate reality. They're an extension of the real thing, working together to supplement and extend the
enjoyment we get out of the sports and gaming.
TBB: Following 2K Sports' purchase of the MLB video game licensing rights (becoming the only company to produce games on all platforms), baseball games have gone down hill. There has never quite been a series like EA Sports' MVP Baseball, which was extremely popular back in its day. Can you tell us why?
Wiedey: Well I don't know if I'd agree that it has gone downhill when considering what we have with the MLB: The Show series, however there is a definite empty feeling not having an EA baseball offering. For those who only have a 360 I certainly understand the current frustration. I loved the MVP series (outside of the MVP 2004 lefty glitch) and I don't really nail it down to specific examples of why it was so great. It just had the feeling of baseball and realism and that is what The Show is doing so well with now. In all likelihood we're only a few years away from EA getting back in on baseball.
TBB: Do you believe 2K can turn it around with their MLB franchise? How?
Wiedey: I think they can turn it around but doing so will take time and resources that 2K may not have. They dug themselves into a hole with the third party
contract that EA turned down because they didn't think it was a smart move
which has turned out to be the case. The first thing is they have to drop
the gimmicks and get back to the simple nature of baseball. Right analog
pitching and hitting does not replicate the game any better than buttons,
all it does is add frustration. They also have to get the basics right
meaning smooth frame rate, hit variety, online play performance, and
ultimately fun factor. There is also a desperate need to improve community
relations as they've pretty much ignored the community and in other cases
treated consumers poorly over the last two years.
TBB: Why (from a stand point of the actual game) has the SCEA MLB series "The Show" been so much more successful than MLB 2K?
Wiedey: They get everything about baseball right, or at the very least attempt to.
This is a shining example of how word or mouth can be so powerful. The
Show is known as the premiere baseball title. There really is no question
about it whether you go to sports gaming message boards, general gaming
message boards, or ask your friends. People have bought the PS3 primarily
to play The Show. It's pretty impressive since it is a first party title
and it doesn't get as much promotion because of it. There is also a secondary mode with Road To The Show that adds a personal feel to the game. It is important too that it changes the pace of an offline mode by being able to play through games in the matter of 5-15 minutes instead of the hour it would take to play a standard game.
TBB: MLB Front Office Manager is a coming out later this month for the "real" baseball fan - a managing simulator with no real gameplay. Can you give us a little information about it? Do you believe there is a market big enough for MLB FOM?
Wiedey: I wish there was more info out on the game, and with only a few weeks to
go that there isn't becomes a bit concerning. There is more of a market
here than with a game such as NFL Head Coach. Baseball fans love stats and
love fantasy baseball and that is what this game is looking to take
advantage of. I'm really excited about the online fantasy mode, but again
they've yet to lay out exactly what it will entail. So at the moment I'm
hesitantly optimistic.
TBB: Lastly, do you believe small market teams get equal respect in video games? Do you believe rankings and team stats often get "inflated" because of a certain club's popularity? Furthermore, It's going to be hard to match up our Pirates with the Yankees' three-headed dragon (CC, AJ, Wang).
Wiedey: Yes, this is a problem I have with sports games in general. Everything
seems to be based on the individuals. The Yankees and Red Sox will always
be rated the highest in the games because they have so many big names and
high salaries. What isn't compensated for is the aspect of "team" which
was saw come through last year with the Rays. I guarantee that the Rays
will struggle against the Yankees lineup, even if they have the better
team as they proved last year. Small market clubs are at a disadvantage in
this regard because even though it seems like every year there is one or
two surprises, they won't get the respect in the games because they lack
the high profile stars.
TBB: Thank you, Bryan. This has been a wonderful interview.
Wiedey: Thank you, Jesse! And everyone, make sure to check pastapadre.com later this month. I will be playing an early version of MLB: The Show '09 and giving my insights on the game.
Thanks for an interesting article. While I'm not a gamer, my boys were familiar with the sites mentioned and they enjoyed it.
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
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