Yay for Nintendo, says Gates

Microsoft uberbigwig Bill Gates has praised Nintendo's efforts at innovation - but says he doesn't wish his underlings had come up with the idea for a remote control-style joypad, oh no.

"Nintendo... You've got to give it to them. They march to the beat of a different drummer," Gates told US magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly.

However, he went on, "Sometimes that makes them incredibly right and sometimes that makes them incredibly wrong. They're certainly making a very different bet in terms of how much they're putting into the graphics this time. I do think there is a question as to whether they can get outside the young age bracket at all. That's been tough for them.”

When asked if Gates wish Microsoft had come up with the "freestyle" controller concept, he said, "Uh... No," whilst laughing just like he probably does when he opens his bank statement.

"We'll watch and see," said a sceptical Gates. "Holding two different things like that? Anyway..."

Moving on, Gates said that there will be a follow-up to the Xbox 360, even if it isn't a huge success: "I mean, geez – it was my decision to get into videogaming, so we’re going to make that look like a good decision no matter how long it takes. But we feel very good that we’ll make money this time around. The things we got wrong last time, we’ve learned them.”

Peter Moore, never one to miss the opportunity to spout off a bit, also spoke to EGM about the controller, stating: "I found it very intriguing, and I'm always a big fan of companies that try and innovate in a space where we need to do things a little differently."

He added that it remains to be seen how well the controller will work, "Because there's no game to demo against it yet, to get a feel for it, but I still respect and admire the fact that they're willing to take what is clearly a huge risk to innovate. Let's see if it works out for them."

Moore went on to say that he is a "huge fan" of Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto, and that he share's J Allard's "desire that one day he will bring his incredible content and his incredible vision for what gaming should be to the Xbox."

Like Allard, Moore said, he'd be prepared to give up all his posh cars if that's what it took to get Miyamoto on board, adding: "Might give up my house, too, if I could get it reimbursed back on my expenses."