GDC: Hecker retracts "Wii is sh*t" comments

Chris Hecker has apologised for a speech made at GDC during which he called the Wii "a piece of sh*t" and accused Nintendo of failing to recognise games as an art form.

Hecker's original comments were met with a storm of criticism, and during a later session on character animation he took the opportunity to retract his remarks.

"I was trying to be thought-provoking and entertaining and fun, and a lot of the stuff went too far over the top on the entertaining and fun side - so that it was no longer thought-provoking, just inflammatory," he told the audience.

"And in the process I hurt a bunch of people I care about. And so, I want to apologise now."

Hecker went on to clarify, "I do not think the Wii is a piece of sh*t." He praised Nintendo for its innovation with controllers, user interfaces and making games more accessible, and for manufacturing a console "that you don't need to mortgage your house to afford".

Hecker wound up his apology by stating, "It's totally obvious, and I'm sorry that I implied otherwise, that everyone at Nintendo is passionate at making great games. Some of the games give me hope that we will be seen as an art form on par with movies and books."