I think that it is all based on the instructor. I started off in american kenpo style and took it for about 5 years, but i was like 8 when i started, so i didnt know any better. The instructor was a shit, but this new guy came around when i was about to quit. He was teaching traditional Japanese style Shotokan and I just htought it was great. He really got me back into martial arts and eventually into MMA. I know everybody says kata is pointless and for the most part, it is. We always really focused on sparring though, full contact with knees, throws, follow up strikes and stomps on the ground, everything. After that, i was always surprised to hear people saying stuff like shotokan sucks, its just point sparring, stuff like that. Like other people already said, i agree, it depends on your teacher. I mean i really learned how to take a hit, always be really agressive, go for knockout all that. We fought in rounds too, like three minutes so i don't know who's training just point fighting with Shotokan. That sounds pretty bogus to me.
Another thing, like someone else already said, they consider themself always a Karate-Ka. I think if you get to train real Shotokan, you can see what its all about.