Japanese producers sound off on 3DS
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 4 Comments
Hideo Kojima
“I wear glasses, so I’m happy that 3D glasses are not needed. I directed the E3 demo. It was based off Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater, but the backgrounds and character modeling were all redone in high polygon. It’s not finalized, but we’re thinking about CO-OPs and other things — elements fitting of a 3D and portable game machine.”
Suda 51
“I was able to feel the speed of video game history and also the feeling of ‘We’ve come this far.’ To express the game I want to make in a word, it’s ‘The Next Game.’ Nintendo 3DS is the arrival of ‘The Next Hardware.’ So, ‘The Next Game.'”
Hideki Kamiya
“Games with dynamic scale are okay too, but I personally would like to take a different approach from the large screen and make a 3D game where you can enjoy the feeling of existence of portable 3D.”
Toshihiro Nagoshi (Super Monkey Ball 3DS)
“If future portable game machines demand that both social aspects and immersion be satisfied for when you play multiplayer and single player for instance, 3DS firmly answers these with Wi-Fi and 3D. I’d like to make a variety of proposals.”
Nagoshi also said that he believes the 3DS is an expected “conclusion” from Nintendo, feeling that starting with the 3DS, the company has seemed to have pursued game hardware as toys.
Shu Takumi
“We’ve at last reached this point! As a creator, I feel that a new challenge (considering certain things for the first time like interface issues) has started. I’d like to show a mystery in a 3D space.”
Atsushi Inaba
“I experienced a strong jolt of the feeling ‘I want to make something.’ When I first saw Wii and DS at Nintendo’s home office, I was also excited. It’s the same feeling here, but the level is completely different this time. Since the start of the game industry, there’s never been a system that better fit the words ‘dream’ and ‘next generation.'”
Keiji Inafune
“Elements for selling games are concept, technology and marketing. Nintendo 3DS is a showcase of elements for selling hardware. While keeping the appeal of portable game machines as is, it offers high processing ability, improved controls, a more appealing design, goggle-free 3D technology, and a robust 3rd party title lineup.”
Takenobu Terada
– Believes that the true 3D contender has arrived
– Terada’s team looking at different approaches for the 3DS Super Robot Wars games
– Could make something like Super Robot Wars Neo with 3D visuals or traditional 2D battles with 3D effects and cut-ins
– Something completely different a possibility, too
Shinji Mikami
“I felt that I’d definitely like to work on 3DS. Ah, it’s time for dinner with Itagaki.”
Mikami also told Famitsu that he was surprised at how well the 3D works. Images have great depth to them and really feel 3D.
Tomonobu Itagaki
“Today, I have a meeting at a yakiniku place, but I think things will heat up with talk about 3DS.”
Unlike goggles-free television viewing, Itagaki feels it will work well with a portable.
Yoshinori Ono
“We’d like to put in some ideas that make effective use of the portability.”
Hiroyuki Kobayashi
“Our own Resident Evil was shown on the show floor and was well received, but when I saw Metal Gear, I felt the new potential of the 3DS. I’d like to make something.”
Kobayashi was also “extremely surprised” by Nintendo’s games, feeling that images come to life on the screen.
3DS talk from SEGA: Titles at/close to launch, Nintendo can further expand their audience
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 0 comments
The following information comes from SEGA’s Western president Mike Hayes…
“We’re under so many NDAs, I can’t answer that question. Are we going to have titles at and around launch? Absolutely yes, we will do. I think Nintendo have managed the whole project absolutely brilliantly. They’ve worked brilliantly with third-parties; that was said at their E3 conference. I think that was a double-sided comment from them actually: ‘Thank you third parties, but you actually didn’t believe in DS and Wii [at launch] did you?’ And we’re like: ‘Point well taken.’ Whereas of course with 3DS it’s one of the best third-party involvements there has been in recent years with Nintendo – that’s fantastic.”
“I mean, what a great piece of kit. It’s truly innovative. Their engineers are quite phenomenal – first of all with the DS and now this. The interesting thing is for Nintendo is I think they can expand their audience. I think they can move beyond the younger audience. It was encouraging to see games like Saints Row for example from THQ at E3. I think that’s a great opportunity for Nintendo and for us – particularly Western-orientated publishers. So House of the Dead or Aliens vs. Predator or other core titles like that could see a home on that platform as well, of course, as all the brands that we know will do well – Monkey Ball, Sonic etc. In terms of technology, It’s Nintendo isn’t it… They work in their huge, successful separate world. That dismissal of 3D glasses was a surprise, but they’ve created something unique. That’s Nintendo. They’ll create a phenomenally big market that this time around, which will engage third-party; at least engage them more from the outset. I think what Reggie was saying about the gaming is absolutely right – forget the technology of what they’ve created with 3DS, just enjoy the games.
The situation with 3DS launch software is a bit confusing at the moment since we don’t know who will be supporting it at launch and with what titles. It also doesn’t help that we don’t even have a firm release date for the system. However, that should change sometime in the near future, and things will become much clearer.
Okamiden sequel could appear on 3DS
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 5 Comments
This information comes from Capcom’s Motohide Eshiro…
“I actually had a chance to see and get some information about the 3DS yesterday and I think it’s a great system with a lot of potential for game designers — there’s a lot you can do with it. Especially from a graphics stand-point, there’s so much potential there. I’d like to be able to make some games for that in the future, but as far as being approached by Nintendo, I personally haven’t been approached by them to make anything for it as of yet. Maybe someone at Capcom has, but personally speaking I haven’t at this moment.
For Okamiden itself, I don’t think it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t make it a 3DS game. I’m very happy that it’s a Nintendo DS game because of the touch-screen. We wanted to make it really suited to everything you can do with the touch-screen, so we worked really hard to make sure that those aspects of the game are being fully exploited. That was the main challenge for us to overcome and hopefully when we get this into people’s hands and they start playing it, they’re going to see how great using the touch-screen is. Hopefully they have a really good reaction to Okamiden on the DS and start clamouring for a sequel. Then if they ask for that sequel on the 3DS, well… we’ll see what we can do.”
Well, I’m sure you guys know how I feel about this! In order for it to happen, it’ll need to sell well. Make sure you pick up a copy when it releases next year!
Nintendo Voice Chat podcast summary
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, News, Wii | 1 Comment
Tournament of Legends
– Most of the violence from when it was originally shown is gone
– Craig gave it a 5/10
– “An official meh”
– Graphics don’t look that great
– Craig feels like the game was rushed to make the game SEGA wanted them to make it (not official)
– Game sometimes stops so they can do something cool in the middle of the fight
– Quick time event to dodge giant feet
– Described as “bizarre”
– Filling in the gap of original third-party games
– $30, so it’s a budget game
3DS screens could be bigger, technically possible to make television-size display
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 1 Comment
Even though many technical specs behind the 3DS are still under wraps, one thing is certain: The system possesses a 3.53-inch widescreen and 3.02-inch touch screen. The two screens are quite a bit smaller compared to what the DSi XL offers. However, Hideki Konno, who is heading development of Nintendo’s new portable, recently explained that this was a conscious design decision. Even though the company created the handheld hoping that consumers carry it around with them, Konno said that they could make the screen larger.
“The DSi XL was quite impactful with its very large screen, but the concept for the 3DS is to have consumers bring it out of their homes and carry it around, considering all of those Tag Mode functions in the hardware. If we make it too large, consumers might not be able to carry such a heavy thing in their bags. We wanted to make it compact…We can make it larger.”
Also noteworthy, Konno stated that it’s technically possible to incorporate the 3DS screen technology into a television-size display. But due to high costs and the fact that players would need to remain still in a specific position, there are currently no plans to introduce that idea to the market.
“We could do it, but besides the cost issue, consumers would have to be in one very specific position to watch the TV or the 3-D will be completely gone. With the handheld, there is only one position.”
Konno: 3DS Tag Mode for Animal Crossing/Mario Kart, Tag Mode Viewer planned, motion controls like MotionPlus, more
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 2 Comments
Hideki Konno on how the 3DS’ screen works…
“The basic technology is quite old. For example, like a lenticular sticker where you shift it left and right and it shows different pictures. If we simply prepare a picture for the left eye, and a picture for the right eye, and the eyes each see a separate picture, it looks 3-D. The theory is the same, although it’s not a lenticular screen.”
Konno on why no one has used that technology in a videogame system before…
“We have been doing these experiments for a very long time, starting from the NES era. We also tried with the Virtual Boy. And even for GameCube, with the development of Luigi’s Mansion, we were thinking of developing a 3-D version of it. However, at that time it was very difficult to realize it as an actual product on the market, because of the resolution of the screen and the separate costs of the console and screen…We have been waiting, going to tech shows and seeing the latest 3-D technology and devices that support those features. We started to have more confidence that this might be a good time to bring 3-D back to Nintendo.
More Pokemon Black/White details (video chat for DSi/3DS)
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, News | 1 Comment
– Live Caster: Exclusive DSi/3DS feature
– Live Caster lets you have video chats with friends
– 4-player wireless, 2 player over Wi-Fi for Live Caster
– Pass By mode: Connect to other players when you walk by them, which helps them out somehow
– Order of your Pokemon during triple battles determines damage calculations for attacks that hit multiple Pokemon
– High Link: Overworld hub, located in the middle of Isshu, go up to other players and offer your help with missions
– Rankurusu is the Green Pokémon and Gochiruzeru is the Black Pokémon
– Gochiruzeru can use Magic Room, negates the effects of items on you and the opponent
Online play a possibility for Kid Icarus: Uprising
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 1 Comment
“The online capabilities are currently being tested. There could be some versus play but we can’t go into any detail. There are a lot of capabilities that expand on what was in the DS that people are taking advantage of.” – Masahiro Sakurai
Online play was something that I hadn’t really thought about. Although, there certainly could be an opportunity to do something neat in that area, especially with the 3DS’ expanded online functionality.
THQ: Nintendo incorporating sophisticated anti-piracy tech in 3DS
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 5 Comments
“What excites me even more [than 3DS games] is that there’s technology built in that device to really combat piracy. The problem with the DS market in the last few years, particularly with the DS Lite, is that it’s just been attacked by piracy. It’s made it almost impossible to shift any significant volume. The DSi combated it a little bit, but the 3DS has taken that a step further. I actually asked Nintendo to explain the technology and they said it’s very difficult to do so because it’s so sophisticated. They combated the piracy on Dsi, which they don’t believe is cracked yet – but they know they’ve been hurt across the world and they believe the 3DS has got technology that can stop that. Therefore the opportunity for people to invest more in product development [on the system] and bring more 3DS products to market comes out of that. It’s going to probably cost us more to do it all in 3D – so we want to make sure we get a return on our investment when we do it.” – THQ’s executive VP of global publishing Ian Curran
I think it’s pretty clear that piracy has been a huge problem on the DS. Nintendo certainly has their work cut out for them with the 3DS, but it sounds like they have something interesting up their sleeves.
Griptonite Games thinks devs need “almost have to treat it like a console”
Posted on 13 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 0 comments
“I think the third-party publishers are taking this a lot more seriously. Certainly, the video game market has changed a lot over the last year. You know, a lot of the casual games that really bombarded the DS marketplace have now moved onto other platforms like the iPhone, so I think everyone looks at this as an opportunity to kind of bring something special back to the gamers. Everyone looked at the 3DS with just how powerful it was, and the new features, the analog stick and the 3D, as an opportunity to bring almost console-level quality games to this handheld because they could. On the DS, you really couldn’t. And that’s something that we’ve learned over the last six months. You can’t treat this machine as just a DS plus. You almost have to treat it like a console, because many of the things it can do are things that consoles can do. So, you know, why not bring a more ‘gamer’ experience to that platform, if it can do really well with it?” – JC Connors, studio head at Griptonite Games
The 3DS is a very interesting device. It’s the first piece of hardware to truly introduce portable 3D gaming, and it’s also one of the closest things we’ve seen to a handheld console due to the slide pad and enhanced graphics. Also, Iwata recently mentioned that development costs could approach Wii levels.
