Wii

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 1 Comment

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in DS, News, Wii | 3 Comments

Once again, this comes from one of the latest editions of Iwata Asks. This is what Nintendo President Satoru Iwata had to say when asked if Apple affected the development of the Wii or DS.

“I think Nintendo’s attitude in trying to fulfill its mission of creating entertainment that will be fun for anyone regardless of age, sex or experience shares a common element with Apple’s philosophy—or the set of values put forth by Steve Jobs—of making features as straightforward as possible, as easy to understand as possible, and as simple as possible because if there are too many options users will be confused. However, Apple is clearly a hi-tech company, whereas Nintendo is an entertainment company, so the ways we order our priorities are quite different. For example, we won’t hesitate to choose making something more durable over making it 0.5 millimeters thinner. By contrast, I don’t think Apple needs to perform repeated endurance tests dropping iPods from the exact height of a bicycle basket. If Apple and Nintendo have a similarity, I think it is enhancing appeal through simplicity. When you really pursue something, it rapidly gets simpler. But I do think there are differences between us. Because our priorities are different.” – Iwata

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in DS, News, Wii | 0 comments

GHOSTBUSTERS DEVELOPER DIARIES: ORIGIN AND THE MAKING OF

PART 2

Proving It

Now, and to be completely candid about this, as a game developer Terminal Reality had something to prove. At that time our most recent titles, Aeon Flux and Spy Hunter, each featured some great elements but neither of them exactly set the world on fire.

We had recently undergone extensive management changes and company reorganization. We firmly decided that we no longer want to be known as a developer that ships decent games on time, but instead one that focuses solely on top-quality entertainment. This had been the central message of our ‘reboot’ publisher tour in LA.

We had just proven our commitment to quality (to ourselves, anyway) by reluctantly turning down the offer of an extremely high-profile project that we felt just didn’t offer enough development time to really perfect the game.

A few months prior to that we had gone out to pitch an (different) original game IP. We had a strong document, a gameplay concept that everyone was dying to play, and even a development partnership with a high-profile, stellar, and very cool movie director who worked a room like no one I have ever seen. But what we didn’t have was a demo, and thus we never got out of the talking stages.

We learned from that experience that we have to put everything onscreen. Given this opportunity, that’s exactly what we did for Ghostbusters.

We rushed back to Texas and told the team, who was as excited by the news as we had been. Everyone jumped into making the proof-of-concept with full exuberance. This was the first official next-gen effort for the newly combined ‘big team’ at Terminal Reality. We had been dying for the chance to really show off what we can do.

The result was a playable proof-of-concept that felt, almost eerily, just like a pivotal scene in the movie: a Ghostbuster fought and captured Slimer while brutalizing a ballroom in the Hotel Sedgewick. Everything in the room, from the three-tiered cake on the buffet table to the nondescript bottles behind the bar (they’re labeled ‘Bottle’) to the heavy crystal chandelier on the ceiling could be broken, shattered, or incinerated in blazing flames.

Getting the look and functionality of the proton/capture stream right was absolutely crucial to gameplay and authenticity, so that was our first order of business. Properly scarring the walls was the second.

Within three weeks we had implemented both of these elements, as well as a fully breakable ballroom, fully animated Slimer, a ghostbuster character with working proton pack, slime and hurt reactions, a functioning ghost trap, and both blasting and rudimentary ghost-trapping gameplay.

This was the demo that we showed to our publisher, then Sony Pictures, and then to Dan Aykroyd. Everyone that saw it said that while the quality was definitely there, it also showed the team’s passion for Ghostbusters and getting it just right. Once Mark Caplan from SPCP selected a publisher, we had proved to all the parties involved that we were the right developers for this game.

Authenticity

There’s really only been one goal for this game from the very beginning: create and present a 100% authentic Ghostbusters gameplay experience. That meant the perfect Ghostbusters game would have mainstream appeal, would be action-packed, and would need to masterfully blend elements of fun and funny and scary, just like the original movie had done.

“Fun, Funny, Scary,” in fact, became our mantra. Anything that didn’t fit those criteria had to go.

We knew from the outset that lot of people would automatically assume this game was nothing but another licensed cash-in gimmick. This happens a lot, and that’s mostly a result of the fact that good movies are usually made much faster than good games can be, and tie-ins pretty much have to be released within two weeks of each other.

A tie-in rip-off is the exact opposite of anyone’s intent for Ghostbusters. We seized on the idea to embrace the property’s icons, and present them in new, fresh perspectives, as a way to convince the player that we’re on the up and up.

It’s funny, considering that almost every really enduring element from the property comes from just one movie. Ghostbusters is seriously hip-deep in icons. You’ve got the proton pack, Slimer, the Hotel Sedgewick, the PKE meter, the paragoggles, the Ecto-1, the Firehouse Headquarters, The Public Library, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Janine, that incredible logo, and the city of New York itself, which is as important a character in the Ghostbusters universe as any of the others.

For most people, the only really strong memories from the second movie tend to be mood slime, the walking statue of Liberty, and Vigo the Carpathian (we’ve got two out of three in the game).

We hit the ground running. We watched and re-watched and dissected the movies, and endlessly speculated and debated the gameplay-relevant functionality of proton streams and ghost traps and how the PKE meter works and exactly how fast four not-especially-athletic middle-aged men wearing very heavy proton packs should be able to move.

Should the player take the role of one, or any, of the Ghostbusters? We decided early on that tampering with the near-perfect dynamics already established between the Ghostbusters was flirting with disaster, so decided to introduce a cipher player character: a rookie that could both play alongside and be a Ghostbuster while still getting to sit back and enjoy the interplay between the original cast—like playing a movie and watching it at the same time. A few of us (including myself) originally wanted him to talk, but when it came time to manage the dialog for all the characters, we were very relieved there wasn’t an additional voice in the mix!

We knew the story had to be set in New York City. Trying to go anywhere else would have been coloring too far outside the lines for Ghostbusters, especially for our first time out.
We wanted the game to synch with and progress Ghostbusters canon, so we placed it just a few years after the events of the second film.

We all agreed that the sad-sack beginning of GB2, in which the city had abandoned the Ghostbusters, was too much of a downer, and you couldn’t retread that same patch anyway. So when we open the city loves the Ghosbusters, who have become New York’s official, contracted Paranormal Investigations and Eliminations experts (we ended up going heavier on the ‘Elimination’ than the ‘Investigation’, as a result of focus-testing). The new Mayor was even elected as a result of the Ghostbusters’ endorsement.

One really cool thing we’ve heard is that the overwhelming public interest in the game played a pivotal role in prompting the studio and talent to move forward on a Ghostbusters 3 movie! We’ve also heard rumors (completely unfounded allegations, and it’s irresponsible to repeat them here) that some elements from the game, and even some of the ideas we weren’t able to use, may be showing up in Ghostbusters 3, if it comes to pass. It’s hard to imagine anything much more gratifying than that. And if it doesn’t happen, we still have played a part, however small, in helping get the movie made.

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in DS, News, Wii | 0 comments

SD Gundam G Generation
– SRPG
– 2009 Summer Release
– 70% complete

Puyo 7 (Project Ringo)
– Wii/PSP/DS

Tokyo Friend Park 2
– Wii

Source

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in DS, News, Wii | 3 Comments

Oboro Muramasa (Wii) – 9/9/8/8
Sengoku Basara: Battle Heroes (PSP)　- 8/7/8/8
Super Auto Salon: Custom Car Contest (DS)　- 6/6/5/6
Rhythm de RunRunRun (DS) – 8/7/7/7
Arcana Heart 2 (PS2) – 6/7/6/5
Happy Cooking (DS) – 7/6/6/6

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 1 Comment

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 1 Comment

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Paint on the eye black and lace up the cleats, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that Madden NFL 10 will be available in North American retail stores on Friday, August 14. The storied football franchise ushers in a new era with advancements that bring the NFL fan everything they see on Sundays, minus the grass stains.

On-field authenticity and emotion is taken to another level in Madden NFL 10. With more control over the outcome of the play than ever before, players can drag defenders towards the first down marker, fight for a fumble at the bottom of the pile, and avoid the rush by stepping up into the pocket. Utilizing an all-new animation technology, Madden NFL 10 ensures that the Fight For Every Yard doesn’t end until the whistle blows.

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Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 1 Comment

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 2 Comments

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Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 6 Comments

Articles have been written by numerous members in the gaming scene regarding why Resident Evil 5 should come to the Wii. However, statements made by Capcom representatives have made it pretty clear that Nintendo fans shouldn’t expect the game to release on the Wii anytime soon. But now even Nintendo of America’s President Reggie Fils-Aime is wondering why Resident Evil 5 – in addition to “other key Capcom releases” – have not made their way to Nintendo’s system.

“Why wasn’t ‘Resident Evil’ and other key Capcom releases that are in the marketplace now… why wasn’t there a Wii execution?”

Aside from RE5, Fils-Aime also discussed the online capabilities of Wii and how “there is an untapped opportunity in packaged software to have an online element.” Here’s how Reggie responded when asked if he would like to change the fact that most Wii software lack online functions.

“In our view, there is untapped opportunity in packaged software to have an online element. We’re seeing more and more of that: downloadable content with ‘Rock Band,’ with ‘Guitar Hero…’ What Nintendo is doing is messaging to the consumer how easy it is to get online and all of the benefits. That messaging began last fall with some pre-installed content that messages: ‘Here’s everything you get as a benefit of going online…. You can go online and play ‘Mario Kart,‘ there’s channels…” We’re committed to driving our installed base. And, certainly, for any consumers who already enjoying downloadable content, the SD card and high-capacity SD card capabilities that we announced today takes it to a whole other level.”

Thanks to Jake for the news tip.