“The whole idea for the game was for the casual market. But as we went on, we realized that there weren’t any first-person shooters on the market with good graphics on the Wii. I think a lot of developers that make FPSs on the Wii say, ‘let’s do this so [the player] can use the Wii shooter’ And it doesn’t work. You lose half your control. So when we did it, we said ‘let’s use [the controls] for what [they] were intended for.’ The nunchuck has the throw grenade [command] on it. For a while it was crazy, the sensitivity on the Wii is almost a nightmare. At first if you scratched your nose or turned around if someone came in the room, you would throw grenades. We got the sensitivity on that, so it’s brilliant. It’s almost second nature now. You don’t throw the grenade unless you want to…We use the Wii motion to some degree. A lot of games use it, and it’s kind of annoying. What we tried to do is really incorporate the easy [motions]. We don’t have any of the pull back or push forward ones. But we did a little bit of the twist, but it’s subtle…A lot of our weapons have a horizontal path. If you move the Wiimote to the left and right you are actually changing your reticule and the way the bullets travel. You can slice through the air and different directions. Little stuff like that really takes first-person shooters to the next level on the Wii.” – Micah Skaritka, designer for The Conduit
I really love how High Voltage Software is aware of the right level of balance of motion a game should have. Too much waggle, just as Skaritka mentioned, can definitely be way more bothersome than innovative.
* Paying special attention towards making the game one of the most graphically stunning titles on the Wii, Quantum of Solace: The Game is filled with armed combat, massive explosions and vertigo-inducing chases. Gamers are further drawn into epic movie moments with theatrical camera angles, split screen effects, picture-in-picture sequences, and visually stunning real world locations such as Montenegro, Venice, Bolivia and Austria.
* Players fully immerse themselves into the Bond universe utilizing controls designed specifically for the Wii. Players may choose to use the unique Wii Remote and Nunchuk control scheme to seamlessly target and engage their enemies or they can leverage the Wii Zapper to truly step into the shoes of James Bond.
* Bringing James Bond to the Wii for the first time, gamers now have the ability to battle their friends in online multiplayer battle. Players can also engage with up to four players in split screen local multiplayer games, a mode that is exclusive to the Wii platform.
Capcom’s Christian Svensson has given gaming fans a slight update on Monster Hunter 3 and Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop for Wii. Svensson isn’t willing to talk about localization for Monster Hunter 3, but has given further details as to why the game moved from the PS3 to Nintendo’s console. “I can’t discuss the localization issues at this time. As for the decision to bring it to the Wii, I think there were many. I think it’s fair to say that CJ wanted to bring one of its premier franchises (possibly THE premier franchise when you look at the Japanese market) to the broader audience that the Wii represents. At least, that’s one of many variables that pushed it in that direction.”
Also, you might be curious as to why Capcom decided to port Dead Rising instead of Lost Planet. Well, once again, here’s Svensson’s answer: “Probably a number of reasons, not the least of which was Nakai-san’s interest in doing DR.”
Svensson additionally went on to discuss Chop Till You Drop, even explaining that there are surprises in store. “The goal, so far as I’m aware, is still 100 zombies on screen at once. I’ve yet to see that goal realized myself though. In any event, I think it’s fair to say that gunplay does play a larger role in CTYD than it did in the 360, owing to the RE4 aiming mechanics. That doesn’t mean there aren’t loads of DR mechanics too, it’s just the the balance does seem to have shifted somewhat. In any event, I think it’s fair to say that folks haven’t seen all of the surprises we have in store for the game, so I’ll have to ask for everyone’s continued patience until we’re a bit closer to release.”
Spore – 8/8
Braid – 10
Guitar Hero: On Tour – 4
Pure – 7
Facebreaker – 5
Soul Calibur IV – 9, 9
Yakuza 2 – 8
Beijing 2008 – 4
Super Swing Golf – 7
Baroque – 4
Too Human – 5
Rock Band – 9
Bionic Commando: Rearmed – 8
Thanks to Katrina for the news tip!
This comes from the Capcom-Unity blog…
“Well, it’s been a long slog, but we’re there. Any day now, those of you who properly filled out the form should be getting your new covers in the mail. The printer is in the process of sending out nearly 18,000 of them via bulk mail, but rest assured they’re on their way! Here’s a quick FAQ of questions I’m asking myself, since none of you can talk to me a the moment.
1. Did I just say covers? Yup. Since fulfillment took so long, everybody is getting two new coversheets. Each cover sheet features the cleaned cover art on one side, and the two different new designs on the other. That’s right, everyone is getting all three covers for the price of… well, none!
2. Did Capcom send out confirmation emails? Nope. Part of the problem with the lists was technical and we were unable to send out confirmation emails. As long as you completely filled out the form, and live in the US or Canada, you’re getting the covers. One mailing per household, so those of you who signed up multiple times are only getting one set.
3. What took so long? In a word, Ninjas. The rumors are true, every Japanese company has its own cadre of elite ninja assassins. Unfortunately, Capcom has recently thrown in with their mortal enemies, the Pirates, in the form of Age of Booty. Ever since we announced that title, the ninjas have been nothing but trouble. The number of death traps around the office has skyrocketed.
4. Can I still get the covers? Yes, you can! But you’ll have to use your color printer or find a Kinko’s that will charge you about 50 cents. Hi Res versions of the new covers can still be found here: http://www.capcom.com/artredemption/
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!”
New details on World of Goo have been released, the mention of online leaderboards and rumble support. Moreover, the release dates of the game in America and Europe are beginning to get nailed down. While the WiiWare version is expected to be available sometime this year, while the retail version in Europe will launch Q1 2009 for 39,99€. More details below:
– More than 50 levels in all
– A developer is providing voicework
– No usage of the Wiimote speaker, devs aren’t fond of it
– Original theme for each chapter, new chapter has been added (the moon)
– TV advertisements being discussed probably for the retail version
– Devs think Nintendo has been “wonderful,” “very honest”
futureU: The SAT Prep Game (DS) – E
Ghostbusters (DS) – E
KORG DS-10 Synthesizer – E
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Wii) – E
Paws & Claws Pet Resort (Wii) – E
Smart Boy’s Winter Wonderland (DS) – E
Smart Girl’s winter Wonderland (DS) – E
Crash: Mind over Mutant (Wii) – E10+
Tetris Party (Wii) – E
The Secret Files: Tunguska (DS) – T
TV Show King Party (Wii) – E
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 (Wii) – T
Star Parodius (Wii) – E
Summer Athletics (Wii) – E
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2009 (Wii) – T
Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii) – T
Shaun White Snowboarding DS (DS) – E
Petz Rescue Ocean Patrol (DS) – E
Polar Bowler (DS) – E
Monster Lab (Wii/DS) – E10+
The only confusing title on this list is Star Parodius. The Parodius series has been handled by Konami, yet the ESRB has this new entry listed as a Hudson title.
