Keiji Inafune open to using amiibo in his games
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 10 Comments
amiibo have started to become more of an option for third-parties as of late. Shovel Knight is getting its own figure, and indie games are beginning to use the variety of figures that Nintendo has already brought out in their projects.
Going forward, amiibo support is something that Keiji Inafune may choose to take advantage of with his games. He told USGamer the following when asked about expanding in that direction for his Nintendo fans:
“That’s definitely an option for us, and if we have the opportunity to do it, then we’ll definitely take the chance. And also, we know for a fact a lot of our backers are Nintendo fans, because we ran a platform survey [for Mighty No. 9], and we see how many people are choosing Nintendo hardware. So it’s definitely something we have to look into.”
At this point, it might be too late to integrate amiibo support into Mighty No. 9. But maybe we could see the functionality in a sequel, spinoff, or whatever’s coming next from Inafune.
More: Comcept, interview, Inti Creates, Keiji Inafune
Beenox no longer working on Spider-Man games
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 7 Comments
Beenox worked on Spider-Man games for several years. The studio created Shattered Dimensions, Edge of Time, and both games for The Amazing Spider-Man in the span of five years. Despite Beenox’s involvement with Spider-Man since 2010, the company has now moved on.
Develop reports in its latest issue that Beenox is “no longer working on the Spider-Man IP”. That makes sense, as their output has been limited to Skylanders over the past few years. This year specifically, Beenox was in charge of Skylanders SuperChargers Racing for 3DS and Wii.
Beenox creative director Thomas Wilson told Develop about the studio’s transition:
More: Activision, Beenox, interview, Spider-Man, Thomas Wilson
Yuji Naka wants to make Ivy the Kiwi? and Rodea: The Sky Soldier sequels
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, News, Wii, Wii U | 4 Comments
Yuji Naka has created a few titles at Prope, including Ivy the Kiwi? and Rodea: The Sky Soldier. Both have been standalone games, but that doesn’t mean Naka isn’t interested in making sequels – quite the opposite actually.
Speaking with Hardcore Gamer, Naka expressed interest in returning to Ivy the Kiwi? if given the opportunity. The same also goes for Rodea. At the same time, he’s also thinking about completely new ideas.
Naka said:
“Ivy the Kiwi and Rodea are two titles that have a special part in my heart, so I would love to try creating sequels if I am given the opportunity. I constantly have ideas for new titles. Though I cannot say them here, please look forward to the day I can show them to the public.”
Naka further expressed interest in revisiting Rodea when asked if he’d like to see a comic series based on the game:
“If I am given the opportunity, I would love to have Rodea as a comic book series. I also personally want to see more of Rodea’s adventures.”
Level-5 CEO on why Yo-kai Watch has been a big hit in Japan, series’ origins
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 21 Comments
Yo-kai Watch has been a phenomenal success in Japan. The games and merchandise have sold incredibly well, and the series even has its own anime.
Why has Yo-kai Watch become such a hit in Japan? That question is something Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino tackled in an interview with Game Informer. He told the site:
“The reason behind the success of Yo-kai Watch, not only as the game title but as the entire franchise, I would say is the strong link between the different pieces of our franchise, centered around what we call Yo-kai Medals [which] contributed a lot. Kids in Japan ran to the store after seeing the Yo-kai Medals used in the TV series, which can not only be enjoyed as collectible toys, but are also interactive with the video game, the arcade game, and can be utilized in many more ways.”
Hino also commented on how Yo-kai Watch’s concept came about. Regarding this, he said:
“I wanted create an IP that is universal and long-lasting, while providing something new and highly relatable to kids today. Yo-kai are spooky beings which often appear in Japanese folklore, mostly related to either humans or objects we were once attached to. Though they are somewhat monster-like, I realized they had never been featured in video games. From there, I started thinking about some of the main characters, and the concept of Jibanyan – a pretty cat Yo-kai who got hit by a truck – came into my mind. In order to write a story which can be relatable to kids, we conducted robust kids research to understand them. We tried hard to capture what they are most concerned about – it was interesting to find concerns which I can relate to my childhood days, and the ones which were unique to kids today. Setting-wise, it was natural to have it take place in real world. Springdale is an ordinary town with characters who use modern devices and live normal lives, just as we all are now – which is why it is so relatable to today’s kids.”
More: Akihiro Hino, interview, Yo-kai Watch
Mario Maker devs on the new update, checkpoints came from user feedback, possibility of other “Maker” projects
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 15 Comments
USGamer recently caught up with Super Mario Maker producer Takashi Tezuka and co-directors Yosuke Oshino and Yoshikazu Yamashita. Much of the discussion focused on the game’s brand new update. Topics include how the checkpoint system came about, whether or not we’ll see other updates in the future, and the possibility of extending the “Maker” idea to other series/concepts.
Head past the break for a roundup of these interview excerpts. You can also read up on the full talk here.
Fatal Frame devs on GamePad usage and cut ideas, Ayane inclusion, free chapters in the west
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 11 Comments
Siliconera recently caught up with a pair of developers behind Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. The site spoke with Nintendo co-producer Toru Osawa as well as Makoto Shibata. A few interesting topics came up during the discussion. The two creators commented on the idea behind using the GamePad as the Camera Obscura and cut ideas, where Ayane’s inclusion came from, and the decision to make the first two chapters free in the west.
You can find these excerpts from the interview below. Read the full discussion over on Siliconera.
Super Mario Maker – origins of costumes, cursors, and a message to fans
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 5 Comments
Last month’s interview of Nintendo Dream contains an extensive Super Mario Maker developer interview. Producer Takashi Tezuka, director Yosuke Oshino, and senior director Yoshikazu Yamashita participated in the discussion.
Several interesting topics came up during the interview, and we’re excited to share a few excerpts with you all. The three team members spoke about how the idea for costumes came together, the different cursors (including some abandoned, an yet strange ideas), and a message for fans regarding the series’ future.
Head past the break for our complete translation.
Microsoft says Nintendo has “always been innovative”, “dances to their own tune”
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 47 Comments
GamesBeat recently spoke with Aaron Greenberg, who leads the marketing team for Xbox’s first and third-party games. At one point during the conversation, the site mentioned how Nintendo is bringing out a new system in the middle of a console cycle, and asked if that move will disrupt things in a way.
Greenberg responded by saying that Nintendo has “always been innovative”. He also said that they “always danced to their own tune”.
Greenberg’s full words:
“I’m not sure what Nintendo’s doing. I hear the same rumors and stuff that you do. I guess we’ll react to that when we know more. Nintendo’s always been innovative. They’ve always differentiated in their own way. They’ve always danced to their own tune, if you will. It wouldn’t surprise me if they do their own thing when the time is right. What they’ve done is unique and different. How they’ll compete with us remains to be seen.”
More: Aaron Greenberg, interview
SEGA talks again about Sonic, bigger focus on quality, appealing to new and old fans
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 19 Comments
SEGA has once again commented on the Sonic franchise, plus what fans can expect in the future.
Chris Olson, SEGA of America’s chief operating officer, highlighted two key points while speaking with Polygon. He pointed to “a greater focus on quality” as well as interest in appealing to new and old fans. Additionally, SEGA isn’t looking to rush Sonic titles out the door.
Olson’s comments in full:
“(SEGA) wants to bring Sonic to where gamers are. …there’s still a very large-sized audience with old-school Sonic fans who grew up with the Genesis. We have an obligation to the fans of Sonic and the consumer.”
“The business is always a conflict of weighing bringing a title to a market and making the yearly plan versus maybe waiting and bringing something else. You can see that on the mobile side of things. In the earlier day of mobile development, there was a tendency to bring things out immediately. Those days are … gone. Consumer expectations have been raised.”
“Video game development is a pretty chaotic thing, and it’s important not to rush things, because we want to be sure we’re bring out the most polished thing. When we look at bringing Sonic to modern-day gamers, we … obviously want to appeal to as many people as possible but still focus on what it means to be Sonic and a Sonic game. Maybe that might lose some fans along the road, but we’re picking up new fans that will hopefully grow with us as Sonic grows.”
Olson also said SEGA will continue to “[evaluate] different ways to bring cool experiences” based on Sonic, it will do so with an increased emphasis on combining “cool” with “quality.”
More: Chris Olson, interview, SEGA, Sonic, top
VIZ Media thinks Yo-kai Watch will be the next Pokemon
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 31 Comments
VIZ Media has high hopes for Yo-kai Watch. Waell Oueslati, EMEA associate brand manager at Viz Media, recently told MCV that he believes the franchise could be the next Pokemon.
Oueslati said:
“This will be the next big boys’ brand, essentially the next Pokémon. We have very high expectations for the market and for the UK. We are certainly bigger than Pokémon in Japan; we currently have 95 per cent market share in that region.”
In case you’re curious, VIZ Media is in charge of Yo-kai Watch’s comics and TV show in both North America and Europe.
