We recently had the chance to talk to Alejandro Luna from Sabarasa, who was involved in designing the fothcoming DSi title ‘Save The Turtles‘. Here’s what he had to say about the game:

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us about Save the Turtles. Would you mind telling us your name and your role in the development of the game?

Hi, thank you very much for your interest in our game, I’m Alejandro Luna, designer of the game.

Where did the idea for an environmentally focused game come from?

Well, we are constantly trying to come up with fresh stuff, sometimes it’s a new game-play feature and others it’s just something to spice up our games with extra value of some sort. In the search for a theme, we found sea turtles to be great characters, they are quite popular and not as game-exploited as others.

While doing research for this game we fell in love with the animals and the many different communities fighting for their survival. I personally visited a sea turtle sanctuary in Mexico and was surprised by their lively behaviours and cuteness.

Do you think it will only appeal to people who are concerned about the welfare of turtles, or is there something here for everybody?

Not at all, I think all casual gamers will love Save the Turtles for its depth and emerging strategic possibilities without the need of learning complex mechanics and read never-ending instructions. In this particular case, it proved to be to be very successful with that audience thanks to its cute and charming graphics and being non explicitly violent.

There seems to be a variety of game modes to keep players occupied. Could you tell us a bit more about them.

Of course, first we have ‘Save the World’, which takes the player across 32 real world shores with increasing difficulty as new species of sea turtles and foes are unleashed. Secondly, the player unlocks a ‘Quick Play’ mode, which basically lets players exercise on the main mode and get the hang of it. Third place is for ‘Tidal Wave’ which changes the experience significantly by having the ocean wave (which normally comes to pick up good turtle matches) flooding in at random intervals, this allows the player to strategically shape bigger combos. Finally ‘Turtles Forever’, a sort of survival mode against time, where the player is paid back with seconds for each turtle combo he achieves.

What is it about the game that you think will keep players coming back for more?

There’s a certain hypnotic flavour which sticks people to the screen, and almost forces them to play for hours without checking the time. We’ve also packed up the game with a nice collection of achievements and trophies the player will surely try to acquire as it’s a tradition in this kind of games.

From what games (if any) did you draw influence for Save the Turtles?

We drew inspiration from time management games such as build-it-ups and other casual jewels such as Diner Dash, with a bit of match-3 throw into the mix. I think the result is quite interesting and players won’t be disappointed.

Prior to starting development, what were the objectives that you set out for yourselves?

We wanted to achieve that rare realm of “Okay, one more match and back to work” while playing the game. We also wanted high quality graphics and sounds to appeal casual players and finally we attempted to capture the hearts of players through these wonderful characters.

How long did it take to make Save the Turtles?

It took 6 months to finish.

Will Save the Turtles make use of the built-in microphone or camera?

We didn’t find any usage for such features in Save the Turtles, sometimes it’s best to leave something out rather than just add it forcefully and having it stick out like a sore thumb. We are, however, currently working on a project that does use both the camera and the microphone.

Are there any plans for a sequel to this game?  Perhaps featuring other endangered animals?

There are several features we’ve saved for a possible sequel, but we also want to try out a lot of things on different things and genres before coming back. It may very well happen, but not anytime soon.

The Executive Producer of upcoming WiiWare horror game Last Flight, shares his views on the state of the mature Wii market with Eurogamer.

Marcin Kawa recently spoke to Eurogamer about the comments made by Capcom France regarding the low sales figures of hardcore titles on the Wii, further adding that the company’s future was with the 360/PS3. Subsequently, these comments were retracted by Capcom Europe just three days later.

The executive producer at Bloober Team goes on to add…

“With such a strong install base it’s hard to believe that there’s not enough people to appreciate mature, core content… It’s all about games and quality. I’m not surprised that another shooter on rails doesn’t sell well. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that people expect something more than that…”

Mr. Kawa predicts that games like No More Heroes 2, Metroid: Other M, and Monster Hunter Tri should perform well in sales on a console that’s struggling to convince gamers that a mature demographic exists. Hoping that their upcoming mature horror WiiWare title is a hit with older gamers, he says…

“Instead of bitching, we’d rather create something that has value and doesn’t feel like a third-rate port put together to make a quick buck.”

I think it’s fair to say that Nintendo could be doing more to encourage third-party companies to produce top quality games for the Wii, and even the DS/DSi. As mentioned in this article from Gamasutra, industry analyst Michael Pachter notes that although the number of games available on the Wii is almost that of the 360 and PS3 combined, very few are produced with big budgets that make significant profits.

Marcin Kawa ends his Q&A at Eurogamer with this quote which I think holds some truth.

“Our logic is far simpler: if the game doesn’t sell, we did something wrong.”

What do you guys think? To see the original article, hit the link below. Also, check back with us for the latest on Last Flight, which is coming to WiiWare soon.

Only bad Wii games sell badly – Bloober [Eurogamer]

We have chance to pose a few questions to Nils Rathmann, the producer of new WiiWare title The Mystery of Whiterock Castle. Here’s what he had to say:

How would Playtainment best describe “The Mystery of Whiterock Castle” and what it offers!?

The Mystery of Whiterock Castle is a hidden object game, that lets players of all ages embark on an enchanting medieval adventure. In very short: the primary goal is to find the princess by collecting items and getting hints and the secondary goal is to get a good highscore. May be you try to beat the dev team’s highscore?

Who do you see as the game’s focused audience and what does the Wii features offer a game like this?

The game is designed for young players and families. Experienced gamers might say the easy mode is really easy, but that’s intended to offer a simple introduction for kids. The cooperation mode allows players to search together to make it even more easy and get a better highscore. Try the hard mode, especially in competition against a good player and the game will become really challenging. Additionally the Wii Remote Controller is a really good input device for that kind of game.

Nils Rathmann

The player will get an introduction when he enters the first scene, the princess room. The princess is lost and someone must look for here. Each scene will be introduced by a character who gives a hint when the scene is completed, where the player should look for next to find the princess. It will become harder to find the objects and sometimes darker in the scenes, so one will need a magnifying glass and a lantern to continue.

What has the development team created before and what gave them the inspiration for this title?

The last games of the development team are “ANNO – Create a New World” (Wii/DS), Gforce (DS/PSP) and Virtual Villagers (DS). In general we can say, that our intention was to create an exciting hidden object game after having thoroughly looked into the wide field of hidden object and adventure games, which are currently on the market. And finally: who does not have the dream to rescue a princess?

There is a random factor to the objects appearing in different levels – how does this work and does challenging another person make the game even more appealing?

The system does a random selection of hidden objects at scene start. Actually we have many more objects painted to the scene than we hide at once.

Challenging another person makes the game more interesting as you have an additional influence. You have to beat time, highscore and another player who tries to grab the objects faster than you.

Ten different scenarios please expand on these along with a fav of the team?

The different scenarios are different location within or around the castle where the player searches for the princess, or actually for hidden objects to get hints where the princess might be. You will start in the princess room and visit scenes like the kitchen, the stables or the dungeon. There is no general favorite of the team, but mine is the kitchen.

You are one of the first German publishers to release a wiiware game, why has it taken so long for a German publisher and can we expect more to follow?

We can not speak for other publishers. But RTL interactive took the decision after it was clear that the Wii hardware reached an installed base, which is good enough to take “such an economic adventure”.

Do you hope to release similar games like this – finding the objects and what other titles can we expect from you on Nintendo in the next 6 months?

There are no further projects, which we can talk about currently

Any final thoughts you’d like to share on “The Mystery of Whiterock Castle”?

As always when we release a new game, I hope you like it.

Got a question you’d like to ask Nils? Leave it in the comments section below and we’ll try our best to get an answer for you!

We recently had the chance to sit down with Manuel Rupérez and Christian Pulido, Creative Directors at Jungleland games, to talk about their forthcoming WiiWare title – STOP STRESS: A Day of Fury. So lets see what they had to say!

Hi guys, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. Do you mind telling our readers what is your name and position?

Manuel Rupérez and Christian Pulido, Creative Directors at Jungleland games.

Where did the idea for Stop Stress: A Day of Fury come from?

The simple truth is that we came up with the idea one day when playing on the Wii and the remote-control battery run out. We started shaking it with let’s say a certain degree of ‘fury’ in order to avoid the inevitable ‘game over’ message! Uhmm, I guess that triggered a ‘spark of inspiration’.

What type of player is this game aimed at?

Casual players. Our goal was to create a game playable by everyone. The starting point was to get the remote-control to act as a bat or a hammer and from then on to start breaking and smashing everything around the player onscreen. Stop Stress is easy and fun to play.

Do you think a lot of gamers will be able to relate to the stresses and strains of poor Jack?

Sure. Stress and the modern world go together like a horse and carriage; you cannot have one without the other. Although the good news is that you don’t need to be stressed out to enjoy this game. It can be played just for fun, and your expectations will be fulfilled.

Will it help players to relax after a hard day of work?

No doubt about it. Although not being designed towards fitness, the intention is to have an adrenaline rush, and maybe even lose an extra pound or two!, feel better, have lots of fun and, perhaps you will even want to have Sunday lunch with you mother in law!!!

The trailer coveys a good sense of humour. Is this element important in making the game as “stress-free” as possible?

Definitely yes, a good sense of humour is key in this game. You will be surprised by the gorilla in diapers throwing bananas at you. You will even have the opportunity to relax sipping lime flower tea… Well expect the unexpected. Laughter is an inheritant part of any anti stress therapy…

The animations look great. How long did it take to create this game?

Abylight’s talent is behind this production. It took only six months to complete the whole work.

What will make players want to replay this game?

Perhaps you lose some stress, yes, but you will also become a ‘fun addict’. We are afraid to say that once you start you cannot stop playing it again and again.

Did you specifically choose to release this game now, with financial strains and the run-up to Christmas contributing to real-life stress levels?

Every single thing counts. In fact, now that you mention it, perhaps we should have given Santa a special guest starring role!

Are the controls simple enough to create a relaxing gaming experience?

We believe this will be a new experience for the Wii player. The system developed by Abylight will show the player a way of moving around like no other before. We aimed for a vintage solution easy to feel, with immediate control and enabling the player to focus on the game experience

Is there a possibility for a sequel at this early stage?

Good question. At this stage, the answer will come from our players. However, one thing we may  announce in advance is the title, and no doubt it will be “Stop Stress 2: Jack is back”.

]]> http://www.wiids.co.uk/2009/11/20/stop-stress-a-day-of-fury-interview/feed/ 0 http://www.wiids.co.uk/2009/11/10/rubiks-puzzle-galaxy-rush-developer-interview/ http://www.wiids.co.uk/2009/11/10/rubiks-puzzle-galaxy-rush-developer-interview/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:43:08 +0000 Glyn Humphrey http://www.wiids.co.uk/?p=12761

We recently got the chance to spend some time with Collin van Ginkel, Creative Director of Two Tribes and Lead Designer on the forthcoming WiiWare title, Rubik’s Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH. So what better chance to ask him some questions about the game, the Two Tribes development team and their experiences of developing games for the Wii.

Please can you tell our readers about the collaboration between the Game Factory and Two Tribes, how this came together along with it benefits?

The Game Factory aqcuired the license to build Wii and DS games based off of the Rubik’s Cube. They asked us to come up with a good development plan, and we took it from there.

Those not familiar with the Two Tribes name, what has the team created previously and what primarily is the teams expertise and philosophy!?

Two Tribes – Digital Happiness is how we promote ourselves. We have been applying this to our games for the past eight years, in which we’ve released a series of games for a lot of different devices. We think originality and polish are important when developing games, and try to apply this to each and every game we make.

Our most well-known title is Worms Open Warfare 2 for Nintendo DS, which we did in collaboration with Team17. As for our internally developed concepts, Toki Tori (WiiWare and iPhone) would be the best-known.

What gave you the inspiration and idea to create  games based around Rubik’s cube and Rush being one in a series of titles?

All the games in the Rubik’s Puzzle Galaxy series are in some way inspired by the original Rubik’s Cube. There are several reasons why the Rubik’s Cube is so compelling. The ones that we picked to base RUSH on were; needs a three dimensional element, should baffle at first sight yet always be possible and last but not least should reward perseverance.

Creating a series based on the Rubik’s cube theme must place a lot of ‘pressure’ on the team to ensure the first title is a success especially announcing the fact that more  games in this genre will follow. Is there any reason for doing this?

Downloadable games offer a really low barrier of entry for our potential customers. If we would have crammed the entire series into a single title, it would have to cost much more than what digital games usually go for. So by delivering a series of games, we allow players to pick the ones they like without having to spend money on modes they may not appreciate that much.

Have you already many design and concepts in place for future releases and can we expect to see them on other formats depending on the success of Rush?

There is never a lack of new ideas here, so that will not be the problem. But having said that, we will be keeping a close eye on how RUSH does before announcing the future plans.

The trailer released shows a lot of the game mechanics and ideas. How long did it take for you to design all the levels and get everything in place and working and what was the hardest feature to get perfect!?

On average each level takes roughly a day or so to create, and then there’s additional time required to tweak and polish it. As for the hardest feature to perfect, I’d say that was the interface for placing and moving about the signs on the levels. We went through quite a few revisions before we got it right.

Would you explain Rush in terms of what the player must do and some of the short and long term objectives as you progress!?

RUSH is a puzzle game that’s all about forward thinking and planning. The objective is to get multiple streams of rolling cubes into their color-coded exit points without them colliding with eachother or falling off the level.

Has your experience in creating titles such as Worms been of benefit to the team in creating complex level layouts and can you give our readers a short brief of how you create a level design?

We’re big fans of puzzle games at Two Tribes. So besides the ones we make ourselves, we also play a lot of other titles. This translates into the work you do of course.

For RUSH levels, they usually start off with an idea on how to baffle players. This is achieved by making something either look simple, but have more depth to it, or by making it extremely complex in nature. After that, we start building the levels and test them on collegues. Most of the times, this means a lot of tweaking to make sure there are no easy alternative routes. After that we finalize the level by adding the proper graphics and setting the camera to a comfortable distance.

What are the teams thoughts on the Wii and was the handheld controls a decision making factor in creating RUSH or was it the pure benefits of creating a WiiWare title for a mass market?

To make the game for Wii was a no-brainer for us. The Wii Remote gives us the perfect control setup for a game like RUSH, which cannot be achieved on any other home console.

Rush also offers gamers the simple pleasures of the classic Rubik’s game. Does the virtual cube work as well as in real life!?

We will never be able to make a digital version of the Rubik’s Cube as accessible as a real one. But there are certain benefits, such as being able to offer four sized of cubes, a cool pattern-matching mode and online leaderboards for people to compare their scores.

Finally, when is the game to be released and how soon after can we expect to see another puzzler from the team?

We will be releasing the date and price-point soon, but for now we have to keep quiet on it. As for the next installment in the series, that has not yet been decided. We have a lot of ideas floating around, so keep an eye on our website!

Martin Hollis

We recently had the opportunity to chat to Martin Hollis about the exciting release of Bonsai Barber on WiiWare. The game is available to download from tomorrow (Friday 7th August), and WiiDS.co.uk will feature a review as soon as possible.

Please could you tell our readers a little bit about the new game Bonsai Barber, and what your involvement was in making it?

Bonsai Barber is a wacky and hilarious game about cutting the hair of plants who are also customers in your barber. It’s a comedy and a lot of the humour comes from the twelve customers and their bizarre personalities and requests.

Shockingly, you can’t play all day with Bonsai Barber. You only get 5 customers a day, and then you have to go away and do something else until tomorrow. Of course this is realistic as a barber does not choose how many customers come, but also it fits better with the idea of a little entertainment and something new every day. As you play through for a week or so you’ll notice some new things are introduced – but it is best to keep these secret so you can enjoy the surprises.

Zoonami was the developer of the game, so we conceived the idea, created the art, sound, software and design of the game. I run the company and balance the duties of being a Studio Head together with lead designer. However, a great amount of the design is also done by the rest of the team, and I’d say we had around 5 game designers on the project.

Where did you get the idea for creating a game based on trimming trees?

Yes it is pretty unexpected, and that is one of the things that excited us about this game. We were looking for a title which was creative and unique, and which would immediately be seen as creative and unique. Screenshots of Bonsai Barber do not resemble any other game ever made, as far as we know, so I believe we achieved this goal.

The idea came slowly, in pieces and in stages. Initially we were looking at bizarre brushes in a third-party program similar to Photoshop and we thought a tree-drawing brush was interesting. I said some kind of game could be made out of this. Later Graham Galvin had the idea of people with trees on their heads coming out of a barbershop. This concept art was hilarious to us. All the future development of the idea has stayed true to the principle of this game being a comedy, like Friends or any TV comedy show. We did a little paper-based game design. Then we developed a prototype, which we liked, that contained the scissors. The last huge change to the concept was to replace the human people with fruit and vegetables.

What audience did you have in mind when you created this game?

Firstly this is a game made for everyone; this is a very Nintendo way of making games, which we have adopted intentionally. We don’t believe anyone is excluded from being able to like this game, and we’ve tried to make the design welcoming to everybody – although you might need an open mind. We think it is suitable for gamers who are comfortable with a new kind of game and a new way of playing a true game. Bonsai Barber is also made to be a Nintendo game – it looks, sounds, feels and seems like a Nintendo game, and so it should appeal to Nintendo core: people who have loved Nintendo games for years or decades.

Also our testing shows that it appeals to a new core, that is younger kids who might say “We are not a gamer” but still play a lot of games. But having said all this, we do have a core target, our bulls-eye, who are kids, as well as family and friends playing together in the living room. Bonsai Barber is a game that encourages everyone in the room to get involved, even if it is only through laughing.

It looks like it will be great fun! Will it be fun to play as a party game?

Oh definitely it is most fun to play with other people. There’s a seamless multiplayer mode if they want to join in. All they have to do is pick up another Wii Remote and they are playing the game together with you.

Are there plenty of different styles to complete, for replay value?

Certainly! There is no shortage of styles, and if you set out to cut all of them you will have weeks and weeks of game-play. We hear about people who have played for months. Some players have even set out to cut all styles to 5 stars, with all twelve characters but this is a tall order – no consumer we know of has actually achieved this yet. In addition there are a lot of other things that could happen. For example, the customers sometimes go on holiday, and if you give them a good haircut before they go, they will send you a postcard, so you have twelve of those to collect and a few other mementos like gifts and certificates. Then there are little twists that come up from day to day to give you something amusing or something new to think about. All told there is a vast amount of gameplay, but we don’t ask players to complete everything unless they choose to.

Are the controls on this game fairly simple, for those with a less steady hand?

The controls are very simple indeed. Basically point the Wii Remote, twist the Wii Remote (to turn the scissors for example), and press B to cut. Games don’t get any simpler than this and we really wanted this game to be accessible and also approachable. Maybe someone who has never played a game before will pick up a controller to play Bonsai Barber together with a good friend or a member of the family.

Initially the game gives you easy cuts, and is generous with the scoring. And surprisingly for a video game it is no tragedy if you can’t do a good cut. This isn’t a game about failing or making you fail. It isn’t a possibility. Say you get 3 stars when you wanted 5 stars. You can still end the haircut and send the customer on their way. Nothing bad will happen. Only if you want postcards and the other optional items do you need to do a good cut at a particular time. This isn’t a game about making the player stressed. It is actually a very relaxing experience. That’s unusual isn’t it?

How long did it take to develop Bonsai Barber?

About two years looking at the calendar, although we were not working on it for the whole of that time.

Do you have a personal favourite character and cut?

My favourite cut is probably the Mountain style – I can cut it in a couple of seconds now I’ve practised it so much with Prunella the Plant Pot. Prunella is a practice option you get early on which allows you to do time trials with all the styles you have unlocked. As for characters, I’ve got two favourites, one is Charles B. Foster the banana spy because his personality is always hilarious, and the other is Bristly Bob simply because he is such a nice guy. He’s a Spud (potato) and very down to earth.

This is the first game Zoonami has developed for the Wii. How was the experience?

Firstly there is WiiWare, the download service on Wii. This is fabulous because it allows people to make highly creative, new kinds of game that could never be made for retail. If you want to bring a game to retail you have to satisfy many different kinds of people including the publisher, the distributor and the retailer. It is just a fact that different people like different kinds of game. This places a lot of limits on what kind of games you can make. Bonsai Barber could never have been brought to retail. So I’m a big fan of WiiWare.

Then there is Wii. It is a lovely machine to develop for, and Nintendo have always been great to us. I really don’t have anything bad to say against the process from beginning to end.

You can’t have millions of polygons, but then you don’t need millions of polygons to make an amazing game. When you are making a game it is easy to get distracted with graphical performance. But game design is more important. Working on a platform, which concentrates on control helps to keep you thinking about your game design.  Very powerful graphics hardware can function as a huge disadvantage. Isn’t this surprising?

How did it differ from developing games on other consoles?

I guess I answered that!

Are there any plans to create more online options such as competitions, as well as posting pictures on Wii message boards?

Bonsai Barber allows you to take photos of your haircut creations. You have scissors and a comb and trimmer of course, but you also have a paintbrush. So you can really make your own works of art. Then you use the camera to photograph it, and save it in your Wii. You can transfer it out and put it on the web, wherever you like. We’ve got some great pictures of haircuts we made and testers made during development and we’re looking forward to seeing other people’s creations.

Are there any plans for similar games in the near future?

I can’t talk about that – sorry!

Our thanks go to Martin for taking time to chat to us. We can’t wait to play the game!

We recently had the opportunity to chat to Kevin Maitreheu, producer at Neko Entertainment, regarding their forthcoming release, Heracles Chariot Racing.

Please could you tell our readers a little bit about the new game Heracles Chariot Racing, and what your involvement was in making it?

Hello, my name is Kevin Maitreheu and I’m a producer at Neko Entertainment. Heracles Chariot Racing is a fast-paced, action-laden racing game, set in the fantastic age of Greek Mythology.

Where did the idea come from, to make a racing game with Chariots?

Historically, chariot races were no hold barred contests, where racers could use any means to slow down or stop their opponents; they were the original action-racer! It’s actually quite surprising that nobody thought of it before.

There are 10 tracks in five settings. How did you imagine up the surroundings, or was there research involved to make it realistic?

The settings are based on famous places taken from Heracles legend – you can race on Mount Olympus and meet Cerberus in Hades.

It seems to be a good laugh, as opposed to a conventional racer. Is that the whole point?

Yes,  it’s not a game where you have to find the perfect trajectory to win, it’s a game where you take the first place by using fireballs and lightning bolts to blast your opponents (and/or friends in multiplayer).

Who would enjoy playing this game the most?

Heracles Chariot Racing is meant for everybody. Between the multiplayer modes, and the different cups, anybody can enjoy the game, young kids as well as hardcore gamers.

What kind of reply value does Heracles Chariot Racing offer?

You have three cups to compete in, and the last races will pose quite a challenge, even to experienced players. Of course, there are the two multiplayer modes: a Race Mode, in which you race against your friends while slowing them down with the bonuses and powers you pick up, and a Battle Mode, in which you and your friends face each other, throwing fireballs and lightning bolts and using all sorts of godly powers until there is only one left standing.

What puts this above other fun racing games out there at the moment?

First, the setting – it’s not every day that you can play the son of Zeus riding a thundering chariot, racing against Poseidon. Also, we played to the classics of the genre (such as Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing, etc), extracted what we felt were the best parts, combined them and added our own touch to create Heracles Chariot Racing.

How long did it take to develop this game?

The game took eight months to develop, with a team of 15 persons.

What kind of challenges will players face when racing through the courses?

The players should be careful, because the danger comes not only from their opponents, but also from the tracks, which are full of obstacles, traps and other surprises. But there are also secret shortcuts that the players can find if they are attentive.

What is your favourite track and character, and why?

My favourite track is in Hades, because you meet Cerberus and … well, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. My favourite character is Minotaur, because  a giant carnivorous half-man half-bull is as awe-inspiring as it is terrifying.

Here are some screenshots for you to enjoy. Please click on the thumbnails to see larger size.

Thanks to Kevin for taking time to chat to us.  Heracles Chariot Racing will be available to download from WiiWare on Friday 24th July.

Click on image for larger view

Robomodo (the developers of the Xbox 360 & PS3 versions of Tony Hawk: RIDE) has revealed the skateboard controller will now be white.

Just when we were getting used to the idea of having a wheel-less skateboard with more hi-tech stuff in it than Stephen Hawking’s house, the creators behind the peripheral have revealed it is no longer the sturdy-looking black model that was showcased at E3, but it is now a rather fragile-looking white piece of gadgetry. Because it’s more “consumer-friendly”.

Speaking with Matt Martin at GamesIndustry.biz, Josh Tsui (founder of Robomodo) revealed the colour-change as well as the need for both software and hardware to be developed at the same time.

“Traditionally Tony Hawk games had rapid fire button-mashing, one thing after another. But for our game it’s very much like real skating so once you’ve done a trick on a bench you’ll need to rest up before hitting the next one. So all of our layout for the levels are designed very deliberately for that type of board play.”

Buzz Monkey will be developing the Wii version. There is currently no firm release scheduled for Tony Hawk: RIDE, other than Autumn 2009. To read the full interview, click on the link below.

Pimp My Ride [GamesIndustry.biz]

]]> http://www.wiids.co.uk/2009/07/16/tony-hawk-ride-board-controller-will-be-white/feed/ 0 http://www.wiids.co.uk/2009/06/03/red-steel-2-creative-director-interview/ http://www.wiids.co.uk/2009/06/03/red-steel-2-creative-director-interview/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:27:02 +0000 Glyn Humphrey http://www.wiids.co.uk/?p=8059

During my recent day with Ubisoft (which you can read about here), I got chance to have a roundtable interview with Red Steel 2’s Creative Director, Jason Vandenberghe, about MotionPlus, cell-shading, and hitting things with a sword.

Present at this round table were myself (Limpit – WiiDS.co.uk), James (NintendoLife), Karn (Cubed3) and Jason Vandenberghe (Creative Director – Red Steel 2). Questions were fired left, right and center and all we had were our trusty pen and notebook, so here is a rundown and all the juicy information from our chance to probe Mr. Red Steel 2.

Where did the inspiration behind Red Steel 2 come from?

“When we started to think about Red Steel 2, we decided we needed to create a new setting and relaunch the game with a new style. Red Steel gave us the sword and gun based gameplay, and the Japanese and Western influence. From there, we “smashed” the ideas together and came up with a world that was a real mix-up of both cultures and when the idea of the Unnamed Hero appeared, it fit perfectly. The cell-shaded graphics also seemed to match the new setting we had created so it all just seemed to fit together nicely.”

Why did you decide that the game was to be MotionPlus only, and were there any concerns?

“When we started to make some prototypes to test some ideas for the new game, we soon realised that some of the things we wanted to do weren’t possible with the normal Wii remote. After playing with the MotionPlus add-on we soon realised that we couldn’t make the game we wanted to without it. Yeah, we had concerns of the uptake of the accessory and had to look carefully into the decision to make the game MotionPlus exclusive, but the game without the add-on just felt so unresponsive and laggy when hitting things that we felt we had no choice. But in the end I think we have made the right decision – I mean it works so well with it!”

Jason Vandenberghe

How much help did Nintendo give with the MotionPlus add-on?

“Nintendo were very helpful and gave us early access to the development libraries for the accessory, but in our team we had already got some of the top Wii developers in the world from the work with previous titles. As development progressed, the libraries improved, but they were still new to everyone (even Nintendo) so it was a real learning experience for all. We also got to work with the Metroid Prime team and they helped with getting the FSP control mechanics “right”. Overall Nintendo were very helpful and everyone was happy to work together.”

Had any development started on Red Steel 2 before MotionPlus was announced?

“Development for Red Steel 2 started when Red Steel was finished and the dust had settled. The team spent a lot of time listening to the community, researching into other FSP titles on the Wii and worked on polishing our game ideas. When MotionPlus appeared, we re-examined everything we had already found out and applied the new device to our already thought-out ideas.”

Did you ever think about ditching the seemingly overpowered gun and make Red Steel 2 sword-only?

“Red Steel set the standard for what the franchise is about – sword and gun. Getting rid of the game wouldn’t make it Red Steel anymore. However, I’m not totally against the idea of a “Red Steel Tactics” sword-only spin off. That would be cool!”

Guessing from your accent, you’re American – How did you find working with a french based company?

“At first I thought it was going to be a little daunting, but soon found out how friendly and welcoming the guys and gals at Ubisoft are. The company on the whole is very bi-lingual, and it has given me the chance to learn a bit of french of my own! I don’t see it as a problem, and the fact they are letting me make the game I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time, I’m sure I’d have worked something out if it was a problem!”

It has already been announced that Red Steel 2 features no multiplayer – What is your take on this?

“The lack of multiplayer meant we had a lot more time to focus on the single player game. There had already been a great number of challenges to overcome, and the team is not huge, so fewer challenges made it a lot more achievable. That said, I’d love to add multiplayer to future games in the series.”

Is there any relation between Red Steel and Red Steel 2?

“Apart from the sword and the gun, and the Japanese/Western culture setting, no! The storylines of the two games, together with the setting, are very different. We’ve got a new hero in a new world where cool things happen and the action comes to you. Realism also isn’t a barrier, as we like to think we have got to the edge – making the game as real a possible without making it overly fantasy based.”

And the future? Red Steel 3 – In Space?

“Wow, I like the sound of that idea! But seriously, we need to get Red Steel 2 made and out of the door first, but who knows where we will go next!”

Finally, if you could say one thing to our readers about Red Steel 2, what would it be?

“This game will let you smash things to pieced with your sword – simple as that!”

Be sure to check back tomorrow when we’ll have another Red Steel 2 exclusive – an interview with Roman Campos Oriola, Game Designer.

Kerry Konofsky (CEO/founder of High Voltage Software), Eric Nofsinger (Chief Creative Officer) and Matt Corso (Lead Art Director) talk about the upcoming FPS for the Wii, The Grinder.

In another IGN exclusive, High Voltage Software has another gory title lined up for Wii owners in the form of The Grinder; a “blood-drenched first-person shooter designed to accommodate four-player online cooperative action. Featuring vampires and werewolves, fans of modern horror films should keep an eye out for this title.

Gamers will be able to upgrade their characters and weapons; as the developers are big fans of light-RPG elements in their games but are also open to gamers’ suggestions. Online co-op mode is also included, which will be showcased at E3 2009.

The Grinder promises to provide a high number of detailed on-screen enemies; with early in-house testing producing about 65 enemies! Sounds good. High Voltage Software also hints that the game will support MotionPlus, when questioned about Miko the Japanese assassin who happens to be a master of all weapons.

As there is much emphasis on the multiplayer aspect of the game, the developers are keen to implement Wii Speak into it. The Grinder is scheduled for a release for Christmas 2010, but it’s still early days.

Click on the link below to read the full IGN interview. It’s a very good read! Check the screenshots out too.

Pre-E3 2009: The Grinder Revealed [IGN]

The Grinder (Wii) Screenshots [IGN]