the article will have to be posted tomorrow because i forgot to save it (duh)
but today i'm just going to post on video cause i'm going to the movies tonight.
The Metroid Retrospective Part 1 (Gametrailers)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Tom.
Tomorrow I will post my first editorial (hope yall like it) also i'm trying to find another writer to talk about ds if you think you would like to do it
drop me a line at ryanrab@aol.com
drop me a line at ryanrab@aol.com
Peter Moore does not like the wii zapper
Peter Moore discussing Nintendo E3 keynote: I saw around 80 percent of both. I thought they were solid conferences. There was nothing that was really unexpected that I saw, and you could say the same about ours. The continuation of what the Wii is doing with the wheel… although I was a little surprised with the Gun. That seemed a little out of position [for the Wii market].
Mario Party Returns to Europe Aug. 8th
“The offending word has been replaced at code level and the software reproduced. We are confident we have taken the correct appropriate levels and action necessary and in all new versions of the game there are no issues – however we cannot 100 per cent guarantee that every copy of the initial batch was returned to us and as such there may still be a small number of copies of the game in circulation.” - Nintendo rep
[Rumor] New Star Solider heading to Wii
Hudson's Star Soldier series has always held a special place for me. In a lot of ways, it was one of the first game that truly introduced me to the world of vertically scrolling shooters. One of the unheralded gems of the Gamecube in my opinion happened to be an import only remake of the original Star Soldier for the system. Though it was definitely a throw back in every sense of the word, the game delivered the quality shooting experience that fans of arcade styled shooters would appreciate, despite its mediocre sales and lackluster reviews from a lot of mainstream media sources.
With that said, it seems that Hudson is planning on revisiting the franchise with a new game in the series for the Nintendo Wii. In a short blog post, Takahashi (from Hudson) has stated that they are currently planning on a Star Soldier title for the Wii, tentatively named Star Soldier R. Though no further information is provided (including whether or not this is another remake or a new game entirely), he states that the game will be revealed with the 2007 Caravan tour.
Though the game is only in its early stages, Hudson seems keen on trying to drive up support for the title to determine whether or not there is a demand for this sort of shooter on the Wii. I know I would personally love to see another vertical shooter coming to Nintendo's newest console, but whether or not we see this title is going to be determined by the initial customer feedback provided to Hudson by fans of the series.
We should have more information soon. I'm crossing my fingers that this title does come through to fruition.
With that said, it seems that Hudson is planning on revisiting the franchise with a new game in the series for the Nintendo Wii. In a short blog post, Takahashi (from Hudson) has stated that they are currently planning on a Star Soldier title for the Wii, tentatively named Star Soldier R. Though no further information is provided (including whether or not this is another remake or a new game entirely), he states that the game will be revealed with the 2007 Caravan tour.
Though the game is only in its early stages, Hudson seems keen on trying to drive up support for the title to determine whether or not there is a demand for this sort of shooter on the Wii. I know I would personally love to see another vertical shooter coming to Nintendo's newest console, but whether or not we see this title is going to be determined by the initial customer feedback provided to Hudson by fans of the series.
We should have more information soon. I'm crossing my fingers that this title does come through to fruition.
Monday, July 23, 2007
George Harrison interview (gamedaily)
George HarrisonBIZ: Have you shown these products to publishers and gotten some feedback? I'd imagine, especially with the Wii Balance Board, that it has all sorts of applications.
GH: The Zapper's been shown to the publishers and you've heard this morning that Resident Evil from Capcom and Call of Duty [from Activision] are going to take advantage of it. The Board itself really hasn't been shown to anyone outside of Nintendo, so this is really the first time we've unveiled it to the world and we'll see what kind of game ideas they can come up with but I don't think any of them are going to appear this holiday. The Board itself will be sold with the Wii Fit product initially and maybe later on will be sold alone.
BIZ: Do you have any pricing in mind that you can talk about?
GH: Clearly it will be more than just a piece of software because the board will be included, but they've got to get the real cost of the board down itself.
BIZ: I'd imagine with the third-party response, especially from companies like EA with something like SSX or Tony Hawk with skateboarding, I'm sure that Balance Board could be utilized pretty well by those products.
GH: Yeah, they were only able to show a few examples this morning, not only the aerobic and the exercise and the step kinds of things but there were some other things in there that involved skiing and ski jumping, that type of thing, so there's some fun games on there, like the one where you're on the balance board doing the hula-hoop on the board and trying to see how many you can catch and keep going.
BIZ: You've been with Nintendo for a long time, and the company was really at the top of its game in the early '90s, then went into a little bit of a lull where it wasn't quite as dominant with N64 and GameCube. Now, it would appear that you've gotten your swagger back, so to speak. So how would you compare Nintendo now to the Nintendo of the late '80s and early '90s?
GH: Well, I think in some ways, certainly in the late '80s it's very similar to where we are now. We were really groundbreaking with Atari come and gone and then all of a sudden the Nintendo NES arrived and it really was groundbreaking. People had really not seen games like Mario before and actually there were many people, not just not just teenagers playing, but we probably stayed too long with what we do well in the '90s and tastes began to change a little bit here in the U.S. as you saw and that gave an opening to people like Sony and ultimately to Microsoft. In some ways, it was liberating because we realized we don't want to and don't feel we can go head-to-head because we're not making Grand Theft Auto, we're not making games like that, it's not what Nintendo does. It caused us to think differently and look at this expanded audience and try to say, "You know what? There are a lot of people that don't play games. Let's go try to figure out what they like and how we can get them involved." And that involved the changing of the interface, how you actually interact with the game, from the DS stylus to the Zapper to the Wheel for Mario Kart, and then the nature of the games, the development type games like the brain games and things. A few years ago, people would not even have considered them to be video games and would have never even thought to make them for our systems.
BIZ: Everyone knows the story of how Nintendo almost partnered with Sony, but it didn't happen and then Sony made the PlayStation. Do you ever wonder how this industry might be different if Sony and Nintendo had come together on a CD-based console?
GH: Well ironically, that was just as I was arriving at Nintendo, March 1992. That very first show, I think it was a CES show in May or June, is when we decided at the last moment to pull the plug on that relationship, but I didn't know enough at that point to really understand the reasons why or even the implications. But I think in the end, we're better off working independently. Even having to work outside to develop our hardware, we've shown that we can develop hardware profitably and retain control of the innovation that we like to do in the software area.
BIZ: Let's talk a little bit about WiiWare. The Wii is finally going to be getting some original downloadable titles in addition to all the classics you have on the Virtual Console, and of course it seems somewhat similar to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. How in your view will WiiWare differentiate itself from the PlayStation Network offerings and the Xbox Live Arcade offerings?
GH: What I've seen so far on Xbox Live Arcade, they've poured out a lot of PC casual type games, things that you can already see on Pogo and other types of things. We're hoping that WiiWare will open up the opportunity to really do some new ideas, and people that might not have the biggest budgets or can't always get the attention of publishers to get a retail distribution of their product can try out some ideas. Things that we've tried recently like Electroplankton, a music based game which we showed a year ago I think at E3, probably wasn't really a big enough idea to go to retail; we tried to sell it just online but it was kind of difficult. So I think there's got to be an outlet where those kinds of games can test the audience and see if there's any type of traction there. So we're hoping that it will spawn a whole new level of creativity.
BIZ: Is there a reason why it's taking so long? It's not scheduled to start until early next year, so it's a long wait.
GH: Well, actually in June, we unveiled the existence of it and we provided the tools at a developers conference. So it'll take some time but it may not take until 2008. I've seen a couple of ideas that had already been generated even before we went public. Whether or not those are going to be ready to go, I don't really know.
BIZ: So you're saying there's an actual possibility that the WiiWare could launch?
GH: Yeah, it really depends on the developers. If they have their games ready and they are of appropriate quality, there's nothing to stop them from launching before the end of the year. It's just the fact that we only recently gave out the development tools and all the development specifications and most people have not even started yet.
BIZ: This is probably a question you've been asked many times, but it seems to me that there is a noticeable difference between the hardcore and casual focus on the Wii and I realize that Nintendo is trying to broaden the audience, and certainly the hardcore gamers are going to want the Marios and Zeldas and Metriods, but I still feel that those experiences are few and far between and even the third-parties are looking more to the casual sector on Wii because they know that's where the big opportunity is. It seems to me that hardcore gamers might start looking more for those other experiences on competing platforms, PS3 and Xbox 360. Is this a trend that worries you at all, that the Wii might be pinned too much as a casual system?
GH: Well, we don't want it to be and we tried to show this morning that there are a whole variety of games that were great for the existing gamer and the hardcore gamer, and that included everything from the games that used a Zapper like Resident Evil and Call of Duty but also things like Madden Football from EA, which can be a different experience [on Wii]. We know there's going to be some purists that we're going to lose and they might be first to focus on the absolute last detail of perfect graphics and if they're willing to pay five, six hundred dollars for a PlayStation 3 then more luck to them. But we do believe in products like Madden Football, for example. There are a lot of people that love football that have been locked out of playing it because maybe it's become too complicated over time – the controller was too complicated. We're hoping now with the Wii Remote control scheme and the family play mode where you don't have to control every aspect of what's going on, you can get in and play and enjoy yourself. Many more football fans should be able to get involved in Madden as a result of the Wii.
BIZ: Speaking of the five, six hundred dollars, what did you think of the recent price cut down to $499 and the reintroduction of the $599 PS3 with Motorstorm and a bigger hard drive? If you put yourself in Sony's shoes, is that something that you think is the right decision?
GH: I don't think they had any choice. It's pretty soon after launch to be dropping your price, but I'm pretty sure they had to do it. They had to start momentum in some form, but we don't think it's something that'll hurt us. It doesn't really affect us, since they're still far enough away. And it is a bit of a shell game; you're priced at $499 and you reintroduce a new model at $599. Which one's going to be in best supply in the marketplace? Hard to say.
BIZ: The file size has always been a restriction on Xbox Live Arcade and they finally increased it from 50MB to 150MB. Are there going to be any file size restrictions on WiiWare?
GH: There are, and I don't know off the top of my head what that is, but the idea is to try to have it be of a modest size that a developer can do without huge amounts of resources. So we did set a limit but I don't know what that is today.
BIZ: Is there any thought of possibly offering an external hard drive peripheral? If this service takes off and people are going to have a lot of games on their console that they're going to want to store, the internal memory of the Wii might not be enough, so is there a possibility that Nintendo will launch a hard drive?
GH: I'm not sure whether we would launch it or not. Other people have talked about it and certainly memory management is something that consumers want to think about, whether it's just Virtual Console games, so at this point we haven't got anything we're prepared to say about it.
BIZ: Regarding the whole sales and marketing department, but the last thing we heard was that they're going to be moving into new offices in the Bay Area and New York City and that was on track to take place for September. One, is that still on track for September and two, what are your thoughts on how this move will affect Nintendo of America?
GH: It is still on track for September. We've got the two office locations identified in midtown Manhattan and Redwood City. It's going to be disruptive in the short term, but we believe in the long run, we're better off to be, in the case of the marketing group, in the San Francisco area not only in the midst of many of our third-party publishers but also that's really the hotbed of innovation in marketing, whether it's Google or YouTube or others. So we think the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term disruption to all of us.
BIZ: It seems that Japan calls the shots for Nintendo. I was wondering, was this a Nintendo of America decision, or did they actually dictate the move, decide that it would be better for the sales and marketing team to be in San Francisco and New York?
GH: It was discussed with our management, which on our side would be the President, Reggie, and our Chairman, Mr. Kimishima, so it was discussed in great detail, because there was sensitivity as to what it might mean. But we felt that this was a good time to do it; business is very, very strong and as a result we felt, "You know what? Let's get it done and try to get it done quickly," which is why we chose and aggressive date of September.
BIZ: And what about the rumor that you, Beth Llwellyn and Perrin Kaplan would all be leaving? I mean, I certainly respect your privacy and if you don't want to answer you don't have to, but can you confirm whether you're staying with Nintendo or not?
GH: I think I'll take you up on your offer of not answering. [laughs] We're not going to talk this week about individuals. I'm involved in making the transition happen because Reggie's the President and will stay in Redmond, and we're getting underway with a big recruiting effort because, not surprisingly, a variety of people are not going to make the move. So in September I'll be working long and hard in San Francisco opening the office and hopefully welcoming and orienting new employees.
BIZ: I interviewed Perrin during D.I.C.E. and we talked a bit about how Nintendo likes to revise its handhelds. I asked her if this revision model was applicable to console hardware like the Wii as well, and she said, "Sure. You'll see the ways in which we do that." That seemed like a strong hint that Nintendo will revise the current Wii hardware. Is a new model planned?
GH: It's interesting, console hardware has always historically been on a sort of fixed, sequential pattern almost every five to six years and it takes you about five years to develop a new piece of console hardware. The handhelds and portables, like Game Boy and now DS, we've always been continuously innovating, and whenever we feel like it's time or have an upgrade, we'll do it, whether it's an improved screen for the handheld or slimmed down like the DS Lite – those types of things. So it's not out of the question on Wii, but we're not even to our second holiday yet, so it's kind of premature to talk about any revisions to the hardware itself.
BIZ: At one point, Nintendo referred to the DS as a "third pillar" and I think it's actually been a while since it's used that term, but there's been so much focus on the DS since it's been so phenomenally successful that it sort of makes us forget about the Game Boy. What I'd like to know is: what's Nintendo's strategy with those separate product lines? Is there a strategy to bring Game Boy back and still have the DS when you finally do bring the next version out? How do you balance those product lines?
GH: The Game Boy Advance as it exists today, like any platform, really survives based on the software and as developers begin to move their new software efforts away from the Game Boy and move it over to DS, fewer titles come out. So this year in our marketing, you really won't see much push in against Game Boy itself, so it will seek its own level. It's hard to say whether in the future we would ever bring back the Game Boy trademark. It was a big risk for us to actually pass on it and call the new product Nintendo DS, but it was part of Mr. Iwata's philosophy that if we're going to make a radical difference and try to reach a new audience we have to change the name. Obviously, we got a lot more radical when we chose Wii for a name, but we felt like if you had always thought video games were not for you and we named it the new Game Boy DS, you still would have not considered it. So we had to make a break, even though we had one of the greatest trademarks in the history of the industry.
BIZ: So you're saying there actually is the possibility that name has been retired, so to speak?
GH: Well, we only control the name, so the only question will be if there's a good, independent idea outside of Nintendo DS to use it.
[PR rep: Time for one more...]
BIZ: I wanted to get your thoughts on Microsoft's warranty extension and all the problems that they've had with their Xbox 360 hardware. Most would you say that they did the right thing in extending that warranty and saying there's something wrong but at the same time, but at the same time they won't say exactly what is wrong. How would you evaluate what's happened over there?
GH: Two things. I think their desire to be first and have a year head start on PlayStation – because at that point I think they were discounting us – caused them to rush into this, and so this rush to be out there a year in advance really set them up for the hardware problems that they're having now. They had to finally acknowledge it because ultimately when people are replacing or getting repairs on one, two, three of their Xbox 360s, eventually other consumers and the mass market's not going to buy into the proposition, so they had to reassure the market however they could. But it's a stunning admission; it's more than a billion dollars! That's huge on a business that already looses money for Microsoft. But I don't think they had a choice but to own up to it.
BIZ: Thanks a lot for your time, George.
Alien Syndrome (trailer)
game doesn't look to good to me but it comes out today so if you want to get it go get it
Space Station Tycoon Interview (n-philes)
The truth is out there! And Wii owners will get a chance to find out what it truly is! Coming to an Earth-based retail store near you this summer is Space Station Tycoon, a—you guessed it—space station management game from developer Wahoo Studios. Today, N-Philes makes contact and probes some juicy bits of information from Project Manager Brent Fox.
N-Philes: Thank you for setting aside some of your time to answers our questions. First, please tell us a little bit about yourself, how you got into the gaming industry, your role behind Space Station Tycoon and some other titles that you’ve worked on.
Brent: I got into the gaming industry back in 1996. I was fresh out of college and I wanted to find a job working with 3D. I stumbled across a local game developer, got a job as an artist and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m currently the art director at Wahoo Studios and the project manager for Space Station Tycoon. It’s a demanding job but I love it!
I’ve worked on a lot of games on many different platforms. These platforms include Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PlayStation2, GameCube, Xbox 360, PC and now on the Wii. Some of the more notable games I have worked on include the Star Craft: Brood War expansion set, CyberTiger (a Tiger Woods golf game for the N64) and more recently Outpost Kaloki X and Band of Bugs for the Xbox 360.
Oh, and I have six toes on my left foot.
N-Philes: How is Space Station Tycoon different compared to other tycoon games? What exactly the player has to do to build up their space-faring financial empire?
Brent: There are a lot of tycoon games out there. They come in a wide range of quality and features so it’s pretty hard to compare this game to the entire genre. However, we certainly have put some unique features in Space Station Tycoon. We have wrapped the entire game in a story filled with wacky characters. We have even gone so far as to create just under a half hour worth of funny cut scenes in addition to a ton of entertaining in-game dialog. Space Station Tycoon is level based but the levels don’t have to be played in an exact order. Each level has a set of goals and so the game becomes more of a strategic puzzle. You must figure out how to best accomplish the goals in each of these levels. We also have many other features that aren’t typically found in a tycoon game, such as boss fights, multiplayer co-op and other interesting stuff.
N-Philes: How much of the game is customizable? How many ways will players get to earn their keep?
Brent: This is a hard question to answer. Customization crosses over a bit with strategic choices. Each level begins with at least one central hub to your space station. We call these islands. In most levels you can link additional islands to your space station and choose to expand in a lot of different directions. You can choose from many different islands with different functions and looks.
In addition to island linking, you must add expansions to these islands. You can choose which expansions to build and where to place them. The positioning of these expansions is not only for aesthetic reasons but placement affects your efficiency and strategy.
While playing through the game many different items can be discovered. Once unlocked, a wide variety of doodads can be placed on top of each of the islands. You can become a decorator and make some very unique islands by using different combinations of these wacky items. However, I’m not suggesting that it is 100% about building a cool looking station. There is still strategy involved.
N-Philes: Aside from the exciting and lucrative life of space station management, what other kinds of other action and gameplay can players expect?
Brent: Space station management obviously has exciting rewards of it own but the action doesn’t stop there. You will have access to a gravity well that can be used to pull things around and blow things up. Watch out for mines while flinging your visitors around. Well, unless you want to get rid of them. Use space debris to protect important areas of your space station from attackers. You may find rewards when you blow up asteroids. While you are trying to manage all of this chaos you also might want to watch out for natural disasters. That solar flare can really wreak havoc on a space station.
N-Philes: Looking at some of the screenshots available, there appears to be some similarities between Space Station Tycoon and Outpost Kaloki X available for the PC and on Xbox Live Arcade. Is this an incorrect assessment? How do the games differ?
Brent: Space Station Tycoon certainly has some obvious similarities but it has evolved a lot. We have concentrated on making a game for the Wii and because of this, we have made a lot of changes to the basic gameplay. If you just look down the basic feature list you can get an idea of how different it really is. In addition to the feature list, Space Station Tycoon has a different pace and feels a little more action packed.
N-Philes: Space Station Tycoon is the first Wii game for Wahoo Studios correct? How does the development team feel about the Wii in terms of hardware and capabilities? Was this different than when the console was first revealed?
Brent: We love the Wii and we plan on making a lot more great games for this platform. One of the best things about the Wii is that everyone is looking for more creative and inventive games. These are the kind of games we want to make.
N-Philes: How are the Wii controls used? Are they used strictly to interact with the interface or are there other ways in which the controls are used?
Brent: You can flip switches, turn dials and spin spinners but there is so much more. Toss ships around, drag space junk, control mines and blast open meteors. All of this fun stuff is made possible with the magic of the Wii controls. I can sit for hours sending out blasts that blow up incoming visitors.
N-Philes: How long has the game been in development? Has the game’s concept or direction changed over time? Was it originally conceived as a Wii title?
Brent: Space Station Tycoon has been in development for a long time and things have certainly changed as the game was developed. We have stayed true to the core game-play but many of the details have evolved. We didn’t settle in on the Wii as the final platform right away, but once this decision was made, we got really excited and made sure that the game would be a perfect fit for the platform.
N-Philes: What have you done with the game’s visuals to make it stand out in terms of technical capabilities and artistic style?
Brent: It’s all about style. Space Station Tycoon has a very unique look and feel. It’s perfect for such a wacky game. Not only is the game filled with crazy characters but you will also encounter unexpected locations, strange space station expansions and a host of interesting items for decorating your station. Somehow we’ve managed to make a soda machine on a tropical island fit in with a seahorse that flies a space ship that looks like a hippie van. It all fits together perfectly.
N-Philes: According to science, in space nobody can hear you scream. Obviously that could make things pretty boring, so how did you go about designing sound and music into the game and what role do they play?
Brent: We actually did a lot of screaming and yelling but it was in a sound booth. We never actually tested the theory in space.
We have some really unique music in the game. It has a tropical theme that is mixed with pirates, hippies, science and other themes in the game. It may sound a little crazy but that is the kind of direction we gave the composer and he pulled it off. We already have people around the office who want to use the music as a ring tone or get it on their MP3 players.
N-Philes: Will there be any kind of multiplayer features? How would playing the game with others work?
Brent: It’s really pretty simple. Whenever you are playing a game and a second controller is turned on, the second player has the option to begin helping. Drop out whenever you need to take a break.
Space Station Tycoon really is cooperative. It works much better if both players are using the same strategy because, if you don’t, you will end up spending the same amount of money on two different approaches and that isn’t very effective.
N-Philes: What about Wi-Fi or WiiConnect24 support? Will players’ Miis be among those visiting outer space? If not, did the team look into making these features possible?
Brent: These are both great features. We can’t put everything into our first Wii title and we chose to focus on other features. However, on future titles you’ll certainly see more of these features in our games.
N-Philes: Would you say that Space Station Tycoon has been designed to target a specific demographic or will a wide range of people be able to enjoy this game?
Brent: I know it is pretty ambitious but we designed the game for anyone who owns a Wii. This is a pretty broad audience but we hope that a wide range of people find it entertaining. We’ve added a little something for everyone.
If you don’t own a Wii then this version of Space Station Tycoon probably isn’t for you. Mostly because it won’t be playable on any other systems.
N-Philes: Space is a pretty big place. Just how much of it is explored in the game? Will be able to visit or orbit any famous places? Mars? Tatooine? Ceti Alpha V?
Brent: Space is pretty big but we cover it all in Space Station Tycoon. Don’t worry. You will be able to use the galactic map to navigate the universe and beyond. The places we’ll take you are far better than Mars. I would even go so far as to say that, compared to where we’re going to take you, the places you mentioned sound quite boring. Who has ever heard of a heavy metal rock concert or extreme cage fighting on Mars? Our locations are filled with stuff like this. In fact, if you’re not careful you may find yourself in the belly of a whale.
N-Philes: The protagonist in the game is a guy named Shawn. But of all the possible animal sidekicks, why did you decide to make Tam a talking monkey?
Brent: What other kind of sidekick would be better for a space station tycoon? A talking monkey is a perfectly natural fit. You might not want to have Tam hear you call him the sidekick, as far as he’s concerned he is in charge. When I stop and think about it, I actually don’t quite understand why these two hang out together but it sure is funny to watch.
N-Philes: It certainly looks as if there are some wacky and creative character designs in this game. I mean, voodoo chickens? Where do these ideas come from? Did members of the development team have any first-hand experiences with the kind of beings that are really out there?
Brent: Many of the team members had a lot of input on character development but I have to give the majority of the credit to one particularly disturbed individual: our main concept artist. Shawn did a lot of work on these characters. He tells us which of the characters he likes and who is annoying. I often wonder if he realizes they aren’t real.
N-Philes: Characters aside, what other influences inspired Space Station Tycoon?
Brent: You know there are probably too many influences to list them all. I can’t speak for all of the game design influences. However, I can tell you about the art. We set out to create something original. I like making games that have a unique look. The final result is a result of a lot of experimentation and trying to push the wackiness envelope.
N-Philes: It looks as if there will be space pirates in the game. But will there also be space ninjas? Will this game solve the epic battle of pirates vs. ninjas—in space?
Brent: This game is amazing and all but, come on, do you really think that we will be able to resolve such a great conflict. Besides we all know who’s going to win in the end.
N-Philes: Do you have any other comments you would like to make?
Brent: It’s all true. Well, except for the six toes thing.
N-Philes would like to thank Brent Fox again for his time and for giving us an insightful look into Space Station Tycoon. The game is scheduled to make planet-fall towards the end of this upcoming August so keep your telescopes aimed towards the sky!
N-Philes: Thank you for setting aside some of your time to answers our questions. First, please tell us a little bit about yourself, how you got into the gaming industry, your role behind Space Station Tycoon and some other titles that you’ve worked on.
Brent: I got into the gaming industry back in 1996. I was fresh out of college and I wanted to find a job working with 3D. I stumbled across a local game developer, got a job as an artist and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m currently the art director at Wahoo Studios and the project manager for Space Station Tycoon. It’s a demanding job but I love it!
I’ve worked on a lot of games on many different platforms. These platforms include Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PlayStation2, GameCube, Xbox 360, PC and now on the Wii. Some of the more notable games I have worked on include the Star Craft: Brood War expansion set, CyberTiger (a Tiger Woods golf game for the N64) and more recently Outpost Kaloki X and Band of Bugs for the Xbox 360.
Oh, and I have six toes on my left foot.
N-Philes: How is Space Station Tycoon different compared to other tycoon games? What exactly the player has to do to build up their space-faring financial empire?
Brent: There are a lot of tycoon games out there. They come in a wide range of quality and features so it’s pretty hard to compare this game to the entire genre. However, we certainly have put some unique features in Space Station Tycoon. We have wrapped the entire game in a story filled with wacky characters. We have even gone so far as to create just under a half hour worth of funny cut scenes in addition to a ton of entertaining in-game dialog. Space Station Tycoon is level based but the levels don’t have to be played in an exact order. Each level has a set of goals and so the game becomes more of a strategic puzzle. You must figure out how to best accomplish the goals in each of these levels. We also have many other features that aren’t typically found in a tycoon game, such as boss fights, multiplayer co-op and other interesting stuff.
N-Philes: How much of the game is customizable? How many ways will players get to earn their keep?
Brent: This is a hard question to answer. Customization crosses over a bit with strategic choices. Each level begins with at least one central hub to your space station. We call these islands. In most levels you can link additional islands to your space station and choose to expand in a lot of different directions. You can choose from many different islands with different functions and looks.
In addition to island linking, you must add expansions to these islands. You can choose which expansions to build and where to place them. The positioning of these expansions is not only for aesthetic reasons but placement affects your efficiency and strategy.
While playing through the game many different items can be discovered. Once unlocked, a wide variety of doodads can be placed on top of each of the islands. You can become a decorator and make some very unique islands by using different combinations of these wacky items. However, I’m not suggesting that it is 100% about building a cool looking station. There is still strategy involved.
N-Philes: Aside from the exciting and lucrative life of space station management, what other kinds of other action and gameplay can players expect?
Brent: Space station management obviously has exciting rewards of it own but the action doesn’t stop there. You will have access to a gravity well that can be used to pull things around and blow things up. Watch out for mines while flinging your visitors around. Well, unless you want to get rid of them. Use space debris to protect important areas of your space station from attackers. You may find rewards when you blow up asteroids. While you are trying to manage all of this chaos you also might want to watch out for natural disasters. That solar flare can really wreak havoc on a space station.
N-Philes: Looking at some of the screenshots available, there appears to be some similarities between Space Station Tycoon and Outpost Kaloki X available for the PC and on Xbox Live Arcade. Is this an incorrect assessment? How do the games differ?
Brent: Space Station Tycoon certainly has some obvious similarities but it has evolved a lot. We have concentrated on making a game for the Wii and because of this, we have made a lot of changes to the basic gameplay. If you just look down the basic feature list you can get an idea of how different it really is. In addition to the feature list, Space Station Tycoon has a different pace and feels a little more action packed.
N-Philes: Space Station Tycoon is the first Wii game for Wahoo Studios correct? How does the development team feel about the Wii in terms of hardware and capabilities? Was this different than when the console was first revealed?
Brent: We love the Wii and we plan on making a lot more great games for this platform. One of the best things about the Wii is that everyone is looking for more creative and inventive games. These are the kind of games we want to make.
N-Philes: How are the Wii controls used? Are they used strictly to interact with the interface or are there other ways in which the controls are used?
Brent: You can flip switches, turn dials and spin spinners but there is so much more. Toss ships around, drag space junk, control mines and blast open meteors. All of this fun stuff is made possible with the magic of the Wii controls. I can sit for hours sending out blasts that blow up incoming visitors.
N-Philes: How long has the game been in development? Has the game’s concept or direction changed over time? Was it originally conceived as a Wii title?
Brent: Space Station Tycoon has been in development for a long time and things have certainly changed as the game was developed. We have stayed true to the core game-play but many of the details have evolved. We didn’t settle in on the Wii as the final platform right away, but once this decision was made, we got really excited and made sure that the game would be a perfect fit for the platform.
N-Philes: What have you done with the game’s visuals to make it stand out in terms of technical capabilities and artistic style?
Brent: It’s all about style. Space Station Tycoon has a very unique look and feel. It’s perfect for such a wacky game. Not only is the game filled with crazy characters but you will also encounter unexpected locations, strange space station expansions and a host of interesting items for decorating your station. Somehow we’ve managed to make a soda machine on a tropical island fit in with a seahorse that flies a space ship that looks like a hippie van. It all fits together perfectly.
N-Philes: According to science, in space nobody can hear you scream. Obviously that could make things pretty boring, so how did you go about designing sound and music into the game and what role do they play?
Brent: We actually did a lot of screaming and yelling but it was in a sound booth. We never actually tested the theory in space.
We have some really unique music in the game. It has a tropical theme that is mixed with pirates, hippies, science and other themes in the game. It may sound a little crazy but that is the kind of direction we gave the composer and he pulled it off. We already have people around the office who want to use the music as a ring tone or get it on their MP3 players.
N-Philes: Will there be any kind of multiplayer features? How would playing the game with others work?
Brent: It’s really pretty simple. Whenever you are playing a game and a second controller is turned on, the second player has the option to begin helping. Drop out whenever you need to take a break.
Space Station Tycoon really is cooperative. It works much better if both players are using the same strategy because, if you don’t, you will end up spending the same amount of money on two different approaches and that isn’t very effective.
N-Philes: What about Wi-Fi or WiiConnect24 support? Will players’ Miis be among those visiting outer space? If not, did the team look into making these features possible?
Brent: These are both great features. We can’t put everything into our first Wii title and we chose to focus on other features. However, on future titles you’ll certainly see more of these features in our games.
N-Philes: Would you say that Space Station Tycoon has been designed to target a specific demographic or will a wide range of people be able to enjoy this game?
Brent: I know it is pretty ambitious but we designed the game for anyone who owns a Wii. This is a pretty broad audience but we hope that a wide range of people find it entertaining. We’ve added a little something for everyone.
If you don’t own a Wii then this version of Space Station Tycoon probably isn’t for you. Mostly because it won’t be playable on any other systems.
N-Philes: Space is a pretty big place. Just how much of it is explored in the game? Will be able to visit or orbit any famous places? Mars? Tatooine? Ceti Alpha V?
Brent: Space is pretty big but we cover it all in Space Station Tycoon. Don’t worry. You will be able to use the galactic map to navigate the universe and beyond. The places we’ll take you are far better than Mars. I would even go so far as to say that, compared to where we’re going to take you, the places you mentioned sound quite boring. Who has ever heard of a heavy metal rock concert or extreme cage fighting on Mars? Our locations are filled with stuff like this. In fact, if you’re not careful you may find yourself in the belly of a whale.
N-Philes: The protagonist in the game is a guy named Shawn. But of all the possible animal sidekicks, why did you decide to make Tam a talking monkey?
Brent: What other kind of sidekick would be better for a space station tycoon? A talking monkey is a perfectly natural fit. You might not want to have Tam hear you call him the sidekick, as far as he’s concerned he is in charge. When I stop and think about it, I actually don’t quite understand why these two hang out together but it sure is funny to watch.
N-Philes: It certainly looks as if there are some wacky and creative character designs in this game. I mean, voodoo chickens? Where do these ideas come from? Did members of the development team have any first-hand experiences with the kind of beings that are really out there?
Brent: Many of the team members had a lot of input on character development but I have to give the majority of the credit to one particularly disturbed individual: our main concept artist. Shawn did a lot of work on these characters. He tells us which of the characters he likes and who is annoying. I often wonder if he realizes they aren’t real.
N-Philes: Characters aside, what other influences inspired Space Station Tycoon?
Brent: You know there are probably too many influences to list them all. I can’t speak for all of the game design influences. However, I can tell you about the art. We set out to create something original. I like making games that have a unique look. The final result is a result of a lot of experimentation and trying to push the wackiness envelope.
N-Philes: It looks as if there will be space pirates in the game. But will there also be space ninjas? Will this game solve the epic battle of pirates vs. ninjas—in space?
Brent: This game is amazing and all but, come on, do you really think that we will be able to resolve such a great conflict. Besides we all know who’s going to win in the end.
N-Philes: Do you have any other comments you would like to make?
Brent: It’s all true. Well, except for the six toes thing.
N-Philes would like to thank Brent Fox again for his time and for giving us an insightful look into Space Station Tycoon. The game is scheduled to make planet-fall towards the end of this upcoming August so keep your telescopes aimed towards the sky!
awsome song with vannila ice in the wii sports video
sorry can't post it
i'll try to later
http://www.djbc.net/mashes/djbc-playthatfunkywii(120bpm).mp3
this is not news so expect to more articles
i'll try to later
http://www.djbc.net/mashes/djbc-playthatfunkywii(120bpm).mp3
this is not news so expect to more articles
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Kotaku writer talks about his parents wii party
This is Mario at the Party
Last year, I brought my Wii home for Thanksgiving. Not so much to show it off, but more to give me something to do while I was there. besides, I was loathe to leave it behind since I had just purchased it. Once it was up and running I dragged my rather skeptical parents down to check it out. It should be noted that my parents' last run in with video games was when they bought my brother and I an Atari 2600 back in the day. They enjoyed it then, but only just. It should also be noted that my folks are pushing sixty (sorry, mom) and video games are not something they think of doing as entertainment.
Once everyone had gathered downstairs, everyone being my parents and brother, I popped in Wii Sports and let the Wii work it's magic. Within twenty minutes everyone was up, jumping around and playing and cheering. It was a wonderful experience... until it was time for me to leave. Let's just say that I barely made it out alive with my Wii in tact.
Upon arriving home, I got an email from my Mom saying that her and my Dad wanted to get a Wii for my brother for Christmas (yeah...right, for my brother) and could I please look around and see if i could find one. Well, as we all know, none of us would look a brand new Wii in the face for some time after that, so needless to say, my brother didn't get one for Christmas.
Fast forward to two months ago. I was visiting NYC and went to the Nintendo World Store where they happened to have a ton of Wii's just sitting behind the counter. I had a little extra cash so I went ahead and bought one, with an extra nunchuck and a copy of Wii Play which of course comes with an extra controller. So they were all set up with a Wii of their very own which I sent out as a combination Mother's Day/Father's Day gift. Needless to say, it was a big hit and my parents are now wii addicts.
Fast forward again to last night where my parents, now the coolest couple on the block, had a Wii party with two other couples. It was a great success and they were evidently up all night drinking wine and playing Wii until their arms were sore and they had to stop. Both of the other couple in attendance vowed to get Wii's as soon as they could get their hands on them.
Now, regardles of what you may think, I am not a Nintendo fanboy. I love all my consoles equally and I am well aware that each has their own strengths and weaknesses. But, the power Nintendo has harnessed in getting to people beyond the regular gaming set is nothing short of amazing. Maybe by bringing more gaming outsiders into the fold, people will start realizing that games are not something to be feared or looked down upon and that the Jack Thompson's of the world are something to be patted on the head and ignored.
Bias Muslim Religious issues with Zack & Wiki?
i have never put a video in a news article but i have to here (this is an email sent to gonintendo)
"As an avid Wii gamer, and point and click enthusiast, I was checking out this gametrailer vid of some of the new Zack and Wiki gameplay. Though I´m agnostic, I grew up in a Muslim family and visited Pakistan a number of times. Therefore, I can safely say that both 20 and 44 seconds into this clip, you can hear the island savages called into prayer with a sound clip of a Muslim call to prayer, “Allahou Akbar”, and then mimic the way of prayer.
"As an avid Wii gamer, and point and click enthusiast, I was checking out this gametrailer vid of some of the new Zack and Wiki gameplay. Though I´m agnostic, I grew up in a Muslim family and visited Pakistan a number of times. Therefore, I can safely say that both 20 and 44 seconds into this clip, you can hear the island savages called into prayer with a sound clip of a Muslim call to prayer, “Allahou Akbar”, and then mimic the way of prayer.
Strange and slightly horrifying, I really hope that it is a temporary placeholder for an other sound. Even so, why was it there in the first place?"
i'm not Muslim so i have no idea
Lucasarts talks Nintendo Wii
A portion of a San Jose Mercury News interview with Jim Ward, President of LucasArts…
Q: Has the Wii changed the thinking in any way at LucasArts?
A: No, it hasn’t changed thinking. I’m excited by it. The Wii came out of nowhere. And by the way, with all due respect to Nintendo, they’re not the greatest at third-party relationships because they’re kind of focused on their own games. So we didn’t really know a whole lot about this thing, and they weren’t out there trumpeting, “We’re going to broaden the industry.” They just kind of let it happen. But that direction and that effort - I’m on a mountaintop cheering that on. And so . . . for us, there was a bit of a wait-and-see in terms of “Well, what in the hell is this thing even?” and “Is it going to take off?” But the minute we understood what it was, we began development.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
New things
I have been busy adding new things to the blog
one is a box that you click to vote for my blog (so more people come to the blog)
the other is a music player with 7 famous nintendo songs
ENJOY!
one is a box that you click to vote for my blog (so more people come to the blog)
the other is a music player with 7 famous nintendo songs
ENJOY!
(My first review) Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: November 21, 1991
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
800 Points
This was the third Zelda game ever made. The first Zelda (The Legend of Zelda) was a great game and a huge success. It had an overworld view and it was a massive game (up to 20 hours) and also hard with some of the best puzzles at the time of its release. The second Zelda (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) was completely different; it exchanged the top-down perspective for side-scrolling (though the top-down was retained for times that Link is wandering the overworld) It is also the only Zelda title until Four Swords Adventures in which Link does not collect rupees. Because of these fundamental changes, many consider it the "black sheep" of the series. Even though the game was good most fans where upset and nobody new what to expect in the next Zelda game in the franchise.
On November 21, 1991 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was born. It used a overworld perspective similar to the original The Legend of Zelda, instead of the side-scrolling format of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It expanded on the original's mechanics, introducing gameplay features that have become staples of the Zelda series, such as multi-level dungeons, the Master Sword, the hookshot, and parallel worlds.
The gameplay is what made this game work it is probably one of the best game experiences you will ever have. It was fun and it was also challenging. If you died you didn’t want to put they game down, cause you where going to keep on restarting till you finally beat that dungeon. The game is also twice as long as people expected cause of the Dark World after you pull the master sword from the sword. Then you have to constantly switch back from the dark world and the light world.
The music is some of the best music in gaming history. It has the best version of the overworld in any Zelda cause of two different versions one for the dark world and one for the light world. There is not much else I can say about it so listen to it for your self.
The graphics where top notch at the time. Probably the 2nd best looking game for the snes ever (behind Super Metroid). The attention to detail was unmatched at the time, and you can see that Nintendo put their love into this game.
In the end I think this is the best game of all time and you should pick it up. 800 points is nothing compared to the fun your going to have playing this game
SUMMARY
Controls: 9/10
Nothing wrong with them
Gameplay: 10/10
Like I said earlier best game ever
Graphics: 10/10
Best Graphics for the time
Audio: 9.5/10
Best music in any Zelda game but it does get a little repetitive
Overall: 9.7/10
If you haven’t played this game you can’t call yourself a gamer. Just get it!
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: November 21, 1991
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
800 Points
This was the third Zelda game ever made. The first Zelda (The Legend of Zelda) was a great game and a huge success. It had an overworld view and it was a massive game (up to 20 hours) and also hard with some of the best puzzles at the time of its release. The second Zelda (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) was completely different; it exchanged the top-down perspective for side-scrolling (though the top-down was retained for times that Link is wandering the overworld) It is also the only Zelda title until Four Swords Adventures in which Link does not collect rupees. Because of these fundamental changes, many consider it the "black sheep" of the series. Even though the game was good most fans where upset and nobody new what to expect in the next Zelda game in the franchise.
On November 21, 1991 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was born. It used a overworld perspective similar to the original The Legend of Zelda, instead of the side-scrolling format of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It expanded on the original's mechanics, introducing gameplay features that have become staples of the Zelda series, such as multi-level dungeons, the Master Sword, the hookshot, and parallel worlds.
The gameplay is what made this game work it is probably one of the best game experiences you will ever have. It was fun and it was also challenging. If you died you didn’t want to put they game down, cause you where going to keep on restarting till you finally beat that dungeon. The game is also twice as long as people expected cause of the Dark World after you pull the master sword from the sword. Then you have to constantly switch back from the dark world and the light world.
Master Sword in Link to the Past
The music is some of the best music in gaming history. It has the best version of the overworld in any Zelda cause of two different versions one for the dark world and one for the light world. There is not much else I can say about it so listen to it for your self.
The graphics where top notch at the time. Probably the 2nd best looking game for the snes ever (behind Super Metroid). The attention to detail was unmatched at the time, and you can see that Nintendo put their love into this game.
In the end I think this is the best game of all time and you should pick it up. 800 points is nothing compared to the fun your going to have playing this game
SUMMARY
Controls: 9/10
Nothing wrong with them
Gameplay: 10/10
Like I said earlier best game ever
Graphics: 10/10
Best Graphics for the time
Audio: 9.5/10
Best music in any Zelda game but it does get a little repetitive
Overall: 9.7/10
If you haven’t played this game you can’t call yourself a gamer. Just get it!
Devil's Crush on Virtual Console
Get your 600 points out cause Devil's Crush (the best pinball game ever) is coming on Virtual Console Monday
Sonic in Brawl?
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