Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category
Assassin’s Creed 2 improvements detailed by creator Patrice Desilets
When making Assassin’s Creed 2, creative director Patrice Desilets was very critical about what could improve the series in his and the player’s eyes, despite (or maybe because of) the original game selling 9 million copies worldwide.
In the new videos he discusses how his development team at Ubisoft has addresses complaints from the first game in the sequel.
Some random improvements off the top of my head include:
But I’ll let Patrice do all the talking in the video interviews below.
In case you didn’t know: Assassin’s Creed 2 is the product of over two years of intensive development by the original creative team behind the Assassin’s Creed brand. In a vast open world environment, the game invites players to incarnate Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who’s been betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy. Ezio’s subsequent quest for vengeance plunges players into a captivating and epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new gameplay elements, diverse weapons and a profound character progression that will appeal to fans of the original Assassin’s Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.
Past and Future Interview. Refreshing news that these developers grow and learn along with us.
Animus and Combat Interview. Ezio gives Altair a run for his money with a plethora of new combat features.
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Super Mario Online game like LittleBigPlanet is something Miyamoto is interested in
A Super Mario Online game that takes advantage of user-generated content, similar to LittleBigPlanet, may be in Mario’s own future, so says creator Shigeru Miyamoto.
Speaking with Joystiq, Shiggy had this to say,
“This is an area that I have a lot of interest in, and I think that the side-scrolling Mario games in particular are well suited to that idea. Of course the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series is one that’s made in North America by NST, but it’s one that I’ve been involved in and from early on. We did have a lot of discussions about how to enable that kind of level creation in that series. And I think those types of interactive experiences are going to continue to broaden and we’ll see a lot more user-generated content going forward. I’ve always had an interest in those kinds of creative tools, so I will definitely be open to ideas like that in the future.”
And while this is just speculation, maybe some of these ideas will be encorporated into the next new Mario game, which is apparently in development according to Mario voice-actor Charles Martinet, who stated that he has already done voice work for an ALL-NEW Mario game that isn’t Super Mario Galaxy 2 or New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Very interesting. Very interesting indeed.
Read the full interview at Joystiq.
Divinity 2: Ego Draconis release date in USA is January 5, 2010, on PC and Xbox 360
cdv USA has announced Divinity 2: Ego Draconis for a release date of January 5, 2010 in the U.S. on Xbox 360 and PC. The game is the sequel to the epic fantasy RPG called Divine Divinity.
Divinity II - Ego Draconis combines action-packed, varied gameplay with a deep, diverse quest structure that branches out into many directions, a world where every decision has a consequence on how the game proceeds.
In Divinity II: Ego Draconis, players find themselves once again in Rivellon, a timeless world full of awe and magic, shattered and frightened by the apocalyptic wars of the past. No one knows why so many people had to give their lives. Everything seems to be over, but the peace was deceptive, for the demon has returned and the horror once again runs its course.
Players begin as a Dragon Slayer, hunters whom travel the countryside determined to rid their lands of Dragons. As the story of Divinity 2 — Ego Draconis unfolds, the player will discover new abilities and possibilities as they evolve into a legendary Dragon Lord. In addition, the player character’s abilities can be steadily improved over the course of the game and specialized in specific areas. The world of Divinity II: Ego Draconis is filled with humans and fantasy creatures, each having special combat abilities. Players will need to use every skill, potion and hidden trick to their strategic advantage to reclaim the lands of Rivellon.
Here’s the newest trailer for the game.
And here is a developer interview that gives you much more information on the game and shows off the gameplay.
Uncharted 3: Nathan Drake’s Going To Have A Lot Of Adventures
Uncharted 3? Uncharted 4? Uncharted 5, 6, 7, 8?
It looks like the career of Nathan Drake is only just beginning. This according to Naughty Dog’s Amy Hennig, who says that Nathan still has lots of adventures to go after Uncharted 2.
“The expectation with Uncharted 2 is that it can be an ongoing franchise as long as people want more of it.”
To quote her: “[Uncharted 2] doesn’t conclude the story at all,” she said. “The expectation with Uncharted 2 is that it can be an ongoing franchise as long as people want more of it. All these stories are self-contained. You don’t have to play the last one to play this one. Obviously, you’re going to get a little bit more out of it if you have. But [Nathan Drake]’s going to have a lot of adventures, thank god.”
Here is the full interview/Q&A with her.
Via PlayStation Blog
PS: Apparently Uncharted 2 Co-Lead Game Designer Neil Druckmann told press at this week’s Sony Holiday Preview Event that Uncharted 3 will look better than Uncharted 2. This is possible since the game engine can still be optimized to look better on PS3. Later in a Pulse interview, Uncharted 2 lead voice actor Nolan North said “We desperately want to do a third one.”
Tsumuji announced for DS. Looks like EA’s Zelda
EA has announced Tsumuji for the DS, a new title that is their American spin on Nintendo’s Zelda series.
As you’d expect, the game plays very similarly to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, complete with stylus controls for all of the main character’s movements. The game is from a top-down perspective and wherever you tap is where your ninja boy will move to.
The game is primarily an action adventure game where you will also encounter platforming sections that have you skipping across a river on stones or leaping through tree branches and also incorporates stealth.
Graphically the game has an anime style to attract Japanese audiences and uses effects like blurring to give a sense of speed.
The game does not yet have a release outside of Japan, but hopefully it’ll come over. As it is an interesting genre to see EA tackle.
Here’s an interview with the producer on the game which also shows some still pictures.
If you ask me, it looks a little too similar to Zelda’s DS titles.
Play Uncharted 2 in a movie theater and win an exclusive limited edition of the game
Sony has announced that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has gone gold, meaning it is on track to hit store shelves everywhere on October 13th, exclusively for PlayStation 3.
To celebrate its release, Sony has announced that four Uncharted 2 themed movie theater events will be held in locations across the United States, where gamers can play the game on the huge movie theater screens! These events will be held in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle on October 5th and 6th. So if you live in one of those cities be sure to check up ahead of time.
At the events gamers will not only be able to play the game on the big screen, they will also be able to win a number of prices and compete in multiplayer tournaments. Lucky winners will walk away with a limited edition of the game exclusive to this contest. This special Uncharted 2 “Fortune Hunter Edition” includes a copy of the game, a replica of a Dagger Artifact in the game, an art book and a collector’s edition case signed by the developers!
Here’s an interview with the creative director of the game from PAX 09.
Via GameSpot
Onimusha 5 still in Capcom’s future?
What ever happened to Capcom’s Onimusha series, where is Onimusha 5? The last we heard from the series was back in 2006 with “Onimusha 4″, which was released for PlayStation 2 with the title, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams.
This game starred an entirely new cast with a new storyline after the close of the original trilogy with the first three games.
The last we heard from Capcom regarding an Onimusha 5, was in a early 2006 GameSpy interview in which Executive Producer, Keiji Inafune, and Producer, Yoshinori Ono were asked if we might see a portable entry. They replied that a DS or PSP version may come if enough gamers requested it.
GameSpy Question: Are there any plans to bring the Onimusha series to the PSP or DS?
Yoshinori Ono Answer: Pretend like I’m asking this to Mr. Inafune, “Can I please make Onimusha for PSP or DS?” If it seems like it’s something that gamers want, then I’ll be able to make them.
Of course, it was also stated that Dawn of Dreams would be the start of a NEW trilogy, but that trilogy never materialized after Capcom left the PS2.
However the game franchise as a whole is hardly dead, as an Onimusha movie is coming in 2011 and it will even star the same actor that the Dawn of Dreams character model was based on (Taiwanese-Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro)!
The game series is financially viable with Capcom stating they planned to ship 1.3 million copies of the 4th game worldwide. Hopefully we will hear some kind of (handheld or console) news regarding a new 5th Onimusha game at this year’s Tokyo Game Show 2009. Which will be held this month from September 24th to September 27th.
If you missed out on the Onimusha series, here is a preview of the reboot that was Onimusha 4: Dawn of Dreams.
Capcom movie officially mentioned via Capcom Unity. Other sources: GameSpy & IGN
No More Heroes 2 Suda 51 weapons preview. Plus toilet humor
At PAX 2009 Ubisoft released this awesome No More Heroes 2 trailer starring Suda 51!
Sitting on a toilet! Rambling about his crazy game! Honestly this has to be one of the weirdest trailers/documentaries ever released for a game.
In it he goes through all the new features you’ll find in No More Heroes 2, particularly the different moves and weapons that you’ll be able to take advantage of. The most interesting change though is how jobs are now presented like classic 2D 8-bit sidescrollers! A very ingenious move.
Without further ado. Be warned, some coarse language and, uhhhh, potty humor ahead.
The game releases on January 28th, 2010 exclusively for Wii.
Final Fantasy XIII video interview
Check out this in-depth video interview on Final Fantasy XIII that took place at the GamesCom 2009 Conference.
In the interview the developers discuss a whole range of topics regarding FFXIII. In addition to being able to hear the English voice overs, they discuss:
* The city of Cacoon.
* What part Crystals play in Final Fantasy XIII.
* The Paradigm Shift and Roles System. Which is kind of like the “Jobs” of Final Fantasy game’s past, but allow you to switch “roles”/classes within the span of a single battle.
* The False Seed and the “Chosen Ones”.
* The Mission System and how they are received as Visions.
* The Final Fantasy 13 character Serah . . . FFXIII’s answer to the “cute” Yuffie, Selphie, Eiko and Rikku-style characters of past games (from left, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X).
* How the Battle Ranking System and TP (Tactical Points) work
* How you use TP to call upon Summons . . .
* Why there won’t be a Japanese voice over option in America.
* And the possibility of a FFXIII downloadable demo.
And much, much more. The interview is in two parts, watch it below.
A Boy And His Blob Wii preview
A Boy and His Blob Wii will be released on October 13th, 2009. Based on the hit NES game of the same name, this new title offers a beautiful, hand-drawn 2D experience with all-new levels and a complete re-imagining of the original game.
It is being developed by WayForward, who was responsible for Contra 4. The developers of the game go way back as far as 2D gaming is concerned, and worked on beautifully animated 16-bit classics like The Lion King and Aladdin.
The crux of the gameplay revolves around the Boy’s Blob and feeding it Jellybeans. Different flavors turn the Blob into different tools that you can use to solve puzzles and pass difficult areas.
A Liquorice Jellybean will turn him into a Ladder, which obviously allows you to reach higher areas. A Tangerine Jellybean turns him into a Trampoline. An Apple flavored Jellybean turns him into a Jack which can be used to lift objects. All of these are flavors that return from the original. New flavors also exist though like Caramel, which turns the Blob into a Cannon that can launch the Boy long distances. While the Bubble Gum Jellybean turns the Blob into a huge Bubble which the Boy can float in. Other tools include a Parachute, an Anvil and a Shield, among others.
There are over 40 stages in the game and they are filled with hidden secrets and unlockables for the player’s to earn.
In the storyline, an evil emperor has seized the land of Blobonia. Thus a small white Blob flees the planet in his ship to try and find someone who can help. Losing control, the Blob crash-lands on Earth and encounters a young boy. They quickly become friends and the boy agrees to help the blob find his way home and help him put an end to the evil emperor.
The developers promise that the game will drip charm and even give players an emotional attachment to the adorable characters. The music will be sweeping and epic, and the relationship between the Boy and his Blob will be a major focus . . . . There’s even a Hug Button!
Hopefully A Boy and His Blob will be a major hit for WayForward, much like Braid was on Xbox Live Arcade and PC. As the game looks like it’ll certainly appeal to people who want a smart, puzzle-focused platformer with gorgeous graphics and an interesting premise.
Here is a video of this beautiful game in action. Also shows some of the Jellybean powers.
This is a Behind-The-Scenes video interview with the Art Director Marc Gomez talking about how the boy and the blob were created.
Here’s part 2 of the Behind-The-Scenes look at A Boy And His Blob for Wii. Article continues »
