As you have have gathered by now, we've been chatting with Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers producer Akitoshi Kawazu. We wanted to know what it was like working on the Wii, and how the graphics-hungry studio deals with the system's limitations.
"The Wii has a good balance of graphic capability and memory space, and thanks to this we could realize a game with seamless field-to-field connection," states Kawazu. "While it was a challenge to integrate the Wii’s unique input style with the various system functions and controls, we feel we were able to create a game that utilizes the platform’s unique characteristics to its fullest potential."
Oh I see! And what about Sony and Microsoft? We asked Kawazu-san what he made of Project Natal and the Sony Wiimote as everybody jumps on the motion control bandwagon.
"When done right, motion sensor controls give you an extremely 'real' gaming experience," he tells us. "I think the more knowledge that the developing side acquires, the better motion control games they will be able to make, so there is definitely a lot of potential there. However, many players are still more comfortable with traditional controls, and years of gameplay have gone into perfecting their techniques.
"It would probably take some time for motion controls to be of equal status with a control system that has such history. It’s something to consider, but I don’t think it will ever be a simple task to transition the series to different platforms simply because they have the motion control functionality."
I personally wish the motion control stuff would go away, but what do you reckon? Are you looking forward to a day where motion control stands in equal importance to traditional input, or are you too longing for a day when such toys join Rob the Robot on flea market tables across the realm?
Contest:
5:00 PM on 12.28.2009
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Perfectly well put, for an example see RE4:Wii Edition, that said, could you do a bit better than a game where you throw stuff at enemies and tagged with the FF label? Wii owners would appreciate that.
NOTE: Yes i admit i haven't played the game yet, but after Holmes review i'm not very excited about it.
They are two very distinct mediums. I think as time goes on, we'll recognize this more and more.
We're talking playing in an arcade versus playing In the arcade. More and more there'll be this split between playing a game and being in it, like having a metagenre of first or third person.
Ah, but this is just futurebabble.
It's understandable if, in the present, the motion ooze has some people really turned off. It's still somewhat ugly.
I think to get the most out of any motion control system you NEED buttons somewhere. I mean think about real life, in order to fire a gun a trigger needs to be pulled and something tangible needs to be touched. Which is why I prefer sony over Natal which is very limited as to actual input.
That is unless you add the OCZ Nia into the mix.
I think Microsoft and Sony both have better ideas of how to implement motion control stuff into their games (natal as the casual/navigation sorta stuff and Sony's wand as a more hardcore, 1:1 thing). I'll hold out my final judgment on the motion control fad until they're released I guess.
WiiSportsR Swordplay
Zack and Wiki, all of it.
Those 3 motion control ideasintegrated into onegame would kick as
I'll agree with that. Some of the best stuff that's happened in the realm of motion control.
I'm looking forward to Red Steel, despite its appearingly screwed on Motion PLus swordplay. Things like using the Motion Plus for the turning instead of the IR shows some interesting though and effort with regard to the hardware.
It's amazing how the speed of video game technology allow guys in their 20s and 30s to be old fuddy duddies.