High Voltage details The Conduit, plans Q1 2009 release
by Jason Dobson 
{ Jun 11th 2008 at 9:00AM }
The game also feels like one studio's attempt to prove a point, namely that the Wii is more than just a platform for casual games and shovelware. Says High Voltage chief creative officer Eric Nofsinger, The Conduit aims to provide players with "the kind of title they imagined back when the platform was first announced." Still lacking a publisher, the studio notes companies have been beating down the door since the game was first revealed, but that High Voltage is still hunting for a "perfect partner," one we imagine with bedroom eyes and excellent insulation.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
syrik zero @ Jun 11th 2008 9:22AM
This is the kind of game I've been imagining since the Wii was first announced. Red Steel didn't live up to the hype. Hope this game proves to be awesome!
Jtenma @ Jun 11th 2008 9:23AM
Why aren't publishers eating this shit up?!?!?!!?
Get on it!
meist3r @ Jun 11th 2008 10:15AM
Easy: They are idiots.
"Publishers" are the same people whose financiers have read in their analysts journal that Nintendo is a company that makes games for twelve year old girls and thus won't get their checkbook to fund such an endeavor. You know the market today is not about games or gamers it's about profits and shares. We will have to rely on some of the smaller ones to jump into the cold water and take the heat when this bombs.
The engine looks fantastic and would finally give me a reasonable argument against the "last-gen" pricks but I'm holding off my judgement until I got my hands on it and saw some gameplay.
I agree with FOXHOUND on most poinst and I'd kill for a good online multiplayer on the Wii. Everything so far was a joke even Mario Kart (I'm from Europe we STILL have 2+ weeks until Brawl and I don't really think it's my game anyway).
Kenology @ Jun 11th 2008 10:19AM
High Voltage is being courted by several publishers eager to pick up this game. But they've decided that they want to wait until the game is pretty much done before they make a decision on a publisher. The reason being, they want complete creative control over the game without a publisher back seat driving. By the time the game is almost done, it'd be too late to change things. I remember a person on the dev team saying this (via Matt over at IGN).
Matt @ Jun 11th 2008 9:27AM
pleasebegood-pleasebegood-pleasebegood-pleasebegood (stillcan'tafford360orps3)-pleasebegood-pleasebegood...
Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Jun 11th 2008 4:02PM
Get a job... It helps.
Matt @ Jun 11th 2008 4:26PM
Get a girlfriend, a mortgage and college education debt. That helps too.
Wait, you'll never have any of those things...
FOXHOUND @ Jun 11th 2008 9:35AM
I know it's still early... but here's what I'd like to see(if possible):
» 4-player split screen multiplayer DM, TDM, CTF(and possibly a co-op story mode?)
» FriendCode-less online battle for 16+ players
» Map Updates/DLC
» Stat-tracking & Online Leaderboards
» Compatibility with Wii Remote, Wii Remote+Nunchuck, Wii Remote+Gamepad, Wavebird, and Zapper
If it can deliver nearly all of the above, then I'll gladly add myself to the hype wagon. It's nice to know that they're trying to change the image of the Wii to the "hardcore" gamers. Whatever that means these days...
Vcize @ Jun 11th 2008 10:22AM
Good luck sir...lol.
FOXHOUND @ Jun 11th 2008 10:24AM
It was worth a shot, eh? ;D
I mean, the other two consoles catch hell when they don't have this sort...
Imaginationland Warrior @ Jun 11th 2008 10:41AM
Well, the split screen multiplayer seems plausible. If they can get the Wii-mote+Nunchuck to work correctly and naturally(like in MP3), then you don't need the other control schemes.
16+ friend code-less online multiplayer was achieved in Medal of Honor: Heroes 2, except you can't talk to anyone because of no headset.
Leaderboards are plausible(doesn't Mario Kart Wii have them? I don't have that game.) As for DLC, I don't see it happening unless Nintendo gets their asses up and stop making money angels and releases a hard drive.
It seems that this game has a pretty decent amount of development time left. I wouldn't mind seeing it delayed to make sure the game is just right, because my main fear is not that the controls won't work(there shouldn't be any excuse for that anymore), but that the game will be boring.
4MyFriends @ Jun 11th 2008 10:42AM
"WaveBird(and other non Wii remote controls in general)
No, just no. This actually is looking like a 3rd party shooter not from last gen, lets focus on only one control scheme, the wiimote and nunchuk, instead of possibly watering down the control mechanics to give us non motion based control schemes on a motion based sysem.
samfish @ Jun 11th 2008 12:52PM
I think all of those are reasonable expectations since they've all been done to some extent on the Wii previously.
Unless by Friend Code-less multiplayer you mean you can play against specific people without entering a FC. Then you're probably SOL. But random 16 player matches are reasonable.
FOXHOUND @ Jun 11th 2008 1:26PM
I actually didn't even consider bluetooth voicechat, just because it doesn't seem to be a well known(or used)option on the Wii.
sorensilk @ Jun 11th 2008 10:05AM
I would be all over this like fried on rice.
hoagie @ Jun 11th 2008 10:07AM
WTF, if I want an FPS, I'll turn on my 360 and blindly pick one of the 401 I already have for it. So screw this and TELL US WHEN CARNIVAL GAMES 2 IS COMING OUT ALREADY.
/sarcasm
Seriously though, as weary as I've gotten with FPS games lately, I wouldn't mind a quality one that offered online play (or at least local 4 player) and featured solid IR pointer/nunchuck controls. And no forced motion controls, like striking the remote to reload or shaking it to run... using the nunchuck to punch/melee (like boxing in Wii Sports) when close to an opponent would work though I think.
Vcize @ Jun 11th 2008 10:23AM
"using the nunchuck to punch/melee (like boxing in Wii Sports) when close to an opponent would work though I think."
Given how poorly it tracks that movement in Wii boxing (seriously it was the only Wii Sports game that was broken) I don't think that's such a good idea..
Sir Fidlious Wong (Justin T. McElroy Memorial Burn of the Day Award) @ Jun 11th 2008 10:31AM
I thought WiiGolf was broken too... granted I only gave it a three hole shot before saying "fuck this" and running back to Hot Shots... so I could be wrong.
hoagie @ Jun 11th 2008 2:05PM
Wii Sports Boxing gets dogged for bad controls unjustly IMO. Most people make the mistake of wildly throwing an endless stream of punches. Timed, non-exaggerated punches work perfect.
Foetoid @ Jun 11th 2008 7:32PM
You kidding Fidilous! The Golf on Wii Sports is by far the most played sport on my copy. My brothers and i LOVE having a 9-hole game of that. My best score is -4 and my brother once got a -5. The game is excellent and works brilliantly. Takes more getting used to than the others, but far worth the time put in. If it wasnt for the practise swinging, i wouldnt have been able to play it.
Sir Fidlious Wong (Justin T. McElroy Memorial Burn of the Day Award) @ Jun 11th 2008 10:32AM
Considering I despised Metroid 3, this may be the shooter to pull my Wii out of cold storage for...
tactics @ Jun 11th 2008 12:28PM
go away, sheppy. you suck. nobody cares what you have to say about nintendo games. go play pied piper for the sony trolls some more please.
"oh, i'm so edgy and different! i hated wii sports and metroid! see what a free-thinker i am? don't call me a troll or a fanboy... i own every system ever made in the history of the universe! oh, and nintendo ripped off the xavix! nevermind that xavix is worthless, and their custom one-game-per-controller interface is ridiculous and shitty though! nintendo is raping them!
...i'm not a fanboy. i own every system ever made in the history of the universe. really, i do. i have pictures on my flickr because i'm so internet savvy.
i love justin mcelroy."
...that's you. that's what you do. you suck.
Martez @ Jun 11th 2008 1:51PM
Tactics, have you not heard yourself talk about the PS3, man? You're both trolls, deal with it :)
Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Jun 11th 2008 4:12PM
I wouldn't hold a breath. For me, "console games" automatically mean "screwed up games." And there are so many ways to screw up... There are exceptions - but they are exceptions confirming the rule.
If you are not the target audience (typical test question: have you played all previous 20 incarnations of Metroid/Mario game?) then you are most likely wouldn't like it.
After playing for the past decade on PC, it is hard (impossible) for me to understand what people find in the very limited and restrictive console games. I can imaging that it might be the kids who can't afford buying a PC.. Otherwise to me this is sign of mentally screwed bunch.
Jhongerkong @ Jun 11th 2008 4:32PM
You dont despise Metroid Prime 3, Metroid Prime 3 despises you
Foetoid @ Jun 11th 2008 7:34PM
Seriously how can you hate that brilliant game. It plays beautifully, it looks amazing, the controls are pretty much perfect console FPS controls (unless you can use WADS/mouse on a console) and the game is just as long and epic as the first 2.
Patrick R @ Jun 11th 2008 3:59PM
This would rock, especially if the controls feel as good as they did in MP3.
gwangi @ Jun 11th 2008 11:26AM
Well isn't that funny. I was just camping with a friend this past weekend who works as a level designer for High Voltage.
samfish @ Jun 11th 2008 12:52PM
Really? I was shootin' pool with Barack Obama! Small world!
gwangi @ Jun 11th 2008 12:57PM
No, seriously. I never see anything about any of his companies games, and and all the sudden here one is. They also did America's Army, the last Leisure Suit Larry game and the Family Guy Game.
Mr Khan @ Jun 11th 2008 7:21PM
They did do those, sadly enough. Kinda makes you wary if they weren't showing such awesome early footage
CJLopez @ Jun 11th 2008 1:07PM
SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a day 1 purchase for me!!!!
FOXHOUND @ Jun 11th 2008 1:42PM
shh, don't show your interest so soon. No need turning this into a HAZE-y situation. :x
Geoff Gibson @ Jun 11th 2008 1:29PM
I remain optimistically hopeful for this game. If they can really bring to the table what they are offering than I'll buy it on day 1. The graphics already look very good, now give me the gameplay to match.
Provided they do everything right, this game could start a Wii revolution...
Martez @ Jun 11th 2008 1:53PM
I'd like to be wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure this is gonna be the Wii's Haze.
tactics @ Jun 11th 2008 2:10PM
what makes you "pretty sure"? the two have almost nothing in common. haze was a super-high-budget blatant halo knock-off (that also borrowed the "corruption" play mechanic from metroid3 and tried to play it off as innovation) and everybody knew it. this seems nothing like "crysis graphics on a console" haze, aside from being a mostly-generic FPS.
it was also made for ps3, which i'm sure provided some difficult programming hurdles that are nowhere to be found in the wii/cube architecture.
...or were you just trolling me, buddy? ;)
Martez @ Jun 11th 2008 2:31PM
I was referring to the fact that a lot of people will get really excited about this game beyond reason and it will turn out to be merely average.
tactics @ Jun 11th 2008 1:55PM
i openly admit to being a fanboy troll, though. i don't try to disguise it with bullshit rhetoric and thinly-veiled negative "optimism".
plus i don't use Igarashi and Ozzy Osbourne's illegitimate lovechild as an avatar.
also, you don't seem me in "every" ps3 thread. in fact, i rarely ever troll ps3 threads (on joystiq...)
i'm no f.rocker ;) although i love that guy.
Martez @ Jun 11th 2008 2:32PM
You just had to add "on Joystiq" to kill my possible reply, didn't you? :P You're no fun.
tactics @ Jun 11th 2008 5:15PM
okay, well, after diligent review of their wikipedia page i've come to the conclusion that it'll take a small miracle for the game to be "great". they've got a much longer history than i thought, and it's all garbage.
they do have some experience with FPS games, but only a couple of ports, including America's Army 2 for PSP.
it's gotta be hard to do an FPS for PSP... but still, it got reamed by the critics.
either way, i'm still hopeful for the engine itself, and hope that their passion and the excitement of finally getting to do "what they want to do" will be enough to pull some greatness from their sea of garbage.
t_m @ Jun 12th 2008 7:14AM
I'm really not sure about this one. The graphics don't look that amazing to me, not as good as any of the Metroid Prime games, and using very generic settings.
A few of the aliens look reasonably cool, and the tongue-in-cheek humor could either be interesting (NOLF) or really annoying. Even the fact that a lot of the designs remind me of Deus Ex is a two-edged compliment given its age.
Still, they are right about people imagining a different kind of game when the wii was first announced. Personally, I'd like Red Steel 2. The first was ok, with a more original setting that this. A sequel with metroid controls, improved sword combat and bumped graphics would be sweet.