Shagi, we've already heard several accounts (via E3 2006 and the Wii launch event) of the controls from some pretty trusted industry reviewers – and the overall consensus was more than positive. So if you (or anyone else) wants to know how the controls are working... In fact let me see what I can find on the Internets here...
One sec...
Here we go.
"Whereas games like Wii Sports succeed on brand new criteria, Galaxy is a success because it neither loses the cherished tried-and-true platformer mechanics of old nor beats players over the head with the new fundamentals of the Wii pointer. There is a balance and it's a perfect one...
Playing Galaxy, in contrast, is much more like riding a bike. Once you've done it, it's almost impossible to undo it. After we pushed whatever undeserving person may have been attempting to gawk over the game out of our way, we immediately found ourselves taking Mario for a free and easy ride using both the nunchuck attachment and Wii-mote. Galaxy is a lot like Mario 64 in that it is fun simply to run around the game's universe, even if you're accomplishing nothing of note.
If you didn't read our E3 coverage, Mario is controlled with the nunchuck unit's analog stick. The Wii-mote, meanwhile, manipulates an on-screen star reticule. This reticule aids Mario as he makes his way from planet to planet and from ship to ship. For instance, you might point the Wii-mote and in turn the reticule at some bells, at which point you can actually jingle them and trigger a secret. Later, you can point the reticule at items and suck them up, even as Mario himself soars by in outer space. You can additionally use the reticule to latch onto objects and pull Mario to them; and likewise to fling him away from them. There is clearly an enormous amount of puzzle potential in place and we're only scratching the surface of what the game has to offer.
When we played Galaxy on Thursday, though, we knew that we had attained a new level of gameplay competence and in turn confidence because all we really wanted to do was use the Wii-mote to mess with enemies. One of the great uses of the peripheral is that in Galaxy it's also used to stop foes in their tracks, literally. If, for instance, we were to aim the reticule at an oncoming Bullet Bill and then press and hold the B trigger, we would suspend the enemy in mid-air. And if we had the skill to keep the reticule glued to Bill with the Wii-mote while we controlled Mario's movements with the nunchuck, we could actually walk circles around the baddie and it would be practically helpless to do anything but look at us. There is a sick satisfaction to this new mechanic and we can't help but love it.
Goombas are strewn about the various asteroids and planets in the demo of Galaxy and we made sure to torment them at every turn. Using the Wii-mote, we'd freeze them in place, walk right up to them with Mario, sit there for a few seconds inviting them to try to break free, and then we'd jump on them and take them out. Are we easily amused? Perhaps. But there's really something to this because you will feel as though you're part Mario and part sidekick as you both control the hero and aid him on his way." ––– Matt Cassamassina, IGN Wii (September 2006)
"While it wasn't shown in detail at Nintendo's press conference, there is a pretty cool playable demo of the tentatively titled Super Mario Galaxy here at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. We were able to quickly get a feel for the controls and bounce from planet to planet, butt-stomping goombas and swinging our arms at everything in our path...
With its intuitive control, sharp visuals, and, of course, the Mario name, Super Mario Galaxy is definitely going to be a game to watch for." ––– Jeff Gerstmann, Gamespot (E3 2006)
"It serves as one of the best examples of what the Wii and its controller are capable of... The single boss battle in the demo also makes excellent use of the controls." --- Giancarlo Varanini, 1up (E3 2006)
"Our fearless console leader likes to tell me that I'm fired every time that I confess that I hated Super Mario 64, but it's a good starting point for talking about SMG. Why? Because I'm part of a minority of gamers who weren't nuts about Mario's leap from 2D to 3D (also part of why I was head over heels for New Super Mario Bros.), and I didn't like Mario Sunshine much. However, even with my disdain for 3D Mario bubbling deep down somewhere in my subconscious, Super Mario Galaxy is gosh darn fun.
In all honesty, it's the controls of the Wii that make SMG work so well..." --- Sterling McGarvey, Gamespy (September 2006)
"As far as depictions of plumbers in outer space go, I'd say this is probably the best one I've seen. Super Mario Galaxy really does make up for a lot of the graphical shortcomings of other Wii games. In fact, its unusual and engaging control system provides one of the best glimpses of the system's potential we've seen so far." --- Ludwig Keitzmann, Joystiq (E3 2006)
"Super Mario Galaxy was the first game we played on the Wii, the first time we got to actually hold any of the Wii peripherals in our hands. They were surprisingly light and ergonomic—from the photos we'd seen previously, we were worried the remote especially would be too small or just awkward to hold and press multiple buttons on, but it took us less than 30 seconds to get used to the way both controllers felt in our hands. The controls were also incredibly intuitive, as it took us just over a minute to learn the controls (mostly jumping and using objects in the environment) and just get around to playing through the demo stage." --- Kotaku Editors (E3 2006)
And these are just accounts of how the controls felt either for the first time or after revisiting. Most all of these previews go on to explain the control mechanics. I'm justifiably able to see and read that the controls look and sound great at this point. The enhanced visuals and whimsical gameplay are a just a big slather of icing on the cake.
Exclusive: Sony's Phil Harrison Tells All on PS3 GamePro: 05/12/2006
"If the developer wrote the game according to our technical requirements checklist, we will have what we believe will be almost perfect backwards compatibility. There will be some exceptions, there always are, but we believe those will be very few and far between. Even less so than we saw from PSOne to PS2."
...On Microsoft's Difficulties with Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility
"I don't believe that was backwards compatibility."
If you subtract the growth and sales the DS has caused/made over the past two years, you'll see just what Reggie is talking about. The DS has helped out the industry a big heap.
I've been a longtime Zelda fan – even studied the games – and so I've come to discover that Zelda games are based on their own instilled mythology and the mythology/history of our real world. They are rooted very deep, and I think that's why they resonate with so many fans.
To say that Zelda was influenced by Shadow of the Colossus is baseless, and the proof is on you to prove it. It can be your opinion, sure, but it's a pretty stupid one.
Metahuman has it right in this respect. You can say they "look similar" or they have this or that in common. But the former is just an insult to the game's creators.
1.) I think the Wii-mote is used in a far better manner. The tilt-sensors definitely seem more beneficial as a racing tool rather than a seesaw for doing tricks. That doesn't mean the Sixaxis is inferior, just perhaps not used for the right application.
2.) I saw some perceivable, though small, lag when it came to Sony's THP8.
3.) Downhill Jam just seems like more of a hoot, grabbing all that air, racing against friends, and hitting down innocent people along the way.
Your pixelated version only makes this issue even more confusing. What you did (arbitrarily decrease the pixel count to 3x5) is not an accurate representation of the average of the colors on those screenshots. And while I would argue that cherry-picking screens from various in-game or CG scenes compeltely decimates Aeropause's argument, I took the liberty of correcting your attempt to expand on their point.
If you take a look at the image below, I've averaged each screenshot's pixels to obtain the overall tone of the image.
I took several screens form upcoming Wii launch games, screens that I thought best represented actual gameplay as well. The colors are indeed brighter on an overall basis, but do note that the more mature-rated the title, the more "muddied" the screens get.
The problem with this method is that (as some have already mentioned) inevitably you'll always end up with an unpure color – a brownish or grayish color of the hue. It's just a natural way that visual colors mix.
As an art director myself, I will agree with the general point about some next-gen games looking too muddied or too one-dimensional. Art direction is the key as with any game – making or breaking the game design. It can be bright and obnoxious or it can just as well be muddied and beautiful – it all depends on how cohesive your color scheme is and how you use color throughout the game to evoke a mood. And It also has to work with all the design aspects of the game and seem like a unified package in order to transcend all the other malarkey out there.
Some new games seem to be in the right direction, like Zelda and Bioshock, others, like Lair, could use something extra to give it that personality or punch. Of course it's all subjective when you get down to it. But there is some bit of truth in the article – perhaps a real concern.
"There's a deeper story to this price hike. According to the article, Sony was, as of E3, planning to alleviate cost pressures on 3rd parties by lowering royalty costs. The thinking at the time was that users would be able to create their own games and distribute them online throught he PS3, and Sony would not be able to charge royalties for such titles. The company would want to offer 3rd parties a similar pricing environment, with the savings from royalty costs passed on to consumers in the form of lower software prices.
However, this strategy has apparently been put on hold as Sony has been unable to complete preparations for turning the PS3 into an open platform. The article claims that Sony has made no progress in the preparations for allowing users to make their own games. Such preparations include a development environment, manuals, security management and community features.
It should come as no surprise that preparations have been delayed, as the article also claims that even support for 3rd party developers is lagging.
With the delay in progress towards an open platform, the site speculates that Sony is switching to a more traditional business model where the PS3 will be sold at a "surprisingly low price" and losses will be recouped on software royalties. This is the business model that was used for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2.
As part of this strategy shift, we could be seeing changes to Sony's plans for multiple PS3 SKUs. The article claims that while the 60 gigabyte PS3 will still be available, the company's focus will be shifted to the 20 gigabyte model. This is part of Sony's hope to change from a multi SKU business model to a single SKU model. The article cites as a source software distribution firms which noticed, at the end of August, a change in Sony's marketing approach for the PS3."
You can also read some laymen's interpretation here in Gerry-IGN's blog:
What this all means, if true, is that Sony is abandoning their business model of expensive console and reasonably-priced games for a cheaper console and more expensive software. The 60GB version of the PS3 will go on the backburner since the 20GB version now supports HDMI. This speculation seems to ring true when taking into consideration Sony's recent TGS announcement.
What I find even more remarkable though is the supposed decline in 3rd-party support due to the lower royalties on games. By raising software prices, Sony is hoping to court back those disinterested devs.
New Mario Galaxy (Wii) trailer as shown at GDC
Mar 9th 2007 10:16AM (Joystiq)One sec...
Here we go.
"Whereas games like Wii Sports succeed on brand new criteria, Galaxy is a success because it neither loses the cherished tried-and-true platformer mechanics of old nor beats players over the head with the new fundamentals of the Wii pointer. There is a balance and it's a perfect one...
Playing Galaxy, in contrast, is much more like riding a bike. Once you've done it, it's almost impossible to undo it. After we pushed whatever undeserving person may have been attempting to gawk over the game out of our way, we immediately found ourselves taking Mario for a free and easy ride using both the nunchuck attachment and Wii-mote. Galaxy is a lot like Mario 64 in that it is fun simply to run around the game's universe, even if you're accomplishing nothing of note.
If you didn't read our E3 coverage, Mario is controlled with the nunchuck unit's analog stick. The Wii-mote, meanwhile, manipulates an on-screen star reticule. This reticule aids Mario as he makes his way from planet to planet and from ship to ship. For instance, you might point the Wii-mote and in turn the reticule at some bells, at which point you can actually jingle them and trigger a secret. Later, you can point the reticule at items and suck them up, even as Mario himself soars by in outer space. You can additionally use the reticule to latch onto objects and pull Mario to them; and likewise to fling him away from them. There is clearly an enormous amount of puzzle potential in place and we're only scratching the surface of what the game has to offer.
When we played Galaxy on Thursday, though, we knew that we had attained a new level of gameplay competence and in turn confidence because all we really wanted to do was use the Wii-mote to mess with enemies. One of the great uses of the peripheral is that in Galaxy it's also used to stop foes in their tracks, literally. If, for instance, we were to aim the reticule at an oncoming Bullet Bill and then press and hold the B trigger, we would suspend the enemy in mid-air. And if we had the skill to keep the reticule glued to Bill with the Wii-mote while we controlled Mario's movements with the nunchuck, we could actually walk circles around the baddie and it would be practically helpless to do anything but look at us. There is a sick satisfaction to this new mechanic and we can't help but love it.
Goombas are strewn about the various asteroids and planets in the demo of Galaxy and we made sure to torment them at every turn. Using the Wii-mote, we'd freeze them in place, walk right up to them with Mario, sit there for a few seconds inviting them to try to break free, and then we'd jump on them and take them out. Are we easily amused? Perhaps. But there's really something to this because you will feel as though you're part Mario and part sidekick as you both control the hero and aid him on his way." ––– Matt Cassamassina, IGN Wii (September 2006)
"While it wasn't shown in detail at Nintendo's press conference, there is a pretty cool playable demo of the tentatively titled Super Mario Galaxy here at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. We were able to quickly get a feel for the controls and bounce from planet to planet, butt-stomping goombas and swinging our arms at everything in our path...
With its intuitive control, sharp visuals, and, of course, the Mario name, Super Mario Galaxy is definitely going to be a game to watch for." ––– Jeff Gerstmann, Gamespot (E3 2006)
"It serves as one of the best examples of what the Wii and its controller are capable of... The single boss battle in the demo also makes excellent use of the controls." --- Giancarlo Varanini, 1up (E3 2006)
"Our fearless console leader likes to tell me that I'm fired every time that I confess that I hated Super Mario 64, but it's a good starting point for talking about SMG. Why? Because I'm part of a minority of gamers who weren't nuts about Mario's leap from 2D to 3D (also part of why I was head over heels for New Super Mario Bros.), and I didn't like Mario Sunshine much. However, even with my disdain for 3D Mario bubbling deep down somewhere in my subconscious, Super Mario Galaxy is gosh darn fun.
In all honesty, it's the controls of the Wii that make SMG work so well..." --- Sterling McGarvey, Gamespy (September 2006)
"As far as depictions of plumbers in outer space go, I'd say this is probably the best one I've seen. Super Mario Galaxy really does make up for a lot of the graphical shortcomings of other Wii games. In fact, its unusual and engaging control system provides one of the best glimpses of the system's potential we've seen so far." --- Ludwig Keitzmann, Joystiq (E3 2006)
"Super Mario Galaxy was the first game we played on the Wii, the first time we got to actually hold any of the Wii peripherals in our hands. They were surprisingly light and ergonomic—from the photos we'd seen previously, we were worried the remote especially would be too small or just awkward to hold and press multiple buttons on, but it took us less than 30 seconds to get used to the way both controllers felt in our hands. The controls were also incredibly intuitive, as it took us just over a minute to learn the controls (mostly jumping and using objects in the environment) and just get around to playing through the demo stage." --- Kotaku Editors (E3 2006)
And these are just accounts of how the controls felt either for the first time or after revisiting. Most all of these previews go on to explain the control mechanics. I'm justifiably able to see and read that the controls look and sound great at this point. The enhanced visuals and whimsical gameplay are a just a big slather of icing on the cake.
European PS3 not so backwards compatible
Feb 23rd 2007 12:03PM (Joystiq)GamePro: 05/12/2006
"If the developer wrote the game according to our technical requirements checklist, we will have what we believe will be almost perfect backwards compatibility. There will be some exceptions, there always are, but we believe those will be very few and far between. Even less so than we saw from PSOne to PS2."
...On Microsoft's Difficulties with Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility
"I don't believe that was backwards compatibility."
http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=55108
Bidder ends up with 3 PS1s, not 1 PS3
Nov 20th 2006 5:31PM (Joystiq)Nintendo prez reiterates growth "mantra" in keynote
Nov 9th 2006 4:52PM (Joystiq)Zelda Twilight Princess trailer and title intro
Nov 2nd 2006 2:36PM (Joystiq)I've been a longtime Zelda fan – even studied the games – and so I've come to discover that Zelda games are based on their own instilled mythology and the mythology/history of our real world. They are rooted very deep, and I think that's why they resonate with so many fans.
To say that Zelda was influenced by Shadow of the Colossus is baseless, and the proof is on you to prove it. It can be your opinion, sure, but it's a pretty stupid one.
Metahuman has it right in this respect. You can say they "look similar" or they have this or that in common. But the former is just an insult to the game's creators.
Zelda Twilight Princess trailer and title intro
Nov 2nd 2006 2:02PM (Joystiq)http://us.wii.com/viewer_zelda.jsp?vid=8
http://us.wii.com/viewer_zelda.jsp?vid=9
Having said that. These are really amazing!
*AB*
Hyrule, I'm ready to start.
Will Wright makes "Digital 50" Top 5, beats out Google & YouTube founders
Oct 23rd 2006 5:29PM (Joystiq)Well, wasn't Miyamoto involved with Nintendogs? And didn't he help produce Brain Age?
Ah well. He'll be on the list come next year or so.
Wiimote vs. Sixaxis, Round 1: Downhill Jam vs. Project 8
Oct 23rd 2006 4:03PM (Joystiq)1.) I think the Wii-mote is used in a far better manner. The tilt-sensors definitely seem more beneficial as a racing tool rather than a seesaw for doing tricks. That doesn't mean the Sixaxis is inferior, just perhaps not used for the right application.
2.) I saw some perceivable, though small, lag when it came to Sony's THP8.
3.) Downhill Jam just seems like more of a hoot, grabbing all that air, racing against friends, and hitting down innocent people along the way.
Round 1: Wii
The color of next-gen gaming is brown
Oct 23rd 2006 3:31PM (Joystiq)Your pixelated version only makes this issue even more confusing. What you did (arbitrarily decrease the pixel count to 3x5) is not an accurate representation of the average of the colors on those screenshots. And while I would argue that cherry-picking screens from various in-game or CG scenes compeltely decimates Aeropause's argument, I took the liberty of correcting your attempt to expand on their point.
If you take a look at the image below, I've averaged each screenshot's pixels to obtain the overall tone of the image.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/designerbradr/miscellaneous/Screenshots_Averaged.jpg
Your way of doing things mixed pixels from other images instead of averaging those inside each. Feel free to use it.
Those of you claiming the Wii is the counter-punch, take a look at this screen.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/designerbradr/miscellaneous/WiiScreens_Averaged.jpg
I took several screens form upcoming Wii launch games, screens that I thought best represented actual gameplay as well. The colors are indeed brighter on an overall basis, but do note that the more mature-rated the title, the more "muddied" the screens get.
The problem with this method is that (as some have already mentioned) inevitably you'll always end up with an unpure color – a brownish or grayish color of the hue. It's just a natural way that visual colors mix.
As an art director myself, I will agree with the general point about some next-gen games looking too muddied or too one-dimensional. Art direction is the key as with any game – making or breaking the game design. It can be bright and obnoxious or it can just as well be muddied and beautiful – it all depends on how cohesive your color scheme is and how you use color throughout the game to evoke a mood. And It also has to work with all the design aspects of the game and seem like a unified package in order to transcend all the other malarkey out there.
Some new games seem to be in the right direction, like Zelda and Bioshock, others, like Lair, could use something extra to give it that personality or punch. Of course it's all subjective when you get down to it. But there is some bit of truth in the article – perhaps a real concern.
Japanese PS3 games to cost up to ¥9,800 ($85 USD) [update 1]
Sep 25th 2006 3:19PM (Joystiq)http://ps3.ign.com/articles/734/734950p1.html
"There's a deeper story to this price hike. According to the article, Sony was, as of E3, planning to alleviate cost pressures on 3rd parties by lowering royalty costs. The thinking at the time was that users would be able to create their own games and distribute them online throught he PS3, and Sony would not be able to charge royalties for such titles. The company would want to offer 3rd parties a similar pricing environment, with the savings from royalty costs passed on to consumers in the form of lower software prices.
However, this strategy has apparently been put on hold as Sony has been unable to complete preparations for turning the PS3 into an open platform. The article claims that Sony has made no progress in the preparations for allowing users to make their own games. Such preparations include a development environment, manuals, security management and community features.
It should come as no surprise that preparations have been delayed, as the article also claims that even support for 3rd party developers is lagging.
With the delay in progress towards an open platform, the site speculates that Sony is switching to a more traditional business model where the PS3 will be sold at a "surprisingly low price" and losses will be recouped on software royalties. This is the business model that was used for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2.
As part of this strategy shift, we could be seeing changes to Sony's plans for multiple PS3 SKUs. The article claims that while the 60 gigabyte PS3 will still be available, the company's focus will be shifted to the 20 gigabyte model. This is part of Sony's hope to change from a multi SKU business model to a single SKU model. The article cites as a source software distribution firms which noticed, at the end of August, a change in Sony's marketing approach for the PS3."
You can also read some laymen's interpretation here in Gerry-IGN's blog:
http://blogs.ign.com/Gerry-IGN/2006/09/25/31859/
What this all means, if true, is that Sony is abandoning their business model of expensive console and reasonably-priced games for a cheaper console and more expensive software. The 60GB version of the PS3 will go on the backburner since the 20GB version now supports HDMI. This speculation seems to ring true when taking into consideration Sony's recent TGS announcement.
What I find even more remarkable though is the supposed decline in 3rd-party support due to the lower royalties on games. By raising software prices, Sony is hoping to court back those disinterested devs.
It's like a daytime soap opera.