What ‘The Last Guardian’ creator learned from ‘No Man’s Sky’
The video game world is vastly different now than it was in 2007, when Fumito Ueda and his team began working on The Last Guardian. Nintendo dominated the hardware market with the 3DS and Wii, while the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 trailed by millions in console sales. Assassin’s Creed, BioShock and Mass Effect debuted, kicking off a fresh round of long-running AAA franchises.
Today, we have the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro, and Nintendo is attempting to rebound from slow sales of the Wii U. Day-one patches are normal, pre-order DLC bundles are standard practice, we’re on the ninth Assassin’s Creed and, sometimes, indie games are indistinguishable from AAA titles.
This is the brave new world that Ueda will release The Last Guardian into on December 6th. Over the past nine years, he’s kept an eye on the video game industry and he knows that the market is volatile. He knows that the industry has changed. Fans are used to a constant barrage of information, trailers, screenshots and interviews about upcoming, high-profile games. Sometimes this marketing strategy works out just fine. And sometimes, No Man’s Sky happens.
At least Ueda has been down this road before. He’s the creator of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, two cult classics that captured the hearts of players in the early 2000s. However, his experience fuels a potential issue that looms heavy over The Last Guardian: After nine years of development, fans of Ueda’s work have had time to build up the game in their minds. They’ve had the space to imagine a million perfect, uncompromising experiences, each one different and attuned to a specific person’s taste. When these fans finally sit down to play The Last Guardian, they might expect impossible things.
“Obviously there’s a level of expectation, and it’s really down to each and every person’s level of expectation and imagination that they’ve created based on what they’ve seen,” Ueda says.
That’s what happened recently with No Man’s Sky, an independent game that received massive amounts of attention from the moment its first trailer went live in 2013. Sony immediately seized the momentum and ran with it, featuring No Man’s Sky in its largest convention speeches and press tours. The game was pitched as a sprawling AAA experience, even though it came from Hello Games, a small team in the UK known for creating the quirky side-scroller series Joe Danger.
It took three years and one delay for No Man’s Sky to go gold, giving a flood of hungry fans plenty of time to envision the perfect space-exploration game. And then, when No Man’s Sky landed in August, it didn’t meet many fans’ expectations. Backlash was swift. Livid players gathered on Reddit and Steam demanding refunds, and the game’s ratings plummeted. It’s now being investigated in the UK over charges of false advertising.
Ueda is aware of the potential pitfalls that come when a game finally goes public after years of anticipation. However, instead of dissuading him from development, he says the weight of fans’ expectations actually fuels his team.
“I try not to think about the pressure that has been added or is probably assumed to be added to this title,” he says. “But, having said that, I don’t think all pressure is always negative. It’s actually kept us motivated because of the expectations that people put on our next game. What that does is it creates this weird cycle, in a good way, where the pressure that we feel is then turned into motivation, and then that in turn helps Sony and our partners and our team to have even a stronger belief in the product.”
Ueda has already proven he knows how to make moving video games that touch millions of people, but he refuses to settle for average with The Last Guardian. He says he wants as many people to play the game as possible — and this isn’t just the dream of a legendary developer yearning for another slice of glory. Instead, it’s the foundation of Ueda’s approach to The Last Guardian.
“We found out that a lot of people are very curious and interested in animals,” Ueda tells me through a translator. “So we felt like if we introduced an animal or living creature in this game that hopefully it would appeal to a wider audience. That is something that really kicked off our brainstorm in the idea and formation of The Last Guardian.”
Trico, the game’s massive bird-dog companion that’s been plastered on posters and trade show floors across the world, is a direct representation of Ueda’s attempt to intrigue a wide audience. Trico is adorable, vulnerable and the perfect tool for manipulating the hearts of every pet owner who sees him. That’s a fairly large audience.
Not only does Ueda want animal lovers across the globe to play The Last Guardian, he wants them to understand and accept the game as it is. He’s keeping many aspects of its story secret, but he says it’s a unique experience, much like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus were. Those titles eschewed standard video game elements like UI and NPCs in favor of a minimalistic aesthetic, setting them apart from their contemporaries. They were different. So is The Last Guardian.
“For me, that means, ‘Oh gosh, is it going to be accepted? Are people going to understand where we’re coming from and where we want to go?’” Ueda says.
He’ll soon have his answer, regardless of whether he’s ready to hear it. Ueda he hasn’t thought much about what he’ll do on launch day, if he’ll be glued to the internet, immediately soaking up players’ reactions, or if he’ll take a step back for a while and simply let the moment sink in.
Eventually, he specifically wants to hear from people who play the game in its entirety. This isn’t a hint about The Last Guardian’s story, per se, but it does suggest a connected and thoughtful narrative that rewards those who play to the end.
“If they can share their feedback and their impressions, that’s going to be something that I really, really look forward to hearing,” Ueda says.
Whatever he decides to do on December 6th, Ueda is ready for the game to be done. The Last Guardian represents the last nine years of his life and even now, a month from release, he says it seems surreal that the journey is ending.
“Even though the game is on its way to being boxed up and going in stores and being delivered to players, it hasn’t really sunk in yet for me,” Ueda says. “I haven’t been able to digest the fact that it’s all done and completed. …What I’m looking forward to is for everything to just really be done and all the items on the checklist to be checked off. I think at that moment, hopefully, it will register and I would feel like it’s finally done. I look forward to that day.”
Play ‘Overwatch’ for free all weekend long
If you already aren’t one of Overwatch’s 20 million players, developer Blizzard Entertainment wants to fix that. Starting Friday at 1pm Eastern, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners can play the wildly popular shooter for free. And this isn’t just a limited slice of the game, either. The entire roster of heroes and maps are available across Quick Play, Custom Games and the Weekly Brawl.
What’s more, you’ll also have access to Loot Boxes containing bits like character skins and graffiti tags. Best of all? Your progress and unlocked items will carry over to the full game should you decide to buy it. That’s assuming you buy it on the same platform you played. My tip for newcomers? Start out playing as Mercy. Trust me.
Source: Overwatch
Firewatch’s free-roam mode wants you to take a hike on PC, PS4
Sometimes the best therapy for whatever you’re going through is taking a walk in the woods and reconnecting with nature. With temperatures starting to drop and urban living, though, that might not be the easiest thing for everyone to do. A pair of free updates to this year’s indie darling Firewatch, might offer a virtual respite from current events, however. The game’s free-roam mode is available now for players on PlayStation 4 and Steam. it made its way to the Xbox One prior to today. Before you can start hiking what develop Campo Santo describes as “miles of trails” and experiencing a dynamic 24-hour day-and-night cycle, though, you’ll have to finish the story mode first. Just a heads up.
More than that, the game has also been patched with the higher-powered PS4 Pro in mind. If you’re playing on a 1080p TV with the Pro, you’ll see “enhanced detail distance,” smoother loads and better looking shadows. For those with a 4K TV, the game world will resolve at 2560x1440p (WQHD) and the user interface will display at 3840×2160 (4KUHD). Happy hiking, everyone.
Source: Campo Santo (1), (2)
PS4’s Sharefactory app now lets you make GIFs from your videos
PS4’s Sharefactory app, which lets players stitch together video, music and photos into sweet highlight reels, has steadily built out its toolbox since Sony released it back in April 2014. Some have added options for slow-mo and timelapse, while the most recent introduced picture-in-picture to include simultaneous video play. But those have toyed with yesterday’s formats. For all the cool kids, Sony’s finally bringing GIF-making support to the app, letting users create animated clips up to 10 seconds long with all the captions their little hearts desire.
My kingdom for a grapple kit #PS4share pic.twitter.com/LEsX9WGJX6
— David Lumb (@OutOnALumb) November 9, 2016
It’s all part of a Sharefactory 2.0 release package. If you’ve hooked the app up to Twitter, you can tweet out your GIFs right from your console. Sony has also added a collage mode so users can arrange up to six photos in whatever arrangement they crave for their own “Wish You Were Here” gaming postcard.
While there are a few performance and UI tweaks, the last big news for the app’s new version is support for PS4 Pro. Users can now edit and export their 1080p videos and 4K screenshots. So even if your friends haven’t all upgraded their screens to take in your content’s high-definition glory, you can rest assured that all your headshot montages and GTA Online rampages are as crisp as possible.
Source: PlayStation blog
‘Dishonored 2’ gets a full trailer days before launch
It’s been a long time coming, but Dishonored 2 is almost here — the game arrives this Friday. We’ve gotten our fair share of glimpses of the game recently, but today developer Bethesda dropped an official launch trailer to get excited players as hyped as possible. Sure, it’s no live-action trailer like we saw earlier this year, but there’s a lot to like here, particularly if you were a fan of the first game in the series.
The original Dishonored gave players plenty of choice in how they wanted to approach what could have been a pretty standard action-adventure game, and it looks like Bethesda is taking that approach even further. Plus, you’ll get a chance to play as either the first game’s protagonist Corvo or Emily Caldwin, another character from the first game. That choice will give you different story outcomes — and let’s not forget about all of Dishonored 2’s new “creative kills.” Dishonored 2 will be out for PS4, Xbox One and Windows on Friday November 11th.
Via: Venturebeat
Source: Bethesda (YouTube)
The Morning After: Wednesday, November 9, 2016
It’s the middle of the week, and (aside from other news) scientists think they’ve found where consciousness resides in our brains, Amazon might start cleaning your house (for a fee), and Nintendo’s new 3DS will get a substantial price cut for this Black Friday. We also played as a badger in the most chill MMORPG ever.
Personality goes hereScientists think this is where your consciousness lives
Consciousness is traditionally defined by two criteria: arousal and awareness. Arousal has already been traced to the brainstem, the primitive part of our brains that handles our most basic functions, like breathing and regulating the sleep/wake cycle. Awareness, on the other hand, has been a bit trickier to pin down. Turns out, however, that awareness resides there too. No word on whether doctors will be able to extract it and inject it into us, ensuring that we live forever. (Too far?) In all seriousness, the research could open doors into treating people in comas.
Be the badgerMeadow is the chilled-out MMO game we all need right now
Take control of a heavily stylized woodland animal, and walk, run, jump, smell, speak and emote. That’s … it.
In synthReview: Roland’s System-8 keyboard is all the synths you want in one case
Roland’s System-8 is an incredible, feature-packed synth keyboard for $1,500 — and it should remind other keyboard makers that it’s not just professional-grade products that could use some good old-fashioned knobs to make their instruments easier to use. If you’re looking to step up your at-home productions or you’re willing to be extra careful while gigging, it’ll be a great addition to your synth arsenal.
Vacuum tubes are backScientists built a chip without semiconductors
Our cyberpunk dreams come true: Scientists have built the first semiconductor-free, laser-controlled device that uses free electrons, much like typical vacuum tubes. The tubes can dislodge free electrons to carry (or not) a current through space. The research could result in better solar panels and faster microelectronic devices that can carry more power. The team will investigate uses not just in electronics and photovoltaics but also environmental applications and, possibly, weaponry — the research was funded, after all, by DARPA.
Do you really need a pair of smart headphones?Review: Muzik One’s headphones let you share whatever you’re listening to. If you need that.
The One is a pair of “connected” headphones that lets you share whatever you’re listening to on the social media platform of your choice with just the tap of a button. Sharing music has never been so easy. It’s harder to say whether the ‘phones are worth $300.
Cheap handheld gamingNintendo will sell the new 3DS on Black Friday for $100
Nintendo is releasing special black-and-white Mushroom Kingdom editions of the New 3DS for $100 starting on Black Friday, November 25th. These lower-cost models should be available at many North American game retailers too. You won’t get any games out of the box — but we’ve got you covered. Try these games to start with.
But wait, there’s more…
- Tesla buys an engineering firm to meet Model 3 production goals
- Sennheiser’s HD 6XX headphones offer audiophile audio for $200
- Californian voters will decide whether to deputize the public to police porn
- Amazon might launch a Prime housekeeping service
It sounds like Microsoft has shelved its Xbox streaming stick
Prior to Microsoft’s keynote at E3 this year, a raft of rumors were swirling about. Microsoft’s answer to the PlayStation 4 Pro (which we now know as Project Scorpio) and the Xbox One S garnered most of the attention, but loose lips also suggested an Xbox-branded streaming dongle was in the works as well. The Chromecast-like device would’ve streamed Windows 10 apps and “light Universal Windows Platform” games in addition to content from an Xbox One. It would cost $99 according to Windows Central. Not anymore, however.
“Project Hobart” (apparently the cool sounding codenames are reserved for gaming hardware), was pushed under the rug ahead of E3 to focus on the Xbox One S and revealing next year’s high-end Xbox One, Project Scorpio. As WC tells it, Microsoft was going to order 300,000 units of the device and it’d release shortly after E3. Furthermore, Microsoft was apparently forced to prematurely reveal Scorpio after Sony spilled its guts to the Financial Times about PlayStation 4 Pro, just ahead of gaming’s grand gala.
That last bit makes a lot of sense considering Microsoft has said close to nothing about the console in terms of real information, and chose to rattle off system specs and video of a motherboard instead of a console and games in June.
But this isn’t all. The company apparently scrapped a few non-Xbox devices ahead of last month’s Surface Studio event as well, according to The Verge. CEO Satya Nadella reportedly cancelled a Surface Mini tablet at the last minute, in addition to an Amazon Echo-like device that would feature the Cortana digital assistant.
Again, these are all reports with no official confirmation from Microsoft, so there’s still the chance that we could see any of the aforementioned devices at some point in the future.
Via: The Verge
Source: Windows Central
An hour with ‘Meadow,’ the most-peaceful MMO ever
Meadow, the latest game from indie developers Might and Delight, has flown under the radar. Like the Shelter games the studio is famous for, Meadow has you controlling a animal, exploring a lo-fi wilderness. Unlike Shelter, Meadow is an MMO.
Starting life in Meadow is confusing. Having read nothing about the game, I dived into the European server. I was suddenly a small badger, in a field, alone. I quickly worked out the controls available to me: walk, run, jump, smell, speak, and emote — actually many, many emotes.
After five minutes or so of bounding around and chittering to myself, I heard an almost gutteral bleating coming from… somewhere. I called out again with the whiny chitter that only a badger could make. The deep bleat drew closer. I gently made my way down a cliff face toward a pair of antlers in the distance.
I wandered, cautiously, toward the figure, unsure if it was friend or foe (or even if the game has the concept of friends and foes). A circular emote appeared above its head — a smiling deer face. I returned a similarly happy symbol, and jumped up and down with excitement. The deer then began displaying a complex series of arrows, circles and dotted lines. I retorted with a steady supply of question marks.
Perhaps growing tired of my inexperience, the deer darted off, and I set chase, bouncing around her feet every time I caught up. After a while, I realized that I wasn’t chasing her — she was taking me somewhere. The deer led me up a hillside, toward a couple of small bundles of color, which when I passed over them made a noise that suggested they were collectable items. What exactly I was collecting, I was unsure.
After a hill climb and a brief stop while I got lost, my deer companion and I met with a huge group of animals. Bunnies, badgers, frogs, deer, lynx and even a bear cub, all sporting different coats and communicating through emotes. Was this my new tribe? Without warning, the pack set off, running at pace across rolling countryside, occasionally crossing a river. The deer and lynx were leading the procession: a pair at the front and a pair at the back, shepherding the smaller animals to various landmarks.
We climbed a mountain. We traversed rivers. We met what I can only assume was another tribe, and travelled as one, giant herd, maybe 30 animals in all, across the world. Every once in a while we’d stop, and the larger animals would break a strange obelisk into colorful pieces, the younglings gratefully lapping up these apparently collectable shards.
After a while, I was informed a skin had unlocked, and I put on my new fur coat, wearing it with pride. These colorful shards, an unlabeled menu had now informed me, were indeed collectable. You break apart the obelisks by having the right animals in your tribe, and amass the pieces within to unlock skins, emotes and animals.
I spent maybe another thirty minutes with the herd, unlocking another emote (a suspicious-looking side-eye), and a new animal — a frog. Approaching another mountain, the smaller animals spotted a cave. Buzzing with nervous excitement, we tentatively wandered over, occasionally looking back to the lynx and deer for approval.
As we entered the shallow grotto, one of the lynx joined us, and lit a fire. I searched my response list for “wide-eyed with wonder,” but couldn’t find an appropriate emote to express how surprised I was by the advent of fire to this world. I instead resorted to bounding up and down, exuding that same, shrill chitter that first charmed my deer mentor.
Rather than responding, the lynx simply sprawled out next to the fire. After some consternation — I kept on wandering over the fire while trying to work out how to lay down, which didn’t hurt but was rather embarrassing — my badger followed suit. Soon, a large part of the tribe was gathered in this tiny cave. And there were several fires. And it was peaceful. And then I logged off the server, and went back to work.
‘Meadow’ is available now on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux, priced at $2.99.
Xbox Insider Program opens its previews to everyone
The Xbox Preview Program has been helpful for gamers who want to see the future of Microsoft’s console software before it’s finished, but Microsoft thinks it can do better. It’s renaming the offering to the Xbox Insider Program, and instituting key changes both to the software as well as availability. For most people, the biggest change is simply who can access the program — it’ll “soon” be open to anyone with an Xbox. Access to system updates is still limited to those already participating, but that won’t preclude you from getting sneak peeks for apps and games so long as you meet qualifications (such as your region or tenure in the program).
You should notice more than a few changes in the Preview Dashboard, too. There’s a new user interface (based on the current Xbox One UI) that helps you find info and provide more detailed feedback. Also, it’s much more personalized: you should see more relevant news and chances at early access. There’s an Insider profile card that highlights your efforts, and multiple users can finally offer feedback from one console. Finally, your roommate won’t be left out of the loop.
The Insider Program software changes start arriving today, although you’ll have to be one of the most active contributors to be part of the first wave. Everyone enrolled in the program should see the updates within the next few weeks.
Source: Xbox Wire
Steam’s updated front page shows real screenshots from games
Valve has made it much easier to see what you’re actually buying on Steam before paying up. The company has unleashed the Steam front page refresh it promised, which gives the store an upgraded facade that focuses on surfacing titles and updates relevant to your interests. Discovery Update 2.0, as the distributor calls it, adds screenshots to game listings. Since Valve now requires developers to post real screenshots instead of augmented images, you’ll get a good idea of what a game actually looks like.
Steam’s overhauled front page also gives you a quick way to edit your preferences, adds direct links to common destinations in the store, lists your friends’ activities and includes a highlights section that shows titles based on the kinds of games you play and ones your friends recommend. It has a section for featured special offers, as well as a clickable preview of curators’ recommendations and big blue buttons to help you get around easily.
Valve has provided a preview of Steam’s new and upgraded features if you want to see what’s changed before you click around the actual store. As for how effective the redesign actually is in helping you discover games, we’ll let your wallet be the judge of that.
Source: Steam
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