ZillionMonkey

Sweet memories

torizo — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:31:36 +0000

What can get a grown man emotional? For instance: an old piece of colored plastic case with a screen showing a game with rudimentary graphics by today’s standards (apologies for the disrespectful phrasing). Exaggeration (?) aside, seasoned gamers surely know that thrilling sensation when seeing one. Imagine halls full of them. We had the opportunity to attend a retro game congregation in Budapest, Hungary with a special flavor: there were games from ex-socialist countries on display too. We talked to organizer/collector Gabor Szakacs, aka Sakman.

: When did you start collecting?

Sakman: It is hard to tell…..I have had a couple of retro hardware around before taking it to the next level. That was sometime in 1995 when I bought a ZX Spectrum set, I cannot tell why – perhaps because it was a good bargain. The set included 48K model with rubber keyboard, Interface 1 and Microdrive with 8 cartridges. And I had a C64 in the closet…..Collecting “for real” took off in 2005 when I wrote an article on the release of the Nintendo DS. For the photo shoot we gathered a few G&W games next to the DS: it was interesting to see how game hardware history “repeated itself” with the two screens. That moment the idea of collecting LCD games had been born…the rest followed naturally.

: Is there any other reason than the obvious: love?

Sakman: When I was a kid our family could not afford stuff like that…almost every schoolmate had a few electronic games, even before the LCD era. Later when I had some it was easier to borrow as I had something to offer in return. Now when I see an old game in fine condition I feel nostalgic about my childhood. A feeling comes that I am not a father in his 40s but a naïve child there and then….

: By the way, how could Hungarian people get their hands on western consumer electronic goods in the socialist era?

Sakman: Although Hungary was a socialist country, by the early 1980s one could buy practically anything. Import from the neighboring Austria was one way for the well-to-do, or smuggling (laughs). When the C64 was released, people could sell one unit for thrice as much as they paid for in Austria. The same profit margin could be realized on a floppy disk drive unit. Companies used C64 in their daily operation (inventory management, billing and so on) as even at that elevated price it was cheaper than a PC XT/AT. Later on of course prices dropped but still nice profit could be made.

: Do you remember your first game system?

Sakman: It was a Tronica Space Mission I got for Christmas in 1981 (it cost roughly one fourth of an average monthly income at the time). Funny, a few years back I got an “original” Space Mission instruction booklet in Hungarian. Somebody scribbled “No Warranty” on it. It is no wonder as it was unclear how games got into Hungary, who the warrantor was. My younger brother and I played with it so much that the buttons came out, it became a mess….I do not even remember where it is. That time I did not know that I would collect LCD games and such 30 years later. The first three items of my collection are from my family. My wife and brother-in-law used to play with them when they were children. They got those games from a relative who was a guest lecturer in the US. When I mentioned that I had started a collection my mother-in-law found them in the closet in no time. A Nintendo G&W Mickey Mouse, a Gakken Jumping Boy and a Tronica Space Mission: it was unbelievable!

: How much have you spent on your collection so far?

Sakman: I do not have an exact figure, must be around thousands of dollars. The most expensive handheld is a VFD Bandai Pengo bought through Ebay from a French guy. It was a good bargain for 60 USD (smiles). The most expensive console is a SEGA Katana for 210 USD that I bought in Hungary.

: Are there any memorable purchases?

Sakman: I got lucky a few times. I bought a fairly rare Italian MSX (Frael Bruc 100) for 5 USD at a flea market. Nintendo G&W Balloon Fight Crystal Screen for 20 USD, Egg for 16USD. (smiles)

: How big is your collection? Has it ever crossed your mind to insure it?

Sakman: I have 400 or so handhelds, and 50 or maybe more of other retro games. Among consoles I mainly collect SEGA – Dreamcast Forever! I never thought about insurance but it would be difficult to realize it as an expert should assess the collection. And such a person does not exist.

: What is the pride of your collection? What are the items you would not want to sell at any price?

Sakman: The truth is I would not want to say goodbye to any item of my collection, let alone rarities. I have a few very rare handhelds that I would sell only in case of very serious trouble (G&W Egg, Tomy Orange Express, Goldrush, quite a few Bandai games). And the SEGA Katana will accompany me in the grave (laughs). I have three SEGA special RAMs for Megadrive/Genesis development. Perhaps less appreciated by the international scene but I have Hungarian rarities like TVC (32) and Primo A64. They are quite dear to me.

: What is the game(s) that you “desire the most”?

Sakman: I cannot think of any but I have always been into getting a Morioka Tokei/Matsushima Play & Time game called Apple. There are several “collectors’ dream” handheld items: G&W Mario Bros YM-901 or an Atari Cosmos….oh yes, I would be delighted to add a “Brown Box” to my collection had Mr. Baer (Ralph) made more than one…..And any developer hardware is also welcomed. And if I had more space I would collect arcade cabinets, and pinball machines too.

: What old hardware are you still playing with?

Sakman: Most of the times with Dreamcast, SNES and Megadrive. And of course several handhelds are always around, mainly not so old ones. And I really play with them. Does PS2 count as old? (smiles)

: Do you collect copycats too?

Sakman: All the Soviet LCD games are copycats after all and I collect those too (smiles). I do not care about current Chinese monstrosities…..Joysticks with built-in games are also not my thing. They lack that “feeling”…

: Do you have any advices for beginner collectors?

Sakman: They should make up their minds what they would focus on, for instance Nintendo G&W or other manufacturers. Avoid what I am doing – collecting all kinds of retro games –, as that way it is a serious financial burden and a huge storage management challenge. And I wish they had enough money to improve their collections.

Editor’s Note: A walk on Memory Lane

I am from the same country and generation as Sakman. I remember when trade with western countries was not as free as now. It did not matter, games found their way to Hungary too. They were expensive and of little variety, but available nevertheless. There were also designated shops where one could buy foreign (western) chocolate, perfume and games for USD. Not to mention other channels through diplomats and people who traveled abroad. And of course, there were games from the Eastern Bloc. With the loosening of regulations on foreign commerce in the 1980s, trade opportunities boomed. However, I remember buying my NES in Vienna around 1990. I acted like my many fellow Hungarians who shopped in Austria that time – arising suspicions and dubious reputation among shop owners, with and without grounds. But let’s move on to another ground: of the playing kind.

When I was a young boy if someone had a handheld game many gathered around that lucky bastard one and shared the experience by passing it to each other, waiting impatiently for one’s turn. We hung out in someone’s house and played with a C64 from morning to night. It was a community thing, bonding like-minded kids, building lasting friendships. This is just one thing the exhibition reminded me of. The other thing I recollected – naturally – is the first LCD game I had ever owned: a Tronica Goal Keeper. Then I saw a bunch of Nintendo G&W games that I played with: Donkey Kong Jr. (present from my uncle living in the States), Greenhouse, and Oil Panic – to name but a few. As I was wandering for hours from desk to desk I discovered game systems, software I knew very well – and stuff I never knew existed. And then I found something I never had but wanted so much: Western Saloon. It was a great – and a bit bittersweet – travel in Time, but I am grateful for every second of it.

Despite inferior level of technology from the infancy of the industry, many retro games are still a joy to play. I wonder how contemporary games would feel thirty years from now. I hope we will be around to find it out.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Kyushu Designer Gakuin – Part 2

torizo — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:57:33 +0000

This is the follow-up to our previous post with our thoughts on our visit to KDG. What impressed all of us without doubt is the “analogue” modeling lecture. In case of video games digital is default so it is a refreshing experience to see students honing their manual craftsmanship. Here are our reflections on the curriculum, “getting dirty with clay” and selected works.

O-moti

“How to study is important” (Mr. Hatae)

“We start with the obvious…….so we start with fundamentals by “reforming the minds” (Mr. Matsuo)

As most important elements of the curriculum, these are surprising as well as understandable. I had a solid perception that vocational schools are about training technical skills. That is to say I thought education there would almost completely focus on technique, for instance in the case of game creator course: CG software, programming.

I think the concept to change students’ mindset from the basics is in a way quite a detour. There are “analogue” classes at the game creator course, where students make human bodies of clay and wire: this can come only from such a fundamental approach.

“…I was not a big reader but I have read many books on various topics since I started studying here…. To broaden my horizon is bigger than learning programming….” (Takase)

“To deal with fundamentals”. I pay more attention to things I did not think about before. (Yoshida)

These words indicate that the concept of the curriculum works. I think this spirit of “absorbing as much as one can” makes it possible to acquire that bulk of skills and knowledge in the short period of two years (actually one, if we take job hunting into account).

Even with few detours, this is straightforward education.

Watanabe Carcass

It is not well-known that sometimes getting perception of a digital environment actually starts with “getting dirty”, like working with clay. So, what we saw is similar to what ILM and Pixar do. For instance, when making Jurassic Park, the animators spent a couple of months in a zoo just studying elephants (their movement, actions). Of course, elephants are not dinosaurs but their body mass and structure, the way they walk are alike. Another example is when Pixar made Cars, they spent weeks at a desert highway very similar to the environment seen in the movie. The guys had a real perception of what they digitally recreated. It is a very good thing that at Kyushu Designer Gakuin they “go not digital only”.

Another thing is the down-to-earth approach of the teachers.

It is in a way very gratifying that they prepare students for real life: what they need to succeed in business, how to make a presentation, job hunting. I studied at the prestigious Kyushu University. The approach is very different there: professors are more concerned with theory, research. There are abstract ideas, things that are less practical in real life. It might take years to get our hands on their research results in everyday life.

Torizo

It was the first time for me to visit an institution like KDG. Unlike my fellow ZM members, I have no background in design, computing or video games (except for the love of them). My interest in technology is marginal. I am more into concept and character design, artwork when it comes to producing games. That’s why I enjoyed the most said modeling lecture and the browsing of pamphlets with the students’ work. I write about those that are showcased online. Out of the accessible collections (2008, 2009) I prefer the latter.

The former has more contributors thus there is more variety, however some works are more “common” (cute fashion) or less appealing to me (cars) regarding their subject. In addition, at times works seem less polished. That is not to say that the compilation is without highlights (Inoue pp.10-11), and they testify solid sketching (Akahoshi pp.36-46), painting and software skills.

In the 2009 collection a big bulk of the works is fantasy themed. Overall, they are more imaginative than works of 2008 of the same genre, show more artistry (and some influence of a certain movie about a ring). The portfolio of Keisuke Yoshida, one of the students we interviewed is particularly remarkable. The subject of his works is a mixture of real locations he has visited on his pilgrimage (see Part 1.) and fantasy motifs with their dreamy, solitary atmosphere. But my personal favorite of all works is the concept design in the Saito portfolio pp.10-11 for its ethereal beauty. And I am a biased fantasy fan (sorry).

The fourth portfolio’s creator is Akihiro Takase (see Part 1.). His works among other things will be displayed at The Tokyo Game Show this year. We hope that the event will help students to find their ways to the industry. Also, let us share some related info on employment and KDG.

: Are there successful games your former students made or participated in producing?

KDG: Unfortunately, I can not mention titles because of licensing problems. Our former students work at various members of GFF (local association of game makers) and several companies in Tokyo. Among them there is a company executive who has been in the business for over 15 years.

: Are students looking for positions here in Fukuoka or do they prefer Tokyo or Osaka?

KDG: The truth is at the moment few students want to work in Tokyo or Osaka. More of them wish to find a position in Kyushu (it can be up to the parents too).

: What are the top three companies students apply to?

KDG: Locally: LEVEL5, Cyberconnect 2, Ganbarion Overall: Capcom, Square-Enix

: What ratio of your students gets a job in the game industry?

KDG: 10 to 20 percent of all students. The rest of them work at various print design, Web design, CG producing companies.

: What are the strong points of your curriculum?

KDG: There are nine courses at KDG each aiding to find employment in the respective industries. The emphasis is on the necessary skills. For instance, at the Game Creator and Visual Design courses it is essential to have and to showcase a portfolio in order to get a job. As KDG has two years courses and after one year students start job hunting we must train students from zero to come up with their own portfolios in a short time. In order to do that, there is the guidance of the lecturers along with the curriculum compiled to master efficiently the skills. Also, we teach business manners and communication so the students can better “market themselves” with the companies they wish to work at. KDG has a unique system: students in their free time can take other lectures in our network of 29 schools with 72 specialties, without extra charge. For instance, if a student at the Game Creator course is interested in Sound Design it is possible to attend an Audio lecture at DTM. Those who make use of this opportunity can skill up even more.

: What is your mission?

KDG: To train students so they can find their way into the industry, to connect students and businesses. To help everybody’s dream come true.

Finally, we would like to thank the teachers, students and staff at KDG for their help.

:学生の方達は福岡、つまりローカルで働きたい人が多いのでしょうか？それとも東京や大阪で働きたいと考えるのでしょうか？

KDG:東京や大阪で働きたいと考えている学生は正直少ないのが現状です。九州圏内を希望する学生の方が多いです。（保護者様の意向による場合もあります）。

:学生が就職したいトップ3のゲーム会社はどこでしょうか？

KDG:福岡３社（株）レベルファイブ　（株）サイバーコネクトツー　（株）ガンバリオン

　（株）カプコン　（株）スクウェア・エニックス

:ゲームクリエイター学科の中で、実際にゲーム業界で働く生徒というのは全体の何割ほどでしょうか？

KDG:全体の１割から２割程度です。

: KDGのカリキュラム の強みは何でしょうか？ 

　KDGには９学科ありますが、それぞれに業界就職を目標としており、カリキュラムも各業界で必 要とされているスキルを身につけることに重点をお いていま す。例えばゲームクリエイター学科やビジュアルデザイン学科が業界就職をするには自分のスキルを客観的に示すための作品集が不可欠です。KDGは 全学科２年制となっており、就職活動をスタートさせる１年生の終盤までの短期間で学生を ゼロから作品集が制作できるまで、レベルを引き上げていかなければ なりません。そのために、講師陣の協議の上、効率的に技術を身につけられるようなカリキュラムを組んでいます。また、身につけた技術 や能力をそれぞれの志望する会社に就職試験でしっかりと自己PRするための就職対策、ビジネスマナーやコミュニケーション能力の授業も備えています。自分が履修している 専門学科とは別に空き時間に無料で姉妹校や他学科の授業を受講できるFAシステム（自由選択制度）で、29学科72専攻から 自由に授業を選択することができるのも、KDGのユニークなカリキュラムです。例えばゲームクリエイター学科の学生がゲームサウンドに興 味をもち、音響学 科のDTMの授業を受講することが可能 です。FAシステムを積極的に利用する学生はさらにスキルを伸ばすことができます。

:KDGのミッションとは？

若者の夢の実現のために業界に通用する人材育成そして学生と企業を結びつけるための取り組みです。

Kyushu Designer Gakuin – Part 1

torizo — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:26:00 +0000

There are several vocational schools throughout Kyushu that have game creator courses as a possible means to find employment in the attractive game industry. In general, the schools offer straightforward curriculum in a couple of years’ time. But how are they different? We aim to provide guidance by sharing our experiences gained at various schools. As the first in an interview series, we introduce Kyushu Designer Gakuin, Fukuoka where we met teachers (George Hatae, Ryuuta Matsuo) and students (AkihiroTakase, Keisuke Yoshida).

: Thank you very much for this opportunity. Please talk about what you teach currently.

GH: I teach 3D modeling in Maya among other software, and web design so students could present their works to the public.

RM: Mainly I teach concept design. Putting it simply, how to transform a concept into visuals, how to design a coherent world. I’d say I am the analogue guy. I use “The Skillful Huntsman” as text book. As recently the ability to illustrate has become really necessary in the game industry, I teach the foundations of design. Obviously most of the students enroll for the love of games. They are looking for ways to improve the related skills in a relatively short time, and not because they like art.

George Hatae and Ryuuta Matsuo

Favorite games

: This goes to the students: do you like games? Please tell us your favorite titles.

AT: I like foreign, “hardcore” games. God of War, Call of Duty, Dead Space and the like. I do not play light, causal games so often but have been very much into Pixel Junk by Q-Games.

KY: I do not have a particular genre that I like. At the moment I play MGS Peace Walker (laughs)…it is fun.

: You like games so that’s why you have plans to work in the industry, right?

AT: I wanted to do something with computer graphics with “where could it be the most fun” on my mind. I thought I could be really “connected” with contents and images that I make for a game, to immerse into that world.

KY: More than just liking games, in my case too, I wanted to embody the worlds, stories I imagined based on concept designing that I am learning from Mr. Matsuo now. That’s what I wanted to study.

GH: That suits him the best (laughs). He does pilgrimage to shrines and temples, studies Japanese history and uses the findings of his research in his works: that’s the way he makes his own stories.

KY: That’s right. The method is a perfect fit to me.

On the Japanese game industry

: What do you think about the current situation of the domestic game industry and market?

GH: I run my own company so let me comment from the business perspective.
There are three big players in Fukuoka: Level5, Cyberconnect2 and Ganbarion. But besides them there are some small companies that are not doing well. Last year two of them went bankrupt.

:The same fate of CING (former local company) earlier this year was surprising news to us.

GH: One of my former students used to work there, now she is setting up a new game graphics company. It seems that integration within the industry is in full throttle, in other words it is moving towards an industry where only the big ones can survive. Production of modern games needs a lot of resources. Level5 became a publisher so it can profit from sales and could get bigger and bigger. On the other hand, a small company can produce only one title at a time and if sales are not good than the risk of suspended or terminated operation becomes high. Another former student of mine who worked at one of the companies that went bankrupt said “It is harder for a small business in this industry than in any other.” Major publishers plan thoroughly development and marketing costs, and revenues for a time span of one to two years. So when a small company approaches a publisher with a title, they might be told that “We have already made our next budget for two years, we can only plan for the time after that.”

: Then the small company can not start a new project unless they wait for two years.

GH: That’s right. If the publisher does not agree, production can not take off. Furthermore, as the approval is for a long term period mistakes are not tolerated. The game industry is a tough business (laughs).

Keisuke Yoshida and Akihiro Takase

Skills in demand

: What skills are in demand in the Japanese game industry now?

RM: Well, after all fundamental skills such as basic design, modeling skills, to be able to realize ideas. I think very basics skills become sought after again. In the past they were computer, general 3D software skills but now those are just not enough.

GH: Besides, general knowledge (not only game related) is very important. Movies and books inspire this industry a lot. The example I often give is the movie “Escape from New York” and how it left its mark on Metal Gear Solid. I have to laugh every time I see it. The protagonist is called Snake, he has an eye-patch and sneaks into New York (laughs)…it is obvious, isn’t it? But it naturally happens. First novels, movies, music, art, World Heritage can shape our world view, then one can move onto creating a convincing background and visuals. Without an “inventory” of this kind, one can not discuss, express ideas.

On the Curriculum

: Quite a few students capable of producing high quality games graduate in just two years – actually one year, if we take job hunting into account. What are the important elements of your curriculum?

GH: One of the two major elements is how to study. In other words how to perceive, thoroughly research, analyze and organize new information. So students surely understand what we teach them. Students must come up with the question “How could I make this work?” instead of simply accepting “This is how it works.” We can help in how to make something but can not tell students what to make. They have to figure that out themselves.

RM: That’s right. We start with basics. For instance, what do we mean under “depth”, “space”, and “surface”. We start with the obvious and build on those to create things. Technique, software can be mastered by practicing so we start with fundamentals by “reforming the minds”, so to speak.

GH: The other is communication skill. Even outstanding craftsmanship is worthless without it.

RM: Actually, many of our students are not so good at communication. One thing is the quiet personality. Even if one’s works are received well might not make it at the final job interview. At concept design class communication becomes a part of the lesson through situations like choosing somebody’s sketch as reference or when students work together. Communication training of various kinds is necessary.

: Japanese and overseas gamers’ taste is different. Do you teach how to make games to suit the former or the latter?

RM: Here at our game design course we teach “internationally” minded material. At last year’s Tokyo Game Show only our booth had projects of this kind among the displayed works. We teach how to model characters upon thoroughly understanding body structure (muscles and sinews and so on). We teach the basics for good, “nurture” students with skills to fit any taste.

: What do you value in particular of what you have learned so far?

AT: I was not a big reader but I have read many books on various topics since I started studying here. I did not understand why 9.11 happened back then. But I have read and now I understand more about religion, the historical background, the motives and reasons behind. To broaden my horizon is bigger than learning programming.

KY: “To deal with fundamentals”. I pay more attention to things I did not think about before. For instance, when designing a game world concept one must consider its inhabitants’ needs. They must have backgrounds, religions and an economic system. Even the clothes they wear were designed by designers of the game world. To create them one must have information on designers. Without any such knowledge, we wouldn’t be able to come up with ideas (laughs).

End of part 1.
In part 2 we will reflect on what we saw there in detail, comment on the curriculum and methods, students’ works.

Ganbatte!

torizo — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:32:09 +0000

To encourage those foreigners who are interested in working in the Japanese game industry (see our related interview) we introduce someone who is already there. This is Michael Bitker, localization producer at Marvelous Entertainment.

: How did you get in?

Michael Bitker: I actually started as a translator in another company, and contacts I made there led me to my current position. I studied Japanese throughout university, including a one-year study abroad program. When I was able to come back to Japan I jumped at the chance.

: What does a localization producer do?

MB: A localization producer does a lot of the same things that a general producer does, managing staff and vendors, keeping things on schedule and within the budget. In the case of a localization producer, most of the time when we get the game it is largely finished from a programming standpoint, which makes our job less technical in some ways. On the other hand, we are often working with five or more languages which greatly increases the complexity of handling the text and graphics.

: What is different from your expectations?

MB: The amount of creative control I have over the text. While we can’t stray too far from the Japanese, as the localization producer I also have a responsibility to deliver a localization that is compelling to the user. In many cases I will ask the translators make many small adjustments that smooth the hard edges of the translation. Also, Japanese games are often programmed so that each line of text must fit within a very constrained character limit. We are often required to “bend” the language to fit, and doing this in a way that delivers the correct information as well as works well in the target language is an important skill. Of course, one can only bend a language so far and in impossible situations I work with the developer to change the layout of the text to give us more space.

: What misconceptions do you think are there about working in the Japanese game industry?

MB: That it is a glamorous, highly-paid environment. It’s neither. You really have to be dedicated to your users and your product in order to flourish here.

: How difficult is it to cope with the local corporate culture, to fit in a Japanese company?

MB: I don’t find it that difficult anymore, but then I’ve come to the realization that I can stand outside of it in some ways. I can’t change who I am any more than my coworkers can. Working in a Japanese office you learn to be cooperative and less aggressive than in an office in for example, the USA. One major virtue of the Japanese office is the insistence on civility. You rarely, if ever, hear people raising their voices even when they disagree (strongly!).

: Please tell us about the interview process. What should applicants be careful about?

MB: Well, I’m not one to giving advice I think, since I never went through an official interview process. Most of all you have to be able to speak Japanese well. Since communication is such a big part of the job, just passable Japanese won’t be sufficient. Make sure to have two Japanese resumes (CV – rirekisho + job history – shokumukeirekisho) and bring copies. Interviews are rarely done in front of one person, but rather in front of a committee. This usually includes a manager who observes, a main-line producer or assistant and in many cases one of the overseas staff to ask questions in English.

: What could give competitive advantage?

MB: Strong communication and organizational skills. Also, speaking a third language in addition to English and Japanese. English is essential as most overseas publishers do business in English.

: What qualifications do you think a foreigner should get? What are your recommendations?

MB: Well, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 1 is a very useful way to demonstrate that you have strong Japanese skills. It’s not essential, but you can be assured that other people applying WILL have it. Also, any programming, computer science or IT qualifications are highly desired. As a producer you need to understand what is happening in the program in order to diagnose and direct fixes. Some very difficult issues can arise from problems in the text data, and getting your editors to fix it is much easier than prodding the developer to fix it in the program.

: Finally, what do you think of the chances of a foreigner applying from abroad?

MB: I would say next to zero unless you are already established in the industry. It costs a company to sponsor your visa, and they have no guarantees that you will stay with them for the duration. There aren’t many game companies that actively recruit overseas.

Good luck, everybody!

Non-stop motion

torizo — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:09:41 +0000

We visited a small design team in Fukuoka. Although not developing games, they have an impressive portfolio of game openings, trailers and Visual Identity for a number of big players in the game industry. This is KOO-KI.

: Please introduce the company, and then yourself.

Motohiro Shirakawa: KOO-KI was formed 13 years ago. We make motion image works.
The founding members were Eguchi CEO and Takekiyo, everybody worked somewhere else in various lines of works. We all wanted to set up a new company producing exciting motion image works. It is a group whose members came together from all over Japan. KOO-KI is based in Fukuoka simply because a founding member is from here. Back when it all started I was a university student in Kobe. When I heard that Takekiyo had decided to start KOO-KI in Fukuoka after the end of his tenure at the university, I asked him if I could join. I am not one of the founders but have been around since almost the beginning. I am director, mostly working on animated cartoon projects.

: Game and design companies mostly choose Tokyo as base of operation. KOO-KI is unusually running a successful business in Fukuoka. Why here?

MS: Or rather, why in Tokyo? You can work anywhere as we have the internet. Many are tempted by Tokyo to try their luck but also many return home. I think it is a waste of time. You can be in the same line of work anywhere. Furthermore, somebody with the same level of motivation, talent has more chances to stand out in Fukuoka. In Tokyo one might not be recognized easily but if they find out that he or she works in Fukuoka And as you live in Fukuoka, you know this city is good to live in – hmm the food is great.

: Right. A very nice city.

MS: The place where you live influences creativity to a great degree. Every area has its own merits. I think Fukuoka is a great choice location-wise.

: It seems that game related works belong to certain creators. How did it come to be?

MS: When SEGA came up with Animanium, Momen and I found it interesting so we bought the software package. However, we were completely lost on how to use it and consulted the support people at SEGA. Then we came on good terms with them, and after we had showcased what we could received commissions thereafter. Basically we are specialized on moving images so one could say that games with fast movement like sport or fighting titles fit our bill. We received more and more requests.

: So KOO-KI is working on mainly games of action and sport genres because of this affinity, right?

MS: Yes.

: Please tell us about the visual concept of the Virtual Fighter 5 trailer.

MS: We had a really tight schedule, only three weeks to make it. It was very challenging to make new images for the trailer. At the first meeting we got all the necessary in-game images. The same day we could only decide to employ close-ups for each character’s face. For us the fact that SEGA provided the CG was exciting. Our part of the job was the composite process. Right that time SEGA was looking for new ways of making visuals. It was something I have not done before so it was a very interesting co-production. The process was like a live performance: we matched the visuals and music whichever was produced first. Improvisation….”No time to think! It was a scissors and paste job” (laughs).

: Scissors and paste job..(laughter).

MS: Virtual Fighter is not about thinking but power and energy. I think in this respect this production style was “the perfect match” for the game.

[See post to watch Flash video]

: Please talk about the production of the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 trailer.

MS: Aahhh… Just like with Virtual Fighter, we had a crazy schedule this time too.
We really believed we would not be able to make it in two weeks. First TECMO sent us the American comic style image and asked whether we could make an animation sequence of it. The deadline was very short so I it was though. But the image looked something that we could turn into cool stuff. “What if we gave it that MARVEL-like look?” we wondered. There have been numerous examples for works with the same idea (comic with motion) before but not to this degree. We wanted to do it no matter how close the deadline was.

: How come that you decided American comic style to a game with a traditional Japanese protagonist?

MS: Why? …. Nobody has done anything like that before and that is always fun. If there is a chance to come up with something new, it is a reason in itself to try, isn’t it? We told TECMO that if it is a cross-over of animation and comics, we can do it. And finally we picked the comic style with panels as it was something we could make too.

: By the way, is the software you used common?

MS: That’s right. We used After Effect and Photoshop only for Ninja Gaiden and other works.

: The visual style of Feel the Magic’s opening was a novelty five years ago. How did you come up with it?

MS: I see. If you think it was a “visual shock”, it has not much to do with me. The credit for the visual style goes to SEGA. I remember when we got the assignment I was also surprised “What the *@X#? is this?” It was a weird game, visuals and the title too. The title was different at the beginning. Then they came up and said: “We got the title. I would die for you (lit.)”.

: (laughter)

MS: “It must be a joke!” was my first thought but they were serious. People still remember the game. I can hear “I want to try it!” even nowadays. As for the making, we got only one image to develop the opening from there.

: Only that image..

MS: That’s right. We received other character sets too but we worked with this visual design. The rest was my wild imagination.

: Indeed….(laughter) The tone of the opening is there all over in the game.

MS: I wanted to express the female character’s sensuality. Maybe it is just me but I wanted to imagine her this way. But I wouldn’t do it that way now. I was in my 20’s that time, now in my 30’s I would create a different kind of sensuality. Back then I had more innocent idea of it. (laughs).

: Overseas the game was released as Feel the Magic: XY/XX and Project Rub. They are less memorable than the Japanese title. “I would die for you” has definitely impact on people.

MS: Yep, I would like to say it once…..”I would die for you.”

[See post to watch Flash video]

: The 20th Anniversary of Super Mario Bros must have been a very important moment for Nintendo. How did you get this prestigious assingment?

Momen: We have worked on TV spots (motion graphics) for Nintendo before, we got the job through an agency.

: Did the concept come from Nintendo or was it yours?

M: All they told us was the nature of the project. We produced it from scratch based on my idea.

: Did you have a visual style other than 8-bit on your mind?

M: No, nothing else seemed to be right. All parties agreed on this soon. However, as it happened over five years ago I would make something different (maybe better?) now. I would do so for the 30th Anniversary, should the opportunity come up.

: Finally: the impressions of game trailers and openings are very important. How do you feel about the related pressure and responsibility?

MS: Although, these words sound heavy I feel them both as I like games myself too. For instance, I have been working on the Pro Power series for three years and at the same time have been playing those games, and it is great. Gamers can have various feelings towards a game, right? But I can help to improve a game by making a part of it. I feel grateful and motivated. Of course good quality is expected, it would be great to have more assignments of this kind.

Like a solitary spacecraft

o-moti — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:56:49 +0000

Japanese shoot ‘em ups have always had a special place in gamers’ hearts worldwide.The difficulty of ‘bullet hell’ games are legendary, even dreaded. Creators – professionals and enthusiasts – are respected.This month we feature one of them: Kenta Cho. He is a freeware game maker with a day job, guest lecturer, arcade goer. He works alone.

: First please introduce yourself

Kenta Cho: I produce mainly 2D shoot ‘em up games alone and make them available on ABA Games. Being open source development, the source code is also accessible. Thanks to this, there are some iPhone ports of my games, for instance of Noiz2sa, rRootage and Tumiki Fighters. I make games on weekends and holidays. As I do not have much free time they are mostly “small”, short ones. It is fair to say they are like old arcade stuff.

: Do you remember the first shoot ‘em up you played?

KC: I can’t remember exactly, it happened so long time ago.
Maybe Space Invaders or Galaxian…? When I was a child I had the opportunity to play games when we were on a family trip. In hotels, department stores there were “game corners” often with Space Invaders, Galaxian or Galaga cabinets. What I can clearly recall are the strong impressions Xevious made on me. Vivid graphics, memorable enemies like “Bacura” or “Andor Genesis”. It seemed like another world in the game when I saw the Nazca line-like figures. It was a very emotional experience.

: You develop games outside the industry. How did you come to the decision not to work there? Have you ever felt regret?

KC: It is because I always preferred to make “small” games on my own. I figured that there has been no need to work at a game company to do that. I do not feel regret. I mean as I do not have actual, first-hand experience I do not even know what I miss.

: Were there any shoot ‘em ups that you wanted to take part in the development?

KC: Ikaruga. I think it is one of the best quality 2D shoot ‘em up ever with its original concept – the black and white combat/dodge system -, thorough level design to match novice and veteran players’ skills, beautiful visuals, at a very high overall production level. It must have been great to be on the development team. However, I am not quite sure how could I have contributed to the process.

: 2D shoot ‘em ups were more popular in the past (in Japan). They are still around in arcades, but undeniably for genre aficionados. What do you think the reason of this transition can be?

KC: I think it is true not only about 2D shoot ‘em up games but old fashioned arcade games in general. Beat ‘em ups, music games too are targeted on those who have been long-time followers, they hardly reach out for fresh audience. I guess because most of the developers’ priority is to prevent dedicated fans from giving up on those games instead of attracting new gamers. Shoot ‘em up games changed at one stage, ‘bullet hell’ games became more represented and that led to a drop in popularity. Once you get used to ‘bullet hell’ games it is a lot of fun but many people give up because those games seem to be extremely difficult at first look. Actually, on this account they are not so different from old games. The topic of the declining popularity of the genre is very often discussed within the local shoot ‘em up games fan community too. However, nobody has come up with a solution yet. Does anyone have a good idea out there?

: In Arcade Mania! the author states: “Arcades in Japan? Evolving.” Do you agree? Any comment on the current Japanese arcade scene?

KC: Of course it is evolving. But I am not sure whether or not towards the right direction.
In Japanese arcades card-based games are rapidly gaining followers. There has been a shift to real-time battle card games, driving games (with upgradeable vehicles by each play), 3D shooter games, and games like downloadable extra content to home console games. It feels like old school games are driven away. I prefer to play with one coin in ‘proceed as far, score as much as you can’ style to continue with a card-game where I left off. I feel a little sad that old-fashioned games are loosing ground. I am also aware that arcade (game center) operators can make little income of them. Recently digital currency has been introduced in arcades at last. As digital currency allows flexible pricing for one play, perhaps arcade operators and game developers could become profitable with old school arcade games.

: In the US Majesco released BlastWorks (Wii) based on Tumiki Fighters. Why do you think they picked that game?

KC: Maybe they liked that in Tumiki Fighters the destroyed enemy fuses with the player’s ship. At the end it might grow even bigger than the level Boss. I like this feature a lot. Besides, quite exceptionally the level design in Tumiki Fighters is not random. I prefer random level generator, usually I apply the technique in shoot ‘em up games. Through the procedure however, level balance tuning and debugging become complicated. I do not see it suitable for home console game development.

: Did you have any influence on the development of BlastWorks beyond the original concept?

KC: No. They took it from there.

: BlastWorks was received well overseas in general. You must be satisfied with it.

KC: Yes, I am very pleased.
But as BlastWorks has a high quality stage editor and various new elements I consider it as a different game. I cannot know how much the concept of Tumiki Fighters has to do with the favorable reception.

: On Blastworksdepot.com there are many user made stages. Do you have a favorite one?

KC: Yes, I checked the stages, characters, barrage patterns on the site.
Unfortunately, I do not own a North-American Wii so I cannot form an opinion. It would be nice if BlastWorks were released here in Japan too, though.

: You were on the screening committee of SOWN (Sense of Wonder Night, GDC’s Experimental Gameplay Sessions) last year. How was it? How do you see the potential of the event?

KC: Oh, it was a lot of fun!
I love experimental games. It does not matter if the game itself is not good overall when the concept backing it up is fresh, something new. I think about games this way, so SOWN was one of the best events for me. The variety of experimental games was wide: from those that have the potential to become commercial products to the “fifteen minutes of fame” type. The screening of these very different games, to decide what to show to the public was a completely new experience to me. It was also great to chat with the creators there. There are not too many opportunities to ask them about how the concept was born.

: What was your favorite presentation? Why?

KC: ‘You Only Live Once‘ was interesting.
Because of the literally “one shot” concept, for the first time I did not understand what happened. “Was it a game?” was my first impression. Then little by little the concept became clearer, but it was funny that the audience that day had a similar reaction.

: What was your favorite concept of all the submitted works?

KC: ‘para rail‘. In this metagame the player can not control the spaceship, but can play the game by increasing/decreasing the number of simultaneous games on-screen (for instance, in a dangerous situation the player can close the window). This concept is highly individual. I can imagine it could be applied to all kinds of games.

: You are member of some fangames developer groups. What do you think of them?
How are they different from foreign indie developers like Ace Team?

KC: I have the feeling that the older generation makes up the most of these groups, there are only a few young members. But I cannot say this is true for all, as each has its own character. If we compare the Japanese fangames and foreign indie games, local developers of the kind pay a lot of attention to completeness and packaging. That is the impression they made on me. The game might serve as blueprint to another game in the future, that’s why the content is produced with thoroughness. The way I see it, the effort to create something different from a previous game is not enough.

: Please recommend indie developers supporting organizations, associations.

KC: I recommend IGDA and SIG-Indie, where I have had the opportunity to give lectures. Japanese independent developers give lectures on themes at the SIG-Indie forums. So far I have talked about action games, visual novels, XNA among other things.

Casual Challenge

torizo — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:55:12 +0000

FarmVille, Farm Town and Mafia Wars: titles representing the cream of social gaming on the almighty Facebook (at the moment). Icelandic company Gogogic has thrown Vikings of Thule in the MMO arena of the platform. The game might not threaten the reign of the aforesaid triumvirate, but its presence could be memorable and pave the way to the Althingi of developers for Facebook.

: Please introduce Gogogic

Jónas Björgvin Antonsson: Entrepreneurs established Gogogic in 2006 to create and introduce a modern breed of game development company. Since then, Gogogic has grown to become an exciting and influential organization which is based on a strong understanding of emerging gaming markets and an ability to harness communities as part of innovative concepts. We currently make online MMOGs for Facebook and multiplayer games for the iPhone. Gogogic is moving towards games that can cross those two platforms to create a seamless multiplayer experience that is both social and engaging.

: Could you speak about your experience for developing the iPhone/Pod Touch (for instance Apple review process)?

JBA: We have a talented and determined team, which has invested much time in learning how to develop for this platform. Apple provides excellent tools that make the whole process very straightforward once you have mastered the technique. We have now released two successful titles for the iPhone and are confident that our developers will continue to find innovative ways to use the tools to create new gaming experiences.

Gogogic has also been quite lucky with the Apple review process. We haven’t had to wait weeks or months like other developers we have heard about. If you deliver a good product and are organized, the review process should be smooth.

: There are thousands of games on App Store. A difficulty for developers is to get attention. What is your strategy?

JBA: The games have to speak for themselves and offer something unique. If you release a well-designed game that creates an engaging experience for players, people will take notice. We have built our name by developing multiple titles of high quality. We aim to create a devoted audience by introducing multiplayer games and cross-platform experiences.

: You are a new, small start-up company. Was it hard to get the green light from Facebook for your projects? How does it work? Please tell us about the procedure (as much as you can).

JBA: We have been using Facebook as a platform for our games since 2006, so we were quite early on the scene. Getting the green light is not difficult, but developers must understand both the API and the use case policies in place. Understanding the social interaction and activity within Facebook is a time consuming process, but a very important step in the creation of any game or application that would like to add value for the users rather then creating spam.

: Please tell us the challenges and hardships of developing an MMO

JBA: Developing fully a good architecture with the ability to scale and expand service to other platforms is incredibly time consuming. The process takes many skilled and experienced people who know how to handle networks and distributed systems. One has to understand how to approach game development from a service-oriented standpoint. There are many social aspects to take into consideration, such as building an audience and maximizing retention. The game basically becomes a facilitator of social interaction.

Another challenge in creating any successful project is to find a game balance both for individual players and in terms of the overall in-game economy. This is a process that never ends and developers will have to adjust this constantly to keep the players interested.

All these challenges are also found when developing an MMO on Facebook, but you also need to be aware of the 3rd party integration that is added onto the whole thing.

: What makes Vikings of Thule a casual MMO?

JBA: Vikings of Thule is easily accessible from any computer via the Internet. This is a huge factor in making a casual game. The game is designed to allow the players an experience where they can feel comfortable playing for hours or minutes while still being engaged in the experience. As Vikings of Thule is not as demanding as many other titles, the players control the amount of time they would like to invest. They may exit the game at any time without penalty.

: Has any of you been nurturing the idea for long to make a game with your historical, cultural background?

JBA: We have a rich history and a strong cultural background. Iceland, or Thule, seemed to be a suitable setting for a game and allows us to represent our culture in a way that we feel is appropriate and just. We look at samurai, Spartans, or cowboys and we want Vikings to have that same mythical, strong presence.

: Did you take into consideration that the Viking setting might be less appealing in some territories, for instance in Asia (where MMO is huge)?

JBA: We were aware that Vikings of Thule would appeal to a niche audience, which is a good thing when you are releasing your first Facebook MMOG. Having it as such can allow you to control growth as you develop internal procedures and tools. Although we feel that Vikings of Thule could raise the interest level on the subject, our next project will appeal to a much broader audience. The level of a game’s appeal is not a constant, and we feel that making a good product can capture the attention of many audiences. We know, for instance, Japan has showed some interest in Iceland. This could lead some Japanese players to our game.

: What improvements do you plan before the official launch?

JBA: Before we officially launch, we would like to improve the economic and physical game balance to make sure everything remains fun, yet challenging for our players. We also want the players to be able to communicate and interact with each other in new ways. We are listening to the feedback we have received during the Beta testing and implementing these suggestions along with our own ideas. Eventually, Vikings of Thule will become larger and you will have more ways to rise in rank and earn a spot on the Althingi.

: Have you considered the expansion of the Vikings of Thule experience to iPhone/iPod Touch?

JBA: We have considered expansion onto other platforms and the game’s architecture takes that into account. Unfortunately, we cannot release more details at this point, but you can expect many interesting cross-platform experiences from Gogogic in the future.

: Finally, suppose the popularity of SNS gaming and/or casual gaming declined, what is your plan for that scenario?

JBA: Our talented team has no shortage of innovative ideas on how to move Gogogic forward to meet the needs of emerging trends. We do generate considerable revenue as a 3rd party service provider, which would allow us to continue developing new products, which will engage a wide audience.

Chat with a hardcore gamer

torizo — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:49:36 +0000

In our last interview of the year we present a Japanese player we considered a good fit to discuss topics like the weakening position of the Japanese game industry on the global market, or the (relatively) stronger foreign presence on the Japanese one, the reception of foreign games in Japan – among other things. He runs popular live gaming blog on Japanese video sharing website Niko Niko Douga (“the Japanese Youtube”), and also contributes to several websites. Please welcome Kirin!

: First, could you speak about yourself, your activity? How did you become a gamer?

Kirin: Live gaming seemed to be fun. It just happened that I started to do it.
I do not have friends, let alone friends who like games. I thought it must be fun to watch the screen with others, to comment game walkthrough: “Let’s try this or that”. Since I have started live gaming, I play every game with extra care, covering every nook and corner, as later others might check my walkthrough. I feel that new, interesting aspects are discovered by every replay. To tell every appealing aspect, I study the world, the characters to the finest details, playing the game all over again I appreciate it more and more. If I play too much, I even dream of it sometimes. I keep on live gaming hoping that viewers would like the sessions.

How did I become a gamer?…Games have been part of my life since I came to my senses. I honestly do not remember a particular episode or point of time. I have never lost the “Games are fun” feeling in all these years. In fact, I feel even so endlessly. The first game I ever played….well, I can not recall. I remember playing devotedly every now and then with any game hardware – without knowing them well – I could get my hands on as a child at home. By controlling only a body of dots and lines to avoid enemy attack – it started like that. I could not imagine back then that I would play games with as realistic graphics as there are now. But no matter how good visuals or sound effects get, I will love games for what they essentially mean to me: joy. Maybe I will never give up playing games in my life.

: What was the first foreign game you played? What were your impressions?

Kirin: It must be….ALONE IN THE DARK 2 for Sega Saturn. I played full English PC games before, without understanding a word at all. Of course foreign games made completely different impressions. I was really young then so if I played the game again now it would have another feel. As a child my only thoughts of the game were “difficult” and “I don’t get it”. At the beginning the goal is to get to the mansion with armed enemies knocking around. I did not know either what to do or how to play the game so it was soon Game Over…..many times. Obviously I was too young for it. Generally speaking, foreign games have a unique atmosphere. I cannot describe with words, but Japanese games do not have it. Domestic and foreign horror games have distinctive characteristics. Japanese ones give you goose bumps and are packed with psychological shocks. Foreign ones are mostly with showy visuals. I do not take sides, I like both. Recently graphics and sounds of foreign games have improved a lot, to say the least. Games that could be mistaken for movies keep coming. As well as the visuals, if you spend more time on game play elements that seem sketchy at first, there are ideas throughout the game that could not come from Japanese developers.
I will keep my eyes on the progression of foreign games.

: By the way, do you remember your first Japanese game?

Kirin: As far as I remember…it was either Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom for NES or Sanma no meitantei. Or perhaps Uninvited. I can recall older hardware generation… too bad that my memory does not serve me well on the details.

: How do you think the reception of foreign games had changed in Japan?

Kirin: I think people refused to play them in the past because they were not Japanese, something unfamiliar, hard to perceive. Foreign games seem to be on the rise in Japan now – more so than Japanese games. Thanks to the net more information is accessible than before. Also more people find foreign games appealing recently. In the future more and more foreign games will reach Japan, something to look forward to.

: What do you think of the localization? For instance, do you buy overseas edition or do you wait till the games would be localized?

Kirin: I used to wait for the localized version but now I buy the original. I am a gamer that does not understand English at all, if I figure out the basics of a game the rest will follow “on the job”. Once I am done with the overseas version, sometimes I become curious about the Japanese voice over and want to try it.

: Basically domestic games reach the top of the charts in Japan. Particularly the FPS genre – huge in overseas – hardly sells here. What do you think is behind that foreign games are difficult to market?

Kirin: In Japan relatively “easy to play”, “light” games are preferred. As for the visuals, many Japanese games have that “lucid” look. Japan and overseas have their own comic/animation cultures, besides the expected complexity of a game is different…..I think there are many reasons, cannot say “because of this or that”. About FPS: to begin with common Japanese are not familiar with guns at all, Because of the first-person perspective, the player becomes completely “in character”. Japanese find main characters in brightly colored costumes that they can see moving around on screen attractive. This could be the reason.

: At present the Japanese market is in stagnation, the influence of foreign games is becoming stronger. What is your take on this?

Kirin: Surely overseas games have become more influential recently. It seems that they are affecting the domestic market too, and I am happy about it. But I do not think it is over for the Japanese game industry. Probably the foreign game industry is too well nowadays. What I expect from the Japanese industry is a shift of focus from light, casual to more challenging, hardcore games. There are a lot of foreign games like the latter, Japanese games definitely should have the same feel. Personally I also wish the game market got on a larger scale. And I want to see more TV spots of games.

: How often do you play? How do you pick the games you play live?

Kirin: Now that you ask, I just bought seven games last month. Not all are new, that would cost too much.
No matter what, I play at least an hour every day. Because I am better at work having played satisfying game sessions the day before. I keep playing portable stuff in bed before falling asleep. As for live gaming, I do not have a method. I chose a lot of horror games, simply because I love the genre. Other than horror, I play action and adventure titles. Altogether, I love games! To tell the truth, there were live games that were less well received …but if people realize I am having a good time, they will have too.

: What foreign games do you like the best? Do you have a favorite foreign/Japanese publisher?

Kirin: Let me see……Electronic Arts. I like particularly American McGee’s Alice, I play it even now.
Of their recent releases Dead Space, Mirror’s Edge…I have been playing simulation games such as SimCity and Theme Park since long. Best domestic is SEGA. I like Sonic series the best, as well as Nights into Dreams and Sakura Wars. I got my hands on both the Saturn and Dreamcast on release day.

: How big do you think the community in Japan that likes foreign games? Are you a member of one?

Kirin: Even if the influence of the foreign game industry got stronger, as said before….I do not think there is a community here…..Maybe 20-30 percent of Japanese gamers play foreign games. There are many female and elderly gamers who are familiar with casual games only. I have never been a member of such community. I might check them out.

: This might be a difficult question. If you were a developer, what kind of game would you produce for the Japanese market? What genre?

Kirin: Hmm…..I would develop an adventure game with lot of interaction: investigating, talking to characters. At the end of every stage there would be a boss character that could be defeated by solving a brain teaser puzzle. I would add action with showy visuals and sound effects to the mix. Strategic thinking would be highly rewarded….how does it sound?

: What are your expectations from the (foreign) game industry? Please name particular titles you are anticipating, if you had any on your mind.

Kirin: I would like to play games with high replay value. XBOX 360 Achievements/PS3 Trophies systems are good of course, however games should offer something else too that makes one come back for more. Needless to say that I am curious about all future releases that get on my radar. I check related news day by day with no little excitement.

: Finally, do you have a message to our readers out there?

Kirin: Thanks for this opportunity. Knowing that there are so many views and opinions, I would be happy if you agreed with some of the things I have said. There are only GAMES, let them be Japanese or foreign. I think the most important is to enjoy them free from preconception and prejudice. Let’s try new experiences, and love games even more.

ACE TEAM – Not so far away after all

watanabe carcass — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:32:21 +0000

What a difference a game can make.
Earlier this year we interviewed Ace Team, creators of unusual FPS – or rather first-person-melee – Zeno Clash. Let us be honest: games are rearly made with no desire of any recognition at all. Be it an award, fame or prospering business. Ace Team has achieved some of their goals so far. This is a follow-up Q&A session with the self-confident team, a company in transition. What has not changed is their ambitious nature.

: We interviewed you guys a few months ago (in March), we feel that since then the net exploded with coverage on Zeno Clash. There have been articles in EDGE, Kotaku, EnGadget, even WIRED magazine has a good cover story on the game. What has changed since the last time we spoke?

Andres Bordeu: To tell you the truth, we worked hard to be presented in such way. From the beginning we knew that the game’s fortune depends on how much it can be exposed through different kinds of digital media. We extensively advertised the game through viral marketing, a comic, tried to participate on forums as actively as possible, and for a time we had the support of an American public relations company called Clever Communications which was the one that got us close to well known magazines. But above all we believe Zeno Clash was well received because the product is attractive, something that had not been seen before: an FPS with surrealistic esthetics, developed with the Source engine which has not been used so widely. At the end, the game was a risky attempt that met our own quality standards. In addition, it was nominated in the category of Excellence in Visual Arts at the IGF along with other recognitions. For example being IGN game of the month, the same month when Riddick’s Chronicles was launched. All these generated enough buzz to make us known. Now people are aware of Ace Team and they are waiting for what we can release in the coming months.

: Exactly what we wanted to ask: do you feel pressure after Zeno Clash’s success?

AB: Actually it has been a success with the critics; we are still waiting for the game to perform well in terms of sales too. For example, we are just checking the retail situation in “hard box” format to distribute it in big markets such as Russia, and some European countries besides the North-American. We are happy with the success with the critics, but we do not feel an overwhelming pressure for releasing something new as soon as possible. We believe the game magazines and the fans can understand this stage we are in now. That is to say, it may seem that we are “sleeping” but in reality we are in a transition while new things are being underway, and during this time we do not want to reveal any of the upcoming releases.

: But…aren’t you afraid of being just a “one hit wonder” (using the music industry term)?

AB: To be honest we are not. What we have achieved until now is the result of hard and well planned work, it wasn’t a fortuitous thing. We were anticipating positive reaction from the public so it wasn’t such a surprise. We knew from the beginning we had a good product crafted with Ace Team special style and “flavor”. We want that tomorrow when people hear the word Zeno Clash, they immediately think about Ace Team’s high standards. We believe we are walking the right path toward that.

: Do you feel more mainstream now? Last year, Ace Team and especially Zeno Clash were considered more indie, and as we said before, this year you generated media presence that blasted you into mainstream. Do you feel like that?

AB: Yes, a little bit. However the same indie world in the last 2 years also had media explosion and we were just part of that. We planned high quality graphics from the start, we wanted to make a good impression. We have been walking with our feet in both worlds, but we believe that people who played ZC immediately realize that we were aiming at high quality. It is a part of our evolution as an enterprise. We started with small projects based in Chile, but with the objective of releasing ambitious products. In any case, we do not want to leave the indie scene, in fact we are working on a new line of games of the like. Maybe when ZC 2 is released it won’t be nominated at the IGF, but one of the games from that new line will.

: ZC has many attractive elements: graphics, gameplay just to name a few. What has Ace Team done to reach its current position what other studios haven’t? Some of them release a video game and quickly disappear but Ace Team is here to stay. What have you done well, not only with the game but also in terms of marketing, distribution, contacts…effort?

AB: It is hard to think about it that way. I believe that all the people who develop a video game, at some moment have similar concerns (commercial product depending on sales), unless they do very experimental things that fall under the classification of art. But in that case we don’t know what could be their motivations, objectives, how could they survive. I believe a matter of principles is related to the indie teams’ own motivations: at certain point they have to consider the mainstream issue, because there is always the feeling that one as a former indie is betraying certain values thereof. We never made the game thinking we have to be 100% indie and everything mainstream was bad. To the contrary, many elements were considered because of their mass appeal, we developed an addictive product that had to be viable outside the indie scene.

: We do not think that everything has been a “bed of roses” until now, what things have not worked or you are not satisfied with?

AB: It is difficult to talk about that in general, but if we have to bring up a negative aspect that would be piracy, which has affected us in some way. We have made a public relations campaign contacting torrent websites and we have had a good reception. We have been tracking the direct downloads and P2P websites but the truth is the success has been marginal.

: Have you accomplished everything you wanted so far? Less? More?

AB: The game has been on sale for 4 months and we are in an observation period. The truth is that we have evolved in a way that does not fit pre-established patterns one could compare to. I always say we have to wait at least one year to know with certainty how we are doing. If we talk only about the commercial aspect we cannot be precise either because we have info on digital distribution only. The retail distribution is about to begin, in addition we might port the game to Xbox 360, and those outcomes have to be analyzed. The only certain thing right now is that the critics have been excellent and we are happy about it. Many more months are necessary to make a complete analysis.

: Let’s change the topic, let’s put Zeno Clash aside for a while. Recently the “Pretty Lady” of the game industry has been full motion control. What does Ace Team think about it?

AB: Well, indeed it is a topic that everybody is talking about. What Nintendo has done with Wii is pretty interesting and Microsoft with its Project Natal stole the show at the last SIGGRAPH. We have considered it but we are not venturing into it yet because of the requirements. Our second line of video games is for PlayStation Network, Live Arcade, and the WiiWare channel is something that we might “look into”, but Nintendo and Microsoft first have to evolve more the technology, so small companies like us could have access to the level of peripheral technology that right now only big companies have access to.

: Something that has had an undeniable success but does not require a huge investment in terms of technology: the iPhone. It has allowed people who have never developed a game or even programmed before to start a small business. Even initial detractors such as Capcom or Konami have got into related projects. What does ACE TEAM think about it? ZC lite?

AB: We are not considering developing a ZC port for the iPhone because we use the Source engine and they are not compatible. We are developing a port for 360 Live Arcade. We have a second line of video games that might have an iPhone port. But we are still thinking about it because the platform is complicated, and I do not mean the technology but the fact that investing in development does not grant success in commercial terms too. There are people who have made huge investments in technology and work-hours with excellent results. However, they are eclipsed by very simple games with a low level of development which are “something of the moment”. We are not so sure about the investment-return ratio to get 100% involved with iPhone.

: What about portable platforms?

AB: At the moment we have multi-platform titles on our minds that allow us to expand the business. That is to say, if the product with minor modifications can be ported and played through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, then it is ok. But in the case of iPhone, if the development has to be exclusive then other platforms are killed so we are not convinced about that. We are not totally closed to the idea, but one has to see where other doors are opened. As a small company we feel more attracted to where we feel welcomed and in that sense Microsoft Xbox has worked out fine.

: From technological point of view, you have favorite development tools, for example you mentioned the Source engine before. Why that one?

AB: We use Source because its connection to Steam. When we wanted to take the big step from Mods developer to become more professional and we started talks with Valve, the community around Steam was large and helpful. For a while we considered the id Tech 4 engine (Doom 3 Engine) but we realized that the community was smaller.

: What about Phyre or Unity?

AB: We are analyzing some alternatives for our second line of video games, we are not sure that ZC 2 will be distributed through Valve. We are testing Unreal Engine 3 and for other games we are more interested in Torque, which will be for a more casual line of games. They are producing a new iteration which seems very robust and because it is multi-platform we believe it was the best option we could have chosen.

: Your favorite modeling tool is…?

AB: Autodesk 3ds Max. There are people who are very skilful with other modeling tools such as Maya or Cinema 4D here, but it is important to have a consistent work pipeline. In that sense 3ds is the one that has served us the best. Regarding Bitmaps, we use the already established “universal working horse”, Photoshop. For sound editing we use Adobe Audition, however most of the audio is outsourced to a different company, except for certain essential sound effects that we have to produce here.

: How has been the experience with the Zeno Clash SDK?

AB: Poor (laughs). We actually anticipated it that is why we didn’t publish the development tools directly through Valve. We knew this was not going to have a community like the one Counter Strike has. There are some forum members who are constantly active, but to provide exact results we would have to wait maybe years. We have had success to some extent with the Garry’s Mod which has been used to feature some ZC characters in YouTube videos.

: Is there space for experimentation in Ace Team?

AB: Definitely yes. We are not a rigid company which has defined a document with design guidelines carved in stone from which we cannot depart. We use a lot of iteration in which the video games are ending up in an unexpected way. For example when we started ZC we didn’t know where we were heading, “we made the road as we walked”, with a lot of testing sessions with people who never played the game before and based on that results we took different paths.

: This might sound strange: “Everybody picks on the smartest in the class”. The Chilean developing environment is not big…Haven’t you had frictions with other companies?

AB: If it is about being the “smartest”, here in the local environment there is another company which is bigger than us, Wanako Games, in fact many of the guys who work here at Ace Team are former Wanako staff. Their business model is different, they became a division of an international big company called A2M and Wanako works for them. We make revenue directly from our products. Anyway, to answer your question straight, NO, we don’t have frictions with anyone. The local environment is small, it is good for us that everybody is successful thus we wouldn’t look at others with envy. The benefits of others are benefits for everybody. It is good that the industry grows and new ideas are born, that a small “Silicon Valley” is created in Latin-America and then big companies such as Microsoft or Sony can say: “Chile, there are interesting things being done here, let’s invest here”.

: A few months ago when we asked whether you want to stay in Chile, you said “Yes, from Chile (Made in Chile)”. Now, you are in a better position. Is your answer the same?

AB: Yes, as ever “from Chile”. We have competitive advantages that made us want to stay. We are signing distribution agreements with Japan and other territories, we are producing games, we have talks with big companies…after all, we do not see any reason why couldn’t this company operate here.

: Speaking of Japan: in the Japanese market the distribution is “hard box”, disc. Why the difference? Was it a request?

AB: It wasn’t a request. Mainly it is related to the fact that to justify the disc format there must be several hours of contents delivered. ZC was sold for 20 dollars and before manufacturing a CD for that price first we had to know how the game would be doing through digital distribution. When we started we had a distribution agreement with Valve, we knew the game would be on Steam, so in that sense it was safer. And when we started planning the game we did it with eyes fixed on Valve, knowing that it was a good start.

: How was the contact with Zoo Corporation (Japanese publisher) made?

AB: They contacted us. One day we received a mail from them asking if their territory was free, and the rest followed. We have dealt with publishers of each territory, for example in several Eastern-European countries CD Projekt distributes the game (ZC), from Russia a different company contacted us as soon as we announced that we were going to release something through Steam.

: What do you expect from Japan?

AB: To be honest, we don’t know. When we developed ZC we did it for the North-American market (USA) and it hit hard in Russia, which was totally unexpected. We believe the originality of the game – as it offers a different experience from anything before – captured the attention of many people, and we hope that the same can be achieved in the Japanese market. We are big fans of Shigeru Miyamoto, we believe he has dared to experiment bravely and that is why his games are esteemed. We hope some of the same spirit is present in ZC and the Japanese gamers know how to appreciate that.

: Let’s wrap up the interview. I ask you straight: when could we see a new iteration of ZC? Sometime in the next few months, maybe later?

AB: I can not tell, we have several projects under development and I do not have the freedom to reveal anything. But I can tell you that soon we will release a ZC port for Xbox Live Arcade which will be more than a port because new things will be incorporated. I cannot tell more than this because we have secrecy agreements with a publisher but it definitely will be an improved version of ZC. In addition we are developing a prototype for a new casual line, but it is still in a very early stage. We believe those games will have a development cycle of 7 months, so during that time we may start making announcements on the net, but I do not know definite release dates. But sometime early next year there should be some press releases.

Games-Japan Festa 2009

torizo — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:13:53 +0000

Last weekend we visited this year’s Games-Japan Festa in Osaka.
It was on a much smaller scale than Tokyo Game Show with hardly different from what was on display in Makuhari, nevertheless a good excuse for another fiesta. Enjoy the gallery.