NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits has been often mistaken for the Wii version of Kid Icarus from the start. In addition, an unusual name change occurred shortly after the game had been released. Fortunately for Over the Top Games, Nyx’s Quest proved its quality and was received favorably. Let us hope that the game would be remembered for its worth, not its publicity.
:Well, without further ado let’s get straight to the point. Please introduce Over the Top Games(OTTG).
OTTG:Thank you very much for giving us the chance to tell everybody what we are doing!
Over the Top Games is a team of four friends. A year ago we decided to embark on the adventure of developing our own games. We had experience working at large companies, but have had the idea to do something on our own since long.
:We always ask our interviewees: how did you begin? Tell us how from an idea you have reached the current stage. We ask this because there are hundreds, if not thousands of people with an idea but do not know how to make it happen. Perhaps they could get the necessary inspiration from your experience.
OTTG:First of all, passion and desire to make video games are crucial. If a person loves what he does, at the end any challenge can be faced.
In our case, working for large companies helped a lot in gaining experience. Thus, it has been easier for us to avoid mistakes and be prepared for problems that come up in the development process.
:Related to the previous question, did you study Game Design or something related with computers or programming? If not, what did you do to get into this “world”?
OTTG:Two of us studied 3D and animation in specialized schools, one studied computer engineering and one is self-taught.
For those who are starting we recommend to take time to develop homebrew projects with friends, if possible. Nowadays you can start doing things in Flash and XNA. It helps learning and gaining experience … in addition everything can be used to show what you are capable of, tomorrow you can use it as a “portfolio” and find a job in the industry.
:Let’s move on, later we will get back to questions on the team. Let’s talk a little about NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits (previously known as Icarian: Kindred Spirits*)
- NyxQuest has been often referred to as the “non-Wii version of the classic Kid Icarus”. Did you plan this kind of publicity (being known for NOT being something, with a name leading to misunderstandings) before starting development? By the way, have you ever played Kid Icarus?
OTTG:The truth is that such comparisons were unexpected! Personally I knew Kid Icarus but have never played it.
From the beginning our intention has been to make a game with a story inspired by the myth of Icarus and set in ancient Greece, thus evoking comparisons.
:How did the concept of NyxQuest come to be?
OTTG:It all started with thinking about a game that is original and makes use of the Wii controller. From the beginning we were interested in the console. After that, we thought of a winged character (Icarus) who is helped by the gods (the player) in his adventure. We realized the concept was a perfect fit to the Wii controller.
Then there were more ideas and some changes, like the protagonist became NyX, a mysterious winged girl who is looking for Icarus.
:You are the publisher of the game, what drove you to this decision? What are the benefits and responsibilities? Why did you publish through Wiiware?
OTTG:The platform and digital distribution were chosen because they allow a small company of four people to make a game of good quality. In our case, we did not have much resources and time to develop the game. Nonetheless, we wanted to make a good impression with our first game.
:As you told us when we first contacted you, the game had to “suffer from a lack of financial support”, in other words the budget was limited. We imagine that confronting adversity inspired more creative and daring solutions. What can you tell us about this, how was the “gestation period” of NyxQuest? Any anecdote?
OTTG:Yes, the biggest problem we faced was that there were very few people and the game was quite ambitious! The two artists (Juan and Kike) had to be able to create high level visual quality, and all the work had to be done only by the two of them: modeling, texturing, assembling levels, and so on.
To make this possible, we chose a visual style in which the priority was not given to the volume of objects, polygons, and textures, but the lighting and shadows. So we chose a desert with ruins as background, which as well as saved us a lot of work, could be used better to convey the historical feel that we wanted to express.
In the end we benefited from limitations!
QA was done by friends and family, and Nyx’s voice is my girlfriend’s.
:What are the advantages and disadvantages of an independent studio?
OTTG:The main drawback is funding. We have a smaller budget than bigger studios.
On the other hand, this allows us to innovate and risk trying new funny game ideas. I think that’s the biggest advantage.
:How was the working relationship with Nintendo? Did you get feedback, support, or criticism from them?
OTTG:The relationship with them has been excellent. We were given absolute creative freedom with the project and when the time has come we received a lot of good quality feedback that has helped us to develop the game as good as possible.
:Some comparisons with LostWinds have been inevitable, what do you think about it?
OTTG:LostWinds was THE WiiWare game for months. Both games share the idea of 2.5D. Yet we believe that the player immediately realizes that NyxQuest has a different feel.Controls in NyxQuest are dynamic and the idea is that there are many different ways to use the controller throughout the game. As the player progresses, receives powers of the Gods such as Zeus or Eolo, which not only allows the player to move things, but to shoot lightning, pick up projectiles, and whirl the air.
:In purely aesthetic terms: where does the influence of the characters’ and environment’s visual design come from? Not sure if it is a compliment or an insult but it reminds us a bit of 90s Disney’s style (Pocahontas, Hercules, etc) with some features of Japanese Manga.
OTTG:The game has lot of influences! We have dozens of books about ancient Greek mythology… even some from the Hercules movie. I think the biggest influence on the aesthetics was Dali and Giorgio de Chirico.
:Let’s keep talking about Over the Top Games, its present and plans for the future.
- Is it possible to speak of an Over the Top Games’ development methodology? Do you follow an established one or is the development process completely free and adaptive?
OTTG:In this first project we have been through quite a few things. The whole process has been “artisan-like” and quite dynamic. Although we tried to follow guidelines and meet dates, we have taken some liberties in the development and game design. I think the fact that there are four of us allows this type of methodology.
:What are you aiming at: getting in the worldwide major league (Konami, Capcom, Activision Blizzard, etc.), being recognized in Europe, being the best in Spain? How do you see the future of Over the Top Games?
OTTG:We want to make games that can be enjoyed by as many people as possible.
We intend to grow gradually, pursuing projects that are increasingly ambitious through which we can express our creativity. It will be a step-by-step process, because we must “grow using our heads”.
:What can you tell us about the Spanish video game developer scene? How is your relationship with other companies?
OTTG:In Spain there are few companies, and we all know each-other!
We must have a very good relationship because the Spanish video game industry is very small. We all must help to make it grow and develop at the same level as other industries such as film, for example. Today, there are many people who have seen that a small company like us has managed to succeed starting from a dream, and they want to accomplish the same. We encourage you to do so because this industry needs people who want to make good games and do things right.
:Do you have plans to launch NyxQuest in Japan or other Asian markets?
OTTG:Yes, we are evaluating that option and since the game has a nice and interesting background story we believe it may draw the attention of those markets.
:We continue with a much talked about topic: violence in video games. We ask because recently we have seen how tragic events are connected in one way or another to violent videogames. This has led some countries to consider legislating on violence in the media. Does Over the Top Games have a policy or philosophy (internal guideline)?
OTTG:Violence has been ever present in all media: film, books, television and video games. .. Because of that a rating system was created, it is a valid method for avoiding violent games being played by children. We in our company do not have a policy regarding this … our philosophy is to develop games that we would like to play. That is, games that are striking for their visuals, game play or simply for the story they tell.
:Japan has undoubtedly a significant influence on multimedia and above all video games. Are there any Japanese characteristics that draw your attention? Something that people might think about as “this could be done only by Japanese”?
OTTG:What draws my attention is the special care which Japanese studios handle their games with: from the controls, the exquisite visual aesthetic to the music and sound effects. Every detail is always carefully taken care of. It is role model to look up to. Right now productions like ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, or Metal Gear Solid come to my mind.
:Finally, do you have a message to our Japanese readers?
OTTG:Thank you very much to everybody who had the opportunity to read our interview! We appreciate your interest in our company and hope that the interview has been entertaining and has provided interesting information. We hope you enjoy our games very soon.
Many thanks for the interview.
* For our readers: although they didn’t mention in the interview, they told us “off-the-record”. For all of you wondering what happened, here is the short story. Another company has a project with a similar name and they threatened to take the case to the court. Over the Top Games does not have resources for legal expenses, so they dropped Icarian and came up with NyxQuest.
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