#I get why PsP hardware could only do so much but like

[pepperpatrol]

I'm almost at the end of the p3p and I gotta say...

This remaster kind of sucks.

It's been a lot of fun to play the game as Kotone, sure, but that's because I've already played FES. I feel like in choosing to port the PsP game they really ganked the experience of persona 3 for new players because FES is without argument still the best way to experience this story. Not to mention the fact that they totally skipped out on porting The Answer which is the REAL ending to the game. Why is Elizabeth in the arena game? She's still trying free Door-Kun. Why did I call him Door-kun? No one under the age of 30 is gonna know.

It's only 20 dollars so I'm not like...super put out that the visuals, the audio and just about everything not directly related to customizable difficulty levels and the female protagonist are lackluster but I am kind of sad that a lot of the coolest parts of my favorite Persona game are just like...not there.

[kaibutsushidousha]

Artbook Data - Development Team Interview

For context, here’s the tutorial for Salmon Fishing.

Interviewees: 

Shun Sasaki: V3′s director. His main roles included mediating all the development teams and managing the schedules. Additionally, he will also talk in this interview about his own personal project: the bonus modes.

Taichi Kouno: One of the developers. A DanganRonpa fan who joined the team for Ultra Despair Girls. In V3, he was in charge of the Class Trial scenes and its minigames. 

Takahiro Suzuki: Joined the V3 production as a developer and handled the non-Trial parts and the e-Handbook. Like Kouno, he was a DanganRonpa fan who joined the team for Ultra Despair Girls.

Fans become members: the style of the DanganRonpa team

Interviewer: Please tell us what parts you did as a developer.

Taichi Kouno: I built the entire game system for the Class Trial and also did the minigames for the daily life part. Other than that, I got to do some work on the Academy map, blueprinted the base and produced the data the graphics guys need to draw.

I: I see how about Suzuki?

Takahiro Suzuki: I was almost completely focused on setting up the dialy life/investigation parts. And the system for the e-Handbook.

Shun Sasaki: I supervised Kouno and Suzuki’s work (although the final decisions were by Kodaka) and managed the schedules. Then I focused myself on the bonus modes. Thanks to Kouno and Suzuki’s good work, I was able to make the bonus modes as I wanted.

I: You couldn’t have implemented the bonus modes without their support, all right. You said that one handled the Trial parts and the other handled the non-Trial parts, but can you be more specific about what you did?

TK: The Class Trial has not only the usual dialogue, but also various minigames, like the Nonstop Debate, the Panic Debate, etc. My job was to think how would this be presented on the screen, where it would be implemented and how the player would interact with it. To actually make the interfaces I had to go over with the designer team, but I can draw, so it was easier because I could send a drawing of the screenshot I wanted. It’s much easier to explain myself when I can just go there, show a drawing and say “This interface represents this, it’s going to move like this and I want it to have this functionality”. I even started making extra drawings for whenever I wasn’t being illustrative enough.

I: Oh wow, I didn’t think you would also give ideas for the visuals, not just the system. And how about the non-Trial parts?

TS: The basics are the same. I look at the general conversation and the ideas Kodaka sent me and build the visuals from it. In most cases, I received the bases necessary from the programmer and designers. Since DanganRonpa is a series, I try not to wreck these bases, so the fans of the previous games won’t get confused. That said, keeping everything exactly the same is boring, so I’m very conscious about what I have to emphasize or improve. Being more specific, “Keep this set identical to the previous game but improve this aspect here” or “Change this interface to this”.

I: I see. So you’re the one who made multiple characters appear on the screen at the same time.

TK: That was decided from the start, but it was hard to leave it the way it is now.

TS: VERY hard (pained laughter). We used to display the character as 2D sprites, artificially placed in a 3D map. This time we placed 3D character on the 3D map but displayed in 2D.

TK: We started displaying multiple characters in dialogue scenes because we made this system of using multiple cameras to show many characters at the same time for the Panic Debate. If we could do it for the Panic Debate, we could do it for normal dialogue.

I: So basically, there are all the character in a 3D map and each of them has a personal camera to display them?

TS: Yes. Each character is their own camera in pre-established positions and we keep switching cameras to match the flow of the conversation.

I: This sounds like a lot to adjust.

TS: It was difficult to choose where to place each character in the 3D map, since we were giving each of them pre-established positions. Depending on where they were, the could be covered by the scenery or cause a slow loading.

SS: We switched hardwares, so it feel like we gained as many new hardships as we gained new possibilities. Increasing the number of characters on the screen was hard, but this time we could place characters side by side or in front or behind each other, making the group shots look a lot better than before.

TS: That said, we almost couldn’t make it for the Vita...

I: Yeah, that’s a lot less potent than the PS4.

SS: Yes, but we want to perfect V3 as a game that could be enjoyed equally in both the PS4 and the Vita with dropping any functionality idea, since the DanganRonpa series started as portable series, on the PSP.

TK: We could stop hearing that “It’s not impossible, you can find a way” (pained laughter)

I: Like a sports coach (laughs). When did you start working as developers?

SS: As I answered in the Direction Team interview, we started working on V3 while we were making DanganRonpa: Another Episode. Kouno and Suzuki started working in a different project immediately after they finished their roles in DRAE. I added the two to the V3 team as soon as Kodaka finished structuring the plot for V3 and we started making the game’s system and other elements.

I: Is this the first time you two work on a DanganRonpa numbered title?

TS: Yes. I was just a player before.

TK: I was just a fan too. My first time on a numbered title.

I: Which means you already thought about what you want to change or fix from a fan perspective, right?

TK: Of course I did. The one thing I really wanted to implement for this one was the Voting Time. I never got over the fact that it ended without me voting when I played 1 and 2... In V3 the story’s ending was about synchronizing the player with the character’s feelings, so I thought could make this happen by finally implementing the voting system. 

I: I agree, by participating in the voting yourself and sending a student to die, V3 made me feel more responsible for it than the previous games.

TK: That’s exactly what I aimed for. I want the players to feel responsible for what was happening. I thought making the Voting Time playable was necessary to make reinforce the experience of “This character died because you chose it”.

I: I see. And how about you, Suzuki?

TS: Since our specs were increasing, I took care of ironing out the visual style as far as I could. Also, those are just minor QoL updates, but I added more shortcuts to the maps and adjusted the icons to be more easy to identify. That said, I didn’t go too far to maintain the game’s DanganRonpa identity. 

I: And you had Sasaki making these decisions?

SS: No, Kodaka was making all the final decisions. If we made things too functional, Kodaka would come over and say “no”. Not because it would be too convenient, but cause it would generate too much loading and the menus would look weird. Many people in our team don’t like this. I personally the loading screens and like the menus, so in many occasions I thoughts “Are we really not having a function this convenient?”

TK: Some took issue with it being too convenient too. For example, if the map has too many shortcuts taking you absolutely anywhere, what would be the point of walking?

TS: That’s why I instead increase the movement speed to make it more comfortable to go around in that huge school.

I: That’s something you wouldn’t consider back when you were just a player. How did you decide who would handle each part when the development started?

SS: Oh, this? The role where just split with nothing special to say about it. As I said in the beginning, I just asked Kouno to do the Trial parts and Suzuki to do the non-Trial. And that I would do the bonus modes, counting on their help later (laughs).

I: What’s the first thing to do after deciding the roles?

TS: Pitching ideas for the game, of course.

TK: We get a lot of time to pitch ideas. We all read Kodaka’s entire script before discussing anything, and it has some vague annotations, like “I want this game to have more minigames than before” or “it would be nice to have a minigame where you can answer with images”. First we have to do what Kodaka is asking there before we can start thinking about what we want. Then in the business meeting, we polish and adjust our ideas. 

SS: And then discuss it with Kodaka and Sugawara, and they tell if we can or can’t insert each of our ideas.

I: And what is more important for their decision? If it’s fun or it fits the lore/worldbuilding?

SS: Good question. There are sometimes when ideas are fun but we don’t find any good place to fit them in the story, so we have to cut them, with tears in our faces...

I: Did you have to give more ideas for this game, since it’s much larger than the previous ones?

SS: Until now, Sugawara and I were the only developers, but this time this became too much work for just the two of us, meaning we had to hire Kouno and Suzuki to help. 

TS: I was so happy when I got called. I was goint to be on a numbered title.

TK: So was I. Unbelievably happy. Another Episode was also an amazing experience, but I only joined the production halfway through. This time I was there right from the start and most of my ideas where implemented. Being a developer is no fun if I’m not getting things my way.

I: The DanganRonpa team all looks very motivated, from the sounds of this interviews I’m making. 

SS: Making a game is still hard, though (pained laughter). But when we were implementing any component, I don’t remember anyone saying it would be impossible. Every member did what they could to include everything they wanted.

TK: Saying it’s impossible is easy, but then what next? Saying it’s impossible makes me feel defeated, so this get more motivated to find a way.

TS: The programmers all feel the same way when working, so it’s very easy to be a developer like this. Thanks, guys. Every time I say the idea I gave them is too difficult, they mock me and show me that they can do it (laughs).

The secret origins of the Death Road of Despair, the minigame that brought many players to despair

I: Kouno, did get involved in the Death Road of Despair? It’s not in the Class Trial part, but you said you were in charge of the minigames.

TK: I did. It was my part.

I: I heard from Kodaka he asked you to “make a crappy game”.

TK: Kodaka told me to make a game like Dragon’s Lair. When he actually played it, he couldn’t make any progress. “What the heck is this game!?” (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

TK: So, I tried to analyse Dragon’s Lair and come up with my own game where you die in places it doesn’t look like you’re supposed to die. And the  Death Road of Despair what the result of me throwing in every idea and trick I could, as far as the time and budget allowed. 

I: The characters are all slippery and hard to control. And the students behind you just keep dying.

TK: Yeah, in the request they told me to think about how Luigi slips more than Mario. I absolutely loved that unrealistic inertia. (laughs)

I: You probably have a lot of experience in being told to make things easier, but not as many opportunities to make a game utterly unplayable. 

TK: That’s Kodaka’s style for you. I was really motivated to reach his style when I was building this, so I want to see the platformer experts out there doing their best to reach the goal. It is possible.

I: Did you beat it, Kouno?

TK: I can’t. I just used the debug mode to assure all obstacles are clearable. One guy on the debug did manage, though. He said took him 1 or 2 days and he only beat it by a miracle. 

I: I saw some videos of people doing it.

SS: Everyone in the office was talking about them.

TK: I cried tears of joy (laughs). There’s even one guy who posted a No Damage Run.

I: A No Damage Run!? In that long of a stage? I’m impressed that they didn’t make any mistakes.

TK: So long that the background changes 3 times. By the way, at the end of the sewers area there is a set of bombs spelling “CLEAR”. I always wanted to do that. Sidescrollers always have those parts saying “CLEAR” not even close to the end. I absolutely wanted to recreate it (laughs).

I: (laughs) Speaking of minigames, there are a lot of them in the Class Trial. Were there any beta ideas for them?

SS: Not many, as far as I remember.

TK: As we said before, there’s the Mind Mine deal. “We should have a game where the player answers with images”. From that basis, someone suggested the minigame they wanted to make.

I: What minigame did you want to make, Kouno?

TK: I want to make a minigame like DR2′s Logical Dive. First I suggested a minigame where you controled a jet, but Kodaka said “A car is better” and so was born the Psyche Taxi minigame.

I: The Psyche Taxi’s world is quite unique.

TK: Kodaka said the world should look like Hotline Miami, so we settled with that.

I: Last but not least, the Hangman’s Gambit 3.0. As usual, it’s completely different from its predecessors.

TK: DR2′s Improved Hangman’s Gambit was harder as a puzzle game, in my opinion. But for this one we already added Mind Mine as a puzzle game, so we decided to tone down all the puzzle elements on from the Hangman’s Gambit and focus more on the action part.

I: I see. Kouno, did you come up with this game’s newest addition, the Debate Scrum, too?

TK: The Debate Scrum was already an idea before the project officially approved.

SS: We had already decided we wanted to do a group vs group debate, but we didn’t have anything concrete besides that, so we exchanged ideas as usual. 

TK: The Debate Scrum was a challenge. The pre-approval images looked awesome and Kodaka loved the idea, but I couldn’t for the life of me decide what to do with that... New tasks kept piling up in the meanwhile and things were starting to look bad, so I had to pass the bucket to Sugawara, since the Debate Scrum was his idea to begin with (pained laughter).

SS: Hold people responsible for their own ideas, people (laughs).

TK: But leaving it to Sugawara was the right idea. The “negotiating” between the character are one of the the Debate Scrum’s charms. This setup is difficult to make if you’re not a writer as good as Sugawara.

I: Sounds pretty tough to have to come up with all these minigames styles in parallel. Sasaki, you said you made the bonus modes all by yourself. What was the hardest part?

SS: Nothing really, the bonus mode were just me doing whatever I wanted. I could choose the genres by preference.

I: The bonus modes are all linked together, adding a lot of replayability. Was this all planed from the start?

SS: It was. I planned it to be played in a cycle. I said the dungeon would have 50 floors, but I ended up making 100 floors for it.

TS: I also liked how the bonus modes used the characters from the previous games. I knew people would love to see the V3 characters interacting with the ones from 1 and 2.

SS: I absolutely had to but the past game cast in this, since I made it a story where we could have characters from anywhere.

I: The bonus modes are really well polished.

SS: But there are some pieces I regret not being able to implement. For example, the Dangan Salmon version where Akamatsu is the protagonist... Chapter 1 has Free Time, so we prepare 2 events per character to use with Akamatsu. For the Akamatsu Salmon Mode, we want to fill up her pieces all the way to end. But as you would expect, the project was too big, so we left it aside.

TK: There was also the idea of choosing to play with Saihara or Akamatsu.

I: I see, if you make events for Akamatsu, the workload would double... So, after the work in the bonus modes was done, Sasaki moved back to the main game. Was that it?

SS: Yes. I finished the bonus modes pretty fast, so I could focus all my attention to the main game afterwards. For the main game, we were expecting a delay down to the last minute (pained laughter), so I did what I could to finish the bonus side fast.

I: In the director team interview, you said many new elements were added for chapter 6.

TK: That was 3 months before the remastering, wasn’t it? We decided to add a lot of new stuff to chapter 6 and everyone started going “We’re doing it like this now?!”.

TS: I recall something to that effect.

I: You said you had to come up with how the chapter 6 scenes would work from the scratch, based only on Kodaka’s script.

TS: Yup, from scratch (pained laughter). The script wasn’t too detailed about it and I had no indications as to how to makes everything flow together. But that part of the story was filled with scenes and twist everywhere, so we 3 were at our wit’s ends, weren’t we?

TK: Kodaka came up in the middle of our work and said some very unfortunate words. “I’m writing chapter 6 right now, but the sequences are turning out too similar to DR2, so I’m considering making Ki-bo destroy the school”. At the time I thought “Destroy how exactly? Do we really have the time to make new models? I don’t think so.”, then when I read the finished script, so much of it was different...

TS: Yeah, the Ki-bo video cutscenes were added.

I: I remember Kodaka saying he was amazed at his own creation (laughs).

SS: Sometimes things work (laughs).

TK: Kodaka often suggests the first random thing that comes to mind. That’s actually where he’s at his best. He makes people motivated to pull it off.

A game system that only managed to be this unbiased because the love Danganronpa

I: Now I’ll ask each of you about your favorite parts of the system.

TK: Mine is the Perjury system for telling lies. Lies are one of the themes of this game, so it’s not bad to be able to lie in-game. And since we’re making the players lie, I want them to feel corrupt about it. I also made the Perjury visual very much my style. The thing with all the eyes appearing was my idea.

I: Because you like everyone eyeing you when you’re lying?

TK: Yes. You never know what can happen if you’re caught in your lie, so you get anxious and alert. You feel like everyone is looking at you, and that’s what I want to represent with those visuals. Also, I didn’t want people being easily able to lie, so I made the lying command into a long and tedious button hold, that slowly drains your HP. You recover HP when the lie is succesful, so that’s both the bad feeling you have when you lie and the good feeling you have when you get away with it, both well put down into gameplay. 

TS: You’re praising yourself a lot (laughs).

I: What elements do you like, Suzuki?

TS: The e-Handbook. Since we wouldn’t have the pet-raising minigame from DR2, we added the dress-up element so you can change improve its appearance.

TK: People loved the e-Handbook backgrounds.

SS: Really? I actually found the dress-up function unnecessary and was against it. But Suzuki and the designers were very intent in doing it, so I gave the ok just because.

TK: I was also against it at first, but once I started to actually play with the backgrounds and see their individual animations, I really enjoyed them. It also increased the prize count for the casino, so it’s good that we did it. 

TS: Though I think we made the designer team suffer with each new background we had them make. It was only going to be the e-Handbook changing colors when the protagonist spot switches from Akamatsu to Saihara. But we thought that if we’re changing once, why not change a few more times? It would be fun. Another thing, the reactions on the novel parts. 

I: By reactions you mean the interjection cursor that appears in the novel when you move the right analog stick?

TS: Yeah. Nothing happens when you do it though (pained laughter). I just thought it would be a good support system to make V3 more immersive. 

TK: But it really does nothing. It would really be better if the character lines changed if you did an specific reaction at an specific moment.

SS: Oh, we really should have done that.

TS: We can do that next time... Aside from the reactions, another really minor element I like is slapping away the chair and tables and whatnot.

I: The game really makes you want to slap the things. Whenever I got to a new place the first thing I did was always checking for what I could slap.

TS: It changes how the scenery looks like and it gives you Monocoins, so yeah, do it. 

TK: It’s a plain way to earn Monocoins, but it’s still money. The Monocoins can be exchanged into Casino Coins so there’s no downside for getting many.

I: Finally, Sasaki, what elements do you like?

SS: Number one are the bonus modes, but after that, I liked Panic Debates. It easy to experience how much the Class Trial evolved and there’s a pretty well done job in to making it look chaotic.

TK: Really? That was my idea.

SS: Good job.

I: Kouno is getting a raise today (laughs). What idea gave birth to the Panic Debate?

TK: I always wanted to add a new debate to the Class Trial. In the project meeting, we had to think of situations we never did before, but I couldn’t say with anything. After the meeting was ending, our small community started talking, everyone at the same time. That’s where I the idea came to me. 

I: And this epiphany became the Panic Debate.

TK: We never had this situation where multiple students spoke in the Class Trial at the same time, so I thought this could work. 3 characters filling the same screen, multiple Weak Points appearing, none of this was never done before, so I’m glad we managed to implement it.

Even the Game Over lines!? The playfullness the devs incorporated

I: Can you tell me what did you do to make the game more accessible to people not good with action games?

TK: By setting Skills according the action parts you’re bad at, it gets significantly easier. You can get Skill by exchanging Bond Fragments or in the Casino shop. Many of the Skills available with Bond Fragments make minigames easier, so I recommend using those. The casino Skills, on the other hand, are better for increasing your score. Try using those when you’re already used to the game and wants to get the best score you can.

I: That makes it important to talk with other students.

TK: Not to mention all Skills obtained from maxing a character’s affection are very strong. The more you talk to get Skills, the easier the game gets.

I: Tell us some useful gameplay secrets that only you know.

TK: Ok, me first. You can get a rocket start on Psyche Taxi. It works if you hit the gas the exact moment the GO appears. Give it a try.

TS: A lot of minigames have little secrets. Like how the tutorial for Salmon Fishing is a poem....

TK: Not a poem, but a reference to a famous song from a popular band. That’s why Saihara says “That was quite the poetic explanation...” after reading through the whole thing (laughs).

I: I completely missed it (laughs).

TK: One more thing about the Casino. For the slot machines, their reel patterns change depending on the machine you use. The one with the green nameplate is the more balanced one and the one with the red nameplate is the high risk high return one. The one with the blue nameplate is a more tricky machine. If you hit Scatter, you’re more likely the get WILDs and land a huge profit in one go.

I: The blue machine sounds the best to roll. Suzuki, do you have something for the non-investigation part?

TS: Let me see. You can talk to the Monokubs in the Salmon Mode and each of them has multiple different lines. Even for the silent Monodam, we gave him a line with 3% appearance rate. You can get Casino coins from talking to them, and getting the special Monodam line gives a lot of them. I don’t think people will get to see this a lot, since you can only talk to him once per day. But I’ll be glad the interested people would try it out.

I: 3%? Yeah, that’s very special alright.

TS: Also, character birthdays. All of them have special meanings, so speculate to your heart’s contents.

TK: Lastly, I have a few secrets about the Class Trial. First, we have multiple different Game Over dialogues. For example, if you time without picking anyone on Voting Time, you get a unique game over.

I: You mean Saihara’s thoughts change?

TK: It’s not that Saihara’s thoughts changes, you get a new conversation with Monokuma. Every chapter has 2 different Game Over dialogues, except for chapter 1, which has one more for Akamatsu, and chapter 6, which has 7 different unique game overs. You change characters in chapters, so we had to add new Game Over dialogue for all of them and then one shocking final Game Over for when you vote. Game Overs asides, you also have unique dialogue for the mistakes you make, so you can enjoy all different scenes.

I: That’s a lot of hidden details.

TK: I remembered one more thing about the Class Trial! In chapter 1, the first Nonstop Debate with Saihara as the protagonist has the exact same cameraworks and word movement patterns as the first Nonstop Debate from DR1. Since that debate is when Saihara finally becomes the real protagonist, we thought it would be interesting to make it identical to the first one. If there’s a video comparing the two, you can really tell it’s the same. 

I: I want to watch this video now. By the way, was this parallel planned from the start?

TK: Originally, chapter 1 wasn’t going to have any debates as Saihara, until Kodaka suddenly said he wanted to add it...

SS: He wanted to use Saihara’s BREAK cut in there already to make everyone sure that Saihara was the new protagonist. So we added debates.

TK: And this new debates were asked to be made at the very last minutes, so we had no idea what to do. Once we were out of good ideas, we thought repeating the first Nonstop Debate ever would be a valid idea. The fans who notice would find it clever and we could just copy-paste the program scripts, so two birds with one stone. Except the program was written completely different, so we couldn’t just copy the script. 

SS: You had to copy it by manually typing it?

TK: I copied it by eye. 

TS: It wasn’t much more time consuming.

TK: But that was because having ideas is hard. I’m glad we could get away with this.

I: Now that I think about it, having to come up with a new camera work and text movements for each Nonstop Debate sounds hard. 

TK: Don’t even start. Especially now that our platform has been greatly improved. Everyone was thinking “Let’s make this animation”, “Let’s add this text placement”. We went through all the possibilities. And from this game on, we became able to move the text in 3D and gained some new fonts. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I thought the person typing the program would suffer a lot with it, so I did most of it myself... I’ll only say it took forever.

I: That’s a tremendous workload...

TK: Naturally, we must come up different animations for every debate. We created multiple patterns of font and lettering, and even needed to match the text’s colors to its contents. When someone was being accused, we pay attention to how our color work makes this character stand out.

I: The chapter 6 animations were the biggest highlight. Did you come with those, Kouno?

SS: Sugawara was in charge of the 6th Class Trial. 

TS: And so was the first.

 TK: Sugawara was in charge of the parts where we change characters. At first I was the one coming up with them, but partway through I was forced to admit it was too much for me... I asked around who could help and the answer was “There’s Sugawara!”.

I: The same twist as the Debate Scrum story (laughs). Sugawara is always reliable, like your last line of defense.

SS: He is. We’re glad we have him.

TK: It comes as no surprise. He is one of the creators of the Danganronpa franchise. Since we had him handling the animations for chapters 1 and 6, those turned out a level above the rest.

The developers’ thoughts to make a better game

I: Last question, tell me how you feel about the game now, and what would you want to update in the next game.

SS: How do you two feel about the game now ?

TK: I’m extremely happy with all the reactions we got, both positive and negative. I feels like a lot of people were strongly impacted from playing V3.

SS: It’s great to see opinions about it. There have been a lot of different takes on it, even some people who felt challenged by the ending. As developer, seeing this many different opinions make me feel more blessed than I deserve. Thank you all very much for it.

TS: Seeing reactions from people enjoying the new elements we created as much as we wanted them to makes me glad I could implement everything right. 

TK: One more, a little bit more personal opinion. As its developer, I’m very glad for the surprising amount of people who tried hard on the Death Road of Despair.

I: You thought there would be less of them, Kawano?

TK: I thought the challengers would assume it’s 100% impossible and give up halfway through. I readjusted a lot of things to make it clearable, but I still would be satisfied with 2, 3 people in the entire world beating it. But a lot of people showed up clearing it. As the person of handled every balancement detail of this minigame, along with my thanks to everyone who took so much of their time to beat it, I also want to say “wow, you’re awesome”.

SS: You just can’t stop praising yourself (laughs).

TS: The Death Road was made under the premise that at least one person out there was going to beat it. So we prepared not only a Saihara version to the ending, but also an Akamatsu version, and even made a bonus e-Handbook wallpaper for it. It’s made in a way you can do it if you try hard enough. But we were not crazy enough to tie an Achievement to the Death Road of Despair.

I: Yeah, you wouldn’t be able to get a Platinum without beating the Death Road. Ok, now tell me what do you want to improve or be careful about for the next game.

TS: For the VN part, I want to improve the visuals, adding animations and lightings to the characters. I’m quite used to the gameplay as it currently is, so I don’t fell much need to change it. I feel that what we must do now is to strenghen the visual part, making smoothly moving sprites to make the game even more immersive. Also, the current VN part has a lighting setup that shadows the characters you’re not talking to and I want to improve on that function. 

I: On that note, if the game were a PS4 exclusive, could you have more than 3 characters on the screen?

SS: The hardware allows it.

TS: Adding more than 3 characters to the same screen is not the priority. I’m just thinking about how I can improve the presentation to make the Danganronpa story more enjoyable. 

I: I have high hopes for it! And you, Kouno?

TK: A thing we need to more careful about, yes. We need to pay more attention to what we show in PVs and official material.

I: Did anything go wrong with a PV?

TK: I swear I was paying attention when I was making the PVs, but I had to do some rushjobs when I had no time or resources. I couldn’t check out all the finer details in time. Rantarou Amami was not there in the first revealed Class Trial picture, his “And why would he be in the library” line from the first PV was unvoiced, so people started suspecting that he would be the first victim. 

I: Oh no, their suspicions were precisely on point...

TK: I made an inexcusable blunder, both to the dev team and for the fans. We should have recorded some dummy lines. 

SS: If I had just a little more time available, I could have noticed it beforehand. It’s my job as the dev leader to check every detail... Another struggle was because we didn’t Debate Scrum resources for Amami.

TK: Oh yeah. Amami doesn’t participate in Debate Scrums, so we didn’t make any material in advance. That’s another thing we should have done...

SS: The only Amami material we had for the Scrum Debate was his dead portrait. For obvious reasons, we couldn’t just put that out there for promotional material. A problem so easily solved if we had just made an image of Amami facing sideways beforehand... 

I: And how did you deal with Amami’s face?

SS: Coincidentally, Amami’s expression sheet just happened to contain a lot of sprites where he faces sideways. We were at a point where using that was the only option, but once we looked more closely, all other students had proper centralized looks while only Amami was looking directly to our faces (pained laughter). When we made it, we were worried that the fans would figure it out. 

TS: And surprise, surprise, they did.

TK: If people noticed the unvoiced line, of course they would notice only one person looking directly at them.

SS: Good thing we can laugh at it now.

I: Oh yeah, now that I see the picture, Amami looks very off.

SS: By the way, an Amami’s Debate Scrum Illustration was made exclusively for this artbook. It’s very rare Amami content, so I hope you enjoy it.

I: Thank you for this precious conversation. Give one final message to our readers.

TK: Being a game developer is hard, but fun and rewarding. If reading this interview made you interested in becoming a developer, go ahead! Also, my Twitter @ is taichikono. I’d appreciate your follows, if you’re interested.

TS: You sound like an ad (laughs).

I: Your turn, Suzuki. If you please.

TS: I’m happy and grateful to everyone played our game. We still don’t have anything planned, but I truly want to give you the next title, in whatever shape or form it may be. Keep looking forward to the Danganronpa series.

SS: Are you sure you tell your Twitter @?

TS: I like to live away from the limelight... I couldn’t handle a big follower count (laughs).

I: I get it (laughs). Last but not least, the final comment, from our director.

SS: I’m always doing Danganronpa interviews with Kodaka and Terasawa, but Kouno and Suzuki form quite unique trio here, since those two are from the side of the staff that usually doesn’t talk to the public. Every Danganronpa is very colorful on its own different way, so we from the development team would appreciate if you would play them all again, thinking about what kind of people made it.

[zerochanges]

Chunsoft and Sound Novels

I remember when visual novels weren't quite known as well as they are today. By no means are visual novels a mainstream genre of video games--in fact you won’t be hard pressed to find some “expert” try to argue with you over how they are not games at all--but their notoriety is far more than that of even just ten years prior. For the longest time visual novels were seen as just an anime fandom “thing” that mainstream gamers paid no mind to. Very few titles were discussed outside those that had animes be it a TV series or an erotic OVA, and even some of the earliest visual novels localized into English were done so by anime and manga translation companies and not actual video game publishers.

If I had to pinpoint a time in my own memory where the genre started to get noticed more it would be when the Nintendo DS took off. With the DS there was an increase amount of western releases for visual novels thanks in large part to its touch screen interface working well with adventure style games. This wasn't just noticed by Japanese developers either as a fair share of American and European made adventure style games were developed for the console as well. It seems everybody was anxious to utilize the system’s unique features when the DS started soaring in popularity. The point ‘n click and visual novel genres really had a home on the DS, and because of that a lot of people outside of just the anime community got a taste of these kinds of games with beginner friendly titles such as Ace Attorney, Trauma Center, and Hotel Dusk.

However, despite the Nintendo DS (and later to a lesser extent the PSP and PS Vita) giving gamers a finely curated and easily digestible dose of the genre I’d say the sad thing is the push was pretty small and died out quickly. Instead what seems to be the biggest reason why most video game outlets nowadays talk about visual novels are because of the parody dating sims that started to grow in popularity. Hey, do you want to date some monster? Is your girlfriend a llama? Maybe all you need in your life is to date a pigeon. Don’t try to hide it, we all know you secretly wish you could go out with a YouTuber. Not into dorky millennials, well no problem, we got a game for you--that is if dating other people’s dads is a you thing. Yes, this is the era of the wacky, silly dating sims taking over in the English market. It wasn't always like this however, and yes Japan has had a long history of doujin dating sim parodies themselves, but lately it feels like all people know are the parodies that make good YouTube videos to react to instead of what a large amount of the games in the genre can offer.

Don’t get me wrong however, I’m by no means saying parodies do not have a place nor should they stay out of the limelight, and I definitely love that this fad has ushered in a wave of indie made English titles--but simply put this wave lacks so much variety and has been stretched so thin by this point. For every one creative title that pushes boundaries and gets new people interested in visual novels there are ten bland titles spilled all over Steam that feel like they were made by people with barley a grasp on what a visual novel can be outside of either parody dating or “boobies are pretty awesome”. Some of these bland games are even really well made and have a lot of care and attention added to their interfaces and artwork, but when push comes to shove, they are still just a basic joke stretched to its thinnest level. Visual novels don’t have to be that however, and while most mainstream gaming outlets may still be joking about how great it is to date your kitchen appliances, you don’t have to (unless you want to, in which case I recommend dating the toaster for he is the bravest of all kitchen dwellers).

A lot of this misunderstanding can be tied into the nebulous relationship between visual novel and dating sim, two “genres” that many people debate are separate things entirely yet due to the overlapping nature of the two they are often confused for each other. There’s a great article by Brian Crimmins online that actually goes into heavy detail about how visual novels came to be as a genre and how over time both visual novels and dating sims affected and evolved each other. It’s a wonderful read that I really recommend it for anyone curious about games such as these, but either way, whether or not you think visual novels and dating sims are the same thing or should be counted as separate but similar genres of games; it certainly doesn't seem to stop most western gaming outlets reporting solely on gag dating sims as visual novels and taking away a majority of people’s attention from so much more that these games can offer.

I take back all my complaints

I somewhat lost focus and started rambling today, so let’s move on now and finally discuss what I wanted to talk about--that being, despite there being well known visual novel developers to the tight knit community that follows games such as these--examples including but not limited to: Mages, Type Moon, or Nitroplus--my favorite developer often seems forgotten in the conversation. What company is that you ask? Well, it’s Chunsoft. So today I want to talk about why Chunsoft really should be talked about more in the western fandom and all their contributions to the genre.

Chunsoft is one of the many long standing Japanese developers that have been around for every major home console since the Famicom. Nowadays they are known as Spike Chunsoft after their merger with Spike Co. in April of 2012. For the sake of this blog post however I am mostly going to refer to them as Chunsoft still given everything I really want to talk about predates the merger. Chunsoft’s involvement with Japanese style adventure games and visual novels more or less are tied to the very beginning of the genre. There isn't quite a de facto known “first” visual novel per se, but most fans put the starting line at around 1982 or ‘83 depending on which game they may be talking about and which source they want to use for the release date (remember release dates were not entirely clear back in these early days).

One of the earliest contenders for this honor is Yuji Horii’s adventure game The Portopia Serial Murder Case (Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken), a game that was based around Horii’s interest in western style adventure titles, much like Horii’s later known legendary game Dragon Quest was based around his fascination with Wizzardy and Ultima and how to replicate those games in an easier to understand interface for his home nation. It’s here we can see “visual novel” wasn't even a blip on the radar yet, and there was no definitive understanding of what genres for games really were at the time. Portopia proved to be a major hit during its release however and lives on even to this day as a fondly remembered game (and also a Japanese internet meme). Chunsoft handled the porting of the title to the Famicom and this was the beginning of a long business relationship between Chunsoft president Koichi Nakamura and Enix’s own Yuji Horii as in the years to follow Chunsoft would develop the first five entries in the hit Dragon Quest franchise for Enix.

With the birth of the Super Famicom things began to change between both Enix and Chunsoft. Having developed games primarily for the publisher Enix Chunsoft felt they should move into their own publishing, and soon got certification from Nintendo to do so. After slaving away on four Dragon Quest titles on the Famicom, and also working on the fifth title for the Super Famicom, most of the employees at Chunsoft were burned out so they decided their first self published title should be a simple game. Koichi Nakamura wanted to help make gaming more accessible at the time and took both the team’s exhaustion and his desire for a more casual audience into consideration when they moved forward. 

The title Nakamura needed to make had to be simple; a game that anyone could be able to figure out to navigate--even those intimidated by a controller, but despite that also needed to take advantage of the more powerful hardware of the Super Famicom by using Kanji scripts which again would make the experience easier on casual players who had trouble getting into video games because game consoles prior could only display text entirely in Hiragana or Katakana making the reading experience poor and hard to enjoy for Japanese players (see Japanese writing systems for more details). To all these ends the team at Chunsoft decided to create a game entirely around reading to tackle this Hiragana issue and show off the hardware (or at least the hardware’s Kanji capabilities) while also being something anyone of any gaming skill level could enjoy. The game would mostly be text for the player to navigate through and present choices at key moments in the story to advance, cutting out any complicated aspects from western adventure style games that might intimidate the unfamiliar such as solving puzzles or finding hidden items. This is how Otogirisō was born.

Otogirisō (Japanese for St John Wort) was Chunsoft’s very first sound novel, a nomenclature which has since confused the hell out of everyone. But what exactly is a sound novel you may ask? Well, people get kind of convoluted about it. Looking at the definition currently found on Giant Bomb a sound novel can be defined by its heavy reliance on sound effects and music to create a game's atmosphere. Usually sound novels will use minimalist visuals and choose to emphasize the text over the artwork presented on screen--most commonly covering the entire screen in said text instead of keeping text only contained in a dialogue box. Something among these lines is the definition usually seen online when you look into it. It’s not entirely wrong either, but it’s also missing something to it. The term sound novel is a creation of Chunsoft themselves, and something they own a copyright on, this is also often brought up when you search sound novel, but at the time of its creation sound novel was meant to be something really easily understood and not this tangled mess of “a certain kind of visual novel”. 

When Chunsoft first created Otogirisō the brand sound novel was added to its box in order to help potential customers understand what kind of game it was. At the time it was just a way to let people unfamiliar with adventure style games (more commonly found in the west) to understand that this title will largely feature reading. In fact when Otogirisō was originally shown to the press in a 1991 Nintendo Space World show the game looked radically different from its finished project. Otogirisō was presented mostly as a book that the player would read, pretty much just like modern e-readers are now, with the exception that it included some sound effects and music. The press at the time was underwhelmed by this so Chunsoft took the game back to the drawing board and created unique visual backgrounds to give the game more flair and in doing so set a certain precedence for future visual novels to follow in. 

An important factor to remember here is there was no clear cut way to define games such as these yet. The term visual novel had not yet been coined, and even gamers themselves were not very well aware of genres. As Nakamura admits in a Famitsu interview when asked about the creation of sound novels, “if you look back at the very beginning of video games, for me, the conception of “genre” didn’t exist. Take action games, for example: within that label you had shooting games [note: Shoot ‘em Ups], you had stuff like Pac Man and Dig Dug, and you had more puzzle-y games too. It was very diverse. On the same note, with adventure games, there were Ascii Magazine’s games like Ometesandou Adventure and Minamiseizan Adventure, which were pure text adventures… but you also had things like Mystery House, which had a few pictures, or war simulation games like Fleet Commander. I played all those, and while I recognized there were many different types of games, I never thought about it in terms of genres.” So basically, at the time sound novel was conceived it was just meant to be the most straightforward way to define this Japanese style of adventure gaming that Chunsoft was trying out on the Super Famicom.

But does it end there? Well no. That’s only the part of the answer. Otogirisō ended up being a modest sleeper hit upon its release and this lead to Chunsoft to making more sound novels, with their next title being a legendary game that has since eclipsed Otogirisō as the de facto sound novel; Kamaitachi no Yoru (Night of the Sickle Weasels). This game was a hit, there’s no easy way for me to describe just how big it really was back during its release--out of the pantheon of legendary Japanese games that people in the US and Europe know jack about Kamaitachi no Yoru is one of the highest. Kamaitachi no Yoru is a fantastic game and I talked about it ad nauseum a few years ago when I payed the localized version called Banshee’s Last Cry, check that out if you’d like to know more, and if you’re still somehow able to play it then you’re definitely in for a darn good time.

With the a string of successes in the visual novel marketplace after both Otogirisō and Kamaitachi no Yoru, Chunsoft kept churning out games over the years, many of which are highly respected by the fandom still such as Machi and 428: Shibuya Scramble. All these releases of theirs had a certain tone and atmosphere, not to mention a distinct presentation that didn’t change much over the years and because of that did not look like what visual novels typically look like now. There’s a certain charm and narrative style between all of Chunsoft’s sound novels that is a really strong defining link in their catalogue despite a lot of these games being stand alone--and because of that people come to expect certain things upon seeing the term sound novel. Many titles would eventually come out not made by Chunsoft that shared similarities to their brand--these games followed in the footsteps of Chunsoft’s tone, structure, style, and presentation--and people began to notice, the most famous of which being 07th Expansion’s Higurashi doujin series. This is where we begin to see that murky kind of convoluted aspect of sound novels, as they start to transcend a basic label put on a box almost three decades ago and turn into their own little sub genre or maybe better described as their own style of visual novel. 

So what the heck is a sound novel then? The simplest answer is a sound novel is a dated term that Chunsoft used regularly and has since fallen out of use for visual novel; the more complicated answer is that sound novels are both a term used by Chunsoft for their brand of visual novels back before the term visual novel existed and also a certain style of visual novel that is mostly inspired by the early Chunsoft games’ presentation and ambiance.

Top Left to Right: Otogirisō - Chunsoft '92, Kamaitachi no Yoru - Chunsoft '94, and Machi - Chunsoft '98 Bottom Left to Right: Higurashi When They Cry - 07Expansion 2002, Tsukihime - Type Moon 2000, and GeGeGe no Kitaro Maboroshi Fuyu Kaikitan - Bandai '96 

Over the years Chunsoft has expanded, changed, and moved beyond their sound novel brand. Despite this however, they have never really stopped putting out solid titles in the visual novel market, and it seems like each new generation of gaming is blessed with at least one visual novel of theirs. My personal favorite title out of all their work from this era would definitely have to be 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors on the Nintendo DS. It was because of this game in particular that my love of visual novels in general really started, and Kotaro Uchikoshi’s sharp writing--especially the incredible dialogue and thorough thought narration in protagonist's Junpei’s head still stands at the peak in my mind. Throw in beautiful sprite work based around art from legendary Capcom (and now freelance) artist Kinu Nishimura, and a fantastic soundtrack from the man himself, Shinji Hosoe and you got yourself a meeting of some fantastic minds. I've written about 999 in the past, and you can read about it here, but I still want to write more about it in the future, especially tackling the latest release it got in 2017’s Zero Escape: The Nonary Games. 

Recent years have seen Spike Chunsoft make it big with their Dangan ronpa franchise, admittedly however the first Dangan ronpa title should be more attributed to Spike, as the game was released in 2010 two years before their merger. However the two companies together as one have since released three more Dangan ronpa games, and two (or is it three?) Dangan ronpa anime titles, and many, many rereleases and compilations. My own interest in the franchise isn't nearly as strong as everyone else’s seem to be but I did however absolutely adore the last game, Dangan ronpa V3, with how many times it managed to jump the shark, upping the game, and constant plot twist after more ludicrous plot twist. If there was ever a way to end something like Dangan ronpa it was what that game did, and oh boy did I get a kick out of that. 

Finally moving past Dangan ronpa, 2019 will see Spike Chunsoft develop and publish Kotaro Uchikoshi’s newest game, AI: The Somnium Files, for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Steam which just got its newest trailer and release date announced earlier this week. I am very excited for it personally and love the intricate and complex alternate reality game type marketing the team has been using to build up to its release! This is some next level stuff, and has been tons of fun all on its own.

Then there’s of course one more game I simply cannot pass up mentioning, 428: Shibuya Scramble. Now I briefly spoke this title earlier mentioning later sound novels that have been highly acclaimed, and trust me 428 is definitely beloved; its perfect score in Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu really meant something back in 2008 on the Wii. But why mention this with recent Spike Chunsoft games? Well the answer is easy, 2018 saw the much beloved, super Japanese game finally get an American and European release! And much celebration was had! If anything in this whole blog post remotely sounded interesting to you I really implore you all to go check it out either on the PS4 or Steam, and see what a Chunsoft sound novel is all about. And for the impatient, I will be writing about it next on blog! 

Despite Chunsoft changing over time and no longer using their sound novel brand, they have still put out many classic and fantastic games in the visual novel genre. Their later work may take a radically different presentation from their prior titles, but despite their moving away from that set style there are still other developers out there that keep up that mantle. Overall I think the effect Chunsoft has had on the genre is undeniable and anyone missing out on their catalogue of fantastic titles are really missing on some of the best titles visual novels have to offer. That’s why I really wanted to write this blog post about them and put into words my thoughts about this developer’s library that just seems so often overlooked by many others in the fandom, at least in my experience. I hope through all my grumbling, and “kids today” rant I was able to at least get somebody interested in trying out one of their games.

[pixelgrotto]

Sega and franchise decay

Sonic Forces, the newest 3D game to star a certain blue hedgehog, is out now and receiving middling reviews. Rather than talk about it, I’d rather discuss the 2D Sonic Mania, which came out a few months ago. I never got the chance to blog about it until now, but you can read my Steam review for what it’s worth. I would’ve preferred that the game be composed of all new levels instead of a few new ones and remixed oldies, and in some ways I do believe that Sonic Generations did the “celebration of past and future” shtick a tad better, but overall, I had a good time with Mania. The most impressive thing about it, in my eyes, is how well it captures that 90s-2000s Sega “magic.” It’s hard to describe this in words, but during those years the company’s output, especially their in-house, exclusive stuff, just radiated coolness and creativity that was a little different from what Nintendo was doing. Whether it was the neon visual smorgasbord that encompassed all of the zones in Sonic’s games or the Moebius-inspired fantasy trappings of the Panzer Dragoon series, Sega’s games often seemed fresher and sexier, with dashes of unexpected punk and sophistication in them that the Big N could never really capture. I mean, the run ‘n jump levels and cheery tunes of the Mushroom Kingdom in the Mario games were wonderful, but hell, Sonic 3 featured snowboarding action and a soundtrack that Michael Jackson worked on.

Unfortunately, while the Nintendo of 2017 is kicking butt with the Switch and has upcoming releases scheduled for most of their classic franchises, the Sega of 2017 is in a much different position, and the changes began after the sad failure of the Dreamcast in 2001, when Sega killed off its hardware unit. In the years since, the company’s slowly morphed from a creative house that bankrolled a franchise of games starring an alien-fighting aquatic mammal (Ecco the Dolphin) into a conservative organization that does NOT want to repeat the monetary losses that were suffered during the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast eras, and is therefore highly selective with what it publishes and develops. And somewhere along the way, most of the older franchises that Sega was known for went by the wayside, because their most recent entries either underperformed or they were considered too risky for today’s gaming environment. If you look at the company’s website, you can see a list of what modern Sega considers to be their top tier franchises, and most of them are Western ones that were acquired fairly recently, like Company of Heroes. As far as notable in-house Japanese stuff is concerned, you’ve really only got the Yakuza and Hatsune Miku games (guaranteed moneymakers in Japan, which is why they keep getting made), and Sonic (a guaranteed moneymaker in the rest of the world).  What happened to all those franchises of the past, then? Sega let them decay. Shinobi got its last release - a pretty good 3DS game - in 2011, and there’s been nary a word since. Anything is possible with ninjas, since Capcom brought Strider back from a 15 year retirement in 2013, but for now, Joe Musashi is AWOL. Ecco the Dolphin died in the Dreamcast era, Shining Force seems to have sputtered out after several PS2 and PSP releases that barely resembled the series’ strategy roots, and Panzer Dragoon vanished after Sega’s short-lived flirtation with the original Xbox in the early 2000s. The Oasis series (Beyond Oasis and Legend of Thor) never survived past the Sega Saturn, despite featuring excellent top-down action RPG gameplay that had the potential to go up against Zelda, if Sega had only invested the resources. While we’re on the topic of RPGs, Phantasy Star *sort of* still lives on as an MMO, but the single player entries in the series have long been dead, and even after five years, Sega has still refused to localize Phantasy Star Online 2 outside of Japan. And then we have two really depressing ones - Streets of Rage has been MIA even though Sega went out of its way to issue a takedown notice for a popular fan remake that was released in 2011, and Virtua Fighter, despite being pretty much the earliest 3D fighting franchise, hasn’t seen a real entry since 2006, and only exists as a cheap mobile game now. (I realize there are plenty of other franchises I’m leaving out here like Jet Set Radio, but I decided to limit my focus to games I’d played.)

In the aftermath of Sonic Mania’s release, there were a number of threads on NeoGAF (before GAF, well, imploded), speculating on what franchises should receive a “Mania” type resurrection. And if you’ve read up to this point, you can guess what my answer will be - damn near all of Sega’s old series could use this treatment. New versions of Shining Force and Panzer Dragoon that respect their legacy by emulating the style of their forefathers while introducing just enough new stuff to appeal to younger fans would absolutely make me lose my mind. But I feel that we’re unlikely to ever get a “Shining Mania” or “Panzer Dragoon Mania,” because the circumstances that brought us Sonic Mania are unique. Sonic has always had a robust fangame and ROM hacking community, and it was Christian Whitehead, one of those fan engineers, whose mobile port of Sonic CD just happened to be good enough to get Sega to hire him to port other Sonic games to phones. One thing led to another, and eventually Christian got tasked to take the lead in making Sonic Mania.  Sega’s other old franchises don’t inspire fans and homebrew projects in quite the same way, and even though Streets of Rage came close with that 2011 remake, Sega swooped in pretty fast to nuke that one from the net, and I don’t think they gave any of the former devs jobs. This is because Sega just doesn’t care about Streets of Rage, Ecco the Dolphin, or even Virtua Fighter as much as Sonic. The blue hedgehog is a long-term mascot who’s managed to survive oodles of so-so 3D games (like the new Sonic Forces) to still be popular 25+ years after his birth. He’s not seen as a risk to the conservative Sega of 2017. A new Oasis game, on the other hand, probably is, and why should Sega stretch their lessened in-house production studios on what might be criticized as a Zelda clone when they can instead make another proven thing - a new Sonic, or perhaps a Yakuza or Hatsune Mika spinoff? No, I think the only way some of these franchises could be resurrected is if the original devs manage to grab hold of the license and take to Kickstarter, as is the case with Shenmue 3, a rare success story in this day in age. (Emphasis on the word RARE…and I’d actually rather not call Shenmue 3 a total “success” until the game is out, to be honest.) Franchise decay isn’t unique to Sega. It’s an affliction present in many other production studios, from Square Enix (I miss you, Parasite Eve) to Capcom (the mobile Breath of Fire 6 does not count) to Konami (Contra, Suikoden, damn near everything). Even Nintendo, who have generally done a fine job at avoiding this by bringing Kid Icarus and 2D Metroid back from the dead, have seemingly gone out of their way to not make a new F-Zero game for an awfully long time. But Sega is definitely the king when it comes to the sheer number of oldies that could stand to be updated for a new generation, but won’t be. And Sega are also the only ones to tempt us with Sonic Mania, a game chock-full of easter eggs to old titles that also offers a template which would be PERFECT for something like Shinobi or Streets of Rage…but one that likely won’t be used. Because the magical Sega of yesteryear, the one that got Michael Jackson to fiddle with Sonic 3 and used to be oh so fresh and oh so cool, is not the Sega of today.  RIP, Shinobi, Ecco, Shining Force, Panzer Dragoon, Oasis, single player Phantasy Star, Streets of Rage and Virtua Fighter. Somewhere, in the same alternate universe that Sonic Mania manifested from, the Dreamcast did super well and all of you are on your tenth respective entries right now. 

It’s a blast processing fever dream, but isn’t it a nice one? (Header Sonic Mania screenshot taken by me. All the other pics I jacked from Mobygames.)

[workrockin]

Remembering the days we spent chasing congalala, understanding lifi and taking a look at Intel's AX200 wireless card

Summer is at its peak, Rain is around the corner. Soon the heavy clouds will leak, So says my trusty informer.

Between you and me as you might have perceived, but nevertheless I will come out and say it in clear terms, to remove any remaining doubt, that I’m no expert in wireless technology. The whole thing seems to me quite astonishing infact. There lies a box in the corner holding a wand. You (s)witch it on and it will send you data over the air. What sorcery is that?

However many people have pointed out to me that it is no magic. On the contrary it is a phenomenon that has been studied scientists,verified by engineers and regulated law makers. It is very much real. So I take their word for it and believe in it myself.

But technology changes so quickly. Just as we have broken the gigabit barrier in wifi a new invention has come up. LiFi or Light Fidelity a new form of communication that promises something even more incredible. To use visible light for wireless transmission. Our readers demand to know its status. We scramble for answers.

And before we could satisfactorily answer one query more questions are raised. It is in these trying times we come to accept our limitations. However we don’t let that stop us. After many hours of reading arcane specifications and trying to make sense of this rapidly progressing world of communication technology we present our thoughts to you on the matter, hoping that you’ll be so kind as to pardon the inconsistencies and factual errors that may have mistakenly crept in despite the most careful efforts of a tired staff.

What happened to LiFi technology?

Thank you for A2A. Light is an electromagnetic wave. It is already the most dominant form communication in both wireless and wired varieties. Fiber optic communication which powers today’s internet broadband service uses light. Wireless communication such as wifi [1] and Bluetooth use electromagnetic spectrum of light. TV remotes have used IR waves for switching channels.

So there is precedent in using light waves for communication in modern world.

LIFI intends to use visible light signals for wireless communication. Note the emphasis on visible light. We are not talking about radio waves here. We mean light we can see. Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow,Orange and Red. Including UV and IR (IR as we have noted has already had a very successful implementation in remote controls for TV )

The idea is good. But the implementation is going to be tricky because of following reasons

Client support. Even if you build base stations for wireless visible light communication how are you going to get users to use them? Lot of work needs to be done in this area. There is however no reason that signals can’t be transformed from visible light to other already supported mediums like wifi to provide communication.

Visible light affects humans. So the intensity of light must be kept low. At lower intensities will the technology reduce to point to point communication? If so what happens to roaming devices? These are the questions I have not found answers to. Considering the negative press that 5G is getting for its millimeter wave , the use of UV in LIFI is going to be a PR nightmare. I can already hear cries from beauty experts on how LIFI is damaging their skin!

LIFI positions itself as a short range communication medium. That gives it protection against hackers. [2] At short range, lets say within room how can it be cheaper than a near free Ethernet cable that has universal support? Especially in the industrial application where LIFI aims to reduce electromagnetic interference. The easiest/cheapest way is to use wired communication. I might care about aesthetics in my hotel lobby. But in a workplace I want something reliable and well supported. If LIFI had increased distance transmission capacity say more than 70 M then it would have been a better substitute.

So to answer your question. LIFI is promising. But like every new invention LIFI needs to overcome technological, economical and marketing challenges. These things will take time. I’m sure that it will find a niche that will transform into a big industry. But its going to take time.

Talking about niches there’s one upcoming technology called optical computing [3](utilized in what is known as a photonic computer) that could replace electronic circuits. At the moment fiber optic cables are used to transmit light. In an optical computer therefore it would make sense that fiber optic cables would form the data transfer medium.

Here lifi technology could be utilized. In a controlled environment like inside of a CPU case you can benefit from all the positives of visible light communication while experiencing none of the negatives.

[1] Is LIFI a substitute for WIFI? https://www.quora.com/Is-LiFi-a-...

[2] “The light waves cannot penetrate walls which makes a much shorter range, though more secure from hacking, relative to Wi-Fi.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li-Fi

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_computing

What was your amazing experience with wireless technology?

It was raining outside. Power was out. We were supposed to be attending lecture. We skipped. I turned on my psp. My friend did the same. I had the black one. His was jet blue, slim.

We were going to hunt Congalala. He was a low level monster. An ape. Quick on his feet. Fond of fart bombing his enemies. Ice was his weakness. So we crafted out ice elemental weapons. Still he was too good for us.

We died often and when we didn’t we ran out of time. You must finish a quest within 50 minutes. Or else its game over. We were novice hunters in those days. Knew little about the habitat of the beast we were hunting. Even less about the mysterious jungle in which he dwelled.

We played and played until the battery ran out. But he got the best of us. We lost all our money. Our equipment was rendered useless. Our preparation futile. The beast won every time we attempted to take him down.

That was the start of an epic 700 hour long wireless multiplayer campaign. I haven’t felt the same way about any other game since. Even now a decade later sometimes I dream about Monster Hunter.

At that time psp was a very competent multiplayer device. A 32 bit arm 9 chip powered its 802.11b wifi. Upto 16 players could play simultaneously. But most games allowed only 4. Enabling a speed of upto 11 mbps back in 2005. It was unlike anything the world had seen before. A handheld [2]multiplayer gaming device that could stream!

Monster hunter was a sensational adhoc multiplayer success. Selling a combined total of 10M copies in japan alone.

That was 11 years ago. Multiplayer games these days need internet to work . If you don’t have a fast connection or if the server is taken down you’re out of luck. I do see a change around the corner. Game streaming is becoming more common now. We’ll need different kind of devices to [1] enable this kind of gaming. Those devices will most probably be wireless. That’s the amazing experience that I’ll be looking forward to.

[1] Return of wireless adhoc multiplayer. https://workrockin.quora.com/Ret...

[2] Nintendo Switch’s wireless capabilities look extremely promising for the future of gaming (https://workrockin.quora.com/The-wireless-features-of-Nintendo-switch)

How fast is Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 wireless network adapter card?

Thank you for A2A. The chip can do 2.4 gbps but only if you’re using 5ghz channel. Otherwise 573.6 mpbs on 2.4 ghz.

To calculate speeds look at the data rates table on wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IE...

The max speed is in the lowest column (#11) on the table. As an example assume we want to calculate the max speed of 2.4 ghz.

2.4 ghz band can have a max width of 40 mhz. And according to the spec [1] we have 2 transmitters. So the max speed in 2.4 ghz band is

2*286.8 = 573.6 mbps

Similarly 5ghz band can have a max of

2 * 1.2 =2.4 gbps

Some more details on the AX200 hardware

intel launched AX200 wifi 6 chip [1] last month. It is competitively priced between $10-$17 [2] . Before we take a look at the hardware it would be good to start with a brief on wifi 6

Wifi 6 is is technically defined by 802.11ax standard. Although it works in both 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands the highest speed in 160 mhz channel is only attainable in 5ghz band. And since 5ghz has lesser range than 2.4 ghz it means that you can only enjoy the highest speed at lesser distances. [3]

Max speed on a single radio, widest (160 mhz) channel is 1.2 gbps.

Since the standard works in both 2.4 and 5ghz bands it is backwards compatible with all other wifi standards. Which means that all your wifi client devices will work with a wifi 6 access point whether they themselves support wifi 6 or not. [3]

With that out of the way lets see what chip has for us in terms of hardware

2 transmission and 2 receive radios. Which means that we get a max throughput of 1.2*2= 2.4 gbps (note the point #2 above)

Dual band support with max channel width of 160 MHZ.

Integrated support for bluetooth 5.

Not bad for its price I’d say [4].

[1] https://ark.intel.com/content/ww...

[2] When purchased in volumes of thousands. This price is only for device manufacturers. But this is also good news for consumers because they’ll be getting the latest networking technology at cheap prices.

[3] FCC has a test report for the chip in which they specify the supported modulation schemes (page 6). BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM. Which confirms the backwards compatibility with all wifi standards.

Note that the FCC document only measures up to 256-QAM. But intel’s product page indicates a max speed of 2.4 gbps which means that it should support 1024-QAM. I’m not sure why it is not covered in the fcc document.

https://fccid.io/PD9AX200D2L/RF-Exposure-Info/RF-Exposure-SAR-Report-4213237.pdf

[4] The actual performance that you’ll achieve will also depend upon the hardware of your system. The wireless card is mostly a peripheral and its optimal performance is contingent on the capabilities of host device.

Looking for someone to help you with your wifi problems? We ar ehere to help. Email us on

workrockin@gmail.com

write to us on our tumblr page

[https://workrockin.tumblr.com/ask]

tweet

[https://twitter.com/workrockin]

connect with us on linkedin

[https://www.linkedin.com/in/workrock-careers-21b3a2186/]

Happy networking!

Santiago,Chile

[rpglore]

The Best Tech Tool Kit On Amazon 2020

Electronic Repair Tech Tool Kit-15 Piece Set

When you get an electronic tool kit that doesn’t have ALL the tools you require to repair your device, you know something is This frustration is really common as tool kits. They either come short or simply have too much devices and the type you’ll never use. To make things more annoying, the majority of tool packages will wind up lasting just 1 to 5 usages before they entirely get damaged, leaving you with a bunch of worthless tools and the regret of having actually wasted your cash.

But in my experience, the reality is that many of them aren’t actually that useful. They frustrate you by making you lose time as they’re made complexly, needing you to go through too much trouble to notice the tools you need and utilize them at the ideal time. That’s why I made an effort to find electronic tool kits with easy-to-spot tools that can likewise be released without excessive problem

Bestseller No. 1

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit - Electronics, Smartphone, Computer...

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All tools designed and manufactured by iFixit using the highest quality materials and methods.

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XOOL 80 in 1 Precision Set with Magnetic Driver Kit,...

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【High Quality】 58 bits are made of S2 steel, which is high hardness, good toughness, strength...

【Most Economical】This Precision Screwdriver Set have more tools, which includes utility knife,...

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SaleBestseller No. 3

Kaisi 139 in 1 Electronics Repair Tool Kit Professional...

BEST COMBINATION: Kaisi 139 in 1 electronics repair tool kit professional includes 111 screwdriver...

WIDE APPLICATION: Kaisi precision screwdriver kit with case is a professional repair tools kit for...

HIGH QUALITY MATERIAL: All bits are made of high quality CR-V steel by vulcanization, it's hardness...

HUMANIZED DESIGN: Ergonomic and press & push design handle, it is comfortable to hold even for the...

CUSTOMER FIRST: Customer satisfaction is our TOP Priority. If you don't like it or it has any issues...

$29.99 −$5.00 $24.99

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Bestseller No. 4

Precision Screwdriver Set, Lifegoo 122pcs Magnetic Repair...

【122 in 1 Screwdriver set】 Precision screwdriver could be used in common repair for appliances,...

【With the magnetic screw memory mat】 repair tool kit comes with a magnetic screw memory mat for...

【Replaceable magnetic precision bits】 120 in 1 Precision screwdriver set includes 101 types of...

【Professional material is guaranteed】 The chrome vanadium head has a hardness of 55-60HRC. The...

【Eefficient Service】We are dedicated to providing high quality products and satisfying our...

$17.99

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Bestseller No. 5

ORIA Precision Screwdriver Set, 86 in 1 Magnetic Repair Tool...

Durable Portable Nylon Bag : Professional portable hardware tools with perfect weight & compact...

Multi-Magnetic Screwdriver Set : 86 in 1 Precision Screwdriver Set have more tools, which includes...

High Quality & Well Perform : These durable screwdriver bits are made of CRV steel, whose hardness...

Special Screwdriver Bits For Phone 7/ 7 Plus : This updated advanced screwdriver set includes new...

Ergonomic Design : The unique driver is skid proof as well as anti static, which makes it be held...

$34.99

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SaleBestseller No. 6

iFixit Mako Driver Kit - 64 Precision Bits for Electronics...

Complete solution for precision repair. 64 bits selected using data from thousands of repair guides.

Ergonomic aluminum handle provides plenty of torque. Magnetized with a ball bearing swivel top.

Case features magnetic closure for durability and a screw sorting tray integrated into the lid.

Includes bits to repair cell phones, game consoles, wearables, laptops, desktops, tablets, and more!

Covered by iFixit's Lifetime Warranty.

$34.99 −$2.80 $32.19

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SaleBestseller No. 7

XOOL 58 in 1 Precision Screwdriver Set, Magnetic Driver Kit...

【Wide Application】 XOOL 58 in 1 precision screwdriver set is designed to service all popular...

【Multi-function】 Versatile Magnetic Driver Kit has 42 different bits will accommodate many...

【High Quality】 42 different bits are made of CR-V steel, which is high hardness, good...

【Anti-static and Magnetic】 The magnetic tip on the screwdriver is very convenient when...

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$59.99 −$42.04 $17.95

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SaleBestseller No. 8

AUTOXEL Pro Tech Toolkit, 85 Pcs Repair Tool Kit Precision...

Precision Screwdriver kit: AUTOXEL 85 in 1 repair tool kit suitable for repair cellphones, game...

Autoxel Pro-Tech Toolkit: This toolkit filled with most common bit types and sizes, meet more needs.

Screwdriver Set: The screwdriver heads are magnetic, and are made of impact-resistant tool steel...

Premium materials Bits: These durable screwdriver bits are made of CRV steel, whose hardness can...

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$49.99 −$20.00 $29.99

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Computer Tech Tool Kits

You ‘d think “If I’m going to buy an electronic tool set, then it’s most likely going to last a minimum of a number of years, right?”. Well. the truth is much more aggravating than that. The majority of tool kits are so cheap that they don’t last more than 5 uses. And if they last more, they end up getting rusty, which in turn makes them ineffective.

I also look for tool kits that have actually tools generally made with steel as I understand that this metal is corrosion-free, which significantly improve the life expectancy of the tools, saving me the frustration of understanding I lost my money. “I just require 4 tools of the 12 that came in this electronic kit”.

Guitar Tools & Tool Kits

To have the satisfaction of knowing that your money is well spent, you need to look for electronic tool sets that have ALL the tools you need in ONLY ONE kit. And I’m also discussing those “exclusive” Apple tools that are a pain to discover! I know it sounds difficult.

I did it, so you can do it too! There’s absolutely nothing more irritating than attempting to fix an electronic with a tool that may end up harming it. Illogically as it sounds, many sets out there have tools without the treatment required to avoid this from taking place. That’s why I prevent the panic of breaking my gadgets by constantly trying to find electronic sets that have demagnetized tools, this reduces the possibility of me destroying the electronic devices I’m attempting to repair.

Field Service Tool Kits

1) For The Newbie: EEEKit Precision 45 in 1 Electronic Tool Kit. Review If I counted the times I lost my temper over electronic tool kits that wouldn’t have the devices required to repair all my devices, it would take me years! I mean, not precisely years. however you know what I mean.

I was also satisfied with the flexibility it had to every task I ‘d do, as it came with adjustable screwdriver bits for different screws that offered me the liberty to deal with any kind of repair work without stressing about getting other tools. Just one can inform the pain that comes when your hard-earned cash goes to trash on a poor electronic tool set full of tools that don’t last you more than 5 usages.

Armada Pro48k Solenoid Tester Techtool Kit

I’m not overemphasizing I enjoyed how my cash was well spent in this electronic tool kit crammed with extremely rugged and durable tools saved in a strong solid case that kept them protected and nicely arranged. It would take me only 15 seconds to open the case and discover the right tools I required.

1 x Sucker. 1 x Card removal needle. 1 x Triangle Boot piece. 1 x 60mm Extension bar. 1 x 30 Degree Cutter. 1 x Idler wheel-type boot piece. 1 x Metallic boot bar. 1 x Anti-static tweezer. 1 x Work bin. 2 x (PH2.5 to H5.0). 1 x Cross screwdriver: 1.5 1 x Luxury screwdriver: 0.8 1 x Screwdriver manage.

Shop Lectronic Repair Tech Tool Kit- 70 Piece Set

Hex Screw Motorist: H1.3/ H1.5/ H2.0/ H3.0/ H4.0/ H5.0 Flat Screw Motorist: 1.5/ 2.0/ 2.5/ 3.0/ 3.5 Cross Screw Motorist: PH1.0/ PH1.5/ PH2.0/ PH2.5/ PH3.5 Five-Star Screw Driver: 0.8/ 1.2 Y Screw Motorist: Y2.0 Screw Motorist: 2.0 U Screw Driver: U2.6. I do not wish to feel like I’m carrying like 500lb of weight with my bare hands. That’s why I enjoyed the comfort this EEEKit electronic tool set provided me when bring around all my tools (which are a lot).

I’m not joking when I say that I moved my set of all 45 big and small tools this last week with no kind of unfavorable effect (like pain) in my hands! Possibly I’m a bit insane, but I get ill every time I hear one of my tools falling under another inside my tool kit.

58 Piece Pc Repair Tool Kit For Handyman, Computer Tech …

That’s why I liked how in this EEEKit tool package the equipment is all secured place so the tools can’t rattle around, no matter the motion you do. It likewise included a nice little case to put all the extra bits and screws that made my life so much easier.

Tools helpful to repair smartphones, tablets, pc’s, desktops and lots of other electronic devices. Can open cellphone, PDA housings, laptop computers, PSP, DS, MP3 player, RC and so on. Ratchet screwdrivers with twist reverse and cog lock mechanism. Adjustable screwdriver bits for various screws. Strong solid case to keep the tools in. Good quality tools.

Am-tech Tool Kit In Blow Moulded Case (141 Pieces) –

Great little case within the case to put spare bits or screws in for storage. Equipment is all locked in place so will not rattle around in the case. There are more than 82 evaluations in Amazon.com about this product at the time of writing and they have actually offered them a 4.6 out of 5 ranking usually.

Review My daddy used to say, “prevent disruption at all expenses, it takes years away from your life”. I’ve constantly tried to take that guidance seriously, however often it’s difficult, particularly when I spend my hard-earned cash on an electronic tool kit that doesn’t have all I require. It gets me nuts! This iFixit tool set delighted me by having all the tools I needed to repair my gadgets ranging from laptop computers, smart devices, tablets, etc, saving me the irritation of having to spend more money on secondary tools to match it.

A minimum of that’s what I thought prior to evaluating this iFixit electronic tool kit. It has been utilized by the FBI, CIA and major electronic devices producers that have more repairing gigs than you and me. However, the recommendation is not whatever that matters, I likewise require to know the specifics of a product to entirely accept is as “awesome”.

So. without a shadow of a doubt, this electronic tool package deserves that “label” and a lot more! Plastic Opening Tools. Made from soft plastic to avoid destructive your device, fantastic for spying open the trickiest enclosures scratch-free. ESD Tweezer Set. A selection of ESD safe precision tweezers for dealing with small wires, screws, and reaching where your fingers can’t.

Cut, scrape and clean. Anti-Static Wrist Strap. Safeguard fragile circuits from hazardous fixed electrical power. Small Suction Cup. For raising front panels off of phones and media gamers. Spudger. Great for poking and spying tough-to-open enclosures, fragile elements, opening ZIF connectors, and soldering applications. Metal Spudger Set Assortment. For when plastic simply doesn’t cut it. ESD Tweezer Set. An assortment of ESD safe precision tweezers for handling small wires, screws, and reaching where your fingers can’t. Anti-Static Wrist Strap. Protect fragile circuits from damaging static electrical energy. Used by the FBI, CIA, and internally by many major electronics producers and merchants. Made of soft plastic to avoid damaging your gadget, fantastic for prying open the trickiest enclosures scratch-free.

These evaluations are positive overall, stating things like “Up until now the threat has actually settled.”, “Perfect for Do-It-Yourself sort of people.” and “Great toolkit.” 3) The The Majority Of Packed Electronic Tool Package: iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit (Newer Model). Evaluation It’s commonly accepted between professionals that electronic tool kits do not have all the tools they require.

Pro-tool Kits – Network Tool Kit – Technician Tool Kit

I had the opportunity to dodge that sensation as I had all the tools needed to challenge any type of repair gig thanks to its choice of tools made by expert technicians. I can’t worry enough how much I enjoyed needing to go only to one set to get WHATEVER I needed! A reliable method to lose your mind over an electronic tool set is getting one so cheap that its tools do not last you more than 3 repairs.

But thankfully, things went differently with this set. It simplified my life with an easy-to-use CNC machined 64-bit driver kit that permitted me to do any repairing gig I wanted without stressing over if the bits that I had would work as I understood I had everything I required. I would have a big smile on my face whenever I required to change bits to open a housing or eliminate a motherboard as I understood I didn’t need to get irritated for not having the right tools.

Totally re-engineered to supply all the tools that you require, and none that you do not. Includes all the poking, spying, gripping, lifting, ESD safety, and screw driving tools needed to service consumer electronics. Here’s is a photo of this incredible iFixit tool kit. There are more than 149 evaluations in Amazon.com about this product at the time of writing and they have given them a 4.6 out of 5 score on average.

from RPGLore Smart Shopping Reviews & Buyers Guides https://www.rpglore.com/best-tech-tool-kit-amazon/

[63824peace]

Thursday, 10th of november 2005

awoke in my hotel bed. I opened the window... Seoul stretched out before me.

It looks like we'll have good weather today too.

Yesterday's weather report forecasted cold temperatures, but it feels much nicer than expected. Korea's weather gave us a break, at least for now.

From my window I looked down to the ground. I saw that the hotel had frozen its swimming pool for use as an ice-skating rink during winter. It's only November, so they're still preparing it. A large white sheet covered the surface.

I had stayed in this very hotel when I visited back in February. I remember that I had looked through my window and had seen the same scenery. Perhaps I'm staying on the same floor now as I had then... perhaps I'm even in the same room.

The skating rink had been illuminated from beneath the ice's surface when I had been here before. The frozen glow had been powerfully atmospheric. I had wanted to skate so badly, I almost couldn't stand it. The whole scene had radiated a joyous ambience, kind of like Disney's ice show.

You don't get many chances to skate outdoors in Tokyo. I had hoped that I could skate while I am here, but I'm simply too pressed for time.

"I'll ice-skate for sure this time!" I had even brought a pair of brand new gloves. I'll have to postpone skating once again though. The rink hasn't even opened yet. I'll try again next time.

I left my room to eat the hotel's breakfast. On my way I passed some members of our preparation team who were heading to the G-STAR site.

We arrived late because we had run into a traffic jam on our way to KINTEX.

A group of able-bodied men surrounded me the second that I stepped from the car. The bodyguards escorted me into the building.

The show would start at 10 A.M., so I double-checked the stage and our booth. I mounted the MGS stage and lightly rehearsed. I tested the microphone with our interpreter and our emcee. I sat in a chair and déjà vu hit me! It was TGS all over again!

I proceeded to check the video and sound setups for MGS4's presentation in the SCE booth's next-gen theater. I returned to Konami's booth and slipped into the backroom.

Our bodyguards follow us everywhere. They stick beside us even if we only walk a few feet. They hold posts at the backroom entrance all the time. They even guard me in the bathroom. I know that these guys are paid for it, but I really appreciate how far they go for us.

U.S. and European fans are much more intense than the Japanese. I always make sure that I have bodyguard escorts during each event and autograph session. I've never had this many at once though... three to six of them surround me at any given moment.

I considered checking more of the expo site, but I didn't have enough time. In addition, it wasn't easy to move quickly from place to place. I am so well protected here that I'm like Vic Viper with Option and Force Field defenses activated.

Meanwhile, Korea's first game expo finally opened. Korean companies furnish most of the booths. They all look great. Korea is an impressive force in the gaming industry.

Korea could outrun Japan in the gaming industry at this rate. Asian booths had challenged Japanese booths at TGS, and Japan has already been beaten at E3. Korean booths naturally hold center-stage on their home turf.

On another note... I hadn't noticed that Korean women are so tall! They have gorgeous legs!

The grand opening was so slow compared to my experiences with other game expos. I'm accustomed to the usual rush of visitors at TGS and GC. G-STAR's visitors entered slowly and hesitantly. I heard that the expo hadn't opened until the very last second.

I rehearsed one last time in the backroom with both our interpreter and MC.

Afterwards I ate some lunch. We had sushi bento, Korea's specialty Kimpa (Makizuishi), and my favorite Sin Ramyun (hot ramen). Even Shin-chan tried Sin-chan! It was like a picnic!

I asked our interpreter to listen to my introductory speech. I had practiced it in Korean. I wanted to include the line from Sympathy for Lady Vengeance that I learned yesterday, but I ultimately decided against it. I foresaw too much room for misunderstanding among those who hadn't seen the movie.

She told me that I could say it if an interviewer asks about Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. I still received concerned looks whenever I said it. They'd always ask, "Where did you learn that expression?"

I told them that I had learned it from Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, and they smiled and said, "Oh, I see!"

A large banner hung in the conference hall reserved for the press meeting just outside the main expo grounds. It read "HIDEO KOJIMA."

We have the same interpreter now who had worked with us in February. She does excellent work, so she easily translated my long and complex Japanese.

I mounted the MGS stage at 2 P.M.

I'm thankful that everything was a huge success.

The Korean fans were truly enthusiastic! They were almost as intense as the European MGS fans.

I wound up making a slight mistake with my Korean toward the end of my memorized greeting. Also, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance never came up during the Q&A... I didn't get to say "Neo na jal haseyo" after all.

An autograph session followed the Q&A. We required that all participants have reserved their autographs online, so everything went smoothly.

I was asked to autograph a variety of things. I wonder... did they find them all online? Some people brought limited editions of Japanese items. A few people even brought copies of the MSX2 Metal Gear and Policenauts for the NEC PC-9821. People also brought hardware for me to autograph, such as PS2s, Nintendo DSs, and PSPs.

Several Korean fans actually spoke strong Japanese. They must play their games in Japanese too.

Mr. Sang Young Lee from Phantagram visited me in the backroom early in the evening. We had last seen each other around six months prior. We had missed each other at TGS because we had been so busy. We conversed for about an hour. He seemed as though he's been busy with Ninety Nine Nights.

G-STAR's first day ended at 5 P.M.

Folks from the MGS community had come to help us for one of our events. I thanked them for volunteering to test MGO.

Young, enthusiastic, grateful fans had responded to an internet advertisement distributed by UNIANA. They know as much about MGS as we do, and they love it equally too. They played MGO just as well as KojiPro's staff.

The language barrier tumbled down today and MGS became our common tongue. I would never have expected this at TGS... I'm thankful to share this sort of relationship with my fans. Everyone onstage gathered for a group photo.

We gave them MGS-related souvenirs to express our gratitude. By then the backroom had become another autograph room.

Thank you everyone, and please help us again tomorrow!

I went to a party that evening set up by G-STAR. I saw Mr. Inaba from Clover Studios there.

I left the party and joined some KojiPro staff at a barbecue restaurant for dinner.

Kanpai! Three cheers for G-STAR's first day! This will change Korea's future. I appreciate everyone's work.

Shin-chan and I explained, "We're looking for an out-of-the-ordinary style of leather jacket." We were directed to Tondaemun Market and Namdaemun Market, so we headed there with some others after dinner. We heard that those markets feature wholesalers with really competitive prices. Their reputation has even spread to Japan.

We first headed to Tondaemun Market. The place was so animated! Crowds were everywhere! The hour was so late that I could hardly believe it was real.

I heard that everything here stays open until 5 A.M., so it was still too early to see business in full swing. The real thing hadn't even started yet.

Tondaemun is really outrageous!

We started shopping in the doota building. Many similar looking shops were squeezed beside each other inside. The bustle there was similar to what you'd expect at a department store at midday.

I got a greater shock when I exited the building. Crowds flowed all around me outside. More people seemed to come in cars. It was just before midnight. These downtown streets seem really family-friendly, unlike Shibuya or Shinjuku in Tokyo.

We descended the underground passage leading to stores that specialize in leather and furs. Vendors barked at us on the way down.

"Get your quality knock-offs here!"

"Phantom watches! Phantom watches for sale!"

We apparently couldn't hide the fact that we're Japanese. Was it our clothes? Our group's hairstyle and make-up? However they could tell, they addressed us in Japanese everywhere we went.

"Miss! I can speak Japanese!"

"Oohaa, it's so delicious!" Oohaa? What outdated slang!

We ascended the stairs to street level and arrived at the Pyonfa Market.

"Wow! This is just like Blade Runner! Amazing!"

Food and merchandise sellers' stalls filled the narrow alleys. It looked like it had been packed beyond capacity. This place must feel like a festival every day. It's as vibrant and populated as the New Year's Eve celebrations at the shrines in Japan.

We could buy a slew of different foods here, from Tchigae to Oden. They sold more than just food though. Bags, clothing, and all sorts of items sat on display in storefronts. There was even a shop selling only Bae Yong Joon's brand of socks.

Such life and animation! Even the boardwalk stalls got a lot of customers. Families strode through the streets alongside unchaperoned youths. Such energy! I don't understand why I didn't see any drunks on the street. Just being there invigorated me. The downtown streets never sleep.

I noticed several micro-busses parked on the street. They looked like sight-seeing buses. Were tourists out at that hour?

I thought about this, and then I saw many old women with serious facial expressions--they looked so severe. They carried several large plastic sacks on their backs. I also saw a lot of stuff piled on the street.

Our guide explained to me that the women had come from the rural provinces. They regularly gather a group of people from their provincial towns, rent micro-buses, and shop here. They arrive very early in the morning and shop until the following day. Then they return to their hometowns and sell everything that they bought.

The old women began their serious shopping at the hour I saw them. How colorful!

We ate oden at one of the stalls.

I have wanted to eat oden in Korea ever since I saw Jeon Ji-Hyun eating it in the movie Windstruck.

They offered many different types of oden in shapes made from minced fish. Some were round while others were thin boards. I heard that the seasoning can differ, but it's all still oden. The boardwalk shop also provided skewers.

I decided to try the oden that looked like Japanese Chikuwa. I added some sauce using a brush that they provided. It tasted like Gobo tempura, sans the Gobo.

It was warm and tasty.

While I ate, people flocked to the stall from out of nowhere. Without so much as a greeting, they took oden from the stall. No one spoke a word... they just ate.

We paid for our food after telling the stall clerk what we had eaten. For some reason, I saw more female customers than male. They ate pretty quickly considering the eating method. To drink the soup, you're supposed to ladle it into a paper cup and then drink directly from the cup.

The soup tasted great too.

If you don't want to finish the soup, then you can simply splash it onto the street. You should put the paper cup in a trashcan though. Everything there was self-service.

We finished and then took a car to Namdaemun Market.

We arrived a little too early for the evening boom again. Half of the shops weren't open yet. I felt a strange sense of familiarity as I walked the streets... aha! The place resembled Ameyoko in Ueno.

Someone suddenly addressed us in Japanese.

"Hey buddy--got some leather jackets here."

Unfortunately we didn't see anything that we wanted. We didn't get what we set out to buy, but we got a lot of other stuff anyway.

I feel as though we bought a slice of Seoul's energy itself. I really enjoyed this. I'll definitely return... and maybe then I'll stay until 5 A.M.

You know, those phantom watches still intrigue me... I wonder what they look like....

[zydrateacademy]

Review - Monster Hunter World (PC)

This review contains spoilers. The benefit of playing a port months after the game initially hits consoles is that there are a host of guides available, which I recommend if you want to take this game moderately seriously (bit of an oxymoron there but bear with me). I don’t typically like games that require you to have extra study material to understand but to its credit, all I had to do was watch one video guide about the mechanics of my favored weapon, the Light Bowgun. After which I was probably fifty percent better every hunt after that. So I certainly recommend looking into that.

The story begins with your highly customize-able character on a ship to a ‘new world’, previously undiscovered in other games of the franchise. Your ship gets waylaid by a mountainous “Elder Dragon” who came up from sea. His back is full of magma and volcanic spouts and you climb his back in order to escape. Once you’re in safety, you find out he’s one of many that have migrated to this place for mysterious reasons. Typically one every few hundred years, now it’s one every decade and that has caused some turmoil in the ecosystem. Your job is essentially research. Kill monsters, stabilize the ecosystem, and arm yourself while doing so.

Eventually there is an extended epilogue. Once you discover that Elder’s goal and what it might mean, you enter a “High rank” hunt mechanic because the ecosystem has changed and you react accordingly. Monsters in these quests are tougher and more aggressive, and you continually work your way up.

This review may maintain some comparisons to Dauntless. As I mentioned in that very review, my only experience with MH as a franchise was during a brief road trip with my friend back in the PSP days. I have little memory of it and I doubt I was any good or understand any of the minutiae of mechanics. As such, a majority of my experience in this genre comes from Dauntless, the free-to-play variant with more dumbed down mechanics than you couldn’t shake a stick at. Veterans of MH are calling World dumbed down, ha. If only they knew how far that could actually go. My immediate first impression of MHW was actually quite positive. There’s something I can do here that I never really could at Dauntless; actually solo monsters. Dauntless was fairly unforgiving, only giving you five (count them: five) potions per hunt. You burn through those without burning the monster down properly, and you were done. Mercifully here, you not only get dozens of varying degrees of usefulness, you can also craft more on the fly or withdraw some from your loot in various camps set up around the impressively large zones. While some monsters give me more trouble than others (most flying types can do a one-two knockout by rushing me, putting me in a twelve hour stun animation, then merely swipe at me for an instant death), I’ve been in awe at what I’ve actually been able to accomplish on my own. ...And unfortunately, I am forced to do a handful of things on my own. Let me tap into some of the problems I have before diving back into the meat and mechanics of the game. Steam reviews are mixed for a couple of reasons. Bad controls and connectivity issues. The bad controls are a remnant of the fact that it was originally a PS4 game and the menus really show that. The UI itself is very controller friendly while the M/K is barely given a second thought. I had to rebind my weapon draw to left click like it is with melee because I’d find myself engaged in too many fights, frantically clicking only to find out I was actually just using my slinger and tossing useless rocks at the monster. In addition, the radial menu might as well not exist, as it is bound to your various F1-F4 keys. It’s very clunky and not at all the “quick” menu that it’s supposed to be. Frankly, I’m tired of hearing “just get a controller” from my friends. I don’t think I’ve touched a controller since 2008. Next is a problem that Capcom and Steam are already looking into. While I’ve been able to progress, just last night I lost out on three high ranked hunts because it kept dropping me from the group. From what I’ve read, the monster���s hitpoints balance towards groups (instantly doubling when a second person joins your hunt) but doesn’t at all go back down if anyone leaves. At the time I was replaying what was basically the main story’s ending, fighting the last boss over and over. Thankfully his mission doesn’t have a lot of open combat and is mostly just firing cannons and ballistae at him over and over. Still, it dropped me three times and had little to show for it overall.

There’s no direct party system, just player listings and hubs. You have to find a convoluted “Session ID” in the menus for your friends to copy and eventually join together. Someone posts a quest and everyone joins it. You won’t physically see anyone outside of a hunt unless you visit the gathering hub on top of the main town. The whole Session ID is just a pointless extra step that the likes of Capcom just love throwing in there. I am reminded of Black Desert Online. Despite being a different country, it still has the same idea behind its mechanics. One does not simply just craft or buy potions. First you have to press thirteen buttons just to get a stack of them. Then they might be put in your storage box, not personal pouch so you have to remember to take them out before your hunt. Then there’s the canteen mechanic, where you’re encourages you to eat to gain decent buffs before every hunt. Why not make that a single item you can use midhunt? Like Dauntless, pretty much every important thing in town is far apart and forces you into miniature loading screens. After every hunt you’re plopped on the bottom level but you still have to run up to the Blacksmith to fetch some upgrades. One does not simply make armor, too. In the higher levels you have to micromanage “decorations” to socket into your arms and armor to increase various passive skills. Why not just make those skills up-gradable like the armor itself? Indeed, one does not simply upgrade their armor! You have to collect “spheres” that you get from bounties and hunts in order to do so. Everything just has a pointless extra step, but I admit these are all nitpicks in what I do believe is a pretty damn good game. I have adjusted to the controls (even though it takes twelve clicks to get anywhere in the menu, but the combat is fine) and I can stomach the connectivity problems... for a time. Everything else is just a niggling annoyance that I have to deal with before I get to the real heart of the game: Expeditions and hunts. To its credit there’s a lot to do. Expeditions are the closest thing this game has to an “open world” setting. You will keep everything you acquire, gather materials and hunt the local monsters at your own leisure (though once you attack, they enter a sort of timer where they will flee the area if you fool around too much, but the mode itself will never kick you out). You can pick up quests on-site and continually remain in the zone you’ve chosen. Admittedly I haven’t explored expedition mode to a severe degree, as doing the various optional quests and bounties give me more than enough gameplay on their own. I never really need to piddle around the same zone for that long.

I mentioned earlier that I was happy that I can actually solo a handful of monsters in this game as opposed to Dauntless. There’s a lot more to that, the “simplest of MH’s” claim be damned, I embrace convenience if it comes hand in hand with actual fun. You can farm the same monster a few times but I found that the game offers you a handful of armor sets that can be crafted from bones and minerals alone. You can pick up bones from piles around every map and mine at little alcoves and continually gain materials to sets that will be perfectly passable for a time. I wore the basic “bone” armor for a while before getting into the more specialized stuff. Revered is the Anjarath, the game’s T-Rex who has a fire breath attack that will absolutely one-shot you and serves as the game’s first difficulty wall. His armor, however, gives fire resistance so if you can stomach fighting him a couple times (ideally in multiplayer), then you can likely build yourself up to handle him properly. Fun fact; I’ve yet to solo him myself. Other monsters have given players trouble that have instead given me more fun. The Radobaan for example, a sort of mid-game encounter in a zone called the Rotten Vale. It is a place where many monsters go to die and their essence feeds the Coral Highlands above it. The Radobaan covers itself in the bones of dead creatures and is thus highly armored, and you must burn through that in order to do some raw damage. I know of players who find this armor annoying but his movements are highly telegraphed and he’s a fan of stumbling himself which gives me a lot of free shots at him. So far he’s honestly been one of my favorite monsters to fight.

I did not realize this was the franchise’s first foray into big name consoles and even PC, the rest were evidently all handheld games. The intro into this hardware allows for a lot more powerful mechanics to come into play. New to the franchise, as far as I’m aware, is animal behavior. I can’t speak for the other games but I noticed a few things. There’s a turf war mechanic where two big bad monsters will encounter each other and start their own duel regardless of your presence. Each monster has its own “rating”, and I doubt a Great Jagras (the first and easiest monster) ever wins any of those.

In addition to that, I’ve found that docile animal mechanics can occasionally tip me off. You see it in a cutscene a time or two but even before my scoutflies (the game’s justification for a “go this way” mechanic) start tracking the monster, I’d be going down a path and find herbivores running the opposite direction. Sure enough, down that path was a large monster. Part of the hunt or no, animals do react accordingly. Sometimes they’ll take defensive positions as you initiate combat, or sometimes they’ll fly down and knock you over in a moment of monster camaraderie that I wish they hadn’t bothered with. Still, its moments like this that help the world feel like an actual world, appropriate for the game’s namesake. I know I droned on a bit about the problems the game had but some of them (the controls) can be mitigated. I’m enjoying myself, spending a good majority of my time responding to SOS flares or pushing myself in the high rank hunts to see what exactly I might be able to handle. I rarely push myself to see what exactly I’m capable of in gaming, but MHW pays that off so well. Maybe I can’t handle that flying Rathian on my own, but managing to take down a tunnel dwelling Diablos was a thing of beauty. The hunts can be long and exhausting but finally watching a beast get taken down after a couple of deaths can be very exciting. The genre may not be for everyone. If you’re story driven, you’ll find the one here is short and weak and mostly just serves as a framework for the gameplay. If you like content, then there’s plenty to do that should be varied enough to keep you around, and I’m sure they’ll update more monsters in as time goes on. Even after I get my fill, I’m sure I’ll keep an eye on this one.

[porchenclose10019]

Everything Sony Told Us About the Future of PlayStation

Pull your gaze from Nintendo’s bedazzling Switch for a moment and consider Sony’s now widespread PlayStation 4. Console sales have in general outperformed the most buoyant analyst and pundit prognostications. Not merely because of Nintendo’s overnight dark horse, or its scarce as hen’s teeth NES Classic. Sony’s PlayStation 4 is having some belt-notching moments of its own.

Sony now says its flagship games platform has sold-through—meaning to buyers and not just stores—close to 60 million units worldwide since its launch in November 2013. That, according to Sony global game development boss Shawn Layden, is the fastest pace set by any PlayStation, life-to-date, including the all-time industry record holder PlayStation 2.

“As you’ll recall, last year we performed the daredevil stunt of launching three new pieces of hardware in 60 days. Probably won’t do that again,” quips Layden during a sit-down with TIME. He’s talking about the $399 PlayStation 4 Pro (a souped up PlayStation 4 that outputs way snazzier graphics), PlayStation VR (a $399 virtual reality headset that couples with the PlayStation 4 for wraparound alt-reality experiences) and a slimmer, sleeker $299 version of the baseline PlayStation 4. All three arrived last fall, and Sony says sales have been booming.

PlayStation VR now boasts more than one million units sold worldwide, up from about 900,000 in February 2017. According to Sony, it’s been sold out from day one. “We don’t see it as a fad, it’s a brand new medium, not only for gaming entertainment, but non-gaming entertainment,” says Layden. And of every five PlayStation 4s Sony sells, Layden says one is a PlayStation 4 Pro, a laudable achievement given its $100 price premium, enthusiast target demographic and the nascency of the 4K television market (where it’s real allure lies).

“It is way ahead of our expectations,” adds Sony global sales chief Jim Ryan. “As with PSVR, and I suppose in forecasting these things we haven’t done a very good job, the product is in desperately short supply. So that’s one-in-five under severe constraint.”

“All of the rumors of the demise of the console are very much premature,” says Layden. “In fact if you’re watching [sales tracker] NPD for PS4 and Xbox One sales, you put those together and console gaming has never been as big and vibrant as it is right now. And that’s just here in the States.” Zip across the pond, and the story tilts further in Sony’s favor. “It’s been pleasing that in North America, we’ve been 2-to-1 against Xbox,” says Ryan. “But in Europe, it’s really been fortress PlayStation by at least 3-to-1 in unit sales.”

“It’s also the breadth of type of games,” he continues. “And once you get up in the heady heights of 100 million units, you’re talking of a different audience altogether, where having this range of stuff like Detroit: Become Human and FIFA and Call of Duty and Star Wars, it makes the job a whole lot easier.”

Layden says the Japanese publishers are also coming back, listing off recent games like Resident Evil 7, Nioh, Nier: Automata, Persona 5 and Final Fantasy XV as examples. “That’s super important for us,” he says. “I think a lot of Japanese developers lost their way chasing the mobile games yen, if you will, but they’re coming back to console in a major way. And speaking of, we’ll have some big announcements at E3 in that precise vein.”

This notion of mid-console refreshes—an enthusiast-angled limbering act you could argue Nintendo pioneered with its perennial Game Boy, DS and 3DS revamps—has a flip side. The PS4 Pro’s power has been effectively slaved to the baseline PlayStation 4. Games on the PS4 Pro, while graphically sharper and lusher, must be functionally identical to the experience as had on the standard model. It’s a leave-no-consumer-behind mentality that’s so far been echoed by the competition: Microsoft’s revved up PS4 Pro rival, codenamed Project Scorpio and due later this year, will likewise observe gameplay parity with the Xbox One.

“Because the games need to play on both Pro and standard PS4, there can’t be a radical departure between the two experiences,” says Layden. “But I think we’ve hit a happy medium by enriching the visual experience, and developers enjoy having that extra oomph while knowing they’re making games that play well on all 60 million PlayStation 4s. I guess we’re trying to have our cake and eat it too.”

Would Sony back away from that requirement if sales leveled off down the line? “Today, my answer is that we’re going to stay the course,” says Layden. “There’s still a lot of juice to squeeze out of the PlayStation 4 platform, full stop. So ensuring PlayStation 4 games play on both consoles is our winning formula right now.”

Another winning-so-far formula few saw coming is Nintendo’s notion of a games console you can play anywhere you like, shifting from your hands to your TV in seconds. In 2005, Sony began its own foray into handheld gaming with a device it dubbed the PlayStation Portable. The PSP sold in excess of 80 million units, and in 2012, a followup dubbed the PS Vita arrived—a contemporaneously mighty mobile, but one that sold a fraction as many units. In light of what Nintendo seems to be illustrating, that there is appetite for a consumer device that preserves the higher-end console experience on the go, would Sony ever revisit a once formidable bailiwick?

Layden calls the Switch “a great success for Nintendo” and admits that “it’s definitely what that fanbase has been waiting for.” But he sees the system as less a rival than a complementary traveler, claiming that Switch sales have had no discernible impact on the sell-through for PlayStation 4. “When you look at our numbers, I think it shows that a lot of gamers are a two-console family,” he adds. “And quite often those two consoles are PlayStation and Nintendo sitting side-by-side.”

Layden says Sony still views the Vita as a viable development platform: Though new Western releases have slowed to a trickle, he notes games are still being made for it in Japan. But for now, a Vita successor isn’t in the cards. “To be honest, the Vita just didn’t reach critical mass in the U.S. or Western Europe,” he says. “I don’t know if it was that it was more technology people had to carry around, or more things to charge, or whether their phone or tablet were taking care of that. But once the content slowed in that pipeline, it became hard to keep the Vita as a going concern.”

Another concern occasionally raised by PlayStation devotees involves the company’s once-ubiquitous PlayStation 2. While Sony has in recent years devoted resources to bringing a handful of popular older titles to the PlayStation 4, the better part of that library is lost to time. For now, it seems that’s where it’ll remain. “When we’ve dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much,” says Ryan. “That, and I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?”

By contrast, the company says it intends to double down on things people do want to play, namely the explosive eSports phenomenon. “It’s a subject that is occupying us quite a lot these days, and something we’re looking at very carefully,” says Ryan. “We’re trying to find precisely what the role of the platform holder is in that value chain. Seeing how we can actually make the whole eSports thing bigger, better, different and bespoke to PlayStation is something you’re going to be hearing quite a lot about in the next year or two.”

Speaking of broadening its messaging to a growing competitive elite, Sony says it’s aware some have made noises about a boutique version of the company’s acclaimed DualShock 4 controller in the vein of Microsoft’s own Xbox One Elite gamepad. “The idea of a premium interface in exactly the same manner as we now have a premium console has a lot of logic to it, and there are such products already available in the market from third parties,” says Ryan. “But it’s definitely something we continue to look at.”

To questions about where other technologies like PlayStation VR go from here, Layden stresses virtual reality’s non-gaming possibilities. “We have Hollywood luminaries and TV show runners, places like the Smithsonian and [NASA’s] Jet Propulsion Laboratory looking into what the technology can do for them. And recently you may have seen Vince Gilligan, the show runner for Breaking Bad, has leaked some information that we’re working together, which we are, in bringing a Breaking Bad experience to virtual reality.” What exactly is that going to be? “I have no idea, but Vince has shown that he can deliver,” says Layden.

Sony doubtless intends to push its phase one VR ideas as far as the market will bear, but the pressure to iterate is fierce. “Technology cycles are shortening, and there’s no reason to expect VR to be any exception to that,” says Ryan. “If we have aspirations to take this into a mass market space, clearly things will need to happen to the form factor, whether it’s wireless or a lighter headset or all of these things.”

“The key is advancing the technology without stepping off the platform,” adds Layden. “We want to make sure we have a target platform developers can grow against. We’ll find ways to bump it up, whether that’s through the physical design of the product, which needs tweaks, of course, as everything does. But we also want to make sure we’re firmly grounded in PlayStation 4, so people don’t think they need something else to drive the experience.”

As for the experience awaiting PlayStation buffs when the curtain lifts on Sony’s E3 media event, live streaming from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall (online as well as in select theaters) next Monday, June 12, Layden says to think of it less as a press conference than a software showcase.

“The crowd will only have to suffer I think in aggregate 90 seconds of me,” he jokes. “And in the middle will be all the games.”

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qQ1GhC

[repwincoml4a0a5]

Everything Sony Told Us About the Future of PlayStation

Pull your gaze from Nintendo’s bedazzling Switch for a moment and consider Sony’s now widespread PlayStation 4. Console sales have in general outperformed the most buoyant analyst and pundit prognostications. Not merely because of Nintendo’s overnight dark horse, or its scarce as hen’s teeth NES Classic. Sony’s PlayStation 4 is having some belt-notching moments of its own.

Sony now says its flagship games platform has sold-through—meaning to buyers and not just stores—close to 60 million units worldwide since its launch in November 2013. That, according to Sony global game development boss Shawn Layden, is the fastest pace set by any PlayStation, life-to-date, including the all-time industry record holder PlayStation 2.

“As you’ll recall, last year we performed the daredevil stunt of launching three new pieces of hardware in 60 days. Probably won’t do that again,” quips Layden during a sit-down with TIME. He’s talking about the $399 PlayStation 4 Pro (a souped up PlayStation 4 that outputs way snazzier graphics), PlayStation VR (a $399 virtual reality headset that couples with the PlayStation 4 for wraparound alt-reality experiences) and a slimmer, sleeker $299 version of the baseline PlayStation 4. All three arrived last fall, and Sony says sales have been booming.

PlayStation VR now boasts more than one million units sold worldwide, up from about 900,000 in February 2017. According to Sony, it’s been sold out from day one. “We don’t see it as a fad, it’s a brand new medium, not only for gaming entertainment, but non-gaming entertainment,” says Layden. And of every five PlayStation 4s Sony sells, Layden says one is a PlayStation 4 Pro, a laudable achievement given its $100 price premium, enthusiast target demographic and the nascency of the 4K television market (where it’s real allure lies).

“It is way ahead of our expectations,” adds Sony global sales chief Jim Ryan. “As with PSVR, and I suppose in forecasting these things we haven’t done a very good job, the product is in desperately short supply. So that’s one-in-five under severe constraint.”

“All of the rumors of the demise of the console are very much premature,” says Layden. “In fact if you’re watching [sales tracker] NPD for PS4 and Xbox One sales, you put those together and console gaming has never been as big and vibrant as it is right now. And that’s just here in the States.” Zip across the pond, and the story tilts further in Sony’s favor. “It’s been pleasing that in North America, we’ve been 2-to-1 against Xbox,” says Ryan. “But in Europe, it’s really been fortress PlayStation by at least 3-to-1 in unit sales.”

“It’s also the breadth of type of games,” he continues. “And once you get up in the heady heights of 100 million units, you’re talking of a different audience altogether, where having this range of stuff like Detroit: Become Human and FIFA and Call of Duty and Star Wars, it makes the job a whole lot easier.”

Layden says the Japanese publishers are also coming back, listing off recent games like Resident Evil 7, Nioh, Nier: Automata, Persona 5 and Final Fantasy XV as examples. “That’s super important for us,” he says. “I think a lot of Japanese developers lost their way chasing the mobile games yen, if you will, but they’re coming back to console in a major way. And speaking of, we’ll have some big announcements at E3 in that precise vein.”

This notion of mid-console refreshes—an enthusiast-angled limbering act you could argue Nintendo pioneered with its perennial Game Boy, DS and 3DS revamps—has a flip side. The PS4 Pro’s power has been effectively slaved to the baseline PlayStation 4. Games on the PS4 Pro, while graphically sharper and lusher, must be functionally identical to the experience as had on the standard model. It’s a leave-no-consumer-behind mentality that’s so far been echoed by the competition: Microsoft’s revved up PS4 Pro rival, codenamed Project Scorpio and due later this year, will likewise observe gameplay parity with the Xbox One.

“Because the games need to play on both Pro and standard PS4, there can’t be a radical departure between the two experiences,” says Layden. “But I think we’ve hit a happy medium by enriching the visual experience, and developers enjoy having that extra oomph while knowing they’re making games that play well on all 60 million PlayStation 4s. I guess we’re trying to have our cake and eat it too.”

Would Sony back away from that requirement if sales leveled off down the line? “Today, my answer is that we’re going to stay the course,” says Layden. “There’s still a lot of juice to squeeze out of the PlayStation 4 platform, full stop. So ensuring PlayStation 4 games play on both consoles is our winning formula right now.”

Another winning-so-far formula few saw coming is Nintendo’s notion of a games console you can play anywhere you like, shifting from your hands to your TV in seconds. In 2005, Sony began its own foray into handheld gaming with a device it dubbed the PlayStation Portable. The PSP sold in excess of 80 million units, and in 2012, a followup dubbed the PS Vita arrived—a contemporaneously mighty mobile, but one that sold a fraction as many units. In light of what Nintendo seems to be illustrating, that there is appetite for a consumer device that preserves the higher-end console experience on the go, would Sony ever revisit a once formidable bailiwick?

Layden calls the Switch “a great success for Nintendo” and admits that “it’s definitely what that fanbase has been waiting for.” But he sees the system as less a rival than a complementary traveler, claiming that Switch sales have had no discernible impact on the sell-through for PlayStation 4. “When you look at our numbers, I think it shows that a lot of gamers are a two-console family,” he adds. “And quite often those two consoles are PlayStation and Nintendo sitting side-by-side.”

Layden says Sony still views the Vita as a viable development platform: Though new Western releases have slowed to a trickle, he notes games are still being made for it in Japan. But for now, a Vita successor isn’t in the cards. “To be honest, the Vita just didn’t reach critical mass in the U.S. or Western Europe,” he says. “I don’t know if it was that it was more technology people had to carry around, or more things to charge, or whether their phone or tablet were taking care of that. But once the content slowed in that pipeline, it became hard to keep the Vita as a going concern.”

Another concern occasionally raised by PlayStation devotees involves the company’s once-ubiquitous PlayStation 2. While Sony has in recent years devoted resources to bringing a handful of popular older titles to the PlayStation 4, the better part of that library is lost to time. For now, it seems that’s where it’ll remain. “When we’ve dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much,” says Ryan. “That, and I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?”

By contrast, the company says it intends to double down on things people do want to play, namely the explosive eSports phenomenon. “It’s a subject that is occupying us quite a lot these days, and something we’re looking at very carefully,” says Ryan. “We’re trying to find precisely what the role of the platform holder is in that value chain. Seeing how we can actually make the whole eSports thing bigger, better, different and bespoke to PlayStation is something you’re going to be hearing quite a lot about in the next year or two.”

Speaking of broadening its messaging to a growing competitive elite, Sony says it’s aware some have made noises about a boutique version of the company’s acclaimed DualShock 4 controller in the vein of Microsoft’s own Xbox One Elite gamepad. “The idea of a premium interface in exactly the same manner as we now have a premium console has a lot of logic to it, and there are such products already available in the market from third parties,” says Ryan. “But it’s definitely something we continue to look at.”

To questions about where other technologies like PlayStation VR go from here, Layden stresses virtual reality’s non-gaming possibilities. “We have Hollywood luminaries and TV show runners, places like the Smithsonian and [NASA’s] Jet Propulsion Laboratory looking into what the technology can do for them. And recently you may have seen Vince Gilligan, the show runner for Breaking Bad, has leaked some information that we’re working together, which we are, in bringing a Breaking Bad experience to virtual reality.” What exactly is that going to be? “I have no idea, but Vince has shown that he can deliver,” says Layden.

Sony doubtless intends to push its phase one VR ideas as far as the market will bear, but the pressure to iterate is fierce. “Technology cycles are shortening, and there’s no reason to expect VR to be any exception to that,” says Ryan. “If we have aspirations to take this into a mass market space, clearly things will need to happen to the form factor, whether it’s wireless or a lighter headset or all of these things.”

“The key is advancing the technology without stepping off the platform,” adds Layden. “We want to make sure we have a target platform developers can grow against. We’ll find ways to bump it up, whether that’s through the physical design of the product, which needs tweaks, of course, as everything does. But we also want to make sure we’re firmly grounded in PlayStation 4, so people don’t think they need something else to drive the experience.”

As for the experience awaiting PlayStation buffs when the curtain lifts on Sony’s E3 media event, live streaming from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall (online as well as in select theaters) next Monday, June 12, Layden says to think of it less as a press conference than a software showcase.

“The crowd will only have to suffer I think in aggregate 90 seconds of me,” he jokes. “And in the middle will be all the games.”

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qQ1GhC

[extraquarterblog]

The Entire Saga That Led To Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy 7 - The PlayStation Masterpiece 

Over the past few years, I've written a lot about video games, covering the latest releases, retro themes and every now & then I tackle a rumor. But if there's one thing I thought I would never write about, it would be Final Fantasy VII Remake. That was legit, no rumor break down, no trail to find the original source, ect. No, today - which I can hardly believe, I'm going to talk about a title that's been nothing more than a pipe dream for over 10 years now.

At the previous 2015 E3 showing,  on June 15th, Sony unveiled a trailer that no one could hardly believe. After over a decade of various rumors, misleading tech demos and he said she said fiasco's, Final Fantasy VII Remake is real and it's happening. While like so many others, I was jumping out of my chair, then quickly went to YouTube to see everyone else reaction. My oh my were they golden. Parents cursing in front of children, grown men crying, people jumping back out of their chairs, even a few started break dancing. 

Though, there was one thing I couldn't help but notice, you could read in the comments or even overhear on the various voice chats, other people asking "What is this about? What's Final Fantasy VII?, Can someone explain to me why people are going crazy?". Now for me, being an avid gamer, it all seemed clear as day, but for so many Gamers, old or new, the whole crazy for FF7 remake probably does appear foreign to them. 

Honestly, I don't blame anyone for not understanding, since Square-Enix literally has so many Final Fantasy titles that they could remake into a full blown Next-Gen game, it does make some ask, why Final Fantasy VII? Hell, it also released almost 20 years ago. Not surprised many were asking questions. 

Well, you came to the right place, I'm going to break it all down, without ever diving too deep in the rabbit hole that I lose you. I'll lay it all out, nice and plainly why Final Fantasy VII Remake is a Unicorn that turned out to be real, and has been teased for a very long time.

So what's so special about FF7?

Excellent question. Final Fantasy 7 is one of those few titles that captures a platform theme perfectly. Back in 1997 Final Fantasy 7 made its original debut on the PlayStation 1. Why is this significant to know? Simple - this was the first major FF title to ever release on a system outside Nintendo. This was pretty big news for Square-Soft at the time, made the decision to step away from Nintendo 64 platform and venture to the PlayStation, however it wasn't all by choice. Final Fantasy VII was considered a highly advance title that wouldn't be possible to run on the N64. The PlayStation 1 was the only system with the chops that would be able to run it.

Also, FF7 was hella expensive to develop. Sources claiming the title cost around $45 Million dollars to develop, which was pretty much unheard of back then. Even by today's standards $45 million is a lot of cash for a title. Final Fantasy 7 also had a lot of first for the Final Fantasy franchise, such as CGI cut-scenes, multiple disk, and characters making apperences in other titles besides the famous Cid.

Basically, Square-Soft released an incredibly expensive title, on a new system, using 3D graphics, that would pretty much make or break the company. And as we all know, Final Fantasy VII was a masterpiece, it sold bajjilions of copies, and really started to build a strong image with the PlayStation brand, that had FFVIII and FFIX follow after its release. 

So why did everyone want a remake?

Ohhh, great, Great question there. While FF7 is considered a phenomenal title, people would argue titles like FF4 or FF6 would be a better title to go with, even FFIX has a strong following. So why is there such a large group of people riding on constant hopes and prayers for a FF7 remake?  To sum up a loooong story, Square-Enix has kind of been teasing the idea about it for a very long time.

Of course, besides the fact that FF7 is such a moving and enjoyable game, Square-Enix has had a long history of branching off the FF7 franchise and constantly giving a possible hint, a FF7 title could happen. 

The first time my ears ever heard of a new possible FFVII title was in the works goes way back to 2003. The first tidbit that ever appeared was from a game magazine, when people used to read them, featured in the rumor section, was a small snip-it in the article mentioning there's a possibility of seeing a lot more of FF7 in the coming months. Everyone had their own take what Square could be up to, but best I could remember, that was where the first mention to my knowledge of a remake of FF7 could be possible. 

Now you have to remember, back then, there was no YouTube, IGN wasn't the behemoth it is today, and there wasn't Game expos going off every month. The best way you found any news or wanting to look up details on a rumor was from Neogaf or Gamefaqs. That was it. Also Square-Enix still had several odd practices when it came to releasing information, such as their famous closed door theaters when showing off footage. So unless you were literally in Japan, months could go by before you learn about anything state side.

Later that year the world would learn that Square-Enix was kicking off a new project dubbed the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII were three new Final Fantasy VII projects in the works. One was a new film, titled Advent Children, which not much was known besides the fact it would take place in the FF7 universe and showed a few shots, like Barrett flexing his arm, showing off his cannon. Most people speculated that this was Square-Enix attempt to redeem itself from the financial failure that was Final Fantasy: Spirit from Within. 

The other title that everyone could wait to learn more was titled Before Crises. Very small details were given, and I'm talking small. I still have the first magazine that had coverage for it and all they had was a few sentences to cover it. Before Crises would be a prequel to FF7 that followed Turks and co, leading events up to that start of Final Fantasy VII. Now typically, any Square fan would be jumping for joy, however, there were a few catches that made most FF fans disappointed. Before Crises is a Cell Phone game only, and exclusive to Japan. So yeah, like having the door shut right in-front of you. 

The final title would be Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, another title that took place before the events of Final Fantasy VII. Unlike Before Crises, Crisis Core took place closer in the time line, right before the starting events in FF7. Many fans considered this to be for the most part, Canon to the story, as you played a major character, Zack, one of Cloud's first companions. Though sadly would be released for the PSP and with a release date many Many years out. 

However, this was kind of the spark that started to light the ever burning rumors of a FF7 remake. Which only continued to get more fuel when early in 2005 more rumors were abound as a fresh leaks claiming a new Final Fantasy 7 title was in the works and for the PS2. 

With this new tidbit of info, almost made certain a new FF7 remake was going to be released for the PS2. Hype and attention steadily grew and who could blame anyone for hoping, Trailers for Advent Children started to appear, which looked gorgeous, making the FFVII universe getting hotter. This had to be it.

Sadly, it wasn't. Instead around mid 2005 we learned the new title would be Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. 

The next title, Dirge of Cerberus was star Vincent, a popular character from FF7, who was having his own title that took place several years after the events of FF7. Gamers once more were disappointed, as this was not the Final Fantasy VII title they were hoping for.

While Dirge of Cerberus had a few popular Dev names attached to the project, sadly the studio deviated from the original play style that Final Fantasy games are known for, the combat was heavily criticized and the story was considered weak when in comparison to the rest of the FF7 saga. So in the end, it wasn't the best selling piece of the FF7 world. 

Though Square-Enix wasnt done with the Final Fantasy VII teases.

E3, 2005 when Sony was having its grand PS3 showing, debuting its muscle and lineup of titles. Square-Enix took the time to display a little tech demo they prepared to show the capabilities of the PS3 hardware. Square-Enix would then dump the biggest barrel of the most flammable substance on earth a top of the Final Fantasy 7 rumors. SE shows off the entire opening of Final Fantasy VII, remade on the PS3. 

Fans, of course, were doing back-flips. Despite both Sony and SE stating it was nothing more than a tech demo and Square-Enix had several other Final Fantasy titles in the works such as, Final Fantasy XIII and XIII Versus. To no surprise, fans couldn't but help themselves, and a swarm of post declaring that a FF7 remake must surely be in development to follow afterwards.

" If Final Fantasy VII rumors were popping up, E3 most be coming."

The gears of time would slowly pass, as the years moved by, time and time again, rumors would appear and die out. It almost became a tradition, like a farmer checking the leaves of a tree. If he spotted leaves turning red, Fall most be coming. If Final Fantasy VII rumors were popping up, E3 most be coming. Almost every E3 for decades always had multiple rumors of FF7 in development, and time and time again, fans would take the bait only to be disappointed. 

Now when your big as Square-Enix, you're going to have a lot of interviews and over the years questions about Final Fantasy VII remake being an option have been generally shot down. While Square-Enix has always been humble about how fans would love a FFVII, it hasn't stopped them from being outright honest. One of the most famous quotes about Final Fantasy VII came in 2010 from Yoshinori Kitase, a game producer at SE, when asked about FFVII remake, he replied:

"would take as much as three or four times longer than the three and a half years it has taken to put this Final Fantasy together! So it's looking pretty unrealistic to happen!"  -- Yoshinori Kitase

So with that in-mind, it seemed pretty unlikely that Cloud and the crew would ever see the light of day again. However, the following years for Square-Enix have not been kind. 

It's no secret to anyone, Square-Enix has had a bumpy relationship with its fans, The Final Fantasy XIII saga never really lived up to expectations and Final Fantasy XIV first released was the worst reviewed Final Fantasy game in Square history. Square promised to begin changing its course and building a better relationship with its fans, thus Square-Enix announced building a team that would overlook the quality of their games, ensuring their titles would live up to the standards the company was known for. Both the Press and loyal FF7 fans, once again speculated, could this be the straw that would break the camels back, with SE desperate to win back fans, what better then Final Fantasy VII Remake?

Fast forwarding to 2014, Sony is holding its first PlayStation event in December, that would be streamed live, to show off a suite of titles and features for the PlayStation 4. What better time to have an event to hype up a product during the holidays. As developers announced they would or would not be at the PlayStation Event, Square-Enix listed to be there, and had very special surprise. Of course, like the sun rising, rumors of FFVII would be there, but this time, its for realz.

And the rumors didn't lie, Shinji Hashimoto, a leading game producer from Square-Enix took to the stage to give a very special announcement. The PC version of Final Fantasy VII was coming to the PS4. The crowd and live streamers reactions were priceless, words can't describe that moment where you think, this could be possible, could FFVII be really happening aaaaand then you get this. 

It was like pouring salt into the wound. 

At this point, Final Fantasy VII rumors have been done to death, a pipe dream that fans felt would never come to fruition. For the first time in almost a decade, after the PlayStation Event, fans finally started to throw in the towel in believeth of a remake to ever happen. 

Though, it would seem that not all hope was lost yet, as I said, if FF7 rumors were popping up, it must mean E3 was coming, and right on the money, it was. E3 2015, one of the most mind blowing events in Gaming history kicked off some major bombshells. And one of those mind busters, was when Adam Boyes on stage with green magic streaks of light glowing behind him, he began saying:

"Now many years ago, Square-Enix released a ground breaking title that went on to become one of the most beloved games in PlayStation and video game history. Tonight i'm proud to announce by popular demand, we have a very special treat for everyone"  -- Adam Boyes

So how long as FFVII been in development?

The next big question after FFVII Remake made its grand appearance, was just how long Square-Enix has been involved with the project? While there hasn't been any hard facts to put a date on your calendar when Square-Enix started working on FF7: Remake. There has been a few clues painting a picture when staff could of begun working on the impossible project Square refused to do for so long.

Clue one, when Tetsuya Nomura was no longer directing Final Fantasy XV. Big news broke out last year when Nomura was announced to leave the directing position in mid-September. Square-Enix was quoted saying "This move allows Tetsuya Nomura to focus his full efforts as the director of other highly anticipated titles, including Kingdom Hearts III" 

We now know that secretly Nomura was being moved into the Directing position for Final Fantasy VII. Now I doubt Nomura just stood up from his chair and Hajime Tabata, the new director for FFXV just came in and sat down. With all major gaming projects and one long as FFXV been in development, I'm sure there was a period that Hajime and Nomura were being slowly moved into their new roles. So If I had to take a bet, I would put money that Nomura started working on Final Fantasy 7 back in August or even early as July.

But there's another clue, that came from Tetsuya Nomura himself, during an interview, Nomura mentioned that he didn't even know he was going to be the director of Final Fantasy 7 until he was brought into a presentation, and found his name attached to the project as its director. 

"So I called up Mr. Kitase and said, 'It says that I’m the director for some reason.' To which he replied, 'Of course it does"  -- Tetsuya Nomura

Now, despite my best attempts, I can't find a date for when this event happened to Nomura, but it's clear that the Final Fantasy VII Remake project kicked off before they even had the director aware. So we know he left full time for FF7 back in September and that the project began before he knew, giving us at best, a ball park guess. 

Taking a jab in the dark, I speculate that when the FF7 Remake project got the green light was around the first quarter in 2014. Getting funds, time, staff, shuffling around schedules, and resources takes time, more than you would think. So by the time it was all aligned for full development, would be around when Nomura is at the helm directing. 

What comes next?

Naturally the next question on everyone's mind is the agenda Square-Enix has in stored for Final Fantasy VII Remake. Of course, no release date was given, but that hasn't stopped the speculation. Recently eagle eye viewers caught on a PlayStation 4 ad flyer had FFVII Remake listed for "2016 TBA". While I would love to believe Final Fantasy VII Remake releasing next year, my gut tells me that's unlikely. 

I could list off a few good key reasons, but I'm going to cut straight to my strongest card, Final Fantasy VII 20th anniversary is 2017. What better time to release one of the most wanted remakes in history. Also, when has Square-Enix ever been good about release dates? Final Fantasy XII and Kingdom Hearts II quickly spring to mind, hell we are still waiting for Versus aka Final Fantasy 15. So to expect Final Fantasy VII Remake next year is a bit premature to hope for. Though, I would love to be wrong!

The next big mountain to climb for Square-Enix is how it chooses to unveil key details on FFVII Remake and the choices they made to make it modernized. Square-Enix knows they have to be very delicate with this, FF7 is considered biblical, holy material here. There's millions of fans deeply attached to this title. So i have no doubt SE will be testing each piece and teasing fans to see what reaction they get. 

Which, to no surprise as I was writing this piece up, Tetsuya Nomura already came out explaining to Official PlayStation Magazine that there will be some dramatic changes made, mostly to be expect for the game-play. Honestly, this came to no surprise for me. I seriously doubted a new title coming years out, would have a traditional turn base system or as your character running across the map and then randomly zoning to a battle stage, Pokemon style.

While die-hards long for such style of play, Nomura has been sort of famous for his battle system in Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy Versus/15.  A free roaming action style game. I don't expect FF7 Remake to be Devil May Cry meets Kingdom hearts, But I wouldn't be surprised to see FF7 remake borrowing elements of Final Fantasy XII battle system, where you were able to freely move, switch between characters and approach enemies in your sight. Add a dash of Kingdom hearts and it would work, but that's simply speculation on my part. 

Good news is, Tetsuya Nomura seems quite aware of how attached fans are to Final Fantasy VII lore stating "There are certain plot points we don't want to interfere with or disturb, nor will we want to change elements that fans have very big attachments to" So looks like FF7 Remake will stay truthful to the original. So those most faithful to the house of Midgar can breath a sigh of relief.

Now the hardest part begins, the waiting.

[gman-003]

From the Archives: The Nintendo Niino and Super Smash Bros. N

I have a rather large folder of ideas I'd come up with, liked enough to bother recording, but didn't or couldn't actually pursue. Some of them are worth looking at again, particularly when intervening events cast it in a new light. (And if this post is received well, it might become a regular feature.)

In this case, it's an idea for a Nintendo console, which turned out to be surprisingly similar to the Switch, even though, with a timestamp of September 27, 2014, it predates any public knowledge of the Switch, and possibly even predates the Switch development project. While I rewrote it into a more readable format, I have not changed any of the actual details - preserving the state of the idea as it was when I conceived it. It's not a detailed plan, more an executive-summary proposal.

2014 was a lackluster year for Nintendo - sales were plummeting, the Wii U had fizzled, and the New 3DS was flailing. Even fans could tell the company was struggling.

I made a key insight, though I don't claim it was a unique one: the gaming console market is under pressure from two directions. Going back to the 90s, the cheaper handheld consoles served as the entry point for new gamers, with home consoles offering a superior experience at higher cost, and gaming PCs being yet more expensive. But the rise of smartphones has devoured the low end - an iPhone or Galaxy or Nexus is an objectively worse gaming platform than any handheld console, but since they're essentially free as gaming devices (since consumers will be buying a smartphone anyways for communication), they offer the cheapest entry point. The rise of cheap gaming PC hardware (itself an effect of slowing desktop sales) has pressured the high end, driving home consoles to lower price points. This prediction turned out to be fairly true, although I also thought "nanoconsoles" like the Ouya would contribute to the demise of the two-tier console market, which completely failed to happen.

The logical conclusion was that handheld and home consoles will need to merge or displace each other. Sony simply gave up on their portable line, focusing their in-house developers on the home console. Nintendo could easily have given up on their home console line, throw everything onto the 3DS or its successor, and hope to compete with Sony and Microsoft on the merits of portability and game design rather than technical specifications.

But that's only the obvious way to do things. There are problems with that approach - Nintendo has a much longer history than Sony of maintaining both form factors, and there are many Nintendo fans who would be angered if Nintendo chose to abandon one or the other. A non-obvious solution is needed - and a non-obvious solution is what we got, with the Switch. But let's take a look at the idea I came up with, because it took a third approach.

The console I came up with was to be named the "Niino", punning off "Nintendo", "Nano", and the double-i pattern used in the Wii, Mii and Amiibo. The name is kind of dorky, I'll admit, but it's better than "Wii" and that thing sold like hotcakes.

The core principle was that you couldn't make a handheld that worked as a home console as well as a dedicated home console would, and vice versa. The two need to be fully software-compatible, but even just making an ergonomic controller fights against being able to put it in your pocket. So I didn't go as far as Nintendo ultimately chose to - I still had different hardware for home and handheld use. But they were to be different SKUs of the same console, not separate consoles - all games would run on both, down to using the same cartridges.

I called the two versions the "Niino Home" and "Niino Pocket". I specified that both were to use the same architecture. An eight-core ARM-64 CPU was specified - either K12 or Denver, depending on whether AMD or Nvidia was offering a better deal. I further specified a fully-unified memory architecture, with 16GB of GDDR6 memory. (I will note that I also wrote that it would be released in 2020, so my use of stuff that doesn't even exist three years later isn't completely groundless). Games would be stored on internal flash memory (512GB on the Home, 128GB on the Pocket), or on removable cartridges. As a minor twist, the cartridges would be partially-writable - patches would get downloaded and stored, and your game saves would be on the cartridge itself, in a special R/W memory segment.

The Niino Pocket was spec'd with a 4.5" 1920x1080 screen, featuring capacitive touchscreen capabilities (aka multitouch). The Niino Home was specified to target 3840x2160 output resolution (fed over Mini-DisplayPort or HDMI), with an expectation that it would normally downscale to 1920x1080 (getting some free antialiasing in the process). To give the Home enough processing horsepower to render the same game at quadruple resolution, I gave it twice as many GPU compute units, running at twice the clockspeed, and bumped the CPU clocks up by 50% (while keeping the CPU core count the same). That math checks out if the CPU on the Pocket spends 25% of its time on controlling the GPU, and game logic does not scale with resolution which are generally reasonable assumptions.

For controls, I didn't do much unusual. Two analog sticks - full thumbsticks on the Home controllers, smaller PSP-style "nubs" on the Pocket. A D-Pad. Four main face buttons, presumably A/B/X/Y. Four secondary face buttons, two per side - Plus, Minus, Home and Share. I had two analog triggers, with a digital "click" at full travel, like the Gamecube did, as well as two bumpers. And to finish it off, I listed dual accelerometers - they aren't all that useful, but they're so cheap now, why not include them?

Games would be required to run well on both the Pocket and Home, as part of certification. Thanks to the identical architecture, OS, and even screen aspect ratio, the programming to support both would be minimal. Assets could be authored for the Home, and downscaled for the Pocket, or authored for the Pocket and simply reused, not taking advantage of the extra power. Some UI elements might need to be redesigned to work better on the Niino Pocket's physically smaller screen, or more particles might spawn on the more powerful Niino Home, but I was aiming for it to be easier than developing a smartphone app that runs well on multiple screen sizes. I even mandated that the cartridges themselves be the same - if you for some reason buy both a Home and a Pocket, you would still only buy the game once, and play it on both. With savefiles being stored on the cartridge itself, that could be a very useful way to play - almost as seamless as the Switch ended up being, although significantly more expensive if you want that capability.

That unified architecture would allow Nintendo to stop splitting their development resources across two consoles, which would in turn allow Nintendo to develop a more robust library of first-party games. As Nintendo would offer the only viable handheld console, it would make them a more attractive target for third-party devs.

But Nintendo consoles sell because of Nintendo games, so that's what I had plenty of. I listed two pack-in titles, four additional launch games, another four titles within the first year, and five in the second year, as well as as many third-party titles as possible. My third-parties list is amusing from today's viewpoint - I correctly predicted that there would still be annual Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, and Monster Hunter titles, but I seriously missed the mark by listing "Sonic Boom 3".

The Niino would have two pack-in titles. Nintendo Sports was supposed to be a deeper follow-up to Wii Sports, adding campaign modes, character customization and even some map-making (on the Golf game). But that was really just there for the sake of having a "complete" pack-in game. In retrospect, this was a horrible idea - it would either miss entirely what made Wii Sports a system-seller, or would require compatibility with Wiimotes, which makes it a horrible way to show off the new system.

The other pack-in game was "Super Smash Bros. N", which was a free-to-play Smash... kind of. The pack-in version would include only a minimum of characters, items, and levels (I listed Mario, Link, Donkey Kong and Pikachu, along with a Mii-based custom fighter). But any Niino game could add more - first-party or third-party. That game's developers would be responsible for all the assets and initial programming, although balance patches would come from Nintendo's Smash team, and certification would make sure it worked right and at least came close to being balanced.

So when you bought the obligatory Mario launch title, you automatically get (for example) Peach and Luigi, along with a stage and some items, added to Smash. Spla2oon (I am still surprised that's not what Nintendo's actually calling it) would add Inkling. Metroid: Paralysis would add Samus (don't ask for details on the games themselves, I was just making up titles and one-sentence concepts). Call of Duty would presumably add one of the Captains Price. Even Virtual Console games could get in on it - some people would totally spend another $15 to buy Final Fantasy VI again if it gave you a Terra assist trophy (I think full playable characters are too much to expect for a VC game).

As additional ways to get that content (it is kind of scummy to lock it behind a game you may not want, if you're just a hardcore Smash player), they could also be sold separately, as normal DLC, or bundled with an Amiibo, assuming those continue to sell.

I really, really like this idea. It solves two problems with the Smash series - first, it makes it possible for characters from games released after Smash to appear in the current version, instead of waiting for the next console, and second, it allows the game to eventually have the kind of mammoth size that made Brawl such a wonder. I remember the Brawl spoiler season - the hype was unimaginable. Just when you thought they were done, they dropped more on you. And it will even have more good effects - it acts as a portal to game discovery, and gives a bump to the Niino version of multiplatform games. If you're playing Smash, either at a party or online, and you encounter a character you've never seen before, that might spark an interest in the game they came from. And if you're a hardcore shooter player looking at which new console to buy, maybe the free Smash characters would be enough to tip you towards the Nintendo platform.

Would the Niino have been a better console than the Switch? Maybe. It probably wouldn't have sold as well, because the messaging would be more complicated. And is one do-it-all console better than two single-purpose consoles that do their job better? That would depend on how much better the specialized hardware works, which could only be determined by actually building the things.

Would Super Smash Bros. N have worked well as a system-seller? I think it would, although it would require a permanent support team at Nintendo, something they don't seem to do. It might anger the hardcore Smash fans at first, but it would make for an overall larger game (for free!), and half of them are still playing Melee anyways.

What are your thoughts?

[sb129]

Why Palm in 20XX?

I’ve gotten this question several times over the years so let me explain. 

And you can skip to the last two paragraphs if you want the “too long; didn’t read” edition

    First off, I have been using Handhelds, PDAs and “smartphones”, since about 1999. I am only 25 as of Jan 2017, Generation Y [Not neccesarily a Millenial]. Many would be quick to say that I am no different from Generation Z or other Millenials in that I have grown up surrounded by technology and the Internet. I disagree with that sentiment on a couple grounds. Firstly, although I grew up in and around technology and networking, I never was beholden to it. Unlike most Millenials I spent most of my time playing outside, watching some TV and doing chores. 

    What does this have to do with my mobile OS of choice? Well keep in mind that I used a handheld just like it should since i had a lack of a full desktop PC or money to buy things like video games. I used my Palm IIIe for everything. I had simple games, a scientific calculator, a tiny drawing app for notes, to do lists, a calendar, alarms and I knew I could get more if I managed my available space on my PDA (it had 2mb of RAM and that’s it)

    Take someone born after the year 2000, by the time they were 10 (as I was in 2002) all they knew was iPhones, Android, WebOS and maybe Blackberry. Any who are born after 2010 will only know much more powerful items by the time they are 10.

    Back to my 2 mb of RAM, I learned very early on to conserve digital space, anyone why used old 80′s computers might tell you something similar. Programs only took up KiloBytes back then. These days Facebook takes up to 150 Megabytes of space. Well anyhow, I later got an upgraded PDA, it was a Handspring Visor Deluxe, it had 4 times as much space plus it added an extra slot for extra hardware. (kind of like the LG G5) I was rollin with 8mb of space plus if I had the funds.

    Jump forwards to 8th grade. The year is 2006, every kid has an MP3 player and a flip phone of some sort. Kids with less only had CD players, a brick phone or nothing. I was 1 of the few who had a PDA in school. I had the games, the specialized calculators to help me in math class, the schedule digitized and most of the things phone do these days. Video player, MP3 player, pictures, games, emulators you name it. I, technologically, was the envy of many. That kind of power and ability in the palm of your hand was just not accessible as it is today.

    The school year is 2007-2008, as a sophomore in HS I was seeing the beginnings of the modern era. All had phones, there wasn’t a single person that was without a cell signal. Still pre “smartphone” Some phones are Moto Razr influenced, some are MP3-centric like the LG Chocolate, some were born for text and IM with full physical keyboards. I had the LG VX9400, a candybar style phone with a flip-up display meant for Verizon’s mobile TV streaming service. Before that was a Motorola V710. There were some with Treos for the nice keyboard, some with Windows Mobile and some with blackberry for the same reason. A full keyboard was pretty in if you did a lot of text messaging.

    Even in 2008, seeing an iPhone was just non existent on many high school campuses, especially the small town one I went to. The original iPhone was not too good though, not to a high schooler. Camera was no different to any other flip phone, there was no dedicated IM application, no apps for it all in fact, just the original core apps were all you got. People forget that the App Store did not exist in the first iPhone OS. All it was to me was a cool new touch screen technology, good web browser and iTunes syncing. And that was quite enough for a businessman and the Apple fanatic but really that was it.

    My first impressions of Both iPhone OS (soon to be renamed to iOS) and Android was that they looked pretty modern compared to Windows Mobile and Palm but Hilariously enough, Palm and Windows Mobile had all the Apps. So I stayed. I already had certain tendencies ingrained in me; First, I always did my web surfing at home on a real computer even though my phone, my Palm, my PSP and even NDS was technically up to the task of a simple look up on information. Second, I was used to converting movies to highly specific formats for the PSP (Thanks for that Sony btw) so getting video on my Palm was nothing to me and still isn’t. Third, I plain had already bought software for it, kids these days don’t know what expensive means for mobile software. Fourth, there were plenty of games that I liked that ended up never coming over to the major OSs of today, plus I like real buttons to play games. 5th and lastly, this might sound strange to quite a lot of people, but screen real estate is just plain better on Palm and Windows Mobile because of and not in spite of their resistive screen. I’ll make a separate post about that soon. 

    Here we are, the year 2017. How can it possibly be any good in 2017 some ask. Well, what would I normally need to do on a smartphone? Maybe edit some documents, look at some pictures, watch a movie or two, listen to some music whist driving and maybe play some games. On occasion I may just look at the Night Sky Pro app I got a while ago. I might need to know the tip for a bill, or slip the bill. I might need to access a good calculator. I know I’ll have a doodling application no matter what. I’ll also have some small tweaks to Android like PowerLine, a different app launcher and mess with the color scheming. I also like to set the screen forcibly to landscape sometimes if I need to get to the homescreen for something while watching a video. I’ll need the Bible on Sundays and a note app for that. Got my calendar synced with Google so it’s on my computer. I might use Opera to check something because I like Opera, it’s fast and small. Oh yes, I do need a to do list every so often. 

    So, Pretty good list of features, tweaks, general use apps and services that my Palm LifeDrive is perfectly able to accomplish. Too bad Palm never made a TX style smartphone because that would be my daily driver. Oh well, this has turned into quite the wall of text