The first topic of discussion was the idea of a four-player Mario game. When asked if there were any prototypes of any games that implemented this feature, Miyamoto responded that With each (Mario) project, we do different experiments. Its something Ive always wanted to do. Weve done games in the past where weve had the idea and worked on it. But Miyamoto elaborated that there were always technical issues that prevented the idea from being implemented, such as how the screen would scroll with four players interacting at the same time. Super Mario 64 was used to experiment with this idea, using Luigi as the second player and the screen growing larger as players explored the area.
The topic of Sony and Microsofts motion controllers came up, with Kohler asking if Nintendo had any plans to create their own motion controller camera and his opinion of the solution. Miyamoto reiterated that the technology seen in both Sony and Microsofts motion controller cameras hase been around for a while and continued to reiterate Nintendos position with Wii MotionPlus.
Of course, weve, in terms of looking at that, felt that it wasnt time to take advantage of technology like that yet. Particularly from a cost standpoint, we dont think the time is right. Of course, looking at what weve done with Wii Sports Resort, we feel that with Wii MotionPlus we feel that weve pursued a very deepened gameplay experience, and were delivering it in a way thats cost-effective. And with up to four players, its very easy to purchase the initial devices. We think that overall, Wii Sports Resort is a very good real demonstration of what precise motion control can be.
Kohler also asked Miyamoto, as General Manager of Nintendos EAD division, his thoughts regarding Super Mario Galaxy 2. First and foremost, he wondered what Miyamoto thought about making a direct sequel to a Mario game on the same console. Miyamoto explained that there were many ideas that didnt get used in the first Galaxy title, one of them being the drill seen in the E3 trailer.
One of the biggest ideas that we felt we didnt take good enough advantage of in the first one was China Syndrome, or the idea that if you drill a hole straight through the earth in one place, you would end up on the other side, so if you drill a hole from Tokyo you would end up in New York. We had some elements of that but the first thing that we did in Super Mario Galaxy 2 was to create the drill item that you saw in the trailer. We felt that as soon as we completed the drill item and began playing around with it, we felt that with just that one item there was a lot that we could do that would really make the game a lot of fun.
Finally, the topic of The Legend of Zelda Wii, , a game discussed at Miyamotos E3 roundtable, was addressed. The first question regarding the upcoming Zelda title was why the Zelda artwork was not shown at the conference. The designer explained that There are a couple of reasons. One is that personally I think the videogame industry has adopted a bit of a bad habit in this idea of announcing games long before theyre ever going to release. I dont necessarily think its the most healthy of habits. In terms of the media briefing itself, for us thats a place where were going to talk about our business for the coming year and the products that were going to release over the next 12 months or so.
The other explanation according to Miyamoto is that the development of Zelda Wii has been focused on the gameplay, with the story and graphics on the back burner for the moment.
One of the biggest confirmations about Zelda Wii mentioned at the round table is that the title may exclusively use Wii MotionPlus for enhanced gameplay if there is a big enough audience for the add-on. Miyamoto elaborated on this by saying that they hope strong MotionPlus titles like Wii Sports Resort will help create a market for MotionPlus games. But the biggest hurdle according to Miyamoto is the overall acceptance of the device, which dives deep into the philosophy of motion control.
The bigger hurdle for us is not really whether people have a Wii MotionPlus or dont have it, its whether or not the experience is one where people will think they want to have a Wii MotionPlus in order to experience it. I have actually been a little bit reassured here at the show, watching how people play New Super Mario Bros. Wii. There may be a group of people out there who look at people playing motion control games and have a hesitancy to try to play those because theyre worried that they might not look so cool, swinging a Wii remote around. But in watching people play New Super Mario Bros. Wii, even though its just a simple shaking motion, Im watching people play New Super Mario Bros. Wii with a big grin on their face. So Im hoping that we might be able to create a similar-feeling experience for Zelda.
