Author Topic: NoE Prime 3 Arena Interview (Read 12997 times)

KDR_11k · « **on:** July 14, 2005, 05:26:28 AM »

Well, NoE has an interview with NST up. Problem is, it's only for "VIP"s, i.e. those who have registered something with them. Means no link and because of PGC rules no copy&paste, either.

They interviewed Kensuke Tanabe, Producer and Richard Vorodi, Game Designer.

Stuff revealed:

- As we all know already, six different hunters, all playable in MP. Three are described.
- Each has different weapon preferences and proficiencies.
- The weapon system is complex with primary and secondary functions for each.
- Online omitted because they didn't want to delay the game too much, setting up the infrastructure would have taken too long.
- Four player single-cart. No mention of restrictions.
- Singleplayer has Samus fully equipped from the beginning, searching "Relics" instead of equipment.
- The function of the "Relics" is yet to be revealed.
- This game is about being surrounded, hunter and hunted, unlike the previous games which were claustrophobic and involved getting equpment to survive (RV's words, not mine).
- RV's favourite FPSs are Perfect Dark and Half-Life 2. KT says he only finished Metroid Prime because there are no FPSs in Japan.

All answers except the online one from RV, KT didn't say much.

Deguello · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2005, 06:51:05 AM »

Quote
- Online omitted because they didn't want to delay the game too much, setting up the infrastructure would have taken too long.

Oh no... Ian's gonna bitch. Get your hazmat suits on.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2005, 07:17:19 AM »

Damn right I'm going to bitch. What's the point of releasing offline DS multiplayer games? Mario Kart's online. Animal Crossing's online. So why not this? If they had a problem with lag or something I could see dropping the feature but not enough time? Just delay it and do it right.

Karl Castaneda #2 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2005, 07:48:07 AM »

But if they had delayed it, you'd fault them for taking so long to release a potential killer-app, possibly giving more sales to the PSP.

jarob · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2005, 07:50:17 AM »

It wont be such a 'killer app' as it could have been with online support.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2005, 07:54:39 AM »

"But if they had delayed it, you'd fault them for taking so long to release a potential killer-app, possibly giving more sales to the PSP."

It would depend on the situation. If they just delayed it without a giving a reason I might fault them (the game has been worked on for a while now). If they said specifically "we're going to delay it so that we can have a robust online mode" then I wouldn't be so hard on them. In that case it would seem like they're delaying it to make it perfect which I don't mind so much. Otherwise I would think it's being delayed because of incompetance (I have that feeling with Giest).

KDR_11k · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2005, 08:08:18 AM »

The exact claim was that "Nintendo's philosophy differs from that of other companies and they want to give many freedoms and make it easy for everyone to connect" and the infrastructure would not be ready by the time they want Hunters out. And they think this lets them concentrate on WiFi more.

Pale · « **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2005, 08:20:33 AM »

This not online announcment is overshadowing the single cart multiplayer feature. Thats really pretty awesome considering the demo didn't have that feature.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2005, 09:08:55 AM »

"And they think this lets them concentrate on WiFi more."

What's the difference? I'm seriously asking that. I thought "WiFi" was just Nintendo's buzzword for online.

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #9 on:** July 14, 2005, 09:42:43 AM »

Wifi is Nintendo's answer to connect to systems locally. It was never there answer to online.

They will use the WiFi infrastructure to go online though. This is actually very promising. It means Nintendo is really focused on not just rushing their online experience but to build an infrastructure and support that pushes the quality of the online experience.

I am really excited about this game. The idea of multiplayer Metroid to me is very cool. It really is a universe that could use broadening. I just finished Metroid: Zero Hour and I was amazed at the quality experience of not being in Samus's suit for part of the game.

I would love more experiences like that in Metroid. In fact I would love a 2D gaming completely starting with nothing and collecting suits and armor to build your suit to the ultimate weapon. Metroid could have a robust history and world if Nintendo spent the time and talent needed to create the world. Then Metroid could have a heritage and success rivaling Mario and Zelda.

ib2kool4u912 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 14, 2005, 10:40:09 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Pale
This not online announcment is overshadowing the single cart multiplayer feature. Thats really pretty awesome considering the demo didn't have that feature.

But didn't everyone who owned a DS have it anyway? In NA at least, i don't know about other regions?
Nintendo's always seemed to try and make a game single cart, that announcement isn't that big. An online FPS with Nintendo quality would have been.

KDR_11k · « **Reply #11 on:** July 14, 2005, 10:48:58 AM »

Spak-Spang: Actually, no. For ad-hoc mode the DS uses a proprietary low-power protocol, the standards-compliant WiFi is only used for communicating with APs, i.e. online.

ib2: Well, I don't. My DS is a japanese import and they don't sell it with the demo in Japan.

Ian: Give that guy a break, he's a game designer, not a marketing droid. Of course he doesn't know the entire company line by heart.

MrMojoRising · « **Reply #12 on:** July 14, 2005, 04:22:12 PM »

I hope they have bots in multiplayer...but I'm doubting it.

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #13 on:** July 14, 2005, 04:45:12 PM »

KDR: Thanks for the correction.

Blackknight131 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 14, 2005, 08:04:59 PM »

Apparently, having this game ready to go by September is a key part of Nintendo's late summer to early fall push. I'm guessing this results from A) wanting another game to assume the face of the DS library instead of having it fall strictly on Nintendogs, and B) not wanting the game to take attention away from the games that will debut with Nintendo Wifi service, Mario Kart and Animal Crossing.

Is this gonna be a mistake? Who is to say...we will know once we see Hunter's sales in the first couple months. I do know Reggie and co. must have discussed the matter pretty thoroughly and decided they needed this game ASAP as a killer app for an older crowd with a thirst for more visceral, realistic-looking fare.

Deguello · « **Reply #15 on:** July 14, 2005, 09:23:01 PM »

What an absolutely ridiculous thing to bitch about.

Really. This game is judged before it even comes out.

You know what? Show of hands. Who HONESTLY, at the game's announcement, truly believed this game was going to have an online mode?

It was never announced to have it, so it isn't a "cut feature," and it would be unwise to delay the game any further to put it in, lest they get more scorn. A "GT4" scenario is also out of the question. (that being, release a game without online and then release an online-enabled version later) So their only option is to wrap it up and maybe put an online mode into the next game should there be one. Don't like it? Deal. Don't buy it. Nobody cares.

I am so sick of people online acting as if online is the make-or-break thing in EVERY video game as if everybody on the face of the earth wanted it or expected it. Such pretense.

MrMojoRising · « **Reply #16 on:** July 14, 2005, 11:27:18 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Deguello
I am so sick of people online acting as if online is the make-or-break thing in EVERY video game as if everybody on the face of the earth wanted it or expected it. Such pretense.

I whole heartedly agree with you...particularly reviewers who will dock a game because it's not online when not that many people play console games online yet anyways!

More on topic though, if the game turns out really well then online can be a good excuse for a sequel. I agree with BlackKnight that Nintendo probably wants to get a more mature game out ASAP...because Nintendogs, while a killer app perhaps, will not bring in many of the "hip, casual, GTA gamers." With MPH being a FPS rather than a FPA it's likely that this game is mostly a shot at capturing some of Sony's core audience. I hope that last sentence didn't Abbr 2 much 4 Every 1.

Nephilim · « **Reply #17 on:** July 15, 2005, 03:32:39 AM »

Thats awsome!
Still wanna know about the 3 secret people/creatures
Im hoping that atleast 1 of them is also "human".

KDR_11k · « **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2005, 03:41:03 AM »

The three that were mentioned are Noxus (a ghost), Spire (some stone-based creature) and Kanden (failed genetic experiment), Samus is with the "secret three".

vudu · « **Reply #19 on:** July 15, 2005, 09:15:51 AM »

Why is no one complaining about this?

Quote
- Singleplayer has Samus fully equipped from the beginning, searching "Relics" instead of equipment.
- The function of the "Relics" is yet to be revealed.
- This game is about being surrounded, hunter and hunted, unlike the previous games which were claustrophobic and involved getting equpment to survive (RV's words, not mine).
- RV's favourite FPSs are Perfect Dark and Half-Life 2. KT says he only finished Metroid Prime because there are no FPSs in Japan.

This makes it seem like they're turning Hunters into a standard FPS and not the FPA we know and love.

And KDR, why did you title this thread Prime 3 Arena? I really hope there's a meaty single player game, and not just a series of bot-fights like Q3A and UT.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #20 on:** July 15, 2005, 09:21:30 AM »

"This makes it seem like they're turning Hunters into a standard FPS and not the FPA we know and love."

We complained about that a long time ago. No need to continue. Let the philistines enjoy their Metroid game in name only. If they turn the real Metroid Prime series into a generic FPS though then the sh!t's going to hit the fan.

Renny · « **Reply #21 on:** July 15, 2005, 09:26:17 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
We complained about that a long time ago. No need to continue.

I'd put that in my sig but I'm already feeding your narcissism too much.

KDR_11k · « **Reply #22 on:** July 15, 2005, 10:24:48 AM »

Why is no one complaining about this?

Because we're not upset. There's two Prime games on the Cube already, one of which is superfluous. There's a third Prime game announced for the Rev. Unless that mixes it up severely I think it should be canned. Now we're seeing a DS Prime and at least it's not a rehash of the home console versions. I, for one, welcome the change. There's really no need for yet another Metroid Prime. One was nice, two was a bit much, three and four, die! IMO they shouldn't have made their FPS title a Metroid game but hell, I guess they don't believe it's another Halo (BTW, Halo wasn' online-capable, either. Everyone had to use a tunnelling app for that).

The P3A title comes from the demo being essentially deathmatch-only and being the third Prime game, i.e. Prime 3 and because it sounds like Q3A and seemed like a similar game at that time, Prime 3 Arena.

nickmitch · « **Reply #23 on:** July 15, 2005, 05:13:09 PM »

Metroid needs to go back to 2d.

IceCold · « **Reply #24 on:** July 15, 2005, 08:29:48 PM »

Cue Dread.

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Author Topic: NoE Prime 3 Arena Interview (Read 12997 times)