E3 2012: Making Games in LittleBigPlanet Karting

As the IGNer who reviewed ModNation Racers – and became a Level 30 racer online in the process -- I was depressed to stay home and send He Only Does Everything Colin Moriarty and the Dark Knight of News Andrew Goldfarb to PlayStation's reveal of LittleBigPlanet Karting. But I read Goldfarb's preview, watched the duo's video, and got to play the E3 build.

But when I was finished with my racing, I just needed to talk to another LittleBigPlanet Karting expert about the impressive things this game is doing. So, without his knowledge, I grabbed Goldfarb and made him whip up half of my preview before we left San Francisco for E3.

Greg Miller: Goldie, you were the kart-racing expert I sent in my stead to see LittleBigPlanet Karting. You remember what I said to you when I read your preview for the first time?

Andrew Goldfarb:  Hmm. No. What did you say?

Greg: Amateur. I came over and asked you if it was still a racing game. After reading the preview, I thought it might be some bastardized platformer.

Goldfarb: Ha. I mean it's still very much a racing game; I was just saying it felt like it belonged in the LittleBigPlanet universe.

Greg: Exactly -- and now that I've played it, I get that. Reading your report, I didn't. I was a bit confused, but playing it and seeing how the grapplehook works on a racetrack -- it all makes sense.

“

It feels familiar and easy. I like it way better than the ModNation interface.

Goldfarb: Are you writing a new preview of it?

Greg: Yes. This is the preview. You're in it. Right now.

Goldfarb:  You just blew my mind.

Greg: Word -- the same way LittleBigPlanet Karting blew mine when I got to try one of the new levels.

Goldfarb:  Was it the same one I played?

Greg: See, I don't know how much you saw of it, but you can still create games in Karting. Just like LBP2. Did they show you this madness?

Goldfarb:  They didn't! How does it work?

Greg: Just like LBP2, which is so bizarre. You can sit there and create any kind of game -- involving a kart -- you want. I played one that was an MotorStorm RC clone with the camera pulled way back and anchored on a top down-ish view with the karts looking like slot cars. Another had this dinosaur spitting fire, and I had to steal her eggs and toss them in a bin for points and time to keep the game going.

It's more than just a racer. Does that make sense?

Goldfarb:  It does, and that's what I liked about it, too. They were telling us about how you can use the exact same level editor as the designers. That's crazy. Did they show you any of the character customization?

Greg: Not really. What did you see?

Goldfarb: You're in the pod, same as LBP2. Switching outfits, Sackboy color, etc. is all done through the Pop-It, and it's completely natural. It feels familiar and easy. I like it way better than the ModNation interface.

Greg: Totally. That is what was weird to play as a fan of ModNation Racers and LBP. I was expecting a re-skinned MNR, but this really is an expansion of the LBP universe. I was expecting to create tracks, but you can create worlds.

Goldfarb: Yup. I think that's why I came away feeling really good about it. It definitely appeals to the kart racer fan in me and battle mode was insanely fun, but the customization stuff is what will keep me coming back to see what people have created.

Greg: Well, good. It's impressive. Your massive preview and excitement was justified. Now, let's just hope it comes out one day and doesn't stall forever like LittleBigPlanet PS Vita.

Goldfarb: If I wanted to find out the release date once it's announced, where can i go to find the latest news on all things LittleBigPlanet?

Greg: IGN.com, of course! Now, get back to packing for E3.

Goldfarb: Will do.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/05/e3-2012-making-games-in-littlebigplanet-karting

Ni No Kuni Leads the JRPG Charge

Japanese developer Level-5 has been responsible for some shining examples of quintessential JRPGs, over the years. From PS2 gems in the Dark Cloud and Rogue Galaxy franchises through to its iconic Dragon Quest series, much of Level-5’s output has been characterised by a focus on young protagonists who embark on fantastical journeys of self-discovery rendered in the studio’s distinctive cel-shaded visual style.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is set to continue both of these traditions whilst exhibiting another of the traits that has helped stand Level-5 titles in such high regard: high-quality localisation. From voice work to choice colloquialisms and distinctive accents (most notably Drippy the fairy who speaks with a charming Welsh tang, an accent seldom heard in video games), Ni No Kuni’s localisation is being undertaken with an eye for detail to ensure that the humour, sentiment and relationships between characters are conveyed as they were initially intended by the developer in its native version.

For all of the efforts to deliver a polished product to an international audience, the game design, RPG mechanics and over-arching storyline have their roots steadfastly grounded in Japanese soil. Clearly, Ni No Kuni is a JRPG at its core but this is something that Level-5 seems unwilling to wholeheartedly embrace when it discusses the game.

“We can say that Ni No Kuni will certainly be representative of a Japanese RPG in terms of the level of quality that it provides, but we never really intended to adhere to a JRPG formula,” says Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino.

“In terms of the game universe, it feels very Japanese and that’s what we’re keen to keep but the game systems don’t necessarily follow the formula that’s been created by past JRPGs. So, it’s fair to say that it has a Japanese feel but will be a different type of RPG.”

We won’t truly know just how different Ni No Kuni will feel until its international release early next year, but from hands-on time with early sections that feature exploration, combat and interaction with NPCs, it feels every bit the full-blooded JRPG. This impression is further enforced by Level-5 working closely with Japanese animation powerhouse, Studio Ghibli, the company responsible for the likes of animated features Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and The Secret World of Arrietty.

Level-5’s reticence to proudly hold Ni No Kuni aloft as a shining example of what JRPGs are capable of is perhaps born of a concern that Western audiences have grown tired of the genre or, more broadly, of Japanese-developed games in general; a sentiment succinctly expressed at this year’s GDC by Fez developer Phil Fish and previously discussed by long serving ex-Capcom staffer Keiji Inafune. However, a beautifully crafted experience such as Ni No Kuni can – and should – seek to fly in the face of such opinions, and by marrying a Japanese game developer that has experienced success overseas with a native animation studio whose creations have likewise been incredibly well received in the West, the groundwork has been laid to do just that.

This collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli marks the first game project for the animation studio and so its efforts in character and environment design have to be seen in action to be fully appreciated. Both the real-time animation and rendered cut scenes are far beyond what we’re used to seeing a video game deliver and stand as both a milestone in game development and a testament to Studio Ghibli’s talent.

Such is Ni No Kuni’s visual impact that discussion around it is dominated by how important the animation studio’s involvement has been during development and how crucial it might be to the success of the game in the West. This leads to the question of whether Hino feels that the focus on Studio Ghibli’s work on the project might be to the detriment of Level-5’s creative vision and contribution to the game underneath the aesthetics.

“There is a sense that [Studio Ghibli’s work] could potentially be overshadowing what Level 5 has done for the game,” ponders Hino. That said, Level 5 had completed the entire game design, the planning and the storyline prior to Studio Ghibli’s involvement.

“I think that the most important part of this process was working with Studio Ghibli to create a game that could represent Japan. To do that, we incorporated the know-how of both companies into Ni No Kuni; I think that using its technology and abilities, Level-5 has achieved its goal of creating a Studio Ghibli-like universe within a game.”

This is a potent partnership of two companies at the top of their game that have their expertise to bear on a uniquely Japanese title. Whilst some believe the Japanese industry is still suffering a crisis of confidence and struggling to re-establish its identity, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch looks to be an achievement that its creators can be proud to call a quintessential JRPG.



Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/ni-no-kuni-leads-the-jrpg-charge