Square Enix: Current Console Generation Has Lasted "Way Too Long"

Square Enix's worldwide technology director has said that the length of the current console generation is "the biggest mistake [Sony and Microsoft] ever made".

In an interview with GamesIndustry, Julien Merceron shared his opinion that those developers who grew bored of the current generation were pushed into exploring iOS and browsers, and were now unlikely to return to hardware.

“

We have Sony and Microsoft talking about this generation lasting seven,eight, nine or even 10 years and it's the biggest mistake they've ever made.

"We have Sony and Microsoft talking about this generation lasting seven,eight, nine or even 10 years and it's the biggest mistake they've ever made," he claimed.

"This generation has been way too long, and I say this because you have a lot of developers that work on a new platform, and perhaps will not succeed, so they will wait for the next generation, and will jump on that platform. You could not do that with this generation though. So these developers went elsewhere to see if the grass was greener. They found web browsers, they found iOS, they found other things and a lot of them won't come back to the hardware platforms. So you could look at it that thanks to Microsoft and Sony and the length of this generation, it helped the emergence of other platforms and helped them get strong before the next hardware comes out."

Merceron elaborated by suggesting that future generations could afford to be shorter, thanks to simpler hardware and increased online functionality.

He explained, "With a simple architecture you do give more chances to everybody, which I believe is very important based on the critical business situation we're in. Games will be more costly. If you start to make the entry bar really high, more studios will die, more publishers will die, there'll be less titles on platforms, etc. If you make it accessible, you give more chances to people, you'll have a better portfolio at launch , but now you also have a problem with your longevity.

“

Now you don't need to manage longevity by complexity of programming, because your longevity is ensured by your online model. And I would suggest that maybe we don't want long generations.

"Now you don't need to manage longevity by complexity of programming, because your longevity is ensured by your online model. And I would suggest that maybe we don't want long generations."

The worldwide technical director concluded by discussing the company's latest tech demo, Agni's Philosophy, and asserted developers will always be plagued by the Uncanny Valley.

"As soon as we ramp up the quality on graphics, this level of quality on facial animations won't be good enough. Some games succeed to be at the limit of the Uncanny Valley, but … the problem is that as rendering quality will go up, new problems will surface. The quality of the facial and body animations and the acting won't be good enough. So that is why as you evolve, you have to upgrade your physics, rendering and animations," he stated.

"It will always be a problem. As you push something, you have to recalibrate and rebalance these out. You can't have these stunning graphics while characters are acting funny on the screen."

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant.  You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

E3 2012: Hokra hands-on

One of the first games I had the chance to play at this year's E3 was a lovely little indie title called Hokra. The game, which was being shown off at the IndieCade booth, can best be described as a minimalist sports title. And as was very appropriately pointed out by GameZone's own Lance Liebl, Hokra almost has a very slight shooter element to it, as well. Hokra is a game for four players. Participants are divided into teams of two, and their goal is to take a ball — or pixel — and score it into their respective goals. Each team has two goals, and they are color-coded to match the players' sprites. Hokra's visual design is made up entirely of pixels, so it has a completely non-threatening and entirely calm aesthetic to it. The game really looks great, and the minimalist art style creates one big abstract sports game. The sound is also very simple, and composer Nathan Tompkins was quick to point out that he didn't want to create a chiptune-heavy soundtrack because the game wasn't really a traditional 8-bit title.

A match in Hokra is won by the team that manages to fill its goals' pixels. Running to the goal with the ball or "kicking" it into it helps fill in the large collection of pixels. Controls are simple, and given Hokra's design, I really wouldn't have it any other way. You move around the screen using the analog stick, and if you have the ball in your possession, you can pass it to your partner or attempt to score by pressing the A button on the Xbox 360 controller. If you're not in possession of the ball, you can sprint by tapping the A button. What this essentially means is that if you've got the ball, you'll move slower than your opponents. As defense, you have the opportunity to steal the ball from whoever has it. Successfully stealing the ball can be a lot deeper than you might initially think. Case in point: You can sprint toward the person with the ball by tapping A and succeed in taking it for yourself, but as soon as you do, you'll need to stop pressing A, because you'll end up kicking the ball away. Hokra poses a wonderful little system that takes some technique and finesse to master, but it's incredibly rewarding and just plain fun.

As much fun as the gameplay may be, the social aspect of Hokra is also a total blast. I was playing alongside fellow GameZone writer Vito Gesualdi, and together we were taking on another duo. These two guys were primed and ready, and they gave us a good fight. That said, my partner and I gave each other a better fight. Shouts of "You suck!" and "Don't steal the ball from me!" were uttered throughout, and they were a hell of a lot more prominent than the typical "Pass it over here!" and "Good shot!" crap you hear in traditional sports games. Hokra is a game where you team up to beat another pair, but you still can't help but point out your partner's stupid mistakes, and the game is awesome because of that.

I'm not going to lie; I had so much fun playing Hokra and talking to developer Ramiro Corbetta that I completely forgot to ask about the game's release info. That said, the fact that I played it using an Xbox 360 controller could indicate a possible PC or Xbox 360 launch down the road. I'll be sure to get the full scoop straight from Corbetta, but until I do, I would like to point out that I had a total blast playing Hokra. The gameplay was ridiculously fun, and the presentation was absolutely pleasant. Now that I'm away from it, I realize that I need more Hokra in my life. Here's hoping I get to play it again very soon.

Source : gamezone[dot]com

Comic-Con: Talking Starship Troopers and Bug Problems with Casper Van Dien

We can ill afford another Klendathu!

Casper Van Dien returns as Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers: Invasion, the latest chapter in the space-faring, bug-crushing saga, due on Blu-ray and DVD on August 28th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film represents Van Dien's first foray as Johnny into CGI-animated form, and he also executive-produced the project along with Ed Neumeier, screenwriter of the original movie. Shinji Aramaki, the director of Halo Legends, Appleseed and Appleseed Ex-Machina, brings his anime stylings to the film as director. And these gentlemen will all be hitting San Diego Comic-Con this week to show off the new movie.

In fact, if you're going to the con, IGN and Sony are giving away 25 free passes to the worldwide premiere screening on Saturday, July 14, at 7pm. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Van Dien, Neumeier and Aramaki (moderated by yours truly!). Click here for your chance at grabbing a pass. And Casper will also be participating in a fan signing at IGN's Oasis Lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel at 1pm that day, so if you're in town you know where you need to be.

But in the meantime, I jumped on the phone with the actor to talk about his newest Starship Troopers adventure. Check out our chat below -- and see you on Saturday…

Scott Collura: How does Starship Troopers: Invasion connect to the previous films in the series?

Casper Van Dien: In my opinion, I feel like it’s a continuation of the first and probably takes a little bit from the second and the third as well. But it brings back the characters from the first. It has Carl, Johnny and Carmen. We’ve also got some cool new characters. It ties in more to the book as well. I think it’s a combination of the Starship Troopers world created by Edward Neumeier, Paul Verhoeven and Phil Tippett. Then we’ve added in this new Japanese anime style by Shinji Aramaki and the executive over at Sony, Tony Ishizuka [Vice President of International Production, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions]. They did a great job. I loved it.

SC: What was it like transitioning to animation for this project?

CVD: It was a lot of fun to do. With Shinji Aramaki, the anime director, he’s such a talented man. He created a lot of the mecha suits [in anime]. He also drew the Kamen Rider, which was the Masked Rider. When I grew up in Japan until I was almost five years old, that was my first hero, the Masked Rider. So it was interesting to see some of his work. I thought he did a great job. It was a blast to work on this with everybody.

SC: What similarities does Invasion have to the original Robert Heinlein book?

CVD: Well, you definitely have the suits, and they’re done really well. Even just the regular armor that they wear is so cool, and the weapons are just amazing. I just wish we could have actually had those [in the live-action movies]. That part of the world is amazing to see what they can create. That’s just a phenomenal job. And the bugs, what they’re able to do with that and take off from what they did in the third one. They’re able to create even more of the Starship Troopers world. Flint Dille did a great job with the screenplay. He’s really good with these animated projects as well. He’s been around for a long time. So there’s just a huge… they just have so many different things in so many different worlds, I think they’ve created a very unique spin with this on its own but it also completely correlates with all the other Starship Troopers worlds. And it leaves room for more to happen and more to come. There’s a nice twist in the end that I think opens up a whole other can of worms. It opens Pandora’s Box, in my opinion!

SC: The thing about the first film is you kind of feel like your character Johnny might not survive all the craziness, but now here we are and he's still fighting the bugs all these years later.

CVD: It’s a lot of fun to see that. You know, I heard that Sony is rebooting Starship Troopers, and people ask me all the time, they go, “What do you think? They shouldn’t do that.” And I think it’s really cool. I was also the twentieth Tarzan, and there have been so many different Bonds. I think it would be cool to see a lot of different Johnny Ricos. I think it’s a great character.

SC: The Starship Troopers universe would seem to be big enough to support a variety of approaches.

CVD: Completely. It’s a fun and exciting process, and I’d like to see -- of course, I’m always going to be attached to this. It’s just something where I walk down the street and people go, “Johnny Rico!” [Laughs] And that’s 15 years later and there are still people saying that to me. It’s kind of cool.

Casper Van Dien

SC: Did that ever bother you, being so closely associated with one role?

CVD: You know, sometimes when people go, “O.K., we know who it is. This is the guy from Starship Troopers.” Of course, I wasn’t the guy from Starship Troopers before I did it. But for the most part, it’s really thrilling to have people quote lines you said in a movie 15 years later, for them to keep coming at you with it. I can be at Disneyland or walking down the street or picking my kids up from school -- I picked up my eight- and ten-year-old the other day, and these six boys go, “Johnny Rico! Wait a minute, your dad’s Johnny Rico!?” And I’m like, “What are you guys doing watching Starship Troopers?” They’re like, “Our dads made us watch it with them.” [Laughs] It’s kind of funny. It’s just something that keeps going on. The longevity of it is fantastic. It’s an honor to be in something that people quote all the time. I’m still doing interviews about that movie, and it’s 15 freaking years later. It’s still something that they’re talking about. A lot of directors talk to me about it, and they like it. I’m like, “Well, put me in your movie!” [Laughs] But I had a lot of fun with it. I’m loving being in this business, and it’s a lot of fun to do. That movie, I am so grateful for every chance I get to be a part of that world.

SC: Did you guys know you were making something special when you were working on the first film?

CVD: It felt like something special every day. First of all, you’re talking about a book I read when I was a little boy. So to be able to play a character that you liked and you were 13 years old when you read it, and then to be around a director like Paul Verhoeven who directed movies you had seen as a kid, too -- RoboCop -- then later when I became an actor and started studying and seeing his older films and just going, “God, this guy’s amazing,” and actually getting an opportunity to work with him? It kind of felt surreal, the amount of extras they had on it and the team -- working with Academy Award-winners like Phil Tippett and the writer of RoboCop, you’re blown away. It was a really cool cast. I enjoyed everybody, and I had so much fun with all those people. I still, when we bump into each other to this day… we’re starting to become closer I think. It’s pretty interesting.

Source : ign[dot]com

Ghost Rider Producer Falls for Fifty Shades of Grey Movie

Universal Pictures and Focus Features have hired the Oscar-winning team behind The Social Network to produce their screen adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, that best-selling erotic romance novel you can't avoid that started as Twilight fan-fic.

The studios announced Monday that Michael De Luca (whose credits also include Ghost Rider 1 and 2, Fright Night, and Moneyball) and Dana Brunetti (Fanboys, 21, Safe) have come aboard to produce the adaptation of the E. L. James lit trilogy, which follows the relationship of 27-year-old billionaire Christian Grey and college student Anastasia Steele.

“At its core, Fifty Shades of Grey is a complex love story, requiring a delicate and sophisticated hand to bring it to the big screen,” said Universal Pictures Co-Chairman, Donna Langley, in a statement. “Mike and Dana’s credits more than exemplify what we need in creative partners and we’re glad to have them as part of our team."

Source : ign[dot]com

Adventure Time Creator Dishes on the Season One DVD and More

Mathematical! Fans have been asking, and Warner Home Video and Cartoon Network have finally answered. Adventure Time: The Complete First Season will come to DVD this week (look for our review tomorrow).

In honor of this exciting release, we sat down with Adventure Time creator Pendleton (Pen) Ward to discuss what it takes for young prospective artists to break into the industry, the direction of the show, as well as Ward's amusing contribution to the DVD bonus features.

Before Ward was famous, he visited Simpsons creator Matt Groening to discuss what it took to make it in the animation industry. While Ward could not recall what transpired during that chat, he did offer some inspiration for young artists.

“My advice comes off as generic, but I think it's important advice – and that's to keep drawing.” Ward suggests. “I think if you persist, you keep drawing, you're already one step ahead of anybody who's quit. And that's probably the biggest challenge when you're learning, whether you're drawing, or really anything at all – is to keep doing it.”

Even in the show's early days, Pen Ward was always working hard at the series, attempting to craft a show that was not only fun and funny, but also refreshing and original.

“Every day I'm just focused on trying to keep the ideas fresh and interesting.” Ward states. “For example, I wanted to put a monkey in an episode, and one of the writers, Jesse Moynihan, told me not to. He thought it was jumping the shark, that is was just cheap humor. I told him, you're right, you're right. So we took it out.”

It's this sense of originality that's turned Adventure Time from a cult series into something of a phenomenon. But Ward isn't really phased by the show's new found mainstream stardom. “I don't have a real concept of it, honestly,” Ward said. “We just work on the show every day and keep doing it. But I see how much people really like it at Comic-Con, which is a lot of fun.”

Instead, Ward spends his time focused on the story. “We're always trying to top ourselves and make each episode better than the last,” Ward said. “We don't want to become stale.”

Ward is currently putting the finishing touches on season four, while also drafting episodes for the show's upcoming fifth season. While he remained mum on all the juicy details, he did offer hints as to what fans can expect. “In future episodes you'll get to see more of the history of Ooo.” Ward offers. “There's also a few more origin stories for some of the characters. There's going to be another Fiona Cake episode coming up, which features Marshall Lee more.”

In the meantime, fans can explore the various bonus features found on the season one DVD. One special feature was actually shot on Ward's own iPhone, using a handy $150 Steadicam unit. “I wanted to put something cool on the disc,” Ward explains. “I wanted to interview everybody and put it all in one shot. Then we decided to put animation on it.” The end results are nothing short of bizarrely humorous, with the featurette almost playing like a bonus episode of the show.

But the featurette isn't the only goodie Ward was excited about. Playing as sort of a complement to the “Mom-entary” from the Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg film, The Other Guys, Ward sought out another helper to add some flavor to the supplemental material. “There's a commentary from my mother with Polly Lou Livingston, who voices Tree Trunks,” Ward admits with a laugh. “It's pretty funny.”

Obviously, because this first season took quite a while to make its way to DVD, fans might be worried it'll be a few more years down the line before future seasons arrive, but Ward attempts to put those worries to rest. “I'm positive they'll be coming,” Ward assures. “I'll have to stay up and do some more special features, too.”

With the release of Seth MacFarlane's Ted in theaters, naturally the thought of doing something live action came up. Ward was fascinated by the idea of doing a feature-length movie. “I think it would be great.” Ward said. “I want to do a live-action movie with the Adventure Time characters, actually. That would be interesting.”

We certainly hope he gets the chance to do that in the near future. But, in the meantime, you can check out Adventure Time on Cartoon Network, or pick up the show on DVD or digital download.

"A long time ago, when I was a baby, I went boom boom on a leaf. Then I fell backwards and sat in my own boom boom and cried for a day, but no one came to help me. That day I vowed to help anyone in need, no matter how small their problem! And that's why I need to go." Follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook andMyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

Source : ign[dot]com