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skorp
03-31-2005, 06:50 PM
The Japanese creators talk about their reasons behind joining Microsoft and give hints on their respective game projects.

In the beginning of March, Microsoft announced that Yoshiki Okamoto, former Capcom executive and current president of Game Republic, will be developing an unspecified number of exclusive next-gen Xbox games. In an interview published in the latest issue of Famitsu magazine, Okamoto hinted that he is currently developing two games for the next-gen Xbox, one of which will require a good network infrastructure but not too many hardware specs. The second will be an extremely large-scale project that requires a lot of funding from Microsoft and a lot of hardware specs.

Okamoto commented in the interview that he decided to develop for Microsoft because one of the projects being created by Game Republic matched perfectly with the infrastructure of the next-gen Xbox. He revealed that the untitled project falls in the party game genre and is being developed with Xbox Live in mind. It's said to present an extremely amicable atmosphere, which is a major change from the action and survival horror games that Okamoto often gets associated with due to his history at his previous company. Okamoto also revealed that he was offered jobs from different companies to develop fighting games but declined all of them since it made no sense to repeat what he was doing in his previous company.

Okamoto added that his aim for the next-gen Xbox is to create a game like the Nintendo 64's Super Smash Bros., in the sense that the game sold an extremely large number of copies when compared to sales of the hardware. He also commented that he hopes his game will boost the sales of the next-gen Xbox in Japan.

Famitsu also interviewed Tetsuya Mizuguchi, who revealed that his game in development for the next-gen Xbox could be categorized as an action one. However, Mizuguchi hinted that his next-gen Xbox title might surprise gamers in the same way as when he released Space Channel 5 after he made Sega Rally Championship. Mizuguchi commented that he was inspired to create a game for the next-gen Xbox after hearing of its hardware specs, which brought a vision of a game to his mind. But he also stated that Microsoft's views on the future of gaming matched many of his own, which made him lean toward making a game for the company’s console.

In terms of the next-gen Xbox hardware, Mizuguchi commented that he sees the machine's high-resolution and HDTV support as its main appeal, since it allows for more-detailed graphics. He also said that Microsoft thought into the sound system for the console and that it is definitely a machine he wants to develop a game for. Mizuguchi also gave high praise to the Xbox Live, commenting that it was a well-thought-out system with a good infrastructure. However, he did not reveal whether his game in development would make use of Xbox Live.

In the latest issue of Dorimaga magazine, Sakaguchi talked about his upcoming role-playing games for the next-gen Xbox. Sakaguchi stated that his interest continues to lie in storytelling and that storytelling is an essential factor when he's giving his best effort in a game's development.

One thing that gamers shouldn't expect from Sakaguchi are games that play like watching a movie, which is exactly what he criticized about recent console offerings. Sakaguchi commented that modern games let bystanders get as excited as the player. But considering they're interactive, Sakaguchi believes that games are really supposed to be something that only the person who's playing should be able to completely understand and enjoy, which is what he expects his games on the next-gen Xbox to be like.

skorp
04-04-2005, 11:29 PM
More Japanese game giants choosing next-gen Xbox?

Early convert Yoshiki Okamoto hints that other high-profile game designers in Japan are developing games for Microsoft's forthcoming console.

TOKYO--In a recent interview on the official Xbox Web site in Japan, Game Republic's Yoshiki Okamoto revealed that other big-name game developers may soon join the growing crowd of next-generation Xbox supporters. He also added that, when announced, the lineup of launch titles for the console may shock the game industry.

"[Final Fantasy creator Hironobu] Sakaguchi-san, [Space Channel 5 creator Tetsuya] Mizuguchi-san, and myself have been the focus of attention so far. But I've been hearing that some other designers will also be joining [in making games for the next Xbox]. There are a lot of surprises. I find myself saying: 'What, this development studio!? This game!? These people!?'."

"If the current line-up [of games] in development for the next-generation Xbox was revealed," Okamoto said in the interview, "it would not only surprise users, but the entire industry. There probably wouldn't be anyone [in Japan] that would still be uninterested in buying the next-generation Xbox when they see the line-up." He called the still-under-wraps list "a powerful fleet of Japanese designers."

Okamoto revealed that he is currently making a number of games for the next Xbox, all in genres that are new to him. He added the games are already in playable form.

When asked if there was a negative side to working with Microsoft Game Studios, Okamoto commented, "We can't port the games to other hardware even if it seems possible, so that's a disappointment. But even with that downside to income, Xbox has specs that make us want to develop for it." Then, as a final tease, Okamoto said, "I can't reveal the specifics, but one of the games we're making will really go to the extreme."


That's good to know.... :D

Variation-XBA
04-05-2005, 02:17 AM
Going to be very exciting to see XB2's lineup and the backing they are going to get :)