Is 3DS worth the early adopter fee?

Nintendo's 9/29/2010 is over and they've announced the release timeframes and pricepoints of the 3DS.

The system will launch in March for US/Europe at an estimated pricepoint of $249.99.  The US price has not been confirmed but Nintendo of America should be able to provide details on that shortly.  Considering the price of the original DS was $149.99, it's almost $100 more expensive.  PSP originally sold for $249.99 but most can agree that the tech that powered the PSP was well ahead of its time.

The question is whether 3DS is worth the early adopter fee?

System Internals (based on leaked specs)

CPU - Dual 266 MHz ARM11 processors
GPU - 113 MHz
SRAM - 64 MB
VRAM - 4 MB

At first glance of these specs, they are a bit underwhelming.  The 3DS is not a graphics powerhouse and that is probably the intent of Nintendo to keep manufacturing costs down.  Similar to the Wii,  Nintendo built a relatively cheap (albeit reliable) product and sold it marked up.  Bottom line, the intent is to profit from day one.  Take a look at a quote from Reggie Fils-Aime back in 2006 to Reuters.

"We will make a profit on the entire Wii proposition out of the box--hardware and software," Fils-Aime told Reuters. "That really is a very different philosophy versus our competitors. We are a company that competes only in the interactive entertainment space, so we have to make a profit on everything we do." This philosophy will not change with the 3DS.  If it's not broke, why fix it?  This was a very successful formula for the Wii and Nintendo has no intention of fixing it.

That's the hardware but what about the software?  A system won't sell without good software.  The quality of the software thus far has been hot and cold.  Strangely, its not Nintendo software that is shining at first appearance.  The NDS did not have this type of support out of the gate like the 3DS seems to be having.  3rd party relationships seems to be a focus but that message had been conveyed with the Wii before it's launch.  Software and innovation helped to sell the original DS.  Time will tell for 3DS.

Features of 3DS:

• 3D parallax view
• Touch screen
• Wii-like graphics on the handheld
• 2 GB SD cards for games
• Backwards compatible with DS games
• Transfer DSiware games to 3DS

Biohazard Relevations (Resident Evil) - credit GamesWatch via NeoGAF forums

Super Street Fighter IV

3DS Game Line-up

Poll Results - 9/29/2010

What is the most important aspect of a game?

Results of 12 votes are in (hopefully in time, more viewers will vote).

Storyline is the most important.

storyline	6 (50%)
graphics	3 (25%)
character development	1 (8%)
performance	2 (16%)

A case for the next PSP

It’s been five years since the release of the Sony PSP in North America. It'll be six years come March, 24 2011. There have been 3 hardware revisions since the release of the handheld and most of have been for the better. One can argue that the PSPGo is more about evolution than revision and its a different type of PSP for a portion of the hand-held consumer base that would like a download only device.

Apple has done a fantastic job of converging these technologies and topping it off with a proven digital distribution and customer service model. There is a reason why financial analysts, who are bearish on tech stocks right now would like to hedge their bets by going long AAPL (Apple). Apple is still a solid stock and a solid company. Their iPhone is arguably a solid product.

How can Sony emulate this formula and in some ways exceed it? Above all, the product needs to be a communication device. PlayStation has been synonymous with gaming. Gaming, however, is not something you do all day. As a communication device, you need to make phone calls, send texts, tweet, facebook message, etc. The theory is that a gamer can "game" easier if it's a one stop device. Fight a round of Super Street Fighter IV, incoming call -> game auto-pauses, resumes when call is over, win round 2, message the second player and gloat about the win. The PSPhone would be a communication device that you can game on, not a gaming device that you can communicate with (controversial statement). PSP as a communication device will get non gamers to buy the product.  Its possible for the product to cater to both gamer and non gamer.

The PlayStation Store at this stage in its maturity is a satisfactory digital distribution portal. Obviously not on the scale of the AppStore or iTunes but it does the job. Sony will have to widen the types of applications that can be downloaded on the store. This includes some of the free/paid for apps that are offered on the Apple App Store (Netflix, Banking Apps, Google Maps, etc).

Store accessibility is key. PSP does offer up WiFi but to be able to download items through a cellular network has been key to iPhone's success.  It would be interesting getting the statistic of application/song downloads while stuck on bus during the morning and evening commute. With 4G coming down the pipe for most networks, it makes sense for Sony to partner with various networks and really dig into the Apple iPhone marketplace with support from Verizon, Sprint, etc. Unfortunately (in the US), network providers have started to cap bandwidth monthly. Fortunately, there is a Starbucks in every corner so the frequency of free hot spots is a welcome (at least in NYC). Price of the next PSP can also be partially absorbed by signing up with Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint.  Its possible to even release two models.  One with communication capabilities and one without it.  Below is just a price forecast.

PSP2 - $249.99 (WIFI only)
PSPhone - $399.99 (4G/WIFI, $199.99 after signing up/upgrade of voice/data plan)

Now having established the next PSP as a communication device and discussed briefly the App Store versus the PSN Store, how can Sony overshadow Apple and behemoth called iPhone? First, let's not forget that Sony has a very important advantage over Apple. Franchises. As a hand-held gaming device, only Nintendo can compete with Sony on a franchise level. This important advantage is what will get core gamers to buy a PSPhone. God of War, Little Big Planet, Socom, Rachet and Clank, Resistance, Jak and Daxter, inFamous, and of course Uncharted to name a few. Apple has ... Angry Birds (maybe)?

Games on the PSP look for the most part better than Apple iPhone games but looks aren't everything. As evidence by the Kinect versus PS Move wars, buttons are important to core gamers. This might not be important for non gamers, but try playing Street Fighter IV on the iPhone. How many times can you throw a fireball instead of wanting to hit a Dragon Punch and getting kicked in the face by a jumping opponent?  Likewise, its a lot more fun to play games designed for a touch screen than ported over with button layouts (iPhone mini games versus PSP minis). Give gamers a device that brings the best of both worlds. Sony, please pay attention and DO NOT go completely touch screen.  Another important need. A SECOND ANALOGUE STICK!


Touch and motion are logical next steps for the PSP. In addition to these, 3D is something Sony is very much pushing as the next technology agenda. Nintendo beat them to the punch with 3DS in the hand held area. Sony can improve on what they are doing.  If the next PSP goes without 3D, it gives Nintendo an advantage in marketability and Sony can not afford to lose that.  If it also means implementing a parallax barrier solution, don't hesitate Sony.  The press and gaming community is already singing praises of 3DS which makes the mountain a lot hard to climb.  The clock is ticking ...

Note this article does not discuss UMD versus internal memory. This will be analyzed in a separate post.

Current Gen iPhone graphics (Epic Citadel - demo only) - credit apple.com

 

Current Gen PSP  (God of War: Chains of Olympus) - credit gamespot.com

Dreamcast Rebirth - setting expectations

9/9/99.  Its a date that will resonate with gamers that are fans of Sega.  It's the release of the Sega Dreamcast.  11 years removed and we are still talking about the Sega Dreamcast.  A rebirth was asked for by the fans and Sega is finally delivering using digital portals like PSN (Playstation Network) and XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade).

The first release of this rebirth is Sonic Adventure.  Back in 99, it was one of the most exciting games to play for the Dreamcast and it was arguably one of its most important (Soul Calibur was another important title).  Fast forward to 2010 and the question is whether it's still an exciting title to play?  One thing to understand right away was that Sega never indicated that the title is some sort of HD remix similar to the Super Street Fighter II Turbo.  Sega was not going to redo the Sonic model, re-work the textures, and fix the glitches seen in the original.  The most they promised was 720p visuals, improved sounds, trophy/achievement support, and leader boards.  You are getting a port of Sonic Adventure, period!

“The Dreamcast is fondly remembered by a large community of dedicated fans as a console that was ahead of its time in terms of graphics, quality and online gaming” commented Haruki Satomi, VP of Digital Business at SEGA of America and SEGA Europe. “There are few things that are more requested from us than making Dreamcast classics available for download in today’s digital market place. We’re very excited to begin offering gamers our beloved Dreamcast titles again on the current console systems.”

Link to official press release

That being said, what could Sega have done with Sonic Adventure?  The first thing that comes to mind is support for 16:9 wide screen.  It may very well be true that the original did not support 16:9 and if Sega did proceed to add this feature, it would ultimately stretch the image to fit on an HDTV.  Is this a showstopper feature for Sega.  One would think not.

For reference here is list of Gamecube games that support 16:9 and Sonic Adventure DX is not one of them.  The PSN/XBLA version is based off the PC/Gamecube version of DX.

Secondly, it would have been nice to get the full package for $9.99 instead of paying an additional $4.99 for the Director's Cut.  This includes 60 additional missions and playing Metal Sonic in trial mode.  Sega should have just kept the deal at $9.99.  It at least keeps consistent with 9/9/99.

One begins to wonder what Sega would do for Crazy Taxi's release.  Custom sound track support for an additional $4.99 or maybe put back the Offspring sound tracks back in at cost? (/SARCASM)

There certainly is alot of positive reception for putting Dreamcast games on PSN/XBLA.  Sega is obviously looking at the profitability of Sonic Adventure/Crazy Taxi before committing on other titles.  Here is a list of titles that would benefit this library (Sega only games).  Sega, please ask Sony .. like Capcom and Rockstar .. to create a Dreamcast section in the Playstation Store!.

Sonic Adventure 2
Shenmue
Skies of Arcadia
Jet Grid Radio
Grandia 2
Crazy Taxi 2
Chu Chu Rocket
Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future

Enslaved PS3 Demo Impressions

Ninja Theory's, the developer of Heavenly Sword, next game is called Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.  Largely an unproven development studio prior to the release of Heavenly Sword, there was a big risk taken with their first PS3 title.  Despite selling 1.5 million copies, they barely broke even and ultimately led to their decision to make the next game multiplatform.

Enslaved using NaturlMotion's morpheme system for animation and Unreal Engine 3 for all other aspects of the game (models, textures, level layout, etc ..).  That being said, let's dig into the demo.

Right of the bat, its quite evident that Enslaved uses Epic's Unreal technology (credit joystiq.com and kotaku.com).  I guess the facial structures give it away.

 

If there was a checklist of graphical positives/negatives from an Unreal 3.0 game here are some of them (below). The first two items aren't a bad thing. If the art direction of the game requires it, Unreal 3.0 is the way to go.

- deformed human characters that emphasizes muscle definition and mass
- limited color palette that tailors to post apocalyptic atmospheres
- texture pop-in

Outside of the occasional texture pop-up, inconsistent texture work, and screen tear (during intense geometry crushing moments where half the screen is flooded in flames), the game looks beautiful. If this were categorized just based on looks, it would be between Gears of War 2 and Uncharted 2. However, there is one large issue with the graphics. When Monkey's skin palette is sometimes the same color as the wall texture or burning objects (yellowish tint), you lose focus. At least the COGS had armor suits that had a blue glow (in the dark) to keep the player focused the central character.

(Credit image above to gamersyde.com)

Now onto the animation.  A significant part of the game play is to trek through the environment from one platform to another.  Jump on a pipe, climb it, and then jump to another platform.  There were moments where the environment degrades through destruction and Monkey is tasked to keep climbing.  This is very Uncharted-like minus fluid animation.  It felt like the animations were missing frames, making it clunky between transitions.  On top of this, there is only ONE way to go, making a linear experience much more linear.  The insulting part of the linear level design is that there were glowing markers/indicators to jump/climb to the next point.  If there is only ONE way to go, why not make it a bit more exciting for players through trial and error by removing these markers?  Needless to say, the animation and level design (at least for the demo) left an unsatisfying taste.

There isn't much to comment on the story because it is only a demo.  I have no doubt that Ninja Theory will be able to lock down a storyline that is compelling enough for a players to play through the game.  They did it with Heavenly Sword.  In a nutshell, Monkey and Trip escape a ship of captured "humans" where 150 years in the future robots control the land.  An atypical male/female relationship where one literally can't live without the other.  She controls his fate by locking him down with a slaves headband.  He controls her fate by promising (unwillingly) to keep her alive.  If she dies, he dies.  End of story and no happy ending.

It will be interesting to see what the final product looks like.  The PS3 demo was promising and the hope is that those technical details are taken care of.

Direction for Capcom

"Japan is over. We're done. Our game industry is finished"

"Japan's game industry is far from finished as long as Capcom is around"

"Capcom is barely keeping up"

"I look around Tokyo Games Show, and everyone’s making awful games"

The above quotations were made by Keiji Inafune. A quoted list of contradictions and the lack of confidence in ones ability to evolve. The Japan game industry is finished but only "far from" finished because of Capcom. However, "Capcom is barely keeping up". Investors of Capcom should be delighted to here these types of quotes. Self evaluations are critical in any business and its healthy to outline strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, Mr. Inafune should have made these evaluations internally and kept them there. As the head of R&D, shouldn't he be responsible for the "supposed" decline of the Japan gaming industry?

What has Japan produced lately? Since the release of the 360/PS3, there has been outstanding releases coming out of development studios in Japan. There have been a ton of DS/PSP games but the focus here is on "next gen".

Metal Gear Solid 4 - Kojima Productions
Bayonetta - Platinum Games
Vanquish - Platinum Games
Ninja Gaiden 2 - Team Ninja
Dead or Alive 4 - Team Ninja
Resident Evil 5 - Capcom
Street Fighter IV - Capcom
Dead Rising 1/2 - Capcom
Gran Turismo 5 - Polyphony Digital
Yakuza - Sega
Valkyria Chronicles - Sega
Virtua Fighter 5 - Sega
Demon's Soul - From Software

If the argument is that Japan is "dead", what is "alive"? If "alive" equates to game sales, there isn't much competition with the games produced by the west. Only the Gran Turismo franchise can match or exceed sales comparisons to Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto and become a double digit platinum seller. If "alive" equates to selling titles with the name "Mario" in it, that's a tall order for anyone not named Nintendo. The mega franchises of Japan that aren't developed by Nintendo are Dragon's Quest and Final Fantasy. Where have those franchises gone recently? Dragon's Quest is primarily on Nintendo systems. Final Fantasy XIII was originally supposed to be PS3 exclusive but went the route of multi-platform. If you wanted to play FF I-VI, they were all re-released with improvements on PSP/DS. Monster Hunter is recently one of the more established franchises for Japan as it's sold PSPs, but Capcom did not capitalize on its success with Monster Hunter Tri (Wii).

What's next for Capcom? Here are a couple of suggestions ...

A. Resident Evil 6 - Announce it. Announcing it enough to stir their marketability

B. Megaman Legends - A true sequel to a very popular franchise.

C. Megaman Universe - Certainly a lot of potential. Seems they are taking a tip from Media Molecule.  Capitalize on a well established franchise and give the ultimate set of tools for fans creating the most innovative Megaman levels.

D. Leverage Platinum Games - If you can tap Ninja Theory develop the next Devils May Cry, you can have Platinum Games develop on franchises that Kamiya and Mikami made famous.

E. Keep pushing new IP - Asura's Wrath is a great start! Tapping Asian mythology as the west tapped Greek mythology. Outside of Dead Rising, there hasn't been many

F. Popular old franchises - Onimusha replaced Dino Crisis for PS2. What happened to Dino Crisis? Another neglected franchise from the original PlayStation days is Strider. Isn't it worth a shot to create a sequel? Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a welcomed surprise!

Thank You Mr. Kazunori Yamauchi

There were a few marvels of development that needed to be brought together in one place now that the Tokyo Game Show is coming to a conclusion.

Gran Turismo 5: Real-time weather.  Take a look specifically at the 2nd animated image.  Tunnel driving .. get out of tunnel ... here comes the rain!

 

 

El Shaddai: Artistic 2D levels. "Amazing" happens at about 40 seconds into the trailer

Video Games | El Shaddai | TGS 10: Japanese Combat Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Eastern Creativity and Western Technology

Clock turned 12 AM on September 16th and I found myself getting out of bed and walking to the computer to view the live stream of the Tokyo Game Show.  Of course I don't know a lick of Japanese and my speakers were off so I don't wake up my little girls.  My goal was to observe and analyze without distractions.  Analyze what?  As I was watching the stream, reading blogs, watching some more, and the reading into the development of these announced games  .. I was trying to understand where the east is heading.  Are the creative gurus of the east finally accepting technology of the west to bring their visions to life?  Is there western influence on new ips or is the east holding to traditional standards.  In short, I saw a mixed bag.  However, I think this is a turning point for game development in the east.  I'm not entirely too sure yet of whether that's a good thing or bad thing.

It's a pretty strong opinion but most believe that eastern developers have the most to offer with respect to creativity in game design.  It's not new news that The Last Guardian by Team ICO is one of the most anticipated games in 2011.  What I was most interested about were the other announcements by industry giants in Japan.  Asura's Wrath, DmC (Devils May Cry reboot), and Shadows of the Damned.  An addition, Level 5's RPG, Ni No Kuni, was in full presence for all to be in awe of.

Here is a video of Ni No Kuni (credit gamersyde.com)

The question is, were these titles that creative enough to be impressive?  This is not the first time Level 5 has been to the cel-shaded RPG dance.  See Dark Cloud 2, Dragon Quest VIII, and Rogue Galaxy.  The jury is still out on game mechanics and story-line but it sure is an impressive looking game!  The point is that the technology is not new.  It's certainly beyond Wind Waker technology but its been done before.  The creativity of the story, character progression, and level design is what I think separates this title from a western RPG like Fallout 3.  This is just opinion, not fact.

I watched the trailer for Asura's Wrath and thought to myself, why hasn't the west explored asian mythology?  I have to give David Jaffe all the credit in the world for putting a twist on Greek mythology with the God of War storyline.  The formula worked for a western developer.  Yet, it was an eastern developer that's looking to extend this formula with Asian mythology.  I've played Darksiders and Dante's Inferno.  Both are good games focused on specific parts of Christian text/commentaries/novels but they certainly are not of mythological origin.  Again, the point is whether the idea of Asura's Wrath is fresh and new.  I'm not arguing for or against but just putting it out there in this conversation of eastern design and western technology.

Shadows of the Damned felt like a marriage of gaming ideas.  Third person shooting mechanics of Dead Space and Gears of Warr.  Atmosphere of Resident Evil.  Over the top gun play of Vanquish.  This of course is from just watching the trailer.  This is perfect example of eastern game design meats western technology.  Enter Unreal Engine 3.  UE3 is not an engine designed by the east!  Shocking!  Interesting to note that Asura's Wrath is also powered by Unreal Engine 3.  Fingers are crossed on platform parity!  Grasshopper and CyberConnect 2 should have enough expertise on both platforms to deliver a worthwhile game to everyone.  I guess the announcement back in April of Epic Japan is paying dividends (link)

Below is the trailer for Shadows of the Damned courtesy of gametrailers.com

Video Games | Shadows of the Damned | TGS 10: Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Blast from the Past: Recreating Madden (Part III)

Catch mode:

What is it like to be a defensive back or a wide receiver? It’s really a game of risk. You are gambling with every move you make. How can we capture this thrill in the game? I propose Catch mode, or fly catcher/fly swatter.

A defensive back is either a fly catcher or a fly swatter. He’s either going to intercept the ball or swat either the ball or the receiver. A receiver is primarily a fly catcher, although he could in theory be a fly swatter if the defensive back has a high probability of catching the ball before him.

This specific mode is initiated when you, as the defender, are in close proximity to the offensive player and the ball. This is a jump ball situation. The screen is now focused on you as the defender and the receiver as the actors. The object is the football. The ball is coming close to you and the defender. You and the defender both use an analog stick to aim at the moving ball. You don’t press the button until the ball is close to you. You and the defender have the option of pressing buttons. You only have one option and it is to catch the ball. The defender has the option to catch or swat. If you aim for the football and the football is within catching proximity, and press the button before the other player … you will catch the football (same with intercepting the ball). This gives you total control of catching the ball.

Crowd Emotion:

I remember back in the Genesis days when the in-game crowds were little blobs of pixels. There was no form or animation but they were just statically there. Those were the days! What about today? In Madden 2007, the crowds are their own polygons. A very cool thing indeed! Imagine a stadium with 90,000 crowd models. That’s essentially what you see in Madden 2007.

What is crowd emotion? Well, let’s take a look at this situation. There are 2 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter and the home team is down 3 points. They are on their own 35 yard line and must march at most 65 yards for a winning touchdown or a field goal. What is the crowd doing at this point? If you were at a real game, the crowd would be going nuts. What is nuts? ‘Nuts is characterized by endless noise generated by the crowd until the game ends. It’s the shout of ‘Let’s go Giants! Let’s go’ or ‘Go Eagles Go!’ There is not one fan sitting down, unless he is 80 ‘years old and can’t stand up. It feels like the stadium is shaking and sounds like it too! No one is going for a bathroom break and hold it in for those 2+ minutes. This is the environment in which the winning team is put in and the opposing team has to struggle with.

The reaction of the crowd is situational. Would the crowd have this same reaction if their team were loosing by 21? Probably not! Would they react this way if in the third quarter, a football caused your team who is down by 21 to get the ball back on the opposing teams’ 25 yard line? Probably! It’s all about the situations. There aren’t any complex formulas involved. It’s all about situation and generating plays the drive the emotion of the crowd. You don’t initiative a positive response from the crowd when throwing an interception or fumbling the ball.

I think Madden 07 has started out well with introducing a plethora of polygon based crowds. All we need to give them are emotions and maybe some signs ?

To hear or not to hear:

With crowd emotion, you can generate more noise from the crowd if you are a home team. Imagine being Peyton Manning and calling an audible at the line with 70,000 fans screaming? Does it happen, of course it does! Does Peyton Manning call an audible twice? Well, if you look at NFL video, he does if his players can not hear it the first time. Imagine this scenario

Scene 1: The momentum of the game has shifted the home team playing defense. The linebacker calls the crowd to make more noise.
Scene 2: QB sees a hole in the defense and calls for a quick audible
Scene 3: The noise of the crowd is too much for the other players to respond to the audible so the QB calls it again
Scene 4: The second call is now heard and offensive players shift to the formation of the audible

Isn’t this a real-time occurrence? Imagine if I factored the play clock into this. What happens when the QB calls an audible with 10 seconds remaining on the play clock? The first call is not heard by the players because of the crowd noise. The second is heard with 5 seconds left on the play clock. It takes 6 seconds for the offense to set in their formation.

Now you are adding time management into the football game. The QB has three choices. Choice A is to take a delay of game. Choice B is to call time-out. Choice C is to hike the ball without the players set in their formation.

What if the QB calls time-out? If he has a time-out remaining all is fine. If he does not have a time-out then he gets a delay of game. What if he takes a delay of game? Well, he just takes a delay of game and gets a 5 yard penalty. What if he hikes the ball without his players set in formation. Well, it could work for him or against him. Either the semi-shift of formation causes a player to get open after the hike or it confuses the offensive line and allows a linebacker to blitz and behead your QB.

To hear or not to hear can really affect the game. It does in real life and it can in virtual football.

Clogging the Hole (Total Control Defense):

In the game of football there is such a thing called a nose-tackle. What is the job of a nose tackle? It’s quite simple; to clog the hole. If you have a formation that calls for a nose tackle presence, you are thinking run. What does clogging the hole do for you? Imagine that the offensive choose I-Formation->HB Dive to the right of the guard. You choose a defensive scheme that calls for a nose tackle clog the hole. Where do you clog? If you feel that the play is going to the right, you will clog to the right. This allows for the RB to slow down his progression, allowing for your defenders to make the tackle.

Now the game turns into a chess match. You see the formation that calls for a nose tackle and have two options. You can either gamble by keeping with the play and hope that the nose tackle clogs to the left or call an audible.

Clogging the hole adds another dimension to the chess match that is football.

Control Stunts (Total Control Defense):

What is a stunt? A stunt is something that the defensive line uses to trickle offensive linemen. A stunt could be a cross between a defensive tackle and end. A stunt could be for the defensive end to not bull rush but rather stay in his zone (great for plays where you feel that the offense will call a HB screen).

There are a preset number of standard stunts used in football. This will need to be programmed in as animation. The user has the ability to control a stunt.

When choosing a stunt, the player must be aware that it can backfire. Imagine a defensive end and tackle doing a cross stunt. The offensive guards blocking assignment is to block the tackle to the right. The offensive tackles responsibility is to block the end to the left. This blocking assignment is designed to make a hole for lead blocking full back. The stunt is initiated to confuse the offensive lineman but it actually makes the blocks much easier for them as the defensive lineman are already in a position to get shoved by the offensive lineman, thus making a large gaping hole.

When two sets of lineman are setup to do a stunt, the stunt can contradict each other or confuse the d-lineman.

Blast from the Past: Recreating Madden (Part II)

Natural Evolution of Technology:

Since the introduction of Moore’s law, we have been able to explain the progression of hardware. It makes sense. Hardware keeps improving at a rapid pace. What about software? It seems as though there is no direct formula to explain software. It would be quite hard to explain this since you are dealing with an array of types of software. Windows is out with their VISTA operating system while there are a billion and one Linux incarnations (figurative of course). What is the next generation of software? Specifically, what is the next generation of Madden, or any other football game for that matter? How are football games going to evolve?
Typically, software is only as good as the hardware that runs it. Quite honestly, there is only so much you could do a CPU that is good enough to program your microwave. With the evolution of videogame hardware, we see an improvement in RAM (random access memory), CPU horsepower, and even in the inclusion of hard-drive space. Take the original Xbox. It was the first time that a hard-drive was including on retail SKU. How is the software going to change with an inevitable hardware upgrade? What changes when you go from Playstation 2 to Playstation 3. How about an Xbox to an Xbox360?

Natural Evolution of Madden:

Let’s get to the meat of this article. What to do with Madden? Now, I’m not a producer of EA Sports but the point of this article is to educating EA on putting the ‘next’ into ‘next-generation’. Here we go!

Group Tackling:

This is something that I thought would be included in the current generation of software. In fact, I think this was introduced in the NFL2K brand. Although it is quite fun to hit a “hit stick’ and pound an opponent, its not quite realistic. Football is a team game and that includes tackling. Tackling is an interesting dimension of football. It takes technique to successfully tackle an opposing player. If you can’t get the solo tackle, then you as a defender must ‘slow’ the offensive player up. Now, how do you do that?

There are three ways to approach tackling in the video game world. The first is animation based tackling. The second is based on the principles of physics along with smart collision detection. The last way is a combination of animation and physics.
Animation based tackling is quite simple. If an offensive player is on the move and a defender is close to him, the button to initiate a ‘tackle’ will trigger a tackle animation. In fact, a tackle is a series of animations. Let’s take this example below:

Scene 1: Running back just shook of a defender at the line of scrimmage.
Scene 2: Middle Linebacker of the opposing team sees running back breaking away and running toward the side line.
Scene 3: Running back sees Linebacker and momentarily slows down to initiate a spin move
Scene 4: Running back initiates the spin-move too slow as the defender has already initiated a tackle.
Scene 5: Since the Linebacker is not delivering a tackle that is direct, he goes for the Running back’s right leg. Linebacker grabs leg and completes the tackle once running back is on the ground.
Now, you can really have fun with this animation of the tackle. What happens when have a linebacker and a free-safety, both looking to tackle the running back? Let’s have a little fun with the series of animations.
Scene 1: Running back initiates spin-move too slow as the free safety has already initiated a tackle.
Scene 2: Since the free safety is not at an angle for a direct tackle, the safety grabs the right leg of the running back.
Scene 3: Linebacker is coming off a block from the fullback and immediately sees that the free safety is attempting a tackle.
Scene 4: The safety has slowed down the momentum of the running back so any hit from the waist up with knock the running back down.
Scene 5: Linebacker comes in and hits running back on the right shoulder pad.
With the combination of the free safety grabbing the right leg of the running back and a direct hit from the linebacker to the right shoulder pad, the running back goes down easy. This is a group tackle initiated by a single defender.

Physics before Animation:

It is possible for that single defender to tackle the running back. I think so, and this is how physics is involved in the process. Assume that the running back is 5’10’’, 230 lbs. Assume that the free safety is 6’1’’ and 245 lbs. Now, if we just looked at these variables, the 6’1’’, 245 lb safety would win the contest. Let’s introduce more variables. Assume that the 5’10’’ running back runs a 4.4 forty meter dash, bench presses 350 lbs, and squats 620 lbs. The free safety runs a 4.5 forty meter dash, presses 315, and squats 550. Who would win this contest? Now, the only three variables I am looking at are speed, upper body strength, and lower body strength. Let’s add another variable. The running back ran the previous play for a 15 yard gain. His stamina at this point is a 70 out of 100 (assuming stamina is calculated play-by-play). The stamina of the free safety is 95 out of 100. He was out for two plays because the defensive coordinator (you) decides to play an extra defensive back on the last two plays. Who would win this contest? I’ve now upped the variables to speed, upper body strength, lower body strength, and now stamina. Could I keep going? Sure I can. Do I want to? No, for the sake of the length of this article! Do you see the point of physics? I hope you do!

Why is physics so important? Could physics explain the path of a football released by a quarterback? Could physics explain the force at which the running back is running with? Could physics explain the impact one object would have if colliding with another? All those answers are yes. Physics is not just a bunch of formulas. It can quantify things. When you are speaking the computer language, it only understands numbers. This is why physics is so important, especially to games.

Why is animation important? Could the principles of physics initiate a tackle? Could the principles of physics make you intercept a ball as a defensive back? I think not. Physics can lead to an initiation of animation, it can not work independently. Let’s take the example of an interception. With physics, you can explain where the ball is, the proximity of the players to the ball, the angles at which the players are to the ball, and of course the speed of the ball. If the ball is in close proximity to the wide receiver and a defensive back but the receiver initiates a ‘jump’ to intercept the ball before the receiver sets himself up to the catch the all, the ball is the defenders. In this example, I’m just talking about proximity to the ball. This is the only ‘physical’ element I’m introducing to this animation. In this case, the defender and offensive player are at equal proximity. The animation is the interception but the factors leading to the interception are physics.

Once the physics of football are clearly defined, the real work is to intertwine that with relevant animations. I’ve heard that Madden 2007 has 3,000 player animations. What good are these animations if they are initiated at the wrong time? Imagine a linebacker jumping up for a ball that is too high for him (physically) but end up catching it because it follows a stupid animation. It is not real and makes me upset when I see it. If this was Madden NFL 2007: Madden in Space, I would have no problem since there are different set of gravitational laws that apply to space.

More to come in Part III .....

Blast from the Past: Recreating Madden (Part I)

The below 3 part blog was something I wrote back over 3 years ago that I still think is relevant to this day with the Madden Franchise. Enjoy!

Virtual Reality:

“If it’s in the game, it’s in the game”, a quote most famously used by the electronics entertainment giant, Electronic Arts. This single catchphrase has been the staple of sports video-gaming for the past 15 years. EA Sports through the years have worked hard to recreate the sports experience in their games for the past 15 years. Whether it is baseball, football, soccer, or dare I say Rugby, “If it’s in the game, it’s in the game”.

Has the electronic giant gotten so big that it has forgotten its mission statement? Through the years, Electronic Arts have engulfed many up and coming companies. There is nothing wrong with this since it is the company that sells itself to EA. EA is just doing what every other bottom-line business would do. The idea is to get big and then become bigger. Where does the bubble burst? Obviously, there is always a level of equilibrium for anything, even companies. In Economics, we teach the principles of boom and bust. With every boom, there is a bust. So, I ask the question, “What is wrong with EA Sports”. I’m specifically targeting EA Sports and not Electronic Arts.

As a casual, sports gamer, the biggest thing to me as I play a representation of the real life sport is its replication. How close is it to real life? Does it capture the look, feel, and atmosphere of real sports? I don’t really look at the bells and whistles. It’s rather an afterthought compared to the core gaming experience.

What is a core sports gaming experience? I know that’s a lot of adjectives but lets break it down. The word ‘core’ represents basics; sports of course are sports; gaming is implicitly video-gaming; and experience is interaction between you the user and the game. I would like to specifically address core in this article with respect to football.

Core is catching a 20 yard pass. Core is running for a 10 yard gain. Core is tackling. Core is intercepting a ball. Core is the basic of basic football principles. Now, principles are a lot different than rules. Rules are the constraints of the game while principles are what define the game. You could equate these rules to commandments. Let’s label some of the commandments of a football game

• You must be able to pass
• You must be able to catch
• You must have an equal number of players per side
• You must have a way to keep score
• You must have a way to win a game

Now, what about blocking or tackling? Is that absolutely necessary? What happens when you are playing flag football? Is football constrained to tackling and blocking?

What I call terms like tackling and blocking are level 1 variables of a type of football game. A game of ‘flag football’ is defined completely differently than ‘tackle football’. In the NFL, a tackle is as common as a pass.

With regards to variables, we can break it down even further. What happens when I block? Do I block the linebacker or the free safety that is blitzing? When I block, do I block the backer away from the play of the ball? For these situations, I would like refer to them as level 2 variables. In this case, it would be the variables of blocking.
 

A core football game, coupled with definitions, and detailed through variables will make or break the game. I would like to use Madden NFL 07 as an example on the Xbox 360. All in all, it does portray the core football game experience but there are some things that are left to be desired along with things that are notably missing. Being from company that deals with software and releases, I understand the need to not put all your eggs into one basket. You have to leave room for the desert. The only problem is putting out something that is half-baked.

The release of Madden NFL 06 was understandable from a product stand point. With the release of software, especially if you are in a transitional period (current generation to next generation), you need to get the basics down. What were people actually expecting? I expect this type of release by any software company irregardless of the industry. The problem that EA faced is creating an ‘uncontrollable monster’. Owner mode, Hit Stick, QB Vision, etc were great additions to the previous generation of Madden. I will admit that I cared for none of them but they were great addition nevertheless. It helped the series progress with time and with this progression it yielded a following that was and still is unprecedented. Millions flock to the next release of Madden like the pilgrimage to Mecca even if the game was rated poorly by the press. Madden NFL 06 is what it is. It’s a transitional game. I’m sure the producers of the Madden series have a product roadmap and it starts with Madden NFL 06. I’m not sure when this roadmap will end but from a product standpoint, it will continue until Madden is redesigned for the next, next generation.

Now, getting back to ‘core’, I think Madden NFL 2007 does a good, not great, job of getting basics down. You will need to get the basics down so your building blocks are setup. Madden 07 has a good passing game with emphasis on QB vision, an improved momentum based running game, and the ability to choose your lead blocker. Will a right-handed QB complete a pass to a tide end while he is off centered and throwing with his right leg leading forward? Now, if Madden NFL 2008 allows me to complete this pass 100% of the time, we have problems. In fact, I don’t even think Madden NFL 2007 will ever let a QB pass the ball off centered while using the wrong leg. However, if you’ve ever seen Brett Favre pass the ball, you’ll notice that he’ll try to do it while he’s upside down, let alone off centered. Obviously you’ll have to take the probability of completing the pass given these variables into consideration. The core aspect of passing the ball is covered. It’s the level 1 and 2 variables that are ‘key’ to the realism of the game.

This concludes the first half of this article. EA Sports has done a good job of retaining the core aspects of NFL football through this transitional period of next generation gaming. They will need to start worrying about level 1 and level 2 variables. To stay on top, you’ll need to start concentrating on more details of the game. What makes NFL football exciting? What makes grown men and women watch this sport with passion. How can EA Sports capture this passion?

Lair 2: what could have been ...

Early on the life cycle of the PS3, I got to be honest, there weren't that many games.  You had Resistance, Rachet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, and Virtua Fighter 5 with Resistance being one of the truly fresh new IPs.  Along with these titles is a very much anticipated title from Factor 5 called Lair.  Lair, arguably is/was a graphical accomplishment.  The sheer number of polygons displayed on screen and the level of texture quality left me wanting more from the perspective of a graphics enthusiast.  Te controls on the other hand, left a undesirable taste in my mouth.  No disrespect to the designer of the game or the development engineers at the now financially strapped Factor 5.

 

The following blog is written to inspire Factor 5 in their theoretical design of Lair 2. Lair all-in-all is a showcase, buts its also a base for future games using the 'Lair' engine. The intent is to provide Factor 5 with some design, game play, and production suggestions for the hopeful sequel to Lair. Let's get right into it.  Here are 3 problems and 3 solutions to one aspect of Lair, the controls.

As much as Lair touted motion controls, it was overused in my humble opinion. There were certain motion commands that although intuitive in principle, lacked execution. I think one of them most intuitive things for Lair to is when you're trying to pry the head of a rhino off. You shake the controller up and down violently until the head is completely torn off. This is where motion controls work. it should be used as a complimentary method of input and not the core control element in a game. Although I do believe that dragons in flight should be controlled by motion sensors while gliding, when the heat turns up, this is where motion controls can fail. 

The Developer walkthrough of Lair on Gametrailers.com gives us a visual of the controls with developer commentary.

Video Games | Lair | Developer Walkthrough Pt. 1

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Problem: 180 turn versus Speed Burst. The gesture upwards to do a 180 turn. It was far too similar to a thrust forward of the controller to do a speed burst.

Solution: Keep the upward motion to do a 180 turn and use a press combination of L2 + R2 to do speed burst. Likewise , if its more intuitive to keep the burst using a forward motion and a 180 turn a combination of L2 + R2 ... that can be done. Bottom line, until motion controls can effectively differentiate between an upward and downward motion without getting confused, remove one from the mix.

Problem: The targeting system is quite simple in Lair. Hold L1 to target the enemy. That's it. The problem however is what happens after the enemy is targeted. This is where the controls get clunky and without a systematic approach. Credit to Factor 5, for a game with high graphic fidelity, there are tons of stuff going on.  What is needed is 'orderly chaos'.

Solution: Implement a Combo Target System -> Using L1 is fine to lock onto targets. Hitting the circle button (O) will get you closer to your locked target. Depending on the proximity of your dragon and your enemy the simple action button would trigger the necessary 'action' for each enemy type. Let's say you've locked on to enemy 1 and is going in for the kill. Hit the action button. This triggers your dragon to ram into the opposing dragon. Now enemy 2 is right next to enemy 1. The targeting system will re target to your next kill. You'll need to motion the analogue stick (L3) in the direction of the next enemy after the re target. Say enemy 2 is right below enemy 1. Hit down on L3 and then hit the action button again for a 2 hit combo. Now if enemy 3 is close to enemy 2 .. the same action would repeat. Depending on the number of enemies and if they require the same action to be killed, you can have N number of dragon kill combos. The camera system of course will need some rework to accommodate a combo target system so that you can see the next enemy onscreen.

Problem: Limited battle system during in flight battles between dragons. It becomes quite repetitive and easy to defeat the biggest of enemy dragons. The battle system feels very 2D. You face the dragon and fight. 

Video Games | Lair | Gamers Day 07 Mid-Air Dragon Fight Gameplay

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Solution: Keep the battle in 3D space and not limit it to face to face dragon battles. The fight between 2 dragon's should be a spectacle. It should be intense. This is where Factor 5 should use button triggered action sequences a la God of War. With the addition of motion controls as a complimentary form of input, the action could be wonderfully scripted yet dynamic. Along with this type of action sequence, I propose a rage meter during in flight fights. There is nothing more ferocious than the roar of a dragon. Create space between you and the opposing dragon. Belt out a load roar through the vocal chords of the dragon and put the fear of the dragon into the opposing dragon rider. The higher the rage meter, the more damage inflicted on the opposing dragon. Higher rage would also mean more intricate button combination to lay out some major damage. Bottom line, guarantee a dynamic fight every time you go into battle mode with a dragon with a combination of intense flight sequences, fight mode (with rage meter), and quick time events to keep the user engaged into the fight.