Wii U - Gameplay concepts (Random Thoughts 2)

If you ask a PC gamer, what's the best way to play a first person shooter (FPS), it's a keyboard and mouse.  If you ask a console gamer, it's with a controller with two analogues and a left and right trigger to zoom and shoot.  How can Nintendo expand on the experience using their innovative controller?  As a follow up to Wii U game play concepts part I, the following suggestions will focus on improving the first person shooter.

Concept 4:

Use the LCD controller as an eagle eye for deploying drones.  Drones can serve multiple purposes.  They can be used for reconnaissance, supply deployment, or attacks.  Imagine playing Call of Duty and taking control of an intelligence drone where it will identify enemies on the map for your fellow team members.  Each identified enemy, when killed by your team member, will be given XP to your overall match point total.  If you deploy an attack drone, a top down view of the map is shown on the LCD with enemies highlighted.  Touch areas on the LCD screen where the enemies are located and a barrage of bombs will be released.

Concept 5:

Alternative views displayed on the LCD controller. A first person shooter is of course in first person.  A first person point of view is through the eyes of the player holding the gun.  The Wii U controller can display a third person view of the character to give the player a better layout of the surroundings.  The third person camera angle is high enough to the player a better sense of depth perception without removing the element of surprise.  This screen can also be used as the "death cam".  Instead of displaying the way you were killed on the main screen, you can see this on the controller.  Couple the display of your death with some stats on how you were killed (killed by Player X 3 times, killed by AK-47U, etc) and you're getting information in real-time without waiting to re-spawn.

Concept 6:

Accessibility to the menu system without having to pause the game.  There is nothing more defeating than getting shot while taking a brief moment to modify your gear.  Having the inventory system displayed on the LCD controller will allow the user to modify with some sort of awareness of his/her surroundings.  Take the concept of the "Gunsmith" that Ubisoft is showcasing with the next Ghost Recon.  Using this method of a weapon system to update your parts in real-time along with the ability to access this during a match .. makes for some interesting strategies.

HD Collections

The previous generation of home consoles have given us plenty of quality titles that can be played over and over again for years.  I'm not quite sure what to call the current flux of PS2/Xbox titles that have been given a high definition makeover.  The obvious business answer is a publisher's strategy to recoup on investments made three to five years ago.  You could also call it capitalizing on nostalgia.  Whatever it is, it's a win/win situation for the publisher and the potential buyer of the remade games.

Below is a list of HD collections/games:

Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection (2 games)
God of War Collection (2 games)
God of War: Origins Collection (2 games)
Prince of Persia Trilogy HD (3 games)
Splinter Cell Classics Trilogy (3 games)
The Sly Collection (3 games)
Tomb Raider Trilogy (3 games)
Metal Gear HD collection (3 games)
ZOE HD collection (2 games)
Resident Evil Collection (2 games)
Devils May Cry (3 games)
Silent Hill (3 games)
Monster Hunter 3 (1 game, PSP re-make)
Halo: Combat Evolved: 10th anniversary (1 game)
Beyond Good and Evil HD (1 game)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (1 game)

I would like to suggest the following series/games to have HD equivalents

Jak and Daxter
Rachet and Clank
Final Fantasy X, X-2, and XII (PS2)
Final Fantasy Crisis Core and Type 0 (PSP)
Kingdom Hearts
Grand Theft Auto
Okami
Level 5 RPGs (Dark Cloud 2, Rogue Galaxy, and Dragon's Quest VIII)
Jade Empire
Halo 2
Fable

Improvements to Remote Play with PSVita?

The original PSP had the ability to remotely connect to the PS3 sort of like a Citrix connection. While you could only play Lair, PSOne games were playable along with the ability to log into the PlayStation Store and queue up content downloads.  Despite a limited feature set, Sony did experiment with this functionality and it's conceivable that it can be expanded on better hardware.

The Wii U has the ability to stream the game to it's LCD controller.  While the technology isn't new, they key words are "low" and "latency".  The stream is 1:1 or very close to 1:1.  What I'm proposing is to replicate this cross connectivity with the PS3/PSVita, specifically the stream function.

Not all games will have a PSVita version of the game where you can transfer the save file to continue on the PS3 or vice versa.  Allow the PSVita user to remotely play a PS3 game by streaming the image to the lovely 5 inch OLED screen.  The user can continue to play the game while the HDTV is used for other purposes like watching cable TV or Netflix.  The PSVita can be used as the Dual Shock 3 controller with the rear touch pad serving as virtual buttons for L2 and R2.

Wii U - Gameplay concepts (Random Thoughts 1)

As being somehow who can't sit or stand for a moment without thinking about something else, I started to think about the potential game play mechanisms for the Wii U.  Some of these concepts are macro level visions while others are game or genre specific.  Here are 3 simple concepts.  

Concept 1: Play selection for Football Games

Nothing is more annoying that trying to select a play on a SDTV/HDTV screen when playing 2 player local.  Having the ability to select a play on the 6 inch LCD screen will make for anonymous play selection.  Not only can you select a play, but you should have the ability to audible at the line of scrimmage.  The screen also gives you the ability to discretely assign hot routes to your receiver as well as using your finger to predetermine a route.

Concept 2: Achievement Progression

The LCD can display your status of whether you are closer to unlocking an achievement or a trophy.  For example, let's say an achievement is to hit 100 super combs in Super Street Fighter IV.  Once a super combo is achievement, it would be alerted on the LCD screen.  There could also be a separate section in the LCD menu that is sort of a game log.  Real-time progression metrics can be something that can further the importance of meta data in a game.

Concept 3: Scoping

When playing as a sniper in a first person shooter, the LCD screen can be used  as a scope. Hold the left left trigger to initiate the scope.  Hold the controller up to your face with it's back facing the television.  Since there are multiple levels of scoping (scope 2x, 4x, 8x for example), the highest scope level (8x) can be displayed on the LCD.  The visuals of the target are displayed at 8x zoom on the LCD while the user tries to keep his/her hands still.

Transition to Portable Gaming

Having been a console gamer for most of my teenage to adult life, it's hard to imagine playing a game on anything smaller than a 32 inch screen.  As things around you change, so might your gaming style.  No longer can I dedicate 40 hours into a JRPG or spend days on competitive multi-player.  If I could take a quote from Solid Snake, "War has changed. It's no longer about nations, ideologies or ethnicity. It's an endless series of proxy battles, fought by mercenaries and machines".  In the context of gaming styles for me personally .. "Gaming has changed.  It's no longer about high definition graphics, disc formats, or online gaming.  It's about accessibility and being able to find the time to play among-st the call of duty of a career, being a husband, and being a father".  Gaming has changed, for me.

What are the options?  As an owner of the iPhone, I have downloaded a few titles to play on the go.  However, I can't get past the fact there aren't buttons for me to press.  There is potential and Apple has found a way to capitalize on smaller entertainment experiences that do not require buttons or triggers. All the best to them but I'm certainly not on that boat.

Despite owning both a PSP and a DS, very little time has been invested on them.  Reason?  There was still a huge time investment with the 360/PS3 with an average of 6-8 hours a week.  This coupled with the release of 3DS and the announcement of PSVita, both systems will most likely continue to collect dust.  The release of 3DS is much welcome with a substantial uptick in specs in comparison to the DS.  A previous blog of mine questioned the price of entry for 3DS.  I still stand by it.  As of June 8th, 2011, the system still costs $249.99 and the catalog of games is bare bone.With the announcements of new titles for the 3DS along with an expected price cut to compete with the entry price level of PSVita, this is a definite purchase in the near future.

There is much excitement with PSVita.  Maybe excitement isn't the right word.  There is much hope in PSVita.  First of all, we can finally say that it's a console experience in our hands.  The graphical fidelity that I expect with home consoles are now gloriously displayed on a 5 inch OLED screen.  This, combined with a set list of community features, trophy support, and backwards compatibility with existing digital PSP titles, makes for a solid purchase on release date.  A justified purchase with a cost of $249.99 for the wifi only model.

Let me clarify in saying that there is still a place for console gaming in my house.  It's just not going to be at the frequency of yesterday.  Life has changed, and so has my preference of how to play the game.