GDC 2009 Thread - Iwata Keynote 9AM Pacific on Wednesday - STOWAGE SOLUSHUNZ ZOMG

[Strell]

In summary (stolen from Cao Cao)

Well, the keynote's over:
-Storage solution - allows things to be saved to SD card, run from SD card, including games and channels. The Wii will also now support cards larger than 2GB
-Rock & Roll Climber for Wiiware - uses balance board, lets you climb a mountain and then ROKK THE FUKK OUT
-Final Fantasy for Wiiware (My Life as a Darklord and FFIV: The After), and VC - first Wiiware sequel announced from previous game, sounds like a "dark" take on it where you are teh evil
-Arcade games for the VC - such as earlier arcade perfect ports of games, which could lead to the Nintendo Vs series
-Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS - basically Phantom Hourglass with a train instead of a boat, appears to be "enemy control" mechanics as well

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1up
10:15
New Zelda looks better than my description probably makes it sound. Looks like a fairly traditional Zelda portable game, with puzzle dungeons and Phantom Hourglass-style touch mechanics. The train basically works like the boat in PH, running along the overworld (presumably on a rail defined by players). Enemy control mechanics look pretty nice -- link distracted a big Zora with a controlled shadow guard, then snuck around to hit it from behind.

You can read the liveblog from Eurogamer here: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gdc-satoru-iwata-keynote-soon-live-report

Original Message:
The Game Developer's Conference (http://www.gdconf.com/) has officially kicked off. Generally it's less about outright revealing things to the public and more about a discussion of the technology, but there's still usually a good amount of new information to be found.

In the past, Nintendo has shown off a few things, including new trailers for . Last year saw the confirmation of DLC and the Pay-to-Play systems for their online infrastructure, as well as more information about then-upcoming Wiiware. I want to say they've also been known to show off new trailers for announced games at GDC - Smash Bros comes to mind, and I'd imagine a big title like Zelda or Mario did as well.

Tomorrow, Iwata will be giving a keynote entitled "Discovering New Development Opportunities." While not much has been revealed, certain speculations (http://gonintendo.com/?p=76717) are calling for reasons to be excited, including talk of new game announcements across all viable platforms (Wiiware, Wii, and DS). This is supposed to include third party announcements.

It is more thought that Iwata will focus on the DSi and how it become their new handheld to focus on, with the inclusion of new technologies like the camera and a better online system.

So yeah, the hype train has left the station. I'd suggest keeping it in check - this is Nintendo after all. I believe they know they need to be better than E3 2008, but you can't ever really tell.

Any thoughts? Tomorrow might be a fun day.

[Cao Cao]

Possible livebloggers could include Sam Kennedy (http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8984319&publicUserId=4561231) from 1up and GoNintendo (http://gonintendo.com/?p=76682) (If they can get a signal). I don't know if anyone is making a live video of the event, but there will likely be a lot of livebloggers for the major speeches. Some of the more known lectures are listed in the GoNintendo post, but for a quick rundown:
-Iwata's Keynote Speech - 9:00am-10:00am PDT (6:00am HST, 8:00am AKDT, 11:00am CDT, 12:00pm EDT)
-Level-5 lecture with Yasuhiro Akasaka & Akihiro Hino - 10:30am-11:30am PDT
-DSi lecture with Masato Kuwahara - 12:00pm-1:00pm PDT
-Panel featuring Suda51 (No More Heroes, Killer7, FSR), Fumito Ueda (ICO, Shadow of the Colossus), and Emil Pagliarulo (Thief trilogy, Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls Morrowind and Oblivion) - 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT

My thoughts:
If I had to guess, I'd say that my "safe bet" announcement is Professor Layton 2; as I said in another topic, the timing of the recent ad campaign for the first game does not seem like a coincidence. It would be surprising if Punch-out!! and ExciteBots were not playable after the speech, as they release next month. I would also imagine that we will get an update on Wii Motion Plus/Wii Sports Resort, along with an update on the SD card download thing that they talked about at the last conference.

Obligatory Digital Unrest comic from last fall's press conference:
http://digitalunrestcomic.com/strips/2008-09-22.jpg

Until tomorrow, why not pass the time by playing Double Fine Production's newest game, Host Master and the Conquest of Humor (http://www.doublefine.com/news.php/site/comments/host_master_and_the_conquest_of_humor/)? It stars the legendary hero Tim Schafer, as he tries to find the 22 legendary jokes before hosting the GDC awards; it has multiple endings and a hidden unlockable mode awaits.

[Strell]

Goddamn I love Tim Schafer.

Coincidentally, I am playing through Grim Fandango right now. I'm currently stuck though.

[sotc1988]

I'm not really expecting anything that will appeal to me. They haven't exactly been on a hot streak in my book so I'm not gonna get worked up with anticipation like I did last E3 (and we all know what happened there).

[The Crotch]

How can you get stuck on a game that you've played eleventeen times? An adventure game?

Unless it's the part in the mining facility where you have to use your scythe on the lock. Fuck that part.

Anyway, boo DSi, yay panel.

[Snake2715]

cool thanks for the reminder Strell.

[Strell]

How can you get stuck on a game that you've played eleventeen times? An adventure game?

Unless it's the part in the mining facility where you have to use your scythe on the lock. Fuck that part.



This is one of the few adventure games I've never played.

Thanks for the spoiler. :p

I'm in Rubacava trying to get Glottis to stop being such a lush and operate the damned forklift so I can get my union card. Since I know somehow it's all related.

[The Crotch]

Wait, what? NEVER PLAYED?

Also, it's not a spoiler. The puzzle is not what to do, but rather, how to do it.

I was also, like, 12 at the time, so that didn't help.

Oh, and spoiler: there's a mining colony.

[Strell]

So the puzzle is like the skeleton from The Dig.

[Reality's Fringe]

I'm saying Earthbound on the VC.


...What?

[BlueLobstah]

There's a chance we might hear something interesting, as Phantom Hourglass was announced at the '06 conference, but it's not likely. I wouldn't expect something really big to be announced until e3, or possibly even later in the year in October.

I think we're likely to see more information on motion+ and possibly some new games that tech advantage of it. Beyond that is anyone's guess, but the GDC is a good venue for that sort of thing.

[Cao Cao]

Well, Iwata just took the stage, so far Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gdc-satoru-iwata-keynote-soon-live-report) has the most effective live-blog I've found so far, though GoNintendo's (http://gonintendo.com/?p=76796) blog may be better at reporting more pertinent information. 1up (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3173429)'s live-blog isn't that bad either

[Wolfkin]

Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5183222/nintendos-satoru-iwata-gdc-keynote-liveblog-party)has a blog up that's pretty easy to follow.

y aknow i like the Kotaku feed over Eurogamer because of the update noise. it means I can read something else b/w updates.

[Strell]

From Eurogamer's blog:

Also during the keynote, we'll be playing GRAPHWATCH. Iwata will score one point every time he shows us a graph pointing up. Two points for a pie chart. What do you reckon his final score will be, readers?

8 billion.

Another good one:


"His (Miyamoto's) concepts almost always begin in the same place - by simply observing other human beings. He loves doing this. He's curious, and when he sees something people enjoy he'll consider over and over what part of that activity people think is fun."

Ker-eeeeeeeeeeepy!


There are lots of photos of Miyamoto and Iwata sitting together in an office. They are laughing, One of them has probably just reminded the other one how much money they've got.

Heh.

11:29:52 -

There have been no graphs for a full 18 minutes now.

wat

[Cao Cao]

Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5183222/nintendos-satoru-iwata-gdc-keynote-liveblog-party)has a blog up that's pretty easy to follow.

y aknow i like the Kotaku feed over Eurogamer because of the update noise. it means I can read something else b/w updates.

Of course, an update noise will help when you're downloading your storage update (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219019) to play games from SD cards.

[BlueLobstah]

So far, the conference has been all, "We have Miyamoto and you don't!"


http://files.simgaming.net/miyamotokidnapping.jpg

Now there's a pic of Miyamoto wearing a cowboy hat and a bandanna, next to a message saying "Random Employee Kidnapping".


:lol:

[Strell]

11:32:13 -

From Tom: The Wii system software has been updated so that you can download stuff to, and run stuff from, SD cards. This appears to include all channels, WiiWare and VC games.

Iwata better have studied up on his English since he insisted on doing this speech himself, and this shit better be true.

[Cao Cao]

Yep, the update was released this morning. It allows you to launch games from the SD card, according to Knoxximus, where it takes about a minute to copy the game to internal memory.

[Strell]

Man, these Euro doods are pretty funny.


11:32:30 -

Now there's a pic of Miyamoto wearing a cowboy hat and a bandanna, next to a message saying "Random Employee Kidnapping".

11:34:29 -

"Mr Miyamoto believes the kidnap victim must figure things out for himself. I call this Miyamoto's Over the Shoulder view." There's a frightening slide of Miyamoto standing behind a pretty lady playing the DS. She does not appear to be aware of his presence. He is grinning.

11:33:22 -

Nintendo employees are randomly kidnapped by Miyamoto, perhaps in the corridor. He is "handed a controller and told to start enjoying himself". It's like a focus group, but with no set questionnaire, no topics for discussion, and no instructions on how to play.

11:34:47 -

"When the kidnap victim is happy, the team has succeeded. When they are frustrated, the team has failed."



Interesting way of doing internal research, actually.

[Cao Cao]

Thought this was a somewhat interesting bit about Rhythm Tengoku for the GBA:
Eventually team was whittled down to five: the five best people for making a rhythm game. (Rhythm Heaven for GBA.) Problem: took too much time. By the time RH launched in Japan, DS had been around for ages, too late to introduce game for US and EU markets. (insert sad face)

[Strell]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Einzell/miy.jpg

[Cao Cao]

Damn your kidnapping ways Miyamoto! Quick, someone get Hironobu Sakaguchi and Takahashi-Meijin (Master Higgins) on the case!

[Wolfkin]

Even more compelling, is that Wii Balance Board install base is creeping up on the PlayStation 3's install base - Kotaku

wow. that's just sad considering so few games support the board

[BlueLobstah]

GRAPHWATCH: another horizontal. The installed base of the Balance Board is almost matching that of the PS3 - looks about 14 million to 16 million for PS3.

:rofl: Oh Iwata, you are so funny!

[Cao Cao]

From Kotaku about Rock n' Roll Climber for Wiiware:
9:47
McWhertor: Rock & Roll Climber for WiiWare is about to be demonstrated
9:47
McWhertor: it uses both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in tandem with the Balance Board for rock climbing
9:48
McWhertor: It's a very straightfoward realistic style, with a meter that represents the shifting of weight on the Wii Balance Board
9:48
McWhertor: There's lots of shimmying and ragdoll animation happening on screen
9:48
McWhertor: Here comes the rock and roll part
9:48
McWhertor: When reaching the top of the waterfall, the climber grabs a lime green flying V guitar and rocks out

EDIT: Now Bill Trinen is on stage talking about the new SD card menu

[Strell]

11:47:51 -

A chap called Jonathan has come on stage with a balance board to demonstrate it. He's from Nintendo of America. Didn't catch his surname, sorry.

For a split second I was hoping this was Jonathan Blow with announcement of his new project.

It is talking about that weirdly trademarked named "Rock 'n Roll Climber" from a few days ago though.

[Strell]

McWhertor: Here comes the rock and roll part
9:48
McWhertor: When reaching the top of the waterfall, the climber grabs a lime green flying V guitar and rocks out

Lmfao.

[Strell]

"I'm very excited to tell you I am here to show you a menu," says Trinen.

Wat.

[Snake2715]

Oh so I am very glad now that I didnt send my wii off for repair yet.. i will go home update and copy all my crap off so its safe in case they replace my wii..

I know I could have re downloaded the games, but I would have lost my saves in World of Goo etc. and that would have sucked.

say thanks to procrastination.

[EXStrike]

http://www.vg247.com/2009/03/25/gdc-vg247-live-from-the-iwata-opening-keynote/

9:56
WiiWare Final Fantasy, a sequel to Life as a King, out this year.
9:56
FF4 out this year.


9:57
Original FF coming to VC, may be followed by five more.

[Cao Cao]

Final Fantasy Wiiware & VC info:
9:55
McWhertor: My Life As a Darklord: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is coming to WiiWare, a sequel to My Life As A King

9:56
McWhertor: Also arriving on WiiWare will be Final Fantasy IV: The After Years later this year
9:56
McWhertor: Finally, Final Fantasy is coming to the Virtual Console service
9:56
McWhertor: first up is Final Fantasy, natch
9:56
McWhertor: other titles in the series will come to Virtual Console at some point in the future

[Wolfkin]

if they want to be really nice to us they'll port VII to WiiWare.. hahah see how i make funny?

ehh no biggie i got I-VI on GBA/DS only one I'm missing is :ds:IV but I got :gba:IV so I'm good.

[BlueLobstah]

9:56 WiiWare Final Fantasy, a sequel to Life as a King, out this year.


Sold. I have points in hand, ready to go. I wasted so many hours on the first game.

[Gameboy415]

I'm going to download SO many VC/WiiWare games this weekend.

SO fucking MANY. :D

[Strell]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Einzell/KIDNAPPED.gif

[Strell]

Now he's going to show a video made by someone more artistic. A boy opens his mouth, a plane emerges. Donkey Kong. A kid with a machine gun, a kid on a skateboard. A super Mario level!

This is all I've ever wanted in life.

[Wolfkin]

Sold. I have points in hand, ready to go. I wasted so many hours on the first game.you know it did look fun but the pricing structure seems a tad muchfor me. maybe if i get some spare points I'll check it out. if I can convince my nephew it's not gay maybe he'll like it.

[Cao Cao]

10:05
McWhertor: Iwata has a little bit more news apparently
10:06
McWhertor: Virtual Console Arcade
McWhertor: coming are Space Harrier, Gaplus, Star Force, Solvalou, The Tower of Druaga, Mappy and more
(1up) 10:06
Expansion of Virtual Console for arcade games. OH MY GOD YES "Return of Ishtar" is one they're showing off? You crazy man.

[Cao Cao]

10:07
McWhertor: A Nintendo DS game.... get hyped
10:07
McWhertor: A little train's rolling down the tracks, engineered by Link
10:08
McWhertor: Visually, it looks very much like Phatnom Hourglass
10:08
McWhertor: Dungeon maps are shown on the top screen, with action on the bottom... just like Phantom Hourglass
10:09
McWhertor: The real appeal is obviously driving a train in the Zelda universe, one with a mounted cannon on the locomotive
10:09
McWhertor: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
10:09
McWhertor: "This new DS title is tentatively named The Legend of Zelda; Spirit Tracks. It will be available this year."

[Wolfkin]

Zelda?

[Strell]

Neat. Arcade games.

All they need to do at this point is somehow enable Saturn games.

Bring on Mario and Excitebike Vs!

[EXStrike]

10:07
Train sounds.. it's Zelda on DS? 10:08
Zelda railroad building adventure with dungeon goodness.

10:08
OK, I guess they did show a new Zelda after all. I was wrong!

[Wolfkin]

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

or how Zelda became the new Mario.. whored out to every new game genre

[Strell]

The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks - that'd be what it's called then.

12:09:05 -

Zelda is reading something to Link, who is wearing his train outfit. Now he's back on the train and using a cannon. Now he's fighting a giant scorpion thing.

Link is a damned conductor now. Hum.

[BlueLobstah]

The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks

wut

[Strell]

CHOOOOOOOOOOOO CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

All aboard the train!

[sotc1988]

Nothing I'm interested in but if I had a DS I'd probably pick up that zelda game. Final Fantasy Wiiware could be cool, but the last one just seemed like something I would never buy.

[Wolfkin]

come to think of it Link is probably one of the only Nintendo mascots who hasn't been whored out of his genre. Smash aside Samus was in pinball, Kirby was in Golf, Mario .. is Mario but what has Link done..

[RelentlessRolento]

k... smeone explain to me the difference between the arcade section and the wiiware section...?

best news out of this is def the new firmware... no more bitching.

[Cao Cao]

Well, the keynote's over:
-Storage solution
-Rock & Roll Climber for Wiiware
-Final Fantasy for Wiiware (My Life as a Darklord and FFIV: The After), and VC
-Arcade games for the VC
-Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS

10:15
New Zelda looks better than my description probably makes it sound. Looks like a fairly traditional Zelda portable game, with puzzle dungeons and Phantom Hourglass-style touch mechanics. The train basically works like the boat in PH, running along the overworld (presumably on a rail defined by players). Enemy control mechanics look pretty nice -- link distracted a big Zora with a controlled shadow guard, then snuck around to hit it from behind.

[BlueLobstah]

you know it did look fun but the pricing structure seems a tad muchfor me. maybe if i get some spare points I'll check it out. if I can convince my nephew it's not gay maybe he'll like it.


The DLC is not necessary, aside from maybe the dungeon packs. This could've easily been a full retail game with only a few minor additions. It's very addicting and well worth the points. I'd recommend looking into it sometime.

[Strell]

k... smeone explain to me the difference between the arcade section and the wiiware section...?

best news out of this is def the new firmware... no more bitching.

I imagine they are trying to create something akin to MAME. We'll have to get more information though.

At the least, this might mean (as I said) the Vs series that Nintendo had in arcades back with the NES. They were built more around multiplayer. So there was Excitebike Vs. for example that had two tracks, meaning two player competition.

Also, generally, the arcade games back then were superior to the home console versions. I know Mappy vs Mappyland is a huge difference.

We'll get more information soon.

[Wolfkin]

k... smeone explain to me the difference between the arcade section and the wiiware section...?

best news out of this is def the new firmware... no more bitching.wait are those two section? I thought they were just calling them 'arcade' games like a genre or maybe highlighting some WiiWare games. Like it's the WiiWare Arcade sorta like the Spring Fever on PSN and .. whatever it was called on XBL

New Zelda looks better than my description probably makes it sound. Looks like a fairly traditional Zelda portable game, with puzzle dungeons and Phantom Hourglass-style touch mechanics. The train basically works like the boat in PH, running along the overworld (presumably on a rail defined by players). Enemy control mechanics look pretty nice -- link distracted a big Zora with a controlled shadow guard, then snuck around to hit it from behind.I'll hold off on my prejudices. I'll wait until I can see it before I judge it but Link on a Train doesn't like the Link I want to be playing.

E: Oh and I just remembered the Link FPS (CBT) so I guess he has been whored out before.

I'm gonna head home and grab some food.. maybe play some Smash. I'm all jazzed for Nintendo atm. Oh.. I'll put a VC game on a SD card and put some time into Mario RPG.

[BlueLobstah]

I'll hold off on my prejudices. I'll wait until I can see it before I judge it but Link on a Train doesn't like the Link I want to be playing.


Maybe this is "Steampunk Zelda" all those crazy people have been clamoring for.

I'm actually really surprised that no motion+ stuff was talked about. Since this is/was a developer's conference I was highly expecting more details to be announced.

[ArthurDigbySellers]

Moving all of my WiiWare and VC games to SD as we speak. It is about damn time!

BTW, it took roughly 5 seconds to launch Megaman 9 from SD. Remember, it has to copy the game from SD to Wii memory before it launches so it could take longer on bigger games.

[Wolfkin]

you know that's a very good point. The week isn't over but where IS the talk about motion plus. that would be some interesting reading

[EXStrike]

Spirit Tracks pics

http://www.joystiq.com/photos/the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks/1452086/

[Strell]

Link's conductor suit is just....hilarious.

[The Crotch]

So the puzzle is like the skeleton from The Dig.
Well... I guess you could say that, though that turtle was actually pretty easy to me.

And looking back, I'm not sure how I had so much trouble with the lock puzzle.

Also, HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT FINALLY!

[EXStrike]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65uKGGbOwTg

[Cao Cao]

The Suda, Ueda, Pagliarulo panel is finished:
Summary (http://gdc.gamespot.com/story/6206727/gdc-2009-east-meets-west-on-all-star-panel?tag=top_stories;story;6)

Kotaku article (http://kotaku.com/5184115/team-icos-fumito-ueda-tries-to-describe-his-new-game)

At today's Evolving Game Design panel, featuring Emil Pagliarulo of Bethesda Softworks, Goichi Suda of Grasshopper Manufacture and Fumito Ueda of Sony, the creative lead of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus discussed his future.

It was actually Suda who asked the question on everybody's mind "Can you tell us about the new games you're working on?" fielding the request to his co-panelists Pagliarulo and Ueda.

Pagliarulo said, safely, that "We're working on lots of [Fallout 3] DLC. Future Fallout games? Who knows, but there are a lot of ideas brewing upstairs." Ueda, however, was even less forward.

Ueda first warned "I think there are Sony Japan bosses are here, so I better not say too much."

"Probably, it will be similar to... um," Ueda said "Well, the essence of the game is similar to ICO."

"Who is your partner?" Suda prodded.

"Don't ask me anymore!" Ueda begged, clearly not ready to talk about his follow up to Shadow of the Colossus.

Suda offered to throw himself on the spike, saying that Grasshopper collaborator Shinji Mikami was "working on a horror game." Unfortunately, that's something we knew long ago, as it was revealed to be in that genre when EA announced its partnership with the Japanese developer.

Guess we'll have to wait a little longer to see what Team ICO is hard at work on.

[Lone_Prodigy]

Where's my Wii Zelda? DS Zelda is nice though.

[The Crotch]

Where's my Wii Zelda? DS Zelda is nice though.
Would you rather the game get announced now and you have to wait three more years and two more delays to get it, or have it announced some time close to completion?

Not sayin' that that's what's happening, just saying that maybe, for once, Nintendo has learned its lesson with Twilight Princess and Brawl.

[RelentlessRolento]

Suda FTW as always.

[lilboo]

Mmmmm My Life as a King sequel! HOPEFULLY it's just as good!

[Wolfkin]

for the record now that I've actually seen the trailer for :ds:Zelda I'm a lot less opposed to it. I thought it was a train game from the descriptions. Instead it's a normal Zelda with a train instead of the boat and I can deal with that. Ugh. that just reminds me how much I need to get WindWaker. that and Minish Cap are the only Zeldas I don't have.