News: Shattered Memories Designer Responds on Mature Games Page 2

Shattered Memories Designer Responds on Mature Games

22.01.2010

Shattered Memories Designer Responds on Mature Games on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Speaking to the Official Nintendo Magazine, the lead designer on Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Sam Barlow, has discussed his views about On-Rail shooters. His views go in response to the recent claims from Capcom and SEGA, that mature games don't sell very well on the Wii.

He also commented about his own game and how Wii users do want to play games aimed at the older audience on the Wii.

Without badmouthing people, a lot of the games they've been complaining about are rail shooters and a rail shooter wouldn't have sold no matter what platform you put it on because it's a rail shooter and that's a niche genre that had its heyday back in the Dreamcast era.

Ultimately the way we looked at it was that there's a huge audience who own Wiis, we own Wiis and we know that amongst that audience there is a sub-sect who love dark stories, thrillers, mysteries and horror movies and so the development of Shattered Memories was all about removing the obstacles to those people enjoying this game.

If they really enjoy a good horror story, they should enjoy this so we've tried to create a product that has broad appeal but does something

Do you agree with Sam Barlow views?

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Martin_ 24.01.2010#26

It's a fair point that he makes. Too many 'proper' games on Wii get watered-down a lot from other platforms and made into simple rail-shooters.

Simes 24.01.2010#27

Yeah even beat em' up could find a way of becoming a rail shooter on Wii. The Wii version of Zelda will be Spirit Tracks 2.

crackedthesky 24.01.2010#28

Simez said:
justonesp00lturn said:
If Mikami's name is in the credits for RE5, it's either special thanks, or because he created the franchise. He had NOTHING to do with the game's development. I can find you an interview where he says he won't even PLAY it, because he doesn't want to play through thinking about how he would've made it differently.
Anyway, I"m pretty sure he doesn't work for Capcom and didn't when RE5 was made.
Well that's where you are wrong because amongst about 20people he's is credited as a Designer, not "Special Thanks" or "Special Guest" or even "Lead Designer" his names sits about 14th on the list of "Designers". He was part of the development team. The original Resident Evil team Capcom Prod. Studio 4 created RE1, REC, RERebirth, RE4, Killer7 (Co Production). At this time Mikami was working for a functioning Clover (Kamiya left). Clover were made to work on RE5's development as well as Umbrella Chronicle. Mikami was not credited in that game.

Then why'd he say this:

"I won't like it, because it's not going to be the game I would have made, It'll just cause me stress if I play it. I think it could be fun for gamers to play it, but not for someone who has developed Resident Evil games."

If he was involved at all, it was at a miniscule level. And anyway, my original comment was referring to in a writing or directorial position, which he msot definitely was nowhere near for RE5.

NNID: crackedthesky
My blog, mostly about writing: http://www.davidjlovato.com

Simes 24.01.2010#29

Let me change around Batmans little speech from Batman Begin to the context of the question your asking

"It's not what I say in interviews, but what I dooo, that defines me"

He had a boss, and his boss told him to help design that game. No one said anything about directing, I said he was part of the development team. You said he had NOTHING to do with the games development, I said he did and he did.

( Edited 24.01.2010 17:05 by Simez )

crackedthesky 25.01.2010#30

Simez said:
Let me change around Batmans little speech from Batman Begin to the context of the question your asking
"It's not what I say in interviews, but what I dooo, that defines me"
He had a boss, and his boss told him to help design that game. No one said anything about directing, I said he was part of the development team. You said he had NOTHING to do with the games development, I said he did and he did.

Actually, I said since he has no involvement with the series anymore, we aren't going to get another great Resident Evil game. But I guess you can nitpick a different post I made that has nothing to do with the conversation at hand.

But if you're going to do that, you might want to make sure you're right, first. Mikami is credited in RE5 because he was an ART designer. As in he did the designs for Chris, Jill, and Wesker for the first game and the same designs were used for Resident Evil 5. It's like how George Lucas is credited in every Star Wars book released because he came up with the characters, despite having no other involvement whatsoever.

NNID: crackedthesky
My blog, mostly about writing: http://www.davidjlovato.com

Simes 25.01.2010#31

justonesp00lturn said:If Mikami's name is in the credits for RE5, it's either special thanks, or because he created the franchise. He had NOTHING to do with the game's development. I can find you an interview where he says he won't even PLAY it, because he doesn't want to play through thinking about how he would've made it differently. Anyway, I"m pretty sure he doesn't work for Capcom and didn't when RE5 was made.

Sighmez, you said he had NOTHING to do with the development, now you're saying he is and that he designed the characters (even though the faces were scanned from a real life person) it would still be PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT of the game.
I'm not sure you know what design means in games development. He's not a character designer he isn't even an artist.

A game designer's a person who designs gameplay, conceiving and designing the rules and structures of a game.

George Lucas sucks and lives in Myanus, it's a real place in America. Google it.

( Edited 25.01.2010 11:16 by Simez )

crackedthesky 26.01.2010#32

Simez said:
justonesp00lturn said:If Mikami's name is in the credits for RE5, it's either special thanks, or because he created the franchise. He had NOTHING to do with the game's development. I can find you an interview where he says he won't even PLAY it, because he doesn't want to play through thinking about how he would've made it differently. Anyway, I"m pretty sure he doesn't work for Capcom and didn't when RE5 was made.
Sighmez, you said he had NOTHING to do with the development, now you're saying he is and that he designed the characters (even though the faces were scanned from a real life person) it would still be PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT of the game.
I'm not sure you know what design means in games development. He's not a character designer he isn't even an artist.
A game designer's a person who designs gameplay, conceiving and designing the rules and structures of a game.

George Lucas sucks and lives in Myanus, it's a real place in America. Google it.

Yes, I said that, based on his words in interviews. That was not my point though. And no, I'm not saying he was a part of the development. He was credited for work he did in 1995. That doesn't mean he was there when they made the game.

You can nitpick that all you want. But no, he ws not a developer as you said he was.

I'm not sure why you're saying he wasn't an art designer, that's the ONLY thing he's credited as. He isn't credited as "game designer," he's credited as "art production." Not sure why you can't seem to grasp that, but here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473298/fullcredits#cast

Nowhere does it say that he was a game designer. Stop making things up. Mikami didn't work on RE5. He's said it himself in interviews. He made the credits on a technicality. Now can we move on?

NNID: crackedthesky
My blog, mostly about writing: http://www.davidjlovato.com

Simes 26.01.2010#33

his name's in the credits

If he is credited then he is part of it, not sure why you can't grasp it. You just gave evidence proving he was part of the team and you're saying he isn't credited. Seriously it's like a head first contradiction, you just made the effort to make yourself look stupid good job.

Vous êtes vraiment un petit garçon muet qui ne sait pas ce que l'enfer il dit.

( Edited 25.01.2010 23:12 by Simez )

Stulaw 26.01.2010#34

Two angry camels in a car.

Argument Over.

crackedthesky 26.01.2010#35

Simez said:
his name's in the credits

If he is credited then he is part of it, not sure why you can't grasp it. You just gave evidence proving he was part of the team and you're saying he isn't credited. Seriously it's like a head first contradiction, you just made the effort to make yourself look stupid good job.
Vous êtes vraiment un petit garçon muet qui ne sait pas ce que l'enfer il dit.

I never said he isn't credited, I said he isn't credited as a developer. You aren't even reading my posts. You're just throwing out petty insults based on nothing. If you're going to call someone stupid, at least read what they said before trying to use their words, out of context, against them.
I trust Shinji Mikami's words on the matter more than I trust the things you make up without having read into it.

Getting back on topic:
Are the PS2/PSP versions of this game out yet, and how close are they to this version? I don't even know how they're planning on putting it on those systems, the motion controls are a HUGE aspect of the game and the storyline.