Diminutive Diatribes: The Power of Goodwill

            With net neutrality being an issue at the moment, I'm reminded of the simple statements of Nash Bozard who said that, without goodwill, we will abandon a company the instant we are able.  He was referring to the abysmal business practices of ISPs and how they have frustrated and abused their customers to the points where the instant they are not needed, their customers will toss them aside.  Well, it's the same with game companies.

Shouldn't game companies do the same?

            Goodwill is kind of an essential thing in this era of gaming, where prices are higher, income is lower, and the options are much larger.  In the 80s and 90s, you had only a few options for play, namely Nintendo, Sega, PC, or perhaps a third party console like the Turbo Grafx.  But now, we have dozens of digital distribution websites, 3 major consoles, 3 backlogs of consoles from the previous generations, and not to mention handhelds.  There are literally hundreds if not thousands of games being released every month, in some way shape or form.  So, with that many options, you have to hold onto your fans with as much vigor as you can muster, not push them away or squeeze them dry with shady business tactics.  Because a fan whom you have treated well will stick with you through thick and thin.  They'll forgive a few botched experiments, so long as you let them know you respect and care about their business.

The options we have here are staggering.

            A good example of this is Nintendo.  Nintendo has made several unusual choices in gaming in the last decade or so.  They released the Gamecube with a distinctly child-like/toyish design, they made motion control a core part of the Wii and the Wii U is meant to emulate tablet gaming.  These experimentations might push away core fans if not for the simple fact that 90% of the time, when you buy a Nintendo game, you know you buy quality.  Nintendo may not french kiss all their fans and they've made their share of mistakes, but in the age of buggy launches, early access, and outright scams via Kickstarter or Steam, it's refreshing to pick up a Mario or Zelda game and know that 1) it will work right out of the box, no patches necessary, 2) it will be a high quality experience, regardless of any experimentation, and 3) it will be accessible by almost anyone.  Fans love Nintendo because they continue to give them quality, even if the games themselves sometimes seem to repeat.  More than that, Nintendo has also generated a pseudo culture around itself, where it appears friendly, offering fans rewards via the Nintendo Club and basically making themselves seem approachable.

You bought a Nintendo game?  Come on up and pick your reward!

            On the other hand, let's look at Steam, of late.  Steam used to be a great example of a company that understood and generated goodwill with its customers.  They have frequent sales of their games and until about 2011-2012, the products released on Steam were of proven quality.  They could have bugs or patches, but they were still strong, enjoyable games that were well worth the money.  However, recently, Steam has started to become unstable.  They have released a glut of shovelware titles onto their marketplace, which, with this new influx of trash, has become harder to navigate to find the quality items, their early access releases have no quality control so a game can be for sale at full price that is effectively broken or released as a scam to take money, and their attempt at getting new, innovative products through Greenlight has been a rather depressing failure, with some games being inspiring, such as Octodad, Bunny Must Die, or La-Mulana, while other releases have been appalling disasters, such as Guise of the Wolf which is laughably bad in every way and Kingdom Rush, which was so bugged upon release that it was unwinnable past level 3.  Worse, when you start abusing your customers like this, policies that you've implemented that weren't a big deal before start becoming more apparent.  The sometimes intrusive, sometimes not DRM Steam uses to both protect your games, but also monitor you, the no refund policy under most circumstances, and the abusable comment and review systems are only a few.  When compared to GoG, which will offer refunds if your game does not work, which frequently gives out free, classic games, and which still uses a high level of quality control, coupled with DRM free titles, Steam starts to seem less and less reliable.  And if they continue, they may lose many of their regular customers to GoG, Desura, or Green Man Gaming.

Oh, Steam...what have you been letting into your inner circle?

            Now, let's look at one of the worst.  EA.  EA has frequently screwed over its customers with DRM through online passes, released buggy games, such as Simcity, which was unplayable offline at all and unplayable online for the first few weeks, and forced players to register with their online service Origin if they want access to EA's games.  These kinds of policies push consumers away and have been lampooned by people far wittier than me(See Yahtzee Croshaw or Jim Sterling.)  The sad truth is that EA doesn't value its customers.  Apologists might argue otherwise, but EA sees them as a way of making a quick profit and will do anything to get more money, such as including micro-transactions in a full price game, forcing DRM to try and shut out pirates, and releasing games too early in order to gain some quick profits.  They may be pretty big, but EA has also dealt with a lot of controversy.  Lawsuits over Battlefield 4, the outcry and hilarious media disaster that was Simcity, piracy STILL happening despite their best efforts to force consumers to prove their loyalty, etc.  If these continue, EA will lose customers...they've already been losing customers.  A franchise players love will only care a company so far.

Need I say more about EA?

            My point with this is to try and emphasize the obvious.  If a company abuses its customers, even if the abuse is something as minor as releasing a buggy game that lacks polish, then they are risking losing them.  You have to engender goodwill in your consumers if you want them to be loyal.  Elder Scrolls fans have cried foul of Bethesda on many occasions because of the bugs, but mostly forgive the series because of how deep, enjoyable, and moddable it is.  Elder Scrolls Online has pushed that, requiring a sixty dollar commitment, a fifteen dollar further commitment if they want to play the game at all after buying it, and the option of using real money to buy things like horses.  They have cast aside a lot of goodwill there.  Likewise, Konami and Kojima productions are risking reprisal when Metal Gear Solid 5 gets released due to their $40 demo sold under the title, Metal Gear Solid 5 Ground Zeroes.  Sales may be strong now, but the internet remembers...the internet remembers and it does not always forgive.

75 dollar entry fee...was Elder Scrolls Online worth it?  Goodwill, wasted, needlessly.

            Even companies like Nintendo need to be aware of how they COULD be engendering more goodwill.  Mother fans would bow down and welcome their new god, Nintendo, if they announced the release of Mother 3.  RPG fans the world over and nostalgia buffs would flock to the Wii U if cult hits like Rygar, Terranigma, and other titles would grace the Virtual Console.  And Nintendo isn't above mistakes either...the Retro Remix games they have released is dangling dangerously close to cash in, with links to the Virtual Console to buy the full version of the sample game that you can play.

I've got my eye on you, Nintendo...

            In the age of dwindling sales, game companies need, more than ever, to be willing to bow their heads, take a little bit of a pay cut here and there, and say to their fans, "Thank you for sticking with us."  The truth is, we don't have as much money, but we do have more games and more options for buying and playing them.  Hell, it's at the point where we don't even need to pay games, since something like Hearthstone or Loadout are free to play with no required buy in.

100% free to play.

            So, what can companies do to let gamers know they care?  Well, first, they can be straight with them.  Be honest if you're having problems.  Don't hide it and push your buggy game onto the market.  Say you need more time...say it might not be up to snuff...gamers will respect you more for being honest than for trying to pretend things are okay when they're clearly not. 

A little honesty might have made this less painful, Gearbox...

            Next, companies can talk to gamers like people.  Communicate not corporation to consumer, but gamer to gamer or developer to gamer.  One thing Kickstarter does well is it allows the creators of games to directly talk with and engage their fans in updates and comments.  It wouldn't be that hard to implement for anyone who's bought a game digitally.  No cryptic salesman bull crap, but just talk like a normal person.  Hell, even a regular podcast would do wonders for PR. 

            Another good way to engender goodwill is freebies that aren't just being held back or that aren't just shovelware.  Think about what would happen if Sega gave a Steam gift code to one of their titles on Steam, like Beyond Oasis, Vectorman, or the Sonic games, with each new purchase of a current game.  Fans might not use them...but they might.  They'd remember that a good game was given to them, even if it was old.  And what does that cost Sega?  Nothing.  It's a digital game made years ago.  There's no real overhead.  Extras in game packages that AREN'T collector's editions also work well with this.  Soundtracks, figurines, posters, anything that makes a gamer feel like they're getting more than their money's worth is smart and a good way to engender goodwill.

Still awesome years later, an easy way to earn kudos points with gamers.  Give it to them for free.

            Probably the best way to make gamers love you?  Listen to them and give them what they want.  Not in terms of game design I mean, since then we'd get more and more Call of Duty Clones, but for example, many Konami fans miss Suikoden or the Metroidvania style Castlevania games.  So, give them one.  If you can't make a new Suikoden game, for whatever reason, make the older ones more accessible.  Suikoden 2 is STILL awaiting release on the PSN...if it had been released 4 years ago, when the service was getting going, Konami would have been heaped with praise.  Now, we're just praying it doesn't get cancelled.  And these games?  Yeah, you might take a little loss on them at first, but think about all the people you will hold onto because you said, "We listen and we care."

C'mon, Konami, stop dragging your feet...

            The smaller things a game company can do to generate more goodwill is to not take advantage of the goodwill they've already got.  See, goodwill is like money in a bank.  It accrues interest the longer you have it and don't spend it.  If you keep getting goodwill, or even if you just don't abuse that goodwill, it will deliver in spades.  So, don't release buggy games if possible.  Don't force DRM.  Don't make on disc DLC.  Don't hold back content so you can release it AS DLC.  If you just release a game and put your all into it, you'll earn goodwill...and even if you don't, you won't squander it by abusing your consumers.

            I just wanted to write this up to remind people that sometimes, you need to play the long game.  Goodwill is like an investment.  You won't see an immediate return on it, but if you want to retire...it's a good thing to have.  It will keep making money even if you start to stumble or lose your way because you have respected and stood by your fans and they will, in turn, stand by you.  Companies need to take note, before it's too late.  You might make your money now, but sooner rather than later, your fans will abandon you when a new company, one that respects or at least doesn't abuse its players as much, joins the scene.  If you don't get people who will stand with you...then you'll have no one to help you when it all comes crashing down.

Not even great Galactus can do it alone...

            Woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up.

                                                                                                - Ecclesiastes 4:10

Creator Spotlight: Kiyoshi Sakai

            If ever there were a developer I never expected to spotlight here, it would have to be Kiyoshi Sakai...mostly because I didn't know the name of the developer I had such admiration for until...about a month ago, when I was doing research on a game I dearly love.  Why am I spotlighting Sakai?  Two words.  Umihara Kawase.

Kiyoshi Sakai has practically no pictures online, but Umihara Kawase is his child and his face in the gaming community.  So, ladies and gentleman, meet Umihara.

            Umihara Kawase is a small series of games based around young Umihara.  And yes, this was another Japanese only game introduced to me by the fantastic Justin Carmical, who showcased it in his second You Can Play This video.  I could go on and on about that, but we're here to talk about Kiyoshi Sakai.

            Sakai is the very definition of a niche/independent publisher.  Hardly well known, works typically in informal wear such as slacks or in apartments, and is rather shy in demeanor and very seldom makes appearances.  What I can say about Sakai, though, is that he is a damn fine programmer.  Sakai himself is quoted as saying, "I’m good at making complex game systems.  I designed the game myself, and I did it in a way where I could use my ability to come up with a complex game system. I built the game design around that skill."  Translation?  Sakai is able to program a system that is remarkably complex in it's execution, but very easy to use.  That being said, most of Sakai's games have an incredibly high skill ceiling, making experts on youtube seem akin to gaming gods.

It takes skill to get to the bosses of the game and a ton of skill to survive them.

            Unlike most of my previous spotlights, Sakai has actually been around for a long time.  He got interested in game design due to his father buying a PC for work and he fiddled around with it, learning to program from there.  Sakai wanted to create something with his knowledge and this led to his career in game design.  He got started in the early 90s and his first commercial title as published in 1994, when the first Umihara Kawase game was released by NHK for the Super Famicom.  The game sold modestly well, but NHK faded into the background while Sakai's child, Umihara Kawase, lived on and had several sequels and ports.  Sakai himself is only credited as working on five games.  Four Umihara Kawase titles and the original Ape Escape.  Umihara is Sakai's legacy, as he created one game for the Super Famicom, one for the Playstation, one for the Nintendo DS, and his latest title for the Nintendo 3DS.  The PSP port of Umihara Kawase was made by an outside team.

            Now, I love Umihara Kawase, but it is damned hard...and I have Sakai to thank for that.  The game features a cute girl named Umihara in a strange otherworld in habited by fish who walk on land and strange larger than life items, like vegetables or bicycles.  Her only defense is her ability to jump, run, climb and use her elastic fishing pole, which she can use to reel in fish, or latch onto objects.  This is where Sakai comes in.  While he designed all the game mechanics on his own, what is jaw dropping is the physics engine.  See, Umihara can use her fishing pole to swing from ceilings or walls to try and get to new places.  Some of these swings are insanely hard, requiring momentum, precise angles, and a combination of the jumping and climbing mechanics on par with rom hacks, swinging from ceiling to ceiling with nothing but an ocean or a bed of spikes underneath.  For 1994, this physics system was amazing and has never been replicated except by, ironically, Sakai himself.  Like Bionic Commando, it features swinging from roofs and walls, however there is so much more finesse at play with Umihara, that I'd say the only comparable physics engine is actually in Portal, which uses momentum in a similar way.

Takes some out of the box thinking to make the physics engine work for you in this game.  It takes skill.

            What is perhaps more shocking is that Sakai hasn't worked on more games.  In fact, his Umihara games have been made by different studios each time, with the only real constants being himself and the series illustrator Toshinobu Kondo.  So, I want to give Sakai a bit of a spotlight for this amazing game system.  It is a testament to his talent as a developer that, for the Super Famicom, he created a physics engine on par with, if not better than, most modern ones.  Sakai doesn't really see any problem with a lack of recognition for himself or his series, though.  In fact, the most recent game in the series, Sayonara Umihara Kawase, seems to be closing the door on the series, and he's satisfied with how far it has come.  It would seem that Sakai saw game design and programming as a challenge and something that he enjoyed doing just for the hell of it, rather than getting rich off a franchise.  By his own admission, he built a prototype on his own and showed it to a friend who was working with NHK and asked if they could work together to make a video game out of it.  Despite this somewhat laid back appearance, Sakai has led the charge with all the Umihara games, being the visionary who has kept the series going.

Yes, that's a giant radish and a huge tadpole.  No, I don't know why.

            If I had to give a complaint about Sakai, it's his lack of story focus and at times his informal demeanor.  In truth, Sakai himself admits that Umihara Kawase came to be because of a happy accident.  The games feature almost no story, despite Toshinobu Kondo's illustrations of Umihara and the world around her seemingly begging for a Miyazaki-esque fairy tale to provide context to the weird world of giant fish, oceans, and rivers.  It features some unusual imagery that does actually make players wonder...like in the original game, bicycles, vegetables, and certain other things that in Japan might be related to childhood or how in the sequel there are hints at a more grown up perspective, with pencils and school supplies dotting the landscape.  All the while, the background focuses on rivers and oceans, hinting at recreation and the imagery of another life that might be an obstacle for Umihara's enjoyment.  Even Umihara having fishing as a hobby was just because Sakai thought it would be cool for her to do that in order to make his mechanics work.  He didn't set out to make a fishing game at all.  Ostensibly there is no story and even the game's title, Sakai admits to creating just on a lark.  Umihara Kawase refers to the choice cuts of meat on fish, Ocean Stomach, River Back.  Kondo's illustrations beg for more context to this world...

Sakai, I wanted to know more about Umihara.  Please, tell me more.

            Umihara Kawase has never seen an English release, but in 2014, English speakers are going to get their first taste of it through Yumi's Odd Odyssey on the 3DS.  Honestly, I'm super excited, but I also hope it's not the end.  The game seems to have a story of sorts attached to it and it will be our first taste of some translated Umihara goodness.  For many, it will also be their introduction to the hardcore, but oddly satisfying mechanics that has become Sakai's hallmark.  I would like for more people to know about Umihara Kawase and Kiyoshi Sakai, because they're just fantastic, all over.

Sayonara Umihara Kawase on the 3DS, known in the States as Yumi's Odd Odyssey.  Check it out to witness Sakai's mastery in action.

            Kiyoshi Sakai has little information floating around the web about him, lacking even a proper wikipedia page, but there was an interview with him on USgamer and he is credited on Giant Bomb.  Umihara has little information about it, but to see it's madness and it's beauty, this youtube channel is the best way to go.  And please, support Umihara Kawase by buying Yumi's Odd Odyssey on the 3DS.  It's a digital download from the eshop and is well worth the price.  Give it a look!

Diminutive Diatribes: In Defense of Metroid: Other M. What can we learn from it?

Unlike a large majority of the Metroid fans, I'm one of the few people who actually enjoyed playing through Metroid: Other M on the Wii.  While I think it is remarkably flawed, I also saw flashes of brilliance in the narrative.  And while it failed on a number of levels I did enjoy PLAYING the game...for the most part.  So, with Metroid receiving some new attention due to the recent Kotaku article on thehistory of the series, minus Other M, I think it might be important to examine Other M, both what it did right and what we can learn from it about Metroid and video games in general.

Alright, let's do this.  Let's examine Other M, flaws and all.

            First, let's talk about what Metroid: Other M does very well.  Body language.  While the script and the internal monologues are...flawed at best, the body language of the series is actually done pretty well.  My favorite example of this is the epilogue, which has very little spoken or monologued speech.  However, near the end, our heroine, Samus Aran, finds the helmet of her former comrade, hugs it close and then carries it out with her before setting it on the seat of her gunship and leaving.  This speaks volumes about the respect and meaning this one person had for her.  Likewise, throughout the game, you will see subtle movements by the character, like a bowed head or reaching out in concern that, while different from previous Metroid games, speaks to the spirit of the series of showing rather than telling.  We learn Samus is compassionate or strong through her movements.

That pose and that expression say all we need.  Words at this point would only cheapen the moment.

            The script, while flawed, isn't necessarily as bad as people think.  The real problem with it is the internal monologue.  Throughout the series, Samus has spoken very little, giving her the feeling of a solemn, thoughtful individual.  She has spoken in Metroid Fusion and I don't mind her speaking in Other M, as real humans, especially those who have to interact with others, have to talk.  The real problem is that the internal monologue paints her as a submissive, weak, childish girl rather than a strong, solemn, mature woman.  Now, whether or not Samus has these thoughts in the midst of her hunting, I don't know, but if she does, we don't need to know it.  The dialogue itself is actually not that bad.  It's a bit dry, but it feels very much like the movie Alien, with a crew of people, some very close, exploring an abandoned/infested space station.  It plays to the environment.  Take away the internal monologue and the dialogue here is actually much closer to Metroid Fusion and not nearly as bad as people think.

When we're not listening to the dreadful internal monologues, we've actually got a decent script.  Samus and a group of soldiers exploring a hostile environment full of alien monsters and an unknown agenda...draws heavily from the Aliens series and that's not a bad thing by any means.

            The gameplay is stellar, for the most part.  The 2-d side scrolling uses 3-d models, but still holds very true to the feel of Super Metroid.  It's fast, fun, and very easy to pick up and play.  The controls are fluid and the shifting from 2-d to a 3-d viewpoint, while a bit clunky, makes excellent use of both control modes of the Wii-remote.  It offers a new dimension of gameplay, but still stays true to the spirit of the original.  The graphics are beautiful, with impressive particle effects and stellar designs overall for monsters and characters.  The environments also offer both familiar and unique environments that Metroid fans will eat up.  Music is also competently done, with a re-worked Metroid theme and sound effects as well as nice ambient sound and music throughout.

Dear lord is this game a feast for the eyes and a real treat to actually play.

            So, the game has a passable script, excellent graphics, gameplay, sound, and some blocking(character movement) that feels very close to the original series.  The game is enjoyable to play...but let's not give it too much credit.  The game, in Team Ninja's hands, made several key mistakes. 

No, really, they gave Metroid: Other M to Team Ninja.  The breast physics guys...oh dear...

            First, is the portrayal of Samus.  This includes the script and some specific moments of blocking.  Metroid has never been a series which relied heavily on cut-scenes, however Other M does to an extent...and this isn't necessarily a good thing.  Normally, a Metroid game focuses on organic gameplay for storytelling and character development.  We become closer to Samus by playing her.  However, the organic gameplay runs counter to the constant internal monologues and a few key scenes.  The most egregious of these is when Ridley appears and Samus freezes up, morphing out of her suit in a panic.  Samus has killed Ridley four times.  This runs counter to our knowledge and Samus's experiences.  Likewise, flashbacks showing Samus's past are not really necessary.  They use the internal monologues to try and build a set of traits to make it appear as if Samus has a deep relationship with another character, however, we don't need that.  We know who Samus is by now and trying to shoe horn anything in, after almost six adventures previously, will ring false.  For example, a thumbs down signal introduced in Other M is supposed to be endearing because of Samus's past...but it isn't, because it is shoe horned in and runs counter to what we know about Samus.

Yeah...not endearing, not charming, not relevant.  This character bit was never mentioned in previous Metroid games and is barely relevant here.  Samus has depth...you don't need to needlessly shoe horn any in.

            Next, trying to railroad the plot through interactive cut scenes.  Other Metroid games have railroaded the plot organically, by creating areas that cannot be accessed without powers from an area that will be easier to surmount.  However, in Other M, many elements of the plot cannot progress unless you go into first person mode and look at one specific patch of screen.  It's very difficult to actually find the right patch of screen, because there are no indicators and the game doesn't make it clear what you should be looking for.  This is a large problem because it not only breaks the flow of the game, it also can be game breaking, if someone does not find the exact spot the developer programmed to move the plot along.

While First Person Mode seems like a good idea on paper, forcing us to look at a very specific patch of grass to advance the game is...just stupid.  Be honest.  It is.

            Finally, just general laziness when it came to scripting and story development.  There are some interesting ideas in this game.  Making Mother Brain, a largely organic super computer, into a human is an intriguing idea.  The use of cloned Metroids by Samus's employers opens up new ground for emotional development through body language and initiating doubt or concern that could tie into Metroid Fusion, making the transition much smoother.  The inclusion of a character who's goal was to kill the others show shades of Metroid Prime 2 and Metroid Fusion and offered opportunities for inventive boss battles and tension...which were not used and feels completely wasted, as the plot thread is largely forgotten mid way through the game.  This kind of waste...of squandering potential...is rife throughout the game.   

This is what we could have gotten in Other M.  A pitched battle with an intelligent opponent on par with ourselves.

Instead, we got the Eraser...whom you never fight in-game and who only serves to pick off the less developed members of your group.  Huzzah...

         For example, all Metroid games need a reason for Samus, who at the start is very powerful, to be weak so the players can have a feeling of progression.  Some have Samus getting damaged in blasts or radiation, having to get new suits due to infection or what have you...Other M just has Samus deciding not to use her powers because a man she respects, but who has no power over her as she is an independent agent, might not want her to.  This is lazy.  Have her activate an EMP trap, or have the traitor attack her, or have something to make her lose her abilities and regain them.  It's not hard to write them in.  When you are making a Metroid game, you cannot afford to half ass it, as the series depends so much on organic gameplay and a good set up.

Hand to god, Samus has the ability to withstand lava but doesn't use it until her superior gives her permission, right at the start of this boss fight.  Seriously.  That's the best you could come up with, Team Ninja?  Making her get "permission?"

            So, what can we learn from this?  Well, for starters, do not take a character in a radically different direction because you want to "Appeal to a wider audience" or make them "Hip" or try and put your vision over a well established character.  Fans of that character will call bullshit and be very, very angry.  Also, rigorously test the game so that you do not find an area that is game breaking or which is too byzantine to understand.  You need to make a game flow smoothly and trying to force a detective section in an action game is just out of place and will break the flow.  Try and match the gameplay styles together rather than forcing something in where it doesn't belong.  Finally, if you are going to make a game, put your all into it.  Don't settle for a weak script due to deadlines, don't introduce an idea that has potential, then drop it down the line, don't try to reinvent the wheel...if you have a good formula, stick with it.  To that end, learn from your successes as well as from your flaws.  Body language can be used to great effect.  Merging styles can be an effective tool and you shouldn't be afraid to try, just don't implement it if it's going to break the flow.  Take the good parts of your script, such as those featuring Samus acting in character, and use those as building blocks for future scripts with her.

Dialogue in a Metroid game.  Metroid Fusion proved it can be done well.  Take what you learned from Other M and do it RIGHT next time.

            Now, I know all these things can be difficult to implement, but if another Metroid game were made, hell, even if it were put into Team Ninja's hands again, I think that if they learned from their mistakes, it could be a fantastic title.  Metroid: Other M plays very well and if you can get past the flaws, and ignore the internal monologues, then even hardened Metroid fans can still find the game enjoyable.  However, that doesn't excuse its flaws.  I say, Metroid: Other M is a decent and fun game, but it's important to take a game, even one we might enjoy, and hold up the flaws so that they can be learned from.

Don't give up on Metroid because of Other M, Nintendo.  Learn from it's flaws, build on it's successes, and you will have a WiiU game like no other.

For those who can't guess, I probably won't move into reviews in my spare time, because there doesn't seem to be an interest, however I may give certain games special examination if they have something that they can teach.  And, I think Other M can teach through its flaws as well as it's successes.

The Right Tool for the Right Job: The Wii and Wii-U

Okay, the Wii and the Wii-U have gotten a lot of hate.  The Wii from the hardcore crowd over the course of it's lifetime and the Wii-U for a lackluster launch lineup which has yet to improve.  However, what I think people often forget is that while both consoles have used gimmicks and tricks to sell games, their hardware do have specific strengths.  You can scoff all you want at the shoe-horned in bits of gameplay which rely on waggling the Wiimote or meddling with the Wii-U game pad.  I have no issue with that, as gameplay needs to be organic.  However, try and remember that hardware is created with specific things in mind.  Remember that while you shouldn't use a hammer to fix a shattered dinner plate, you should use a hammer to nail down a board.  The right tool for the right job.  Are the Wiimote and Wii-U controller often used for gimmicky gameplay?  Sure.  But the fact is, they do have practical uses that are both fun and engaging.  And I intend to discuss this with the gaming public because, while I think it's fine to demand developers stop using gimmicky controls, that doesn't mean we should declare a new piece of hardware a failure just because it does something different from what we're used to.  We need to encourage developers to use the right tool for the right job.

It's different certainly, but different isn't necessarily bad.  Both the Wii and the Wii-U have their strengths.  The important thing is recognizing the potential of their hardware and using the right tool for the right job.

            First, I want to look at the Wiimote.  This was the defining feature of the Wii.  Motion controls.  It was a way to attract the casual gaming crowd, but also a new way to experience old classics.  However, what many games did was try to FIND a use for the Wii-mote rather than build a game AROUND it.  Herein lies the problem.  If you have to find a use for a new piece of tech, chances are you're better off making a game in the traditional style.  Sure, it won't be as gimmicky and might not be as memorable...but it will be a lot more fun and will probably sell more.  So, what can the Wiimote's motion sensors do?  Well, the basic actions it seems to be good at are slashing, pointing, dragging, detection of distance and force based on position, and shaking.  Now, if a game is setup properly, it can make use of these features and actually create an engaging product.

One thing no one can deny is that the Wiimote offered a style of gameplay unlike anything we'd ever seen in the past.

            Slashing is pretty self explanatory.  Games like Dragon Quest Swords and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword focus on using the slashing action to determine speed, angle, and to mimic certain sword motions.  These work well for your typical action game, provided it's set up to recognize the slashes and to have a reason to do more than flail about, like an enemy who can block in one direction, so you need to slash in a different one.  And these two games do that well.

There's something inherently cathartic about slashing something to bits and this is one thing the Wiimote can do very well.

            Pointing actually has a lot of implications.  You can use it for an adventure game or a hidden object game, like Zak and Wiki, where it mimics the movement of a mouse on a PC.  However, they can also be used for light gun games, where if you point at an enemy, you will shoot it.  When done properly and either put on rails or integrated with competent movement controls, this makes shooters much faster, more intense, and more personal.  Games like Sin and Punishment: Star Successor or Metroid Prime 3: Corruption have proven this much.  It can also be used to simply set objective markers or to touch icons, like in Battalion Wars 2 where you can switch units by clicking on their icon or in Overlord: Dark Legend where if you click on something, your minions will either attack it or grab it.

Pointing and clicking isn't just for adventure games.  In terms of how the Wiimote is used, it can also greatly change how a console shooter is played.  That reticle on the screen?  That's where your Wiimote is pointing.  It offers a whole new level of control.

            Dragging was made very useful in the Trauma Center games on the Wii.  If you click on a specific tool, like a scalpel, or antibiotic gel, or sutures, then you can drag them across a surface to perform a specific action.  The brilliance of this type of game is that if done properly it can mimic something that is normally very difficult in real life and make players feel accomplished.  If you can break something down to dragging, you could easily make a slew of popular and fun Wii games out of many mobile titles and frankly, I'm shocked there was never an Angry Birds or a stand alone construction game, like Sim City, focused around dragging something a certain way.

Dragging sutures over a wound may not be how it's done in real life, but it makes for a fast paced and engaging play session in Trauma Center on the Wii.

            Detecting distance and force based on position sounds complicated but it boils down to this.  Sports games.  The Wii-mote detects the movement of your swing and the power based on it's position and how rapidly that changes.  A swing of a golf club, rolling a bowling ball, hitting a tennis racket, etc.  Boxing was also popular using this system and that has been proven to be adaptable.  The game Rage of the Gladiator used this system to take what amounted to a boxing game into a first person fantasy fighter game against mystic monsters.

Rage of the Gladiators showed that sports games weren't the only kind of game you can play with the ability to detect distance and force.  With a little inventiveness, you could do anything.  This game uses controls popularized in boxing to fight monsters in an arena with weapons, magic, and wits.

            Shaking is pretty minor, all things considered, but if you lack buttons or want to use a cathartic action, then it can be useful.  Wario Land: Shake it made you feel good about shaking the Wii-mote because you got money for it, making it very cathartic, or the Kirby: Return to Dreamland title allowed you to shake the controller to suck in things with greater force, eliminating the need for an additional button.  It's minor, but it does have it's uses.

Pretty minor as far as the Wiimote's capabilities, but still enjoyable.  Shaking does have its uses, after all.

            And of course, any of these different skills can be integrated to create a relatively unique and enjoyable game.  Red Steel 2 managed to including pointing and slashing in the same game by making you a gun slinging samurai.  Trauma Team combined dragging and pointing for doctor sessions and adventure game like triage and post-mortem analyses.  Wario Ware on the Wii combined all these actions in various forms in different mini games.  If you use your brain, you can actually get quite a lot out of these simple actions.

By combining what the Wiimote was good at, crafty game developers could create unique and interesting experiences, rather than trying to do what other controllers already did better.

            The problem with many developers was they either were trying to re-invent the wheel in terms of game design or they did not accept the system's limitations.  The Wii-mote's motion sensing should not be used in a platform game or an action-adventure or fighting game where a d-pad controller and standard jump controls would work better.  A Metal Slug game where you need to waggle the remote to throw a grenade is the opposite of intuitive.  A Wii-mote does not need to be used for games that already have decent control schemes and I think this is what scared off many hard core gamers.  They saw Mario Galaxy having the shoe-horned in star bit collecting when just replacing coins with star bits would have been more fun and accessible and grew fed up.  That aside, you also have to accept the limitations of the Wii-mote.  It can have trouble with path finding or is loopy for a little bit when it goes from off screen to on screen.  Some games allow you to recalibrate it's position and this can help, but...don't try and do something the Wiimote can't do.  If you want it to spin, don't, because more often than not, the motion sensors will just get confused.  Don't try and make it detect movements like reeling back, because if the sensor goes off screen, it will go all loopy.  And if you're making a long game, like an RPG, and want to use motion sensors, then either offer an option for an alternate control scheme through mundane parts so player's arms don't get tired, or make the game best suited for small spurts over a long period, so gamers don't get fed up with all the motion controls.

Collect 50 coins and get a life.  Collect 100 star bits and get a life.  To collect star bits, you have to use a shoe horned in Wiimote control scheme...why not just take out the coins and the motion gimmick and make the game more fluid?  Sometimes you need to know your limits, Wii.

            Now, this information is kind of useless posthumously aside from just making people try to appreciate the Wii when it does it's job right.  However, while the Wii may be done and games aren't really being made for it anymore, you can take these conventions of game design and use them for the Wii-U.  What does the Wii-U have?  It has a big tablet controller with a touch screen.  So, build a game around that.  A game that works intuitively.  In fact, mobile games might be a good place to look.  Get HD ports of games like Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, or Infinite Blade which require touch screen controls and have them work with the Wii-U tablet.  More than that, look to the DS and 3DS for inspiration.  You have a touch screen, so touch things.  Don't try and make the tablet give you information that you could have just as easily gotten off a TV screen, like with ZombiU.  Allow someone to go cooking or crafting on the Wii-U like with Cooking Mama on the DS.  Use the touch screen for path finding, like in the DS Zelda games, like Phantom Hour Glass.  Draw on the screen, like with Okamiden.  And don't forget what was learned with the Wii controls.  You can drag, slash, point, etc. on a touch screen just as easily as you can with a Wii-mote.  Make use of that.

Imagine how fun and intuitive this game would be on a Wii-U game pad in HD.  Mind.  Blown.

            Nintendo land is actually really amazing in this aspect, as, like Wario Ware, it shows a bunch of mini games showcasing the possibility of the game pad, from flicking on it to throw shurikens, to using it to guide a character with path finding, to touching the screen to alter certain parts of a level to keep a character from dying.  However, one thing I adore is that in some games, like the Yoshi mini game, is that they use the tablet in conjunction with the television.  This will be your big seller.  Don't use the tablet to replace information on the TV, but use it in CONJUNCTION with it.  Yoshi's game shows you a path on the TV, then you can look down at the tablet to drag out the path you want Yoshi to take.  Then, he will do it on the TV.  This is a great way to use the touch screen and it allows you to force cooperation with the tablet and the TV because your goals are only visible on the TV, but your path is only visible on the tablet...so you have to work together.

This is how you use the game pad right.  Make it work with the TV rather than fighting against it.

            What else can you use the tablet for?  Well, just some ideas, but...how about using the touch screen without forcing people to look at it.  Create item shortcuts on the tablet that you can just touch without having to look down to make an action game more intuitive.  This would take control and accessibility to a new level for games like Dark Souls.  Or have the screen as a blank canvas that you need to draw on, so you don't need to look at it, you can just draw and what you draw affects the world on the TV.  There are lots of possibilities, however you cannot shoe-horn things in.  Making the Wii-U a scanner seems like a good idea in ZombiU, as it allows you to use it as a sniper scope or scan for threats or see what containers have what items...however, because of the size and the effort involved, it feels really unintuitive and cumbersome, especially since you don't NEED the game pad to do these things...they can be done easier on the TV.  The Wii-U needs to find things that it can do, then build games around it's capabilities.  That's how you'll get hit titles.

Explain to me again why this couldn't be done on the TV instead of the game pad?

            Rayman Legends actually offers an interesting compromise between looking at the TV and looking at the tablet.  You can do either and still play the game, however in many sections, you can alter the environment with a quick swipe or touch on the tablet, opening up new paths for your character, however, often, you're timed or being chased, so you'll want to see all the action on the big screen.  This creates a choice.  You can sacrifice control for a short cut or a power up and risk taking a hit or miss the secret to survive.  It creates a dilemma where either path can finish the level, but where one may be more fun or more challenging than the other, opening up venues for replayability.  And it does this by mimicking a concept from DS games and their touch screen controls.  And that kind of experience will be unique to the Wii-U.  It's not necessarily a gimmick, but a different kind of choice.

Go for a straight run through, or use the game pad to speed things up and open up short cuts?  In Rayman Legends, the choice is yours.

            The Wii-U's biggest benefit is that it is not shackled to the TV, because the tablet does not require the TV to function...so, you could synchronize the Nintendo E-shop from the DSi or the 3DS with the Wii-U to play those games on the tablet in HD.  Or you could release games in a similar style to mobile or DS games, relying on a touch screen, that can only be played on the tablet.  The biggest problem, however, is that no one wants to invest in the Wii-U unless it has a proven concept which works, like the Wii did with some of it's early titles, like Punch Out or Dragon Quest Swords.  No one seems to know what to do and in the bloated AAA industry, few want to risk anything on the Wii-U's novelty and unique capabilities.

            The trick is to use the right tool for the right job.  Look at the Wii-U and what it can do...and build a game around that.  It doesn't matter how simple or ugly it is, so long as it uses the tablet and is fun.  If you create a game that uses it but looks like crap, release it as an E-shop game and take what you've learned to make a more complete game.  Just don't try and re-invent the wheel or mistake the Wii-U's novelty for limitless potential.  Embrace the limits of the tablet alongside it's strengths and work in conjunction with them.  And this goes for all new tech.  You don't need to create a survival horror game or a shooter for the Kinect.  What can the Kinect do?  Recognize movements.  Where would this be useful?  Dance games.  If Microsoft or it's partners don't realize the Kinect's strengths and instead keep trying to use the wrong tool for the wrong job, then...it'll flop with the Xbox One just like it did for the Xbox 360.  Same for the Playstation 3's sixaxis...it had a set of strengths to be exploited, but like the Kinect, it wasn't used to it's fullest.  A few good ideas were thrown out there, but...it was just too limited and the demand to use it died down.

Last I checked, no one was clambering for another Kinect horror game.  Why?  Wrong tool for the wrong job.  Use your hardware for what it's good at and you'll have better luck.

            Now, this little lecture on capabilities has two purposes.  The first is, of course, to defend the Wii and Wii-U.  Were they perfect?  No.  Could they be annoying?  Most definitely.  However, did they have some experiences that were almost completely unique?  I'd say so.  Trauma Team, Sin and Punishment, Dragon Quest Swords, and Metroid Prime 3 all used unorthodox control systems that actually worked and were more memorable and unique because of it.  And the Wii-U has the potential to do the same.  If people will give it a chance.  Secondly, whenever new tech comes out, be it a physics engine, a level designer, or a new motion control scheme, I have to encourage a developer to remember what the tool was designed for an to use it accordingly.  Does your game really need physics?  No?  Then don't build it around Havok.  Does your game make good use of the Unreal engine or would it be better with a made from scratch engine?  Remember.  Right tool for the right job.