Posted March 18, 2007 New artwork. Awesome, I really like the artwork for this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 20, 2007 I'm totally digging this game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 20, 2007 We're already seeing plenty of classics emerging for the Wii, from 3rd parties no less. The trailer for this is fucking incredible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 12, 2007 1st scan, 1st picture looks really nice! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 12, 2007 Th graphics are amzing in this. Oh i hope it will be good Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 12, 2007 1st scan, 1st picture looks really nice! The forest one? The one below that... Opoona Kart! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 12, 2007 Yep that forest one! Aahah i missed that kart one! Online mini game please! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 16, 2007 New images: More here: http://www.dengekionline.com/data/news/2007/4/16/f9d1ea9d10d79783b0439cb5458bcf4f.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 17, 2007 Shaping up nicely this one. Hope this doesn't get smashed between all the good stuff coming out this year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 17, 2007 Makes me think "Lego Star Wars RPG" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 17, 2007 It could do with a Menu redesign...other than that, looks nice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 18, 2007 New images: Source: http://www.dengekionline.com/data/news/2007/5/18/3f3423c457df15c154bc45ed1aa75112.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 18, 2007 Some nice screenies there, pedrocasilva. I really hope this game turns out to be pretty good. Does the wee timer/ pie chart/ countdown thing in the top right mean that there's a limit to battle times? Maybe it means you have a certain amount of time to make a turn? It seems that two mins is what it is when full - surely thats ample time to make a turn...? (I'm assuming battles are turn based, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). I think the sunset scene is my fave of those ones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 18, 2007 Some nice screenies there, pedrocasilva. I really hope this game turns out to be pretty good. Does the wee timer/ pie chart/ countdown thing in the top right mean that there's a limit to battle times? Maybe it means you have a certain amount of time to make a turn? It seems that two mins is what it is when full - surely thats ample time to make a turn...? (I'm assuming battles are turn based, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). I think the sunset scene is my fave of those ones. I don't know, but I'm going with that too, or related to that; that timer must be the time you have to make a turn, but I don't really know. I also think it looks pretty good, shame from the full blown (640x480) screenies the game has some noticeable jaggies that could be avoided, and could detract from the game in HDTV's (since the outlines are in black, it makes it more evident), I also hope they make a 16:9 mode for it. I hope this game turns out well, I'm liking how it's a lighthearted RPG (visually at least), but I still hope the big guns come and deliver epic story-driven RPG's Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 18, 2007 Yeah the graphics looko a bit angular, but I was hoping thats just cos its stills - hopefully itll be less noticeable in action...? Widescreen mode would be good too. I definitely like the style of it, but just because it seems like a simplistic game I'm hoping that the story has good depth and is reasonably engaging. Kinda like Tales of Symphonia, cartoony but addictive with good characters and a scenario that keeps bringing you back until you get it completed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 27, 2007 Yet more images: Source: http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20070525/opn.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 27, 2007 This game has really caught my interest. Looks like a nice, quirky RPG. Only concerns are it looks a little repetitve, and the camera angles might cause a little trouble. Other than that i'm really looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2007 Interview: Q&As// Opoona Developers It’s not often you get ‘All-Star’ casts in videogames, to the extent that those working on a game are world-renowned for other high-calibre projects. Enter ArtePiazza, a KOEI studio comprising four all-stars of the Dragon Quest game series. Its first project is a brand new RPG for the Nintendo Wii, called Opoona, and the entire game is controlled by the Wii’s Nunchuk – the Wii Remote isn’t even required. This is not the only step outside the usual confines of the RPG format (or formula depending on your stance). ArtePiazza is also moving the focus away from the standard “single hero†or “chosen one†dynamic to one in which the family unit becomes centrally important. To learn more about this curiously creative game, SPOnG spoke to Art Director Shintaro Majima and Planning Director Sachiko Sugimura about how Opoona plays, what its message is and where the concept came from. SPOnG: First, could we get a little background information on yourself? What interested you about working on video games and how did you get into the industry? Shintaro Majima: I have always liked drawing since childhood, but I wasn’t specifically aiming to become a videogame CG creator. I majored Industrial Design in school. After graduation, a friend of mine offered me a chance to create a videogame package illustration and logo design. One day I saw on TV the footage of the videogame I took part in creating, and it was a shock to me. Nowadays it is not surprising to see videogame footage on TV, but at that time it was a culture shock. And that made me very interested in videogames as an interactive media. I still create illustrations and logo designs, but when I create designs for videogames, I always pursue that excitement of visual expressions, which is a special quality as an interactive media. SPOnG: The underlying theme of Opoona is relationships and family. Why did you decide to develop the story around this theme? Sachiko Sugimura: For me, it seems that there are more people who feel this world we are now living in is not as happy as the world in the past. In such circumstances, what evoke our hopes for the future are an existence of lively children, and the existence of adults whom children can look up to as their ideal. Family is the simplest form of such human relationship. And the relationship with friends and the surrounding people enriches the experience in life. In Opoona, I wanted to express that every single person means something and that the world grows and changes in accordance with the loving relationships among all people, instead of depicting the main character only as a special existence. SPOnG: Opoona looks very creative and inspirational – would you say the philosophy behind the Wii has helped to create this new style of RPG? What were inspirations in creating this new universe? Shintaro Majima: I have always been interested in modern architecture and industrial design since I was in school, and the idea of expressing them through visual media has always been in my mind. These days there is more interest from the public in this field, and such creations are introduced on media to general public more and more. Not many videogames adopted this approach, but I believe this style will be accepted to the users, including the new system to shoot Energy Bonbons and the scenario to get a job and work. It wasn’t the starting point to have got inspired by Wii, but I think Wii’s “clean†and “something new†style will certainly overlap Opoona’s image. SPOnG: The entire game is said to be controlled via the Wii Nunchuk. How will gameplay work in both battle and adventure modes, and in what ways do they use the accelerometers in the hardware? Sachiko Sugimura: The RPG is a highly popular genre among game fans in Japan. This time, we wanted also to appeal to people who don’t play games very much. Nunchuk has only two buttons and one control stick – which enable users to play casually while relaxing, eating, or in any form just by one hand. That is the reason we concentrate on taking full advantage of Nunchuk and we don’t use the accelerometers. SPOnG: There are many environments that Opoona can travel to. What types of landscapes can we expect to see in the game and how long will it take players to see all Opoona has to offer? Shintaro Majima: From the modern, futuristic dome city to wild nature, mysterious ruins, floating saint shrine and to a labyrinth of the dark… there are a variety of landscapes you will see in Opoona. We aim to find the most attractive blend of some reality and some imagination. There are also modern art pieces here and there in Landroll. They are planned by the modern art creator, Tatsuo Majima, (brother of Shintaro Majima) and you will enjoy it as a little virtual museum. Please allow yourself about good 30-40 hours to travel thoroughly in Opoona’s world. SPOnG: Can you explain a little about ‘Tomodachi Levels’? You can gain abilities and adventures from building relationships, but what kinds of scenarios we can expect to maintain bonds with other characters? Sachiko Sugimura: First, it is important that you try to get to know people on your own. Talk to people when visiting new places, make an effort to have yourself understood and to understand people. By keep doing that, you will become “Tomodachi†with someone in the course of time. The next step after becoming “Tomodachi†with someone is to gain trust from Tomodachi. If the Tomodachi is your boss at work, you will gain trust by completing tasks as expected, and if the Tomodachi is a person who has troubles in his love affair, he will be grateful if you help solve problems. For example, the marine specialist “Sea Master†protects “Shachirukaâ€, the species under fear of extinction. In such case, participate in protect activities such as finding food for Shachiruka in order to deepen the relationship. SPOnG: There are different jobs such as ‘detective’ and ‘idol’ that Opoona can undertake during the course of the game. How will the missions/adventures for these different assigned jobs vary from one another? Sachiko Sugimura: Depending on the job, the experience varies very much – the different place to work and the activity itself. We can compare it to a game system – In accordance with the difference in jobs, there are different play features similar to the games such as: “Adventure game (puzzle or problem solving)†“Simulation game†“Action game†There are main jobs and additional jobs. Main jobs are the person’s primary job, which everyone on Landroll must have – such as “Landroll guardâ€. It is up to the players whether they would like to have jobs other than their main job. But it will certainly help to have licenses for such additional jobs, in order to get involved in more activities and get chances to explore bigger part of the planet. It is also helpful to get additional licenses that, by obtaining licenses; the player can gain more ability. There are many ability parameters, which don’t change by simply levelling up through battles. SPOnG: Will Opoona use any of the Wii’s other features, such as the Wii Remote for minigames perhaps, or the WiiConnect24 service? Sachiko Sugimura: At first we didn’t use any other features, because we concentrated on users being able to casually enjoy the game through simple control with Nunchuk. We call it “Easy play by a thumb, with Nunchuk only!†However, users can also use Wii Remote if they like. SPOnG: You guys have been called an 'all-star' development team - how does it feel to be a legend? Shintaro Majima: It is such an honour that the users evaluated our past creations and remember us. That gives us more freedom to try new things in our future production. However, we have a lot of things we would like to challenge rather than appreciating our past productions. So, we don’t feel like a “defending championâ€. We are only on the start line to really make a legend! SPOnG: What has it been like developing for the Wii compared to other consoles? Shintaro Majima: I am not really particular about Wii, in aspect of hardware structure. My expectation to Wii is that there may be a fresh appeal to new users that this game is not targeted to a small group of hardcore gamers. SPOnG: The graphical style of the game is very family-friendly. A lot of titles for the Wii have taken this angle. From a developer’s point of view, do you feel that more mature games could suit the Wii as well? Shintaro Majima: At a certain point in the past, I had a feeling that videogames were only for a small group of users who liked that particular style. From that point of view, I think it is important that we return to a starting point and try to create a game that everyone can enjoy. Opoona is certainly a game which all family members will enjoy, but we didn’t emphasize a style which appeals to children. Rather, we aim to create a high-quality entertainment which has an appeal to adults. It will be interesting if we can make something to spur a feeling – something like a childhood’s yearning to adulthood. SPOnG: What have been the highs and lows of developing Opoona so far? Have any interesting anecdotes to share? Shintaro Majima: Every day was the repetition of highs and lows, naturally the process to create something new is a lot of fun and at the same time takes a lot of pain. The beginning of Opoona was my drawing – I drew the thing which appeared in my dream, when I was taking a bath just after waking up. I drew it by finger on the bathroom mirror. That was already almost a final design of Opoona – but being so simple means that a subtle change during sophistication can make drastically different impression. So it took a very long time to finalize designs. SPOnG: What games other than your own projects are you looking forward to this year? Shintaro Majima: I can’t mention specific names, but I look forward to seeing a simple and high-quality title. I personally enjoy creating Mii, and I feel that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a “game†that I enjoy. Ideally, I would like to look forward to our own project. That would be the best reward to working in a videogame development. SPOnG:Thank you very much for your time. Source: http://spong.com/feature/10109587?cb=282 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2007 Really looking forward to this one What's got me a bit clueless, is how are they planning to put the Nunchuk to use without the Wiimote, seeing as it needs to be connected via the cable to function, no? And even if it doesn't need to be chained, you'll have a wire dangling in your lap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2007 Really looking forward to this one What's got me a bit clueless, is how are they planning to put the Nunchuk to use without the Wiimote, seeing as it needs to be connected via the cable to function, no? And even if it doesn't need to be chained, you'll have a wire dangling in your lap. They're thinking of using it like you do with classic controller, it plugs to the wiimote, but you don't use the wiimote. Although from this last interview they say you can although the game is being developed with the nunchuck in mind. I'm loving some aspects of the game; I wish we had a release date. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2007 I like the idea of one handed gaming. I can play powerball and Opoona at the same time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 2, 2007 New videos: -> http://www.jeux-france.com/downloads7812_video-opoona.html (1) -> http://www.jeux-france.com/downloads7811_video-opoona.html (2) Looks beautiful I dunno why... but second video reminds me a little of Earthbound even (and now that I think about it more parts of the game give me that vibe too) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 2, 2007 I like the idea of one handed gaming. I can play powerball and Opoona at the same time. And ma.... eat a sandwich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
