Dream-On Studio talk Wii

[Retro_Link]

http://www.cubed3.com/news/7061/1/Touch_the_Dead_on_Wii_&_DS:_Dream-On_Studio_Spills_its_Guts

 

Interview with Dream-On Studio

 

Eidos has recently been revealed as the publisher for the game once known as Dead 'N' Furious, now re-named as Touch the Dead on the Nintendo DS. Other than a few details about how the game is similar to the likes of Sega's arcade favourite House of the Dead, it has been pretty much flying under the radar. However, Cubed³ was able to catch up with French developer Dream-On Studio to discuss as much about the project as possible, as well as find out some exclusive morsels - like a future Wii version and so much more! Get ready for a very revealing interview...

 

Cubed³: Could you please introduce yourself and let our readers know what your role is on the project?

 

Ben Yoris: My name’s Ben Yoris, I’m director of Dream On Studio. My role on the game was to co-ordinate the team and work together with our publisher Virgin. I also participated in the main game concept in the early stages of the project.

 

C3: How large is the team that is currently working on Touch the Dead for the DS?

 

BY: Touch the Dead is now a finished project. There were 6 to 8 people involved in the game.

 

C3: Will the game remain exclusive to the DS or will you be looking to port it to other systems at some point?

 

BY: So far this is a DS project. But we’d like to consider it on the Wii also.

 

BY: Considering how well you are implementing the use of the stylus and touch-screen, do you think Touch the Dead would work equally well with the Wii and its unique control system?

 

BY: We think the game play could be easily adapted to the Wii. Of course the Wii would offer more possibilities in terms of motion detection for close range weapons, for example.

 

C3: The game is stated as being an ‘on-rails tactile shooter’ – could you explain this a little, please? Will it be similar to games like House of the Dead?

 

BY: Yes, it’s similar to those arcade games where you do not control the camera but have to focus on advancing without being hurt by the enemies. All the gameplay is based on this: you have weapons with limited ammo and you have to reload frequently. You must reload and manage your weapons/ammo smartly to avoid being overwhelmed by the zombies. Powerful weapons have limited ammo, that’s why we call our game a “survival shooter” in comparison to arcade games where ammo is not limited.

 

C3: Other than the touch-screen, how else will the DS features be used? Can we expect any use of the microphone or even Internet play via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection?

 

BY: We have implemented a wireless mode for 2 players in order to offer the same experience as in similar genre arcade games. In another version we may try to implement some microphone or Wi-Fi features.

 

C3: The game only has four chapters. Does this mean the experience will be quite a short one? Or is it broken into more separate stages to make it last longer?

 

BY: Each chapter is divided into 3 levels. At the end of each chapter you will encounter a boss. We have tried to make this game progressively difficult so that you won’t finish it at first try. A system of shooting stats allows you to get back some life points and this becomes crucial in the later levels where enemies become stronger and faster.

 

C3: Other than the co-operative story mode via local wireless, is there anything else being added for multi-player gaming?

 

BY: No, I’m afraid not.

 

C3: So far have you come across any issues with the DS hardware or had any restrictions that have forced you to leave certain aspects out?

 

BY: The DS hardware is smooth and fine, if you respect some constraints. Among them, the number of polygons you can display. Once you know exactly how many animated enemies you can display, you are free to create the level design as you like. Of course, we always want to display more and more, but I’d say we are satisfied with what we could do.

 

C3: Where did the actual inspiration for Touch the Dead come from? And do you see it developing into a long-term franchise in the future?

 

BY: Touch the Dead comes from our love of arcade games like the House of the Dead or Time Crisis. Also we are fans of zombie movies such as Zombies, Shawn of the Dead, Romero’s movies etc…All of these sources gave us the idea of a tactile shooter on DS.

 

C3: You currently have three other projects in progress – Nightmare Buster, Treasure Quest (GBA) and Space eXploration Rally (DS). First of all, will Treasure Quest remain a GBA project and can you tell us about the game, please?

 

BY: We’re moving Treasure Quest to the NDS. More details to come later.

 

C3: Will SXR be in a similar vein to the F-Zero, Wipeout and Extreme-G games? Considering Electronic Arts has already struggled to make a high speed game on the DS (with Burnout and Need for Speed both failing), are there any worries about how high you can keep the frame-rate SXR on the DS?

 

BY: SXR is in the same vein as WipEout, but in wild areas, not on circuits. The first prototype we did runs at 60 fps but we have to add some more features before we can tell if it will remain this smooth.

 

C3: Will more information, such as the format and genre, for Nightmare Buster be revealed soon? Is there anything exclusive you can tell us about it, please?

 

BY: Nightmare Buster is no longer a priority now.

 

C3: What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s Wii in general? Do you think it can compete against the powerful PS3 and XBOX 360?

 

BY: As a gamer, I have the greatest hope in the Nintendo Wii. I really think powerful graphics and effects are one thing and game play is another. Take Gears of War for example, which is a great game. You enjoy the quality of the game, it’s “next gen”. But basically you do something you already did in other games: advance and shoot. On Wii, I really think you will create some atmosphere and implication by the movement and the human-console interface. I think this is as important as the graphics and technology. Once the player is immersed in such an atmosphere, whatever the graphics, they will want to re-play.

 

C3: Out of the Wii games you have played or seen in action, what are you anticipating most?

 

BY: I’m very fond of FPS games and the Wiimote seems perfect for these kind. Also party games should be very fun with friends to play along with.

 

C3: Nintendo is very keen to get developers to create smaller projects on the Wii’s Virtual Console. Would this idea appeal to you at all, considering the lower risks involved?

 

BY: Yep. We’re actually thinking about it.

 

C3: Finally, what games have you been playing lately? And is there anything in particular you are looking forward to getting your hands on?

 

BY: Lately I’ve played God of War on PS2 and Resident Evil 4 on GameCube. I like the atmosphere of these 2 nicely done games.

Touch the Dead would be a cool edition to Wii's catalogue!

 

Sounds like they are great fans on the system and it's great to here they could soon be developing for Wii and the Virtual Console!