Montreal International Game Summit: devs talk Wii

The upcoming hip Nintendo console sure has captivated the hearts of gamers and non-gamers alike. And it probably is continuing to do so, this is Nintendo’s goal after all.

Anyway, the devs are also smitten by this unit as well, and at the Montreal International Game Summit, they tell us why.

Panel of bigwigs. To cap the said event, a panel of video game bigwigs discussed all things Wii. The panel moderated by IGDA executive director Jason Della Rocca, featured Yannis Mallat of Ubisoft Montreal, Andrew Eades of Relentless Software (Buzz), Greg Costikyan of indie portal Manifesto Games, Raphael Colantonio of Arkane Studios, Remi Racine of Artificial Mind & Movement, and Alain Tascan of EA Montreal.

Here are a few snippets of what the panel discussed:

The fresh twist. First off, Mallat said that devs want to try out new stuff, and the fresh twist (ew, that sounded like a juice commercial) the Wii has put into gaming sure is an appeal. He admitted that yes, “such innovation can also be a risk”, but he confidently said that they’ve prepared for it, so there’s nothing left but to grab that golden opportunity.

Graphics. Of course, despite the Wii’s innovation, there’s no doubt that the said unit’s graphical horsepower is inferior to its next-gen counterparts. However, we must put into account that Nintendo’s aiming for a “non-gamer” audience as well, and for those people, “graphics isn’t really an issue”. But that doesn’t mean the Wii games will have crappy graphics. After all, graphics is important in every video game.

The dream. To end the said event, the devs shared their dreams for the industry. “My dream is to embrace interactivity,” said Marat, “and through this to make sure we are here at the disposal of the creators, so that the gaming experience is more than just about spending leisure time… We’re going for positive culture impact.” Added Tascan, “We’re working on the most creative media ever. I’m living my dream every day.”

The upcoming hip Nintendo console sure has captivated the hearts of gamers and non-gamers alike. And it probably is continuing to do so, this is Nintendo’s goal after all.

Anyway, the devs are also smitten by this unit as well, and at the Montreal International Game Summit, they tell us why.

Panel of bigwigs. To cap the said event, a panel of video game bigwigs discussed all things Wii. The panel moderated by IGDA executive director Jason Della Rocca, featured Yannis Mallat of Ubisoft Montreal, Andrew Eades of Relentless Software (Buzz), Greg Costikyan of indie portal Manifesto Games, Raphael Colantonio of Arkane Studios, Remi Racine of Artificial Mind & Movement, and Alain Tascan of EA Montreal.

Here are a few snippets of what the panel discussed:

The fresh twist. First off, Mallat said that devs want to try out new stuff, and the fresh twist (ew, that sounded like a juice commercial) the Wii has put into gaming sure is an appeal. He admitted that yes, “such innovation can also be a risk”, but he confidently said that they’ve prepared for it, so there’s nothing left but to grab that golden opportunity.

Graphics. Of course, despite the Wii’s innovation, there’s no doubt that the said unit’s graphical horsepower is inferior to its next-gen counterparts. However, we must put into account that Nintendo’s aiming for a “non-gamer” audience as well, and for those people, “graphics isn’t really an issue”. But that doesn’t mean the Wii games will have crappy graphics. After all, graphics is important in every video game.

The dream. To end the said event, the devs shared their dreams for the industry. “My dream is to embrace interactivity,” said Marat, “and through this to make sure we are here at the disposal of the creators, so that the gaming experience is more than just about spending leisure time… We’re going for positive culture impact.” Added Tascan, “We’re working on the most creative media ever. I’m living my dream every day.”