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MIGS06/Arcadia: No PS3 love for Montreal
Last week, Montreal was the place to be for video games, between the industry-oriented Montreal International Game Summit, and the consumer-oriented Arcadia Festival. Both events featured show floors, allowing attendees to try out all the latest consoles and games ... except for the PS3, that is.Despite the strong presences of both the Wii and the Xbox 360, Sony failed to make the Playstation 3 available to play at either of the major Montreal events this past week, raising some interesting questions about Sony's dedication to the Canadian market.François Décarie, event promoter for the Arcadia Festival, cites delays of the console in the European market as reason for Sony failing to commit PS3s to the events, as well as the company's general shortage of launch units. In a brief interview with Joystiq last week, he remarked "You know, in Europe it's been delayed until March or something like that. We've talked with [Sony], but with the uncertainty of when they're coming out in the market, it was difficult for them to commit ... Not only that, they were talking about 2 million units, now apparently they're not getting the 2 million units for Japan and North America, meaning that you would have how many for North America? A million? And you make the equation, and you come down to say, well, how many available in Canada for them? And it was a bit of a risk for them to come here. And we understand, and we respect this."M. Décarie remains optimistic that Sony will be present at the 2007 Arcadia Festival: "Next year, we're pretty sure that once they get everything together they'll come back to the festival. They were here last year. So, I guess this year for them it was a difficult year to commit."
Joystiq interviews Elan Lee of 42 Entertainment
For most gamers, 42 Entertainment gained notoriety after creating i love bees, a massive Alternate Reality Game (or ARG) that served as marketing for the launch of Halo 2 on the Xbox. Since then, Elan Lee has been busy. 42 invited poker fans to graveyards across the States as part of the promotion for GUN, and helped launch the Xbox 360 with a unique "casual ARG." Recent projects, however, are pushing Alternate Reality Games away from the world of marketing, and giving them a life of their own. In his chat with Joystiq, 42's VP of Experience Design discusses Cathy's Book, an attempt to design an ARG under the guise of a young girl's diary. We also discuss Microsoft's ARG mishaps with the Our Colony campaign, and EDOC Laundry, the first alternate reality clothing line.And it just so happens than Elan is wearing one of the code-embedded garments during our interview.For starters, great shirt. Is this your favorite piece of EDOC apparel?You know, my favorite EDOC shirt is one that's coming out next week. We've got a winter line coming out with these really cool hoodies and sweatshirts, and long-sleeve shirts. It's this very cool serpent print, with a really fun code on it, and I'm very excited about it.Are you excited because of the design, or because of the code?My favorite shirts are always ones where the code compliments the design. One of the main problems I had with Season 1, the shirts that are currently out, is that we designed all the shirts, and then thought "Holy crap, we've got no time. Let's just throw codes on all of these." And we just found random ways to throw on the codes. For Season 2, we had a lot more time, so I got to sit down with our art director, Shane Small, and we designed them all at the same time. So it was "Well, what if that guy's head was tweaked a little to the left, and it was a weird semaphore type of thing?" and "What if that strange emblem was..." So, all of my favorite shirts are ones where the code doesn't seem slapped on, and it seems like this really wonderful synergistic merge of code and design.
Joystiq visits the Arcadia Festival in Montreal
This past Friday, after a long day of studio tours, we found ourselves at the 2006 Arcadia Festival in Montreal. The gigantic Uniprix Stadium was completely decked out with a wide variety of kiosks, consoles, and computers. And though the space was huge, it was filled with smoke, lasers, and plenty of noise. Promoter François Décarie proudly announced that they would be expecting around 20,000 attendants by the end of the three-day festival. To avoid sensory overload, he offered to lead us around the stadium on a one-hour tour, and we gladly obliged. If not for our guide, I doubt we would have had a chance to see everything the event had to offer in so little time.
Joystiq interviews Spore's Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker
On the first day of the Montreal International Game Summit, Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker presented a keynote on the topic of "advanced prototyping," specifically as to how it pertains to Spore, the game that currently occupies their time over at EA/Maxis. The same talk, given at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, was rated higher than any other presentation, including Will Wright's, their boss's. Before the keynote, Joystiq had a chance to chat with both Chaim and Chris, and discuss their impetus for joining Maxis, the evolution of Spore, and the relationship between Maxis and EA.You're both at Maxis now. How did each of you get there?CHRIS HECKER: We both started full-time the same day, actually.CHAIM GINGOLD: Yeah. I was at Georgia Tech doing a masters program in integration design and technology, and there was a required internship over the summer. My advisor asked me "where are you going to work?" And I was like "I don't know." She was like "Didn't you have an interest in working with games?" and I was like "It would be fun to work with Will Wright, not that that would ever happen. That would be totally crazy." And then one day I got an e-mail from him, saying "We're looking for interns." And then an hour later I got an email back saying "You got it." And so I got the internship, and at the time there were like four or five people working on Spore. That sort of really small team, and I spent the summer working on that. Everyone was crunching on TSO [The Sims Online], and when I got done they asked me back, so I came back.When was that?CG: I've been there four, five years now.CH: So, I was working in indie games for, like, eight years, and my wife was basically paying the mortgage. She kinda had the high-powered, executive job. And then, we had a baby, and she decided: "Well, I'm quitting. It's your turn to actually work." And I was like "Uh-oh! I guess I'm going to have to make some money." Indie games don't pay that well.
MIGS06: Insights into Wii Prince of Persia controls, thanks to Ubisoft CEO
On the Friday after the Montreal International Game Summit, Joystiq had an opportunity to visit several of Montreal's largest game studios along with a small group of other journalists, thanks to investment firm Investissement Quebec. While touring the Ubisoft Montreal studio, we sat down with CEO Yannis Mallat, who mentioned casually that a Prince of Persia game for the Wii was already in development, and coming along nicely.M. Mallat said that he had an opportunity to play an early build, and that the controls were fun and intuitive. According to him, the Wii remote could be manipulated to make the prince perform jumps and other moves, while the nun-chuk could be used to throw out the prince's chain.While a CEO could hardly be expected to say anything bad about his studio's game, it's good to know that the title is still in development, as we haven't heard anything from it in a while. Of course, it's also nice to have some ideas as to the control schemes being considered for the game.To keep this in perspective, however, let us remember that it was a passing comment regarding a game that is still very much in production. Any or all of the control details could change between now and the title's (eventual) launch. That said, it sounds like it could be fun to fling the prince around using the Wii remote. Thoughts?
MIGS06: Ken Perlin on "the illusion of life"
Ken Perlin, director of NYU's Media Lab, spoke at the Montreal International Game Summit on Wednesday on the topic of "revisiting the illusion of life." Who's Ken Perlin, you ask? Well, for starters, he's awesome.Perlin won an Academy Award in 1997 for his work in procedural textures. He's had a hand in a large number of CG movies (including TRON), and is getting more and more involved in the video game industry."The illusion of life" is a term that Walt Disney first used 60 years ago, and Perlin evokes it to ask the same question. Just as Disney hoped to do in animation, can games achieve "the illusion of life?"Perlin has been focused recently on emotion in real-time interaction. He believes that the videogame industry is in a unique position; unlike the film industry, it has the potential to direct its digital "actors" in real-time. The industry, however, can no longer rely on animators to generate emotion in characters, and it's becoming more and more important for the code to carry the brunt of the work. His first example of this is a real-time render of a face, based on his observations of a then-girlfriend. "My actual girlfriend had a higher polygon count," he admits.
MIGS06: Reggie keepin' it real on the show floor
We were told that Reggie Fils-Aime would be hanging out on the show floor of the Montreal International Game Summit following his keynote, but I didn't actually believe the man would do it. After not fielding questions, and making himself virtually unavailable for interview, I just assumed that Reggie considered himself to be on a different level than anyone else here. I mean, even Mizuguchi could be seen yesterday having a boxed lunch near the Ubisoft booth. Reggie clearly sought to solidify his larger-than-life persona by remaining untouchable.So when Reggie walked up to Nintendo's booth on the show floor, I was surprised and a bit impressed. Mr. Fils-Aime is human after all. As if to prove it, he began coaching an attendee on the finer points of Wii Sports Baseball."You can use the D-pad to throw a curve-ball," he said. The summit-goer was obviously taken aback a bit. He was losing pitifully to his friend, and the last thing he probably wanted was the Nintendo of America president telling him what to do. I don't even think he said thanks. Reggie, on the other hand, smiled as though he had truly made a difference. The kid still sucked at baseball, though. Sorry for not getting a better picture. I was waiting in line to play Twilight Princess, and didn't want to lose my spot.
Nintendo prez reiterates growth "mantra" in keynote
"Everyone loves a game, so why isn't everyone playing videogames?" asked Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime at the Montreal International Game Summit today. In case you missed it, that question sums up the big N's marketing hopes for their next-gen console, the Wii. In an effort to reclaim fading market share, the company is aiming to satisfy hard-core and casual gamers, re-engage old gamers, and treat the market like any other mass entertainment medium does; one that a popular majority enjoys such as books, movies, and music. That's the pitch.Set that likelihood aside for a moment though. Maybe current industry growth (or lack thereof) is okay. Assuming it isn't, and if Wii bombs or only does moderately well, does that mean the video game industry can't grow? If it can't, are games a less scalable form of entertainment? And if growth can't take place with motion-controls, how can it?
MIGS06: Reggie Fils-Aime keynote liveblogged (kinda)
On the second day of the 2006 Montreal International Game Summit, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime gave the first keynote of the day. His subject, Nintendo's current business model, is already well-worn territory, but more relevant than ever considering that the launch of the Wii is only a mere ten days away. We'll know soon enough whether Nintendo's latest strategy has what it takes to compete in the market. 8:55 - Wow, they sure brought a lot of Wii promo posters to this keynote. The podium area is flanked by Wii banners, and the podium itself features a poster saying "Oh Wii!" It confuses me.9:11 - Reggie is introduced. The man is a giant, especially when compared to the diminutive show organizer. "It's nice being in Montreal," he says, "where people can properly pronounce my name." The audience laughs appreciatively, so he milks it a little. "You should hear what they do to it when I go to Mexico."
MIGS06: Swag verdict is so-so
A branded man-purse, with brochures, stickers, a pen, and an Ubisoft water bottle. Okay, so the Montreal International Game Summit isn't exactly known for its swag, but I guess I was hoping there'd be at least a cool figurine, or some Wii-related paraphernalia. I did get a Wii promo DVD, clearly labeled "NOT FOR USE IN Wii CONSOLE" (which just about sums up the Wii's DVD compatibility). My favorite giveaway, though, is the awesome MIGS06 binder thing, with pockets, a notepad, and a velcro loop to hold my pen! (I'm dead serious; I think it's awesome). More pics after the break.
MIGS06: Tetsuya Mizuguchi's keynote liveblogged (sorta)
Tetsuya Mizuguchi, lead designer of Q Entertainment and the brain behind games like Rez and Lumines, started things off at the Montreal International Game Summit with his keynote presentation. A frustrating lack of WiFi kept me from liveblogging the event, so consider this a liveblog with a several-hour lag. The transcript of Mizuguchi's keynote follows: 8:48 - Wayne Clarkson, general manager of Telefilm Canada, announces the Great Canadian Video Game Competition before introducing keynote speaker, Tesuya Mizuguchi. 8:58 - Mizuguchi comes up on stage. He beings by saying he went to the NHL hockey match last night: "so excited about that." His talk is about "inspiration led creativity." He's been in the industry 16 years. He says, "I'm 41 now...." and pauses, almost lamentingly. Audience chuckles. "Okay, so start."
MIGS06: Telefilm Canada announces the Great Canadian Video Game Competition
Wayne Clarkson, general manager of Telefilm Canada, announced an industry-led, peer-driven competition, in order to further develop the Canadian video game industry. The announcement was made at the start of the 2006 Montreal International Game Summit. Telefilm Canada, a federal organization promoting the film industry, is investing 2 million dollars in the Great Canadian Video Game Competition, a competitive design challenge intended to "appeal to the industry's sense of excitement and opportunity." Ten Canadian game development companies will be selected to compete, and each given up to $50,000 to develop concepts, in order to develop playable prototypes of their games. Four finalists will then be announced at the Game Developers Conference in March 2007, each earning an additional $250,000 to further commercialize their products. The winning company will receive $500,000, on top of the money already invested into their game's development. The event has been devised to promote "made-in-Canada content, and made-in-Canada jobs," as Telefilm Canada hopes to foster country-wide advocacy of the industry. During his announcement, Clarkson referred to France's Minister of Culture, who recently honored game designer Shigeru Miyamoto with one of the country's highest honors. "Call me the minister of games if you want," the French representative had said. "I am proud of this." Mr. Clarkson also noted that in addition to the 2 million dollars being invested in the competition, Telefilm Canada is already committing 14 million dollars annually through the Telefilm New-Media Fund.
Montreal International Game Summit starts this Wednesday
It's not E3, and it's not the Game Developers Conference, but maybe that's a good thing.Now in its third year, the Montreal International Game Summit brings together a diverse group of the industry's finest to showcase innovations, and talk about issues old and new to the business.It's a small event when compared to the likes of GDC, but MIGS focuses almost entirely on industry-oriented workshops and speakers, and always features an impressive lineup of personalities. This year, Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aimé is scheduled to give a keynote, as is Q Entertainment's Tetsuya Mizuguchi, best known for trance-inspired titles like Lumines and Rez.Joystiq will be there, covering the best of the presentations, workshops, and speakers. With any luck, we might even get in a few extra-special interviews (so keep your fingers crossed for us).More in Montreal: For a more consumer-oriented gaming event, check out the Arcadia Gaming Festival, which starts later this week.
