The Red Steel 2 director's field guide to Wii Remote swingers
If there's one thing Ubisoft Creative Director Jason VanderBerge learned in playtesting Red Steel 2, it's that different people respond to the simple direction "swing the Wii Remote like a sword" in very different ways. At his talk at GDC Europe today, VanderBerge showed off just how different those swings can be, using a cane to demonstrate the movements of the seven major types of Wii Remote swingers he's identified. Besides being highly entertaining, the demonstration showed just how hard it is to train motion control players to perform even simple actions the way a developer expects.
We weren't quick enough to get a video of the hilarious, high-energy performance, but we did manage to snap some pictures that show off the intensity of VanderBerge's flailing. Hit the break and see how many of these specimens you've encountered in the wild.
The Waggler - Your standard hardcore gamer, who puts the minimum amount of effort into his "swings." Note the vacant stare. Sometimes known as a toolbox.
The Dartagnan - Like the hero from The Three Musketeers, these players put maximum flash and panache into their swings, often accentuating each thrust with a "Ha!" or "Ho!"
The Conan - Like the barbarian, these players put all their power (and grunting) into each massive swing.
The Samurai - Identified by lightning-fast slashes followed by slow, Japanese-styled defensive poses. Often accompanied by a sound like "Huwwwaaaaaaa!"
The Mad Mardigan - Named after Val Kilmer's mercenary character in the movie Willow, these players throw in spins and backslashes as if they're actually surrounded by scores of enemies. They often finish a battle with a slick pose like the one above.
The Charlie's Angel - The name given to female players who are reluctant to try the game at first, then equally reluctant to give up the controller after realizing just how much pent-up rage they can release through frantic, violent sword-swinging motions.
The Piledriver - Named after the one Red Steel 2 tester who spent two hours doing nothing but stabbing the Wii Remote towards the ground with a powerful grunt. Afterwards, he reportedly said it was "the best game I ever played."
