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Nintendo states the obvious regarding Sadness
Thanks to a GoNintendo reader who called up Nintendo and asked about the status of Sadness, we have a new entry on our Sadness Timeline of, well, sadness. 2008: Nintendo says that Sadness "has yet to be announced for release on the Wii console," at least in any form to which Nintendo pays attention. The Nintendo rep then suggests that, since they're not publishing it, it's probably the responsibility of one of Nintendo's third-party licensees. And that indirectly brings up the reason Nintendo doesn't have any official word about the game. Sadness doesn't actually have a publisher -- only a licensing company, who isn't on the licensee list and therefore probably won't be publishing the game.As far as Nintendo (and all outward signs are concerned), Sadness is starting 2008 as an incorporeal game. We're a little surprised that the Nintendo rep made no indication of ever having heard of the game, but it's not surprising at all that no official announcements have been made.
Sadness: a chronology of disappointment
We had such a good time reading this, we thought we'd share for a laugh. If you're the kind of person who really splits a seam reading about Duke Nukem Forever's glacial progress, you're sure to get a laugh out of the comedy of errors that we know as Sadness. This vaporous piece of software has been teasing gamers for nearly two years and, despite that lengthy timeframe, we've yet to see even a single screenshot. Stop by Wii Fanboy's Sadness chronology and relive all those precious moments like it's your first time.
A look back through time: Sadness
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Sadness_a_chronology_of_disappointment'; There were several things in 2007 that made us sad. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was delayed, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. got canceled, then it didn't, then it did, and now we're just stuck with rumors that it might exist, somewhere, in some form. People told us that the Wii Zapper would make us kill our families. We got no hard drive love. Reggie didn't kick any ass, though he might have taken (down) some names (we're not sure). But the thing that's made us saddest of all is the ongoing saga of the aptly-named Sadness, the Nibris vaporware game. For all we know, we could be playing it right now; their idea of a game may be centered around stringing us along for a couple of years. It's fun for the whole family!Or, y'know, sad. So grab your tissues and journey with us through a timeline of Sadness.*Not actual Sadness concept art, because Nibris hasn't bought/commissioned it yet from artist Mark Ryden.%Gallery-12425%
Nibris has the cure for holiday Sadness
Nibris has released their long-awaited Sadness ... Christmas card. Proving that somebody does something relating to Sadness occasionally, Nibris sent this Sadness-themed Christmas card to GoNintendo. "Merry Christmas and Happy Sadness," it reads, as a grey thing leans on a giant ball ornament with the Sadness logo. At least we think that's what's happening -- there's either a 'noise' effect applied to the whole image or it's just a really easy Magic Eye picture.If this was the game, it would be out now. Maybe Nibris should change their plan and release Sadness as a small collection of holiday greeting cards, instead of their overambitious plan to release a video game.
Sadness suspension suspicions sadden some
This is getting ridiculous. Since initially announcing survival-horror project Sadness way back in April 2006 (when the Wii was still called the Revolution, for Pete's sake), Polish developer Nibris has leaked precious little concrete information about the troubled title. Now come word that the game, which was originally slated for Q4 2007 has been pushed back to sometime in 2009, according to an e-mail received by a NeoGAF poster.It's a shame the development progress has been so spotty, since the Wii could definitely use a new horror title that wasn't ported from the GameCube. Here's hoping Sadness ends up coming out before Duke Nukem Forever[Via WiiFanboy]
Sadness delayed again, vaporware suspicions refuse to go away
NIBRIS' Sadness tweaked our interest from the get-go, but we'd be lying if we said the ... uncertain path of its development so far didn't concern us. Since it was announced, one publisher has jumped ship, the game has been delayed on more than one occasion, and we've been dripfed information and media (none of which hints at there being any real content) at a painfully slow pace.As we see it, NIBRIS has either been monumentally unlucky, work on the game has ground to an ignominious halt for the time being, or Sadness -- gulp -- doesn't actually exist.Things aren't about to get any rosier, either. In an email received by a NeoGAF poster, NIBRIS revealed that Sadness wouldn't be on shop shelves before 2009 (let us not forget the game was once slated for a Q4 2007 release), and that its website would be updated soon with more news. Call us cynical curmudgeons all you like, but holding your breath for said update probably isn't a good idea in this case.It's a tremendous shame, really, as we want Sadness to be the real deal, and we want it to be fantastic. The premise, design and concepts we've heard so far all hint at a promising, unique project. Needless to say, if NIBRIS does manage to pack as much intrigue into Sadness as we've seen during its development, we'll be perched on the very edge of our seats come release day.
Low level hunter pets to level faster... someday
So there you are, a proud hunter at level 70, and you suddenly realize that you absolutely must have a low-level pet, such as the famous translucent ghost saber? What do you do? Up till now the conventional answer was: "suffer." Low level pets only gain experience when you kill something around your level range, not theirs, so the only choice is to just bear with it for a very long time while you try to kill high-level monsters with a low-level pet, or else just give up and not do it.Well finally it looks like Blizzard has in mind something to do about it. Drysc tells us: We have plans to adjust how quickly a hunter's pet will level if there's a large gap between it and the hunter's level. However, it's still just a plan and not something we've implemented and thus are not ready to discuss it.Something's going to happen -- we just don't know what it is yet. But really, for hunters anything would be better than what it is now. It's always nice to remove needless tedium don't you think?
More Sadness details squeezed out of Nibris, the saga continues
Just when we were ready to forget this whole Sadness debacle, Nibris drops a few more pieces of artwork and information to keep our attention, some of which we were already aware of. At least they didn't contradict themselves and start a brand new round of "NIBRIS IS TEH FAEK!!!!111!".We knew Sadness would feature two main characters: a woman (Maria) and her son Alexander. Now we know that Maria is around 30 years old and of Polish-Hungarian descent. Not exactly earth-shattering information, but what the heck, it's interesting. The game's length has been upped from 15 to 20 hours, and Nibris will use voice acting extensively. Fog will also be a major part of the game, allowing the in-game visuals to match the quality of the concept art released over the last year.A few other interesting factoids: There are nearly 50 people involved with the making of Sadness. There are 18 species of monsters throughout the game, and different ones will appear depending on how you play. Some of the monsters will be "friendly", but don't expect flowers and a shoulder massage. The music will be performed by "one of the best" orchestras. Release date on the official site is still 2007. So there you have it, more tidbits for the game we're still afraid to yearn for.%Gallery-2910%
Actual details on Sadness?
The game that is ... then isn't ... then is again has been quite secretive for quite some time, which of course provoked our skepticism in the first place. On top of some recent artwork released by developer NIBRIS, we now have some interesting gameplay details. The game will total around twenty hours in length. There will be two playable characters: a thirty-year old woman of Polish-Hungarian descent, and her son. There are eighteen species of monsters; which ones you see will be determined by how you play the game. The game will feature no (i.e. real-time) loading. Voice acting will be a prominent feature. The graphics will contain copious amounts of fog, to match up with that artwork. Last night's Heroes episode was totally awesome. Okay, so that last bulletpoint is just us geeking out. Whatever, we do that. Here's to Sadness (clinks wine glass)!
New Sadness artwork is not screenshots
Oh, Nibris. We recently had some real-looking videos of what appeared to be a real game on the DS. But all we've had about their Wii game Sadness recently is bad news (and responses to bad news). Well, they seem to be back on track with Sadness, or at least they're back on their uniquely Nibris track of showing a few tidbits of artwork, but no screens and no evidence that there is any game at all.For what it's worth, the artwork looks okay. We're glad work is being done on this game at all. Do you think the issue with Sadness is that Nibris has been unusually transparent with the earliest stages of their game design, leading to the impression that it's been a really long time without seeing anything? Or is it just that they're really late getting to showing any real content? Check out the artwork after the break, and feel free to discuss what has become an impromptu Wii Warm Up in the comments thread.
Sadness game for Wii is real, no it isn't, yes it is
Some games have all the bad luck. Stick the word "Forever" on the end of your title and the development period will last about that long. Name your console "Phantom" and it will vanish like a ghost. Nibris should have took that into consideration when naming black-and-white WWII horror/adventure game Sadness. All we've seen is concept art and already the game's development is a tragic tale.Last year Nibris announced a publisher (Frontline Studios) had picked up the game. Time passed and no news came out of either company. A forum member at IGN decided to investigate and contacted Frontline. The response? "[We are] no longer interested in developing Sadness game based on Nibris' concept." How ... sad.The folks at Kiff News weren't satisfied, so they investigated a little further and got in touch with Nibris. The company confirmed the split with Frontline and insisted that Sadness and other projects are in development. One of the company's leads has been out sick, which was the reason behind their silence.It still sounds fishy to us, but only because we don't want to get our hopes up if this falls through. Next time, use the working title Happiness: On Shelves Now for better publishing karma.[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]
Sadness may exist after all
The folks at Kiff News were not satisfied with the latest news and rumors surrounding the intriguing Sadness and the split between Nibris and Frontline Studios -- so they investigated a little further. The e-mail they received from Nibris confirms the break from Frontline Studios, but they also insist that Sadness -- and their other announced games -- are in development, and that they've been quiet on the situation because their head has been out sick. We wonder if he has a doctor's note.They also acknowledged that their silence was probably the source of the rumors surrounding Sadness, and offered an apology, as well as the promise of an official statement within the week. They also report that there is a new developer working on the game. We hope they'll not only work fast (and thoroughly), but be forthcoming, as well. We've been in the dark on this one for a long time.
Wii Warm Up: Sadness, delays, and concerns
We are definitely sad about Sadness. That was really something we had high hopes for, as the gameplay sounded truly revolutionary, and thus perfect for the Revolution Wii. But it's probably easy to talk up something that may or may not even exist. Still, the Frontline/Nibris split, and the delays on Nintendo's most-anticipated first party titles, plus what we've seen so far ... well, frankly, sometimes it makes us a little concerned. While a lot of the added-waggle ports have been surprisingly good so far, we're not seeing a lot of right-here, right-now, pop-'em-in-the-Wii original games for our shiny original system. At some point, we just have to ask ... is developing fresh, new games with sensible motion sensitive controls (like Wii Sports, but bigger) really so difficult? Some of these games have been years in the making, after all. And we're all for the wait, mind you, if it results in a more perfect gaming experience, but we're still a little anxious at times when we see fallout like this.
Sadness loses its publisher, title becomes more ironic
Doubting that there was a real game involved, an IGN forumite decided to check up on Nibris's claim that their mysterious Sadness was going to be co-developed and published by Frontline Studios. The conclusion supports the claim but may not justify the meanness.Basically, he contacted Frontline to see if they were actually publishing Sadness and if it really existed. Frontline responded that they were "no longer interested in developing Sadness game based on Nibris' concept." This sort of makes it sound like there never was a game, and now there may never be. We might disagree with the poster's tactic, because it's kind of rude to openly doubt the existence of a game in an interview with its erstwhile publisher, but it sounds like his doubts were not misplaced.
NIBRIS spills a couple beans on Sadness story (update 1)
NIBRIS has shot word today explaining the storyline behind Sadness. Players will take up the role of Maria, a recent survivor in a horrible train wreck. Her younger brother son, Alexander, did not escape the wreck without his own scars, however, as he was left blind. Soon after, he starts acting very strangely. Together, the siblings must use their environment to survive the ordeal ahead. Now, that isn't much to go on, but it's more than we already knew on the game. Anyone out there interested in this game, or has the lack of information caused you to become apathetic towards Sadness? Update: Apparently Cubed3 got some of their tubes crossed. The child is the protagonist's son.
Mysterious Wii 'Sadness' explained!
Has the mysterious Sadness weighed down your soul, pervading every fold and crevice of your aching heart? Well cheer up, Game Informer brings the first illuminating details of Nibris' dark horror adventure: It's pre-WWI, and you are Maria, a woman desperate to protect her son Alexander after a train derailment lands the two of you in the always-creepy Eastern European countryside. Alex has been blinded in the accident and is starting to act "odd." Your subsequent fate will share eerie similarities to ... Slavic legends!Nibris estimates that Sadness will provide 15 heart-pounding hours of "No Alex! Not that way!" action, in addition to 10 tear-jerking endings. You ready to unleash your inner-mother? We hear Cooking Mama is a great way to stir up those maternal instincts ... try starting there.
Is Nibris too good to be true?
Cubed³ recently posted an update from Nibris, the mysterious Polish developer that's strictly dedicated to Nintendo platforms. Though comprised of a mere fourteen employees (according to Wikipedia), Nibris is supposedly working on seven different projects (four for Wii; three for DS); but only four titles have been confirmed: Raid Over the River (Wii & DS), Sadness (Wii), and Double Bloob (DS). From the tech demo, we also know that Fresh Chicken Studio (who?) is contributing to the development of ROTR for DS.While Nintendo has apparently acknowledged Nibris as an official developer, we remain suspicious of the studio's sporadic contact with the gaming community. The mystery surrounding Nibris is as thick as the one blanketing the eerie glimpses of Sadness's concept art. Give us some tangible evidence. Make us believers!
Friday not-so-fluffy video: Sadness then and now
While there still isn't a great deal of news about Sadness, the teaser popped up again on YouTube and it got us thinking -- now that we've seen a lot more of the Wii, with controls being refined and the release less than a month away, is this video less impressive, or is it more impressive? Earlier this year, we were starry-eyed, entranced with the novelty of, well, everything. Now that we're slinking toward jaded -- or are at least harder to impress -- how's this strike you?There's a lot to like in the video, and not just atmosphere. The little touches (like the umbrella) now seem more real, or at least, totally possible. A lot has been made of the details that have been released on this, particularly regarding the lack of menus, the gesture-based gameplay, etc., and it's nice to look back at this and visualize how that will translate into the gaming experience. And it's nice to see a woman playing who isn't some giddy girl giggling over Super Monkey Ball (not that we have anything against monkeys or minigames). She's playing, she's serious, and there's a great dichotomy between the sometimes-hesitant woman in the game and the cold and focused woman with the Wiimote. Check out the video, which is tucked away after the jump. Whether you've seen it or not, it's a nice video for early Friday evening.
NIBRIS and Frontline to co-produce Sadness
In a move that totally shattered rumors of Majesco publishing Sadness for the Wii, NIBRIS and Frontline finally announced the publisher: both of them. That's right, earlier reports that the game had found a publisher were true, just not the one we thought. Aside from co-producing Sadness with NIBRIS, Frontline Studios developed the recently-released DS title Sudoku Mania and have worked with NIBRIS on other, smaller projects in the past. Interestingly enough, the announcement on Frontline Studios' webpage states that Sadness has a 16 month development cycle, giving us some kind of idea when we could be seeing the game at retail.
Sadness details that are not exclusive in any way
IGN's banner headline: "We bring you exclusive new details on the psychological-horror title." We're appreciative and all, but now we're just gonna take those exclusive details and steal them. You should certainly check out the original article if you're interested in hearing a bit of sample music from the game.NIBRIS has, thankfully, acquired a publisher for their work. Rumored to be either Atlus or Majesco, this mystery group is quite unwillingly to allow the Sadness team to unveil any in-game screenshots. You'll remember that the game is in all black and white...a gutsy stylistic choice. We like it. Now, NIBRIS is confirming that the game will have no HUD (heads-up display) to mar the cinematic quality of the game. This worked quite well for the PS2 masterpiece Shadow of the Colossus, and we applaud the decision.Also of note is that NIBRIS is essentially oursourcing the graphics engine and programming to well-known companies: Frontline Studios for the code, and Digital Amigos for the engine. These are experienced sources, and so hopefully some veteran shine will come through on what is otherwise a very "indie" game.The team seems very committed to bringing a truly frightening and intuitive experience. Novelists and psychologists have been consulted for the game script, and the designers promise us the ability to interact with the environment in ways only made possible with the Wii controller. There is a downside, however...we're going to have to wait. Sadness isn't touching our consoles until Q4 2007...at the earliest.
