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Lila Dreams blog posts an interview with Jason McIntosh
Lila Dreams is a tiny little MMO that we've been following somewhat closely here at Massively -- from the descriptions we've seen so far (of an entire virtual world set inside the dreams of a little girl), it seems like an intriguing experimental departure from your standard online game. And now, over on their blog, they've got an interview, translated from Portuguese, that sheds even more light on this innovative little online game.Unfortunately, there's not too much new here, but the interview does follow some familiar and interesting news about the game: players will be able to actually change Lila's moods using game mechanics, and the setting of the game will change based on whatever mood she has at the moment. While there probably won't be the videogame standbys of swords and plasma guns (though apparently there will be "a mix of modern, medieval, and future stuff"), we are told that players will be able to wander instanced areas with groups, so there will be some MMO conventions in there, tweaked as they may be.Lila Dreams remains a unique little blip on our radar for now -- the game, as we've said before, will eventually be hosted on Kongregate as a 2D Java and Flash game. There's a long way to go until release -- at least a closed alpha, beta, and then an open pre-release period, but we continue to look forward to it.
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup has vivid dreams
"Wake up, Samus!""What is it, Weekly Webcomic Wrapup?""I just had the craziest dream. I was in the movie theater with my mom and grandmother and we were trying to decide what to buy tickets for. There were two movies: A Flicker, and one called Ludwig Kietzmann.""Isn't that your editor?""Yeah, but there's nothing weird about dreaming about your superior's name, is there? ... Anyway, so we buy tickets to Flicker, and we walk into the theater -- no bigger than my college dorm room, mind you -- and the screen starts showing BioShock footage. It was an origins of BioShock movie, except instead of splicers the people turned into demons. And the Big Daddy, he was skipping and dancing around like from a 1950s musical!""Skipping? Webby, I think you need to stick to your namesake." A Preview (Penny Arcade) Wheel of Fate (2P Start) Nested Ironies (Penny Arcade) Theory of Evolution (2P Start) Make it Double (VG Cats) If buying a car was like Bad Company (Extra Life) Zero Punctuation, Multiple Puncture Wounds (Dueling Analogs) Some Restrictions Apply (Digital Unrest) (Voting after the break.)
Humanoid acts out your dreams, encourages insomnia
Forget controlling your dreams -- after all, isn't the idea of having a mechanical buddy act out whatever your off-kilter brain thought up last night much more appealing? In an interesting endeavor, Fernando Orellana and Brendan Burns have teamed up to design a humanoid that actually takes sophisticated dream interpretation results (garnered by analyzing data from a variety of sensors) and acts out whatever was going on in one's mind. Quite frankly, we're not even sure we'd like to remember some of those overnight journeys -- let alone see some bot play it back -- but if you glanced this headline and immediately crossed your fingers for a video, head on past the jump to get just that.
To WoW, perchance to dream
Last night I dreamt of Mudsprocket. I was questing with one of my alts -- I assume my shadow priest, but I can't be certain because I was seeing the perspective from her eyes -- and I came across a new NPC standing next to the flight master. She was a female orc named Robin Torres, and I realized she was named after our Robin of WoW Insider fame.The dream switches to me having a discussion at a party with a friend of mine. Over drinks I mention what I found in the game and she doesn't seem the least bit surprised. "Well, Azeroth Interrupted was incredibly popular" she tells me.Now this isn't the first time I've dreamt about the game. I do so pretty much all the time. Since I play so much my unconscious mind feeds on what is on my mind at the time. What intrigued me looking back on it was my creation of my own NPC to place into the game. So I wondered what other NPCs players might like to see referenced in WoW. I know the game is riddled with references, from Caretaker Ophera Windfury to Eyonix himself. I'm interested to see what the readers would select for new NPCs to add to the game. Who would you like to meet lounging at the bar in a tavern in Howling Fjord or standing guard at the Sunwell?
NiGHTS trailer and gameplay video warm our bitter hearts
We said we wouldn't get hung up on graphics if the gameplay was good. And, well, after watching these two videos of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, we are feeling a sensation we haven't felt in a long time: real Sega love. You could put a copy of Sonic Shuffle in front of us and we'd totally play it. Our minds aren't changed about the textures, but we find it very hard to care right now. What you see in the video is authentic NiGHTS. Sega hasn't changed it into a minigame collection or a training game or even a 3D platformer. They didn't give him a gun and a car. This is a real sequel to the Saturn game in 2.5D, just like God intended. Ignore the Disney-esque narration and flourishes in the trailer. They are irrelevant. For some reason, these videos aren't embedded at Gamespot's NiGHTS page, despite using the Gamespot player. You can, however, download a high-resolution version of the gameplay video there. They are embedded after the break. Please watch them and improve your day! [Via NeoGAF; embedded Gamespot videos found at GoNintendo]
NiGHTS: Magazine Scan of Dreams
A new scan of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams has appeared, thanks to NeoGAF's tireless neo2046. It mostly contains too-small images of NiGHTS flying around, which-- thankfully-- look great. There's some kind of ... peacock creature, maybe?The page highlights NiGHTS' new human counterpart, Helen Cartwright, a young violinist. We assume that, like the previous game's children, she experiences performance anxiety and seeks solace in her dreams. Whatever the motivation, she frees NiGHTS so we can start playing the real game. And for that we must thank the frilly-jacketed, fictional child. The full page is after the break!
Do you ever dream of WoW?
Imagine the scene: the boss has been defeated, and after five grueling hours you're finally able to step out of the instance victorious. You log out to catch some shut eye, and your mind fills with images of the mobs you've just defeated. You're now dreaming of WoW. A forum post about this subject really got me thinking. In fact, evidently even Eyonix dreams of WoW, which I guess isn't all that surprising really. I often dream that I am in game when I am happily zonked out. For me, I think it is a case of sensory input; I dream a lot of times about what I see and hear. A while back I prepared the night before a business meeting by printing out my reports and leaving them by the door so that I wouldn't forget them. I didn't, but in my dreams that night I did. The same is true of World of Warcraft. I spent so much time immersed in the game that it sometimes slips into my dreams as well. Do you dream of WoW? What sorts of in game elements slip into your slumber?
NiGHTs interview, details
On a scale of one to whimsical, NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams is pretty high up there. A recent Sega event showed off some early gameplay footage, and those present scored a first-hand look at the upcoming flight ... adventure ... whirly ... whatever genre it is, anyway. Apparently the presentation kicked off with a comparison between NiGHTs and the works of famous psychologist Carl Jung, who did extensive work on dream theory. The game will consist of seven dream worlds, each divided into the colorful Nightopia and the darker, sinister realm of Nightmare, in which the game's unique bosses reside. For those worried about an unnatural Wii waggle factor, the game will feature an alternate, analog stick control method for a more traditional experience. An interview with producer Takashi Iizuka can be found here for more information, as well as several first-hand experiences. And just look at those silly clothes. What was he thinking that morning ...?
NiGHTS to be faithful to the original game
While we've been vocally (or textually) thrilled about a sequel to the sublime NiGHTS into Dreams coming to the Wii, our enthusiasm has always been kept in check by the possibility of Sega ruining it. They have a couple of different avenues to do so: they could turn it into a minigame collection for non-gamers, which must be quite a temptation for Wii developers, they could go the "edgy" route, or they could just be Sega and churn out a terrible game. We're happy to report that, according to an NGamer interview with Sega Studio USA's Takashi Iizuka, at least the classic gameplay will be intact. Iizuka said that he decided to keep the game concept the same out of consideration for those of us for whom it's been a long eleven-year wait. Not only is the gameplay basically the same, but the composer for the original game is back. Of course, all of this is very encouraging, but it doesn't eliminate the possibility of Sega pulling a Sonic 360 and releasing a game that is disappointing in surprising new ways. We hate that we have to add the "don't forget, this is Sega" disclaimer, but we do, especially with Sonic Team.
Wii Warm Up: Our worst NiGHTmare
Brought to you by our good friends at 2-P Start, this image highlights exactly how Sonic Team USA, responsible for such crap as Shadow the Hedgehog, could crush the beautiful NiGHTs franchise into the ground. You've voted on the polls, but more specifically, what do you think Sonic Team USA can do to screw this up? What should they change, what shouldn't they, and will cult-classic status translate into prolific sales figures? Is the main character a guy or a girl? Hmmmm.
And lo, the angels hath smiled upon thee: NiGHTS 2 confirmed
This isn't some sick, delayed April Fool's joke. After endless rumors and speculation, Japanese gaming mag Famitsu has finally confirmed ONM's "world exclusive": the official sequel to NiGHTS into Dreams, tentatively titled NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, is coming to the Wii this winter. The Wiimote will be heavily utilized in the flying mechanics, which include soaring, tumbling, and freewheeling through an endless diamond sky. The producer of the title, Takashi Izuka of Sonic Team USA, has this to say about the title: "In 1996, we created the NiGHTS character to achieve a concept of 'being refreshed from being able to fly in the sky'. 11 years later, at last, we have broken our silence. NiGHTS will now fly in a new dream world: new stages, new story, and on the new Wii platform. Please look forward to NiGHTS and friends exploring this brand new adventure." Better news in the world of Wii does not exist, friends. What is it now, like, 264 days till the Winter Solstice? [via Joystiq] [Thanks to Dias and Creamsugar!]
Rumorang: Yuji Naka says no new NiGHTS (from him at least)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Rumorang_Yuji_Naka_says_No_New_NiGHTS_from_him_at_least'; Responding to the rumors about a new NiGHTS game on the Wii, Yuji Naka, formerly the head of Sonic Team, told CVG that even if such a thing exists, he's not a part of it, and has no plans to be. Naka recently left Sega to form his own studio called PROPE, so for him to rejoin Sega for a project so soon would be slightly unusual.The other major figure involved with NiGHTS is Naoto Oshima, who is now head of Artoon. If the two of them were to reunite to work on a NiGHTS game, then we'd really have something! But the fact that these two esteemed developers no longer work at Sega casts more doubt on the NiGHTS rumors, or at least makes them less exciting if true.
Rumor: NiGHTS remake/sequel for Wii? [update 2]
[Update: decided to go ahead and actually post the images.][Update 2: changed the title, which was by coincidence identical to Game|Life's.]Another Sega Saturn-related rumor! Maybe Segata Sanshiro is hitting the press circuit, drumming up renewed interest in his favorite console.The latest rumor comes from the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine, who placed a teaser image in the back page of their March issue, advertising that a revived classic would be revealed in the next issue. The image consisted of a field of stars with an outline of some kind of shape.NeoGAFfers did some detective work and found the image that had been outlined: a character portrait of Sega's NiGHTS character. NiGHTS more than counts as a classic game! The implication here is that a new game in the series might be headed to the Wii.We're still skeptical for a few reasons: first, the next edition of ONM will be the April issue, and it's imprudent to trust any news item that comes out in a game magazine in April. Second, the "revival" might be the original game on Virtual Console ... which would actually still be great. Finally, there's always the possibility that the NiGHTS picture was a deliberate misdirection, and the new game could turn out to be Dizzy or something. We hope that isn't the case-- Sega fans have been put through a lot, and many of us could snap at any moment.We've posted both the original teaser image and the NiGHTS-added version after the break.
Heavy Rain interview pours on the details
In this whopping 4 page interview with IGN, France-based development team Quantic Dream, who brought us Indigo Prophecy (or Fahrenheit for you foreigners) discusses their title Heavy Rain. Founder and CEO David Cage, COO and Executive Producer Guillaume de Fondaumière, and Lead Character Designer Thierry Prodhomme were all on hand to reveal more information on the title than there was available at E3 a month ago. The interview reveals that Heavy Rain will not be a direct sequel to Indigo Prophecy and is a "dark film noir thriller with mature themes." The team is also tossing out the Sci-Fi elements of Indigo Prophecy and aim to ground Heavy Rain totally in reality. Heavy Rain is currently slated for a Fall 2008 release.
