TetsuyaMizuguchi
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'Tetris Effect' is PlayStation's trippy take on the classic puzzle game
If you've been looking for something to whet your appetite after finishing Rez Infinite on PSVR, Sony's got you covered. Tetris Effect is a trippy new project from rhythm game legend Tetsuya Mizuguchi, best known for Rez, Child of Eden and Space Channel 5. There's a lot going on in the short reveal trailer beow, but the game's website has a few descriptions that should help make sense of everything. The game will surround you with "fantastic, fully three-dimensional worlds that react and evolve based on how you play. Music, backgrounds, sounds, special effects -- everything, down to the Tetris pieces themselves, pulse, dance, shimmer and explode in perfect sync with how you're playing."
'Rez Infinite' arrives on your phone through Daydream VR
Rez Infinite is a sublime experience in virtual reality, but there's a catch: that requirement for PlayStation VR or a PC usually means you're tied down. That won't be an issue after today, provided you have the right hardware: Enhance Games has released Rez Infinite for Android. You'll need a Daydream-compatible VR headset with a controller (and the phone to match, of course), but you too can soar through virtual worlds and shoot enemies to a trance beat. And yes, the Infinite-only Area X is as visually intense as ever -- modern mobile hardware is clearly up to the job.
Yamaha Vocaloid on Miselu Neiro synth: exclusive hands-on at Google I/O 2012 (video)
Did you enjoy our first look at the latest apps being showcased on Miselu's Neiro Android-powered synth here at Google I/O 2012? Want more? You've come to the right place. As promised here's an exclusive hands-on with Yamaha's Vocaloid app demoed by the man behind the technology himself -- video game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi. We got the chance to play with an early build of the software running on the same 3-octave prototype version of the synth that we last saw at SXSW. The verdict? It works pretty well considering the pre-alpha status of the code. The app features two modes of operation -- edit and play -- the former letting you type or speak text and map it to an existing melody and the latter allowing you to chose preset sentences and "sing" them with the keyboard. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so take a look at our gallery below and watch our hands-on video after the break.
Miselu Neiro synth at Google I/O: exclusive first look at apps from Korg and Yamaha (video)
Remember Miselu's Neiro -- that prototype app-based Android-powered synth we last played with at SXSW? Not only is it being showcased at Google I/O 2012 here in San Francisco, but we got an exclusive first look at some of the apps being developed for the new platform ahead of the event. The company's been on a roll since our meeting in Austin, gaining (ex-OQO CEO) Jory Bell as CTO and building relationships with partners like Korg and Yamaha. Now on its second iteration, the laptop-like synth has evolved from the hand-built prototype we saw at SXSW to a more polished reference design -- complete with breakout board for SD card and Ethernet support. As before, the device runs Gingerbread on a dual-core TI OMAP processor and features a two octave velocity and pressure-sensitive keyboard, a capacitive multitouch widescreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, audio and MIDI I/O, plus USB and HDMI ports. This version even adds XLR and quarter-inch audio jacks -- just keep in mind that those specs have not been finalized. What's really exciting about the synth is the apps. The company's ongoing partnership with Retronyms to create a suite of touch-controlled, cloud-enabled musical apps has evolved beyond the drum-machine demo we covered at SXSW. Called nStudio, the suite now also includes a pad-based sampler / sequencer and a mixer. Plasma Sound is a touch-based musical instrument that's part theremin, part keyboard / sequencer. It's already available for other devices on Google Play, but was easily tweaked to run on the Neiro -- sight unseen -- thanks to Miselu's musicSDK and OS X-based emulator. Miselu will be showcasing two more apps on its synth here at Google I/O: Korg's Polysix and Yamaha's Vocaloid. The Polysix app faithfully recreates Korg's legendary 1981 synth -- known for its rich, thick analog sound. A real, mint-condition Polysix was even available for comparison during our brief time with the app (see our gallery). Vocaloid takes full advantage of the NSX-1 DSP chip that's built-into the Neiro. It's a singing synth app produced by Yamaha that "uses concatenative synthesis to splice and process vocal fragments extracted from human voice samples." We'll be spending some time with the Vocaloid app and its creator -- video game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi (of Sega and Lumines fame) -- later today. In the meantime, check out the gallery below and watch our hands-on video with the other apps after the break.%Gallery-159214%
Joystiq hands-on: Rez HD
As vector-like throwing-star enemies corkscrewed towards me, I defended myself with a gun that made electronic clapping sounds. I fired the gun. Clap. I fired two quick shots. Clap Clap. My applause aligned with the electronic beats spilling from the speakers. It was Korg-like synth-aesthesia, and almost immediately, I cared more about clapping in-time to the music than shooting back. Rez HD surrounded me in a coordinated, sensory bombardment. The controller in my hand shook and bobbed with the beats while controllers under my feet and on my back vibrated a counter-tempo pattern. 5.1 surround-sound flew from all directions, and the neon-sharp HD game-world pulled me into its reality. In my brief time with Rez HD, I decided that it wasn't a game as much as an experience. There's a game inside somewhere, but the title feels like a journey, rewarding meandering through levels instead of racing to the end. And even though it's a linear shooter, Rez HD hides a lot of exploration; I look forward to moving slowly through the game after its January 30 release. %Gallery-12973%
Lumines now available on PC
PC users who haven't yet experienced Tetsuya Mizuguchi's rhythm-based puzzle game can finally enjoy the genre-straddling title from the comfort of their own computers. Wild Tangent and Q Entertainment have teamed up to offer a PC version of Lumines, as part of Wild Tangent's library of downloadable game offerings.The PC version of Lumines -- which appears to be based on the PSP title Lumines II -- features multiple modes of play, a skin editing mode, and online score ranking. Players can buy the full game for $19.99 USD, pay on a per-play basis using Wild Tangent's subscription model, or play a free ad-supported version of the game.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi to build Virtual Tokyo in Second Life
Like everyone else, we're pretty sick of all the Second Life coverage; it seems like buying real estate in the massively multiplayer non-game is the modern, big-business equivalent of setting up a website for your dad's repair shop. Still, it's one thing when Mercedes sets up a virtual dealership, and a very different matter when Lumines and Rez's Tetsuya Mizuguchi decides to build a re-imagined Tokyo for the denizens of Linden Labs' mammoth world.What makes Mizuguchi's Tokyo different than other architectural projects in Second Life is his intent in building the city. 1UP reports that rather than building an exact replica of the Japanese city, Mizuguchi wants to fashion his facsimile based on the perceptions of both locals and visitors. Speaking to 1UP, he states his hope that the project, which is a collaboration between himself and advertising firm Dentsu, can become a "museum of Japanese pop culture." We might need to dust off our Second Life avatars just to check it out when it launches.
Download new Lumines Live! content, save the world
Lumines Live! (that's the name, we're not shouting) debuted on Xbox Live Arcade last October in a fragmented state, chopped apart by the 50MB file size limit enforced at the time. With several of the game's modes offered as optional and costly additions, it quickly became the hideous poster child for monstrous microtransactions. If you still feel that way, look away before we discuss two new downloadable content packs, one of which is designed to save the Earth. Q Entertainment has announced that purchases of the SOS Charity Campaign Pack made between June 27th and July 17th will go towards climate protection organizations and causes. A remix of "Heavenly Star", the embarrassingly catchy tune by Japanese group Genki Rockets, is included in the pack as a celebration of the group's upcoming appearance at Al Gore's Live Earth musical event. If you haven't heard the song yet, consider that Lumines and Rez designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi came up with it as an answer to the question, "What kind of song would a 17-year old girl from outer space who has never landed on Earth sing to those living on Earth?" For 350 MS Points (a rather awkward $4 and 37 and a half cents), you'll also receive "House66" by Sugiurumn, "Cosmic Humming" by Muku and the excellent "4x4 Bricks" by Techriders. Joining the SOS Charity Campaign pack on June 27th is the Booster Pack, more suited to those happy to sit in front of the TV and rearrange squares while the world outside melts. The Booster Pack contains 20 additional skins and features a "must-see" collaboration between Lumines, "Bloomy Girls" and Japanese "visual artist/musician" Masakatsu Takagi. It'll set you back 600 MS Points, or $7.50 in your pre-apocalyptic Earth money. [via Q Entertainment press release]
Mizuguchi to reveal new XBLA game
CVG reports that Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Q Entertainment are set to unveil a new title for Xbox Live Arcade at this week's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco. Of course, the word "new" is relative when it comes to the Xbox 360's download service, leaving the door open for an enhanced version of Q's Every Extend Extra, released in November on PSP. Whatever it ends up being (the reliable internet says: Rez!), you can likely expect catchy J-pop tunes, hypnotic lights, plummeting blocks and, with any luck, ludicrous amounts of unintentional gyration.
Best of the rest: Ross' picks
Lumines Live! (XBLA) On a big screen with surround sound, Q Entertainment's Lumines Live was easily the most-played game in my library (if you stretch the definition of library to digitally distributed titles). Although I railed against how microtransactions were implemented in this title and still think the extent to which they disclosed the dearth of features was misleading, both the Basic and Advanced Pack got more than enough play time, as did the multiplayer. It is the best Xbox Live Arcade title since Geometry Wars.
Will Wright makes "Digital 50" Top 5, beats out Google & YouTube founders
The Producers' Guild of America has recognized the achievements of Will Wright (The Sims), Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid), and Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Rez & Lumines), naming the three luminaries to the Guild's current list of 50 most innovative producers in the field of Digital Entertainment. Wright even landed in the number 5 position, besting big-name contributors like Google's Larry Page and Sergei Brin (#9), and YouTube's Chad Hurley and Chris Chen (#23). Kojima and Mizuguchi made the list at numbers 38 and 50 respectively.Brain Age's Dr. Ryuta Kawashima also made the list, popping up -- surprisingly -- at number 16. Anyways, a round of applause for the 'three gaming gods' and the talking head. Congrats, gentlemen.Who should the PGA elect next year?
MS laments Lumines confusion; new packs in 2007
John Porcaro, Senior Group Manager in Microsoft's Global Games Marketing Team, has responded to the Lumines Live fallout on the official Gamerscore Blog. Porcaro admits that "when we said 'full version,' we didn't make what that meant clear enough." He also reveals that the VS CPU and Mission / Puzzle packs will be released in 2007, as well as an Artist Pack that features music video skins (pictured).For those just tuning in, Lumines Live has been released on Xbox Live, but there's a catch. For 1200 MS points (that's $15 in old money), you receive 12 skins for the the basic version of the game, multiplayer, time attack mode, and samplers of VS CPU, Mission and Puzzle modes. Many of those who purchased the game (self included) were outraged by what was marketed as the "full version" of Q Entertainment's puzzler. Ultimately, it appears the full version of the game (Artist Pack notwithstanding) will cost gamers 3000 MS Points ($37.50), more than the cost of any retail version of Lumines.Here's a query: how much more content was added by upgrading the demo to the $15 basic pack? We don't have a problem with the business model, but perhaps a lot of fury could have been avoided had Q Entertainment not charged (or charged much less) for the base pack and instead released that as the free sampler.Despite our temperament, it is assuring to know that Microsoft is listening to the community.[Via 1UP]
Mizuguchi defends Lumines Live
Q Entertainment founder Tetsuya Mizuguchi spoke with IGN today to defend his choice to split Lumines Live into four pieces (Basic, Advanced, VS CPU, and Mission / Puzzle pack). He gives two reasons for the division: the 50 MB limit on XBLA title (understandable) and the customizable nature of the game (not understandable). Mizuguchi considers it the business model of the future.When IGN presses him on the cost issue, Mizuguchi pauses. After IGN pushes on, Mizuguchi furthers his belief in the piece-wise business model. Theoretically, we don't mind the model so much as the price, and unfortunately IGN never gets Mizuguchi talking about the release date and pricing for the VS CPU and Mission / Puzzle pack.So is Lumines holy like a saint or hole-y like swiss cheese? Q Entertainment still hasn't responded to our request on release date and pricing details. The Advanced Pack game is now on Xbox Live for 600 MS points ($7.50 USD).
Stop crying, Lumines Live! hits XBLA tomorrow [update 2]
About frackin' time news now, with the announcement that tomorrow's Xbox Live Arcade release is none other than Tetsuya Mizuguchi's plummeting block opus, Lumines Live!. Priced at 1200 MS Points ($15), the game features 12 different skins (or levels, for the uninitiated), 5.1 surround sound, online multiplayer, a bevy of single-player modes and a vaguely inspirational message transmitted through pulsating lights and spinning squares. So, what happened to all that stuff you had to buy seperately? It's called the Advance Pack. An optional download costing 600 MS Points ($7.50) will add 22 more skins into the game -- and that's it. Considering the value of HD graphics and enhanced sound in a game which heavily relies on hypnotic presentation, $22.50 for a new Lumines title with 34 skins doesn't seem like a terrible deal, certainly not to those still addicted to the original game. Of course, not being able to play it on the bus may come as a significant loss to you, not to mention the curious fact that the main game has fewer skins than the add-on. Stack blocks and defy sweeping timelines (if you're so inclined) on Xbox Live Arcade from Wednesday morning, 1:00AM PDT (0800 GMT). The full press release is embedded after the break. [Update 1: Now includes interview with Mark Coates, program manager for Xbox Live Arcade.] [Update 2: The Advance Pack is nowhere to be seen. Major Nelson says it'll arrive at a "later date."]
Exclusive: Heavenly Star fan pack
As you may already know, Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi has made a music video for the upcoming video-infused Lumines II. The catchy tune by Genki Rockets has been stuck in my head for the past few days, and I decided to share the love through this exclusive Heavenly Star fan pack. Included in this zip file are 20 PSP-formatted wallpapers, the song as an MP3 and a PSP-formatted version of the music video."While most of my creative energy has been devoted to video games, because music plays such an important role in them, it seemed ideal to create an original music video," Mizuguchi stated about his original creation. Lumines II hits stores on November 7th. DOWNLOAD
Tetsuya Mizuguchi talks about non-existing girls and alcohol
You should know that Tetsuya Mizuguchi is a gaming god to me. Lumines is still one of the best games on the system by far, and Mizuguchi's puzzling sequel has me more than a little excited. CVG recently had an intimate discussion with the gaming master, and he had some really crazy, possibly drug-induced things to say:CVG: Can you tell us a bit about the title song in Lumines 2, 'Heavenly Star'?Mizuguchi: So the girl in the video, she is 17 years-old. She doesn't exist in this world; she's a future girl. She was born in outer space and she's never touched on this planet yet. This is kind of the big love song for the Earth; she's always dreaming of what kind of place Earth is.Uh... Okay... Maybe the guy had a bit too much to drink before the interview:CVG: How important is synesthesia - integrating music and visuals - in Lumines? More or less important than in Rez or Every Extend Extra?Mizuguchi: Rez is kind of tequila; a very strong shot, but Lumines is like a Sauvignon Blanc; a wine you can drink at Sunday lunch.Yep. The secret to Mizuguchi's success has to be some kind of chemical influence. Maybe you too can become a successful game designer with the right... materials...
Lumines to hit it October
Those of you hoping to see Lumines Live and Dig Dug hit on the same day (it could happen, right?) are about to be sorely disappointed. In a recent interview, Lumines creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, was asked when Lumines Live will release on XBLA. His answer: "Next month. The middle of next month. I think so." Not exactly the hard confirmation many of us were hoping for, but at least you don't have to stay up late checking Marketplace for Lumines tonight. Of course, we can't stop you from waiting up for Dig Dug.
NNN demo dons armor, attacks XBLM
The combined superpowers of Lumines' Q Entertainment and Kingdom Under Fire's Phantagram weren't enough to save the Microsoft-published Ninety-Nine Nights from a middling reception in Japan, the title's target audience. So, instead of taking their word for it, hit the Xbox Live Marketplace and download the all region, 587MB demo for yourself, no matter what country you're in (that means you too, Ludwig).Of interest, this is the second demo that Microsoft has released on the day whose name shall not be spoken (pssst, that's Friday). The rationale was that if something goes wrong (we're looking at you Kong demo), there wouldn't be any Xbox Live minions on hand to yank the demo. So make sure you don't break anything while they're gone, k?
N3 demo is up, sample the mediocrity
Already victim to unimpressive reviews and sales in its homeland, Ninety-Nine Nights is about to hit American shores. Soon we will finally have a mindless slasher to compare with Dynasty Warriors 5 -- and Kurosawa fans may shudder when they learn that the game's "story" was inspired by Rashomon. But why wait for the full release when there's a demo up right now? Go forth loyal X360F readers and partake of this demo (available in all regions). Upon its completion return here and tell us what you think. Was it mindless fun, or just mindless?[Thanks, Julian Weisser]
Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi: HD is very important to gaming
Finally, someone who gets it. While some (Nintendo) seem to believe HD comes at the expense of gameplay, Tetsuya Mizuguchi believes that the increased resolution can give games even more emotional impact. He remarks on a feeling that many of us have had, when watching a movie we've seen over and over, watching it again in HD can give an entirely new feeling. Sure playing Mike Tyson's Punch-Out on NES was (and is) fun, but this is 2006. High definition allows you to appreciate lumping up opponents faces in Fight Night Round 3 in ways the SNES never could. Even simple games like Geometry Wars are even more inpressive on HDTVs, there's nothing like having millions of multicolored geometrical shapes chasing you on an enormous screen with no blurring whatsoever. In the interview with Games Industry Mizuguchi goes on to add that he thinks other elements like 5.1 surround sound and particularly online connectivity combine with high-def as a new frontier for gaming.This is the man who created such classics as Sega Rally, Lumines, Rez, Manx TT and others. He understands the importance of good gameplay, but instead of shrugging off HD as a niche product with little value, he's willing to acknowledge the possibilities and look for ways to enhance gamers experience, rather than limit it.
