Star Wars -- Wii lightsaber anyone?

[ahofle]

This sounds like such a killer game for the Wii:

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7202&Itemid=53

[Daniel270]

Having such high hopes for the Wii version of Brunswick Pro Bowling, I'm not holding my breath for another multi platform game until I've seen it in action and got some pretty reliable reports on how well the controls work.....

[shmokes]

Oh god, if there is a god, and if thou art god, please tell me why with the Nintendo Wii now the market leader, LucasArts would decide to farm out the first Wii Star Wars game to a suck ass developer, while it makes the PS3/360 versions in-house?

The developer handling the Wii version of the game is known for such gems as Barbie Beach Vacation, Barbie Sparkling Ice Show, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, Jimmy Neutron, Extremely Goofy Surfing . . .

I'm just peeing my pants with excitement for this one.

[ahofle]

 

Yeah, this will be beyond disappointing if it isn't done well.

[ChadTower]

Simple - they think people care about eye candy and not gameplay.  They want to focus on the high horsepower games and let someone else deal with the more difficult task of strong gameplay and controls on the Wii.

[shmokes]

One would think that the fact that in 10 months, with chronic on-going shortages, the Wii erased the one-year head start the 360 had,  that developers might pause to re-evaluate their position there.  You know, that maybe there's something to this little underpowered system with the motion controllers . . .

I hope Nintendo doesn't trade in their kiddie stigma for an equally damaging casual-gamer stigma, where developers don't think of Wii gamers as discerning, where they think that any old thing that'll let you waggle the controller about will get gobbled up.  Above all, I hope that doesn't turn out to actually be true*. 


* RTSDaddy . . . are you listening?   

[tommy]

The game should be sent to Nintendo for the final control workup so it could be the best it can be.

[ChadTower]

One would think that the fact that in 10 months, with chronic on-going shortages, the Wii erased the one-year head start the 360 had,  that developers might pause to re-evaluate their position there.  You know, that maybe there's something to this little underpowered system with the motion controllers . . .

Logic often has nothing to do with business decisions, especially when it comes to LucasArts.  They could easily have signed those contracts a year ago before any of that happened.

[RTSDaddy2]

I hope Nintendo doesn't trade in their kiddie stigma for an equally damaging casual-gamer stigma, where developers don't think of Wii gamers as discerning, where they think that any old thing that'll let you waggle the controller about will get gobbled up.  Above all, I hope that doesn't turn out to actually be true*. 

* RTSDaddy . . . are you listening?   

Quit bustin' my chops with this shmokes, the joke's gettin' old.  I've said several places on here, plainly, that yeah I got too noob excited about a lot of Wii games that I should have paid more attention to.  I never claimed to be some expert reviewer, just givin my own personal opinions at that time...and found out later on in the game my opinion wasn't worth two cents for sure.  You ain't offending, but enough already though. 

As for your actual comments, the ones that aren't trying to start somethin',  I agree plenty.  With Metroid Prime living up to expectations, it sets us up into what will hopefully be a wonderful fall and winter with Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros., Umbrella Chronicles, etc. coming soon enough. 

Ultimately, however, you are right- they cannot trade in anything for a totally casual gamer stance. 

[shmokes]

Whoa . . . sorry man.  I'm just something of a rat bastard.  No reason to pay attention to me.

[Arm123]

The first time i got my hands on a wii...  THIS is what i thought of.

So now i think i will actually buy one of these babies when this game comes out.

Lets just hope they have some decent quality control for this title, so it doesnt flop.  They could make it really cool if done well.

Here's hoping 

[shmokes]

There's a game coming out from Suda 51 (maker of Killer 7) that, while not related in any way to the Star Wars universe, does have lightsaber combat in it.  So far it sounds a lot more promising than this game, to me.  A very early version was playable at the Tokyo Game Show over the last few days and it sounds like it's showing a lot of potential.  I have very little hopes of this Star Wars game, that LucasArts pawned off on a third-rate developer, turning out to be anything but mediocre.  Hopefully I'm wrong.

[Samstag]

There's a game coming out from Suda 51 (maker of Killer 7) that, while not related in any way to the Star Wars universe, does have lightsaber combat in it.  So far it sounds a lot more promising than this game, to me.  A very early version was playable at the Tokyo Game Show over the last few days and it sounds like it's showing a lot of potential.  I have very little hopes of this Star Wars game, that LucasArts pawned off on a third-rate developer, turning out to be anything but mediocre.  Hopefully I'm wrong.

From what I've read the lightsaber portion will be a seperate mini-game and has nothing to do with the main game at all.  I've also read that they're pretty confident that they're going to nail it.  In other words, they're making a kick-butt lightsaber duel simulator that should be a game in itself but doesn't have enough content to stand alone and tacking it onto a game you'd rather play on a PS3 or 360.

So while it may be awesome it will also be short, shallow, and overpriced.  We'll still buy it.

[danny_galaga]

If ANYONE comes up with a standalone light saber (or for that matter swordfighting. arrghhh!) game and they nail it that will be the incentive a need to enter the 21st century an d buy a wii (",)

[tommy]

Now that i think about it, how hard can it be to make the saber move as you move your controller? That's all that is needed here i think.

[ChadTower]

Probably not hard.  What would be hard is making the user intuit any sort of tactile feedback from two simulated physical objects making forceful contact.  It would feel likely more like just waving controllers past each other with nothing actually existing beyond the tip of the Wiimote resulting mostly in the light sabers passing through each other with no effect at all.

[tommy]

If they can get the position of the players hand if it is up in the air swinging or to the left or right and having it react as such it should be good enough. The Wii-mote is good but i don't think we can expect a whole lot on Nintendo's first try at this motion thing.

[shardian]

If they can get the position of the players hand if it is up in the air swinging or to the left or right and having it react as such it should be good enough. The Wii-mote is good but i don't think we can expect a whole lot on Nintendo's first try at this motion thing.

Maybe they will eventually learn to interface the wiimote with an "eyetoy" type device. That would give the extra data the wii needs to "know" where the wiimote is.

[ChadTower]

Take a couple of wiimotes and try to have a "light saber fight".  Note how dumb it feels to have nothing actually making physical contact with anything else.  That, IMO, is by far the biggest challenge.

[tommy]

That's where the little speaker on the Wii-mote will come in handy and a rumble-mote.

[ChadTower]

I bet it comes with another specialty controller shaped just like a wiffle bat attachment.

[Samstag]

Now that i think about it, how hard can it be to make the saber move as you move your controller? That's all that is needed here i think.

Nearly impossible.  The sensors only provide acceleration data.  It would be possible to calibrate an initial position and track from there, but the first time you max out the sensors with a fast movement, you'd need to recalibrate.

[danny_galaga]

hmmm. maybe they should take their time to make it good, and package it with a specialised/new improved remote.

[Kobex]

I dunno, the baseball bat in Wii sports tracks decently well, and that probably wasn't given a ton of development time.

[ChadTower]

Wii Sports is an intro to the controller specifically... Nintendo has a history of absolutely maximizing these types of early system intros (SMB, SMB64, etc).

[Kobex]

I meant to imply that the "bat tracking" aspect was probably not given a ton of development time, not Wii Sports itself.  I was assuming that one feature was not a huge technological issue to overcome.

[ChadTower]

Don't confuse disagreement with misunderstanding of what you said.

I understand your meaning and I disagree.   

[SithMaster]

Including a new wiimote will raise the price and alienate people who already bought another mote for a second player.

I like the rumble idea.  Seems more realistic from what youd expect sword fighting to have.  The main issue i see is with the acrobatics the jedi are fond of.  that and you would be able to lengthen or shorten the blade to make the various styles they have such as the shotto.  Trickier would be a dual blade though that could be a reason to make a special accessory to combine two motes together or use both at the same time one in each hand.

but isnt bat tracking only one way?  you swing out and then return to the ready postion whereas a sword fight has a lot of back and forth between parrying and such.

[shardian]

If the light saber game works even marginally better than that crap-fest samurai arcade sword game, it will be a success.

[ChadTower]

Just buy a pair of whiffle bats and have at it.  It will be far better than what they produce on the Wii... plus you'll have a pair of whiffle bats for Paul Revere.

[ahofle]

Just buy a pair of whiffle bats and have at it. 

http://break.com/index/sick-whiffle-ball-pitcher.html
(I am allowed to derail my own thread right?)

[ChadTower]

Dude some of those reverse curveballs should be unconstitutional.  All that is missing from that video is the NBA Jam flames.

[shardian]

Just buy a pair of whiffle bats and have at it. 

http://break.com/index/sick-whiffle-ball-pitcher.html
(I am allowed to derail my own thread right?)

If you use the whiffle ball with slots on only one side, it is easy to throw sick curve balls.

And the best swords ever: christmas wrapping paper tubes. Nothing is better than when your opponents tube breaks and you can declare open season on their ass.

[ChadTower]

No way, we used to use long gourds and pepperoni sticks.  The best is definitely when your opponent's sword breaks and sprays fat and meat chunks on their shirt.

[tommy]

I still keep seeing people getting hit in the head on online videos with the Wii-mote. I say if you're stupid enough to stand all up in someone's face when they play they deserve to get bashed in the head. 

I bet these are the same people who stand behind bowlers when they get ready to toss the ball down the alley in real life.

[ChadTower]

Not everyone wears a helmet during the day, tommy.

[ahofle]

I've witnessed it happen in a tennis match -- it's hilarious. 
My sister in law was playing against her daughter and the ball was coming hard to the right.  Her natural tendency was to reach/lean to the right and swing, knocking her daughter who was standing a few feet next to her in the head.  I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard.

[tommy]

Not everyone wears a helmet during the day, tommy.

You should wears yours at night too, you never know when you're going to fall out of your bed.

[Havok]

Just buy a pair of whiffle bats and have at it. 

http://break.com/index/sick-whiffle-ball-pitcher.html
(I am allowed to derail my own thread right?)

Damn... I'd end up hitting that kid with the bat, after being struck out!

[ChadTower]

That's when you bust out the fat red bat for your next at bat.