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Bloodborne interview: Producer Masaaki Yamagiwa discusses the PS4’s ultra-difficult exclusive

National Post Tech Desk - Mon, 04/06/2015 - 12:18

In an industry full of video games concentrated on holding the player’s hand with multiple lives and an abundant number of save points, as well as carefully crafted tutorials, games like the recently released PlayStation 4 exclusive, Bloodborne, the spiritual successor to the Souls franchise, stand out in a league of their own.

In an interview with the Post Arcade, the game’s producer, Massaki Yamagiwa, talks about Bloodborne‘s development direction via a translated email exchange.

Yamagiwa delves into a variety of topics, discussing whether or not he feels Bloodborne‘s difficulty has been toned down when compared to the Souls Franchise, and how his development team dealt with high fan expectations leading up to the game’s release.

SonyYamagiwa says Bloodborne inherits many of the Souls series' key design traits.

Q: What advantages during the development process were there since Bloodborne was designed for only one console, rather than multiple platforms like with past Souls games you’ve worked on?

I would say keeping development focused to a single console provided us with the extra leg room to hone both our ideas and implementation.

Q: What does the success of the Souls series mean for Bloodborne? Do you feel that expectations for the game are higher because of how the two games are connected?

Yes, the Souls series has had a great impact. Fan hype also helped drive the massive press coverage following the initial E3 announcement.

I have to say there were great expectations on the Sony Japan side of the fence too – this being another collaboration with the From Software guys. I sincerely hope we were able to make something that pleases [fans].

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Q: Were you surprised to see the success of Souls type games outside of Japan?

Yes indeed. Though I’d have to say the biggest surprise was learning that what gamers like exists on a universal level. It doesn’t matter which side of the Atlantic you’re on.

Bloodborne faithfully inherits the Souls series’ root concepts, making it a title gamers can really sink their teeth into. If you’re a fan of Demon’s Souls, I’m confident there’s something for you here. And if you’re a fan of games in general—the same applies.

Q: How would you respond to Souls fans who feel the difficulty of Bloodborne has been toned down to appeal to a broader audience?

I would respond by saying this: There’s a difficulty mode in there that definitely won’t disappoint, so rest easy (laughs). This title was engineered to be a solid experience that delivers a sure sense of accomplishment. You can hack through Bloodborne relying on nothing but your raw gamer skills  — or, if you like, slowly generate a battle plan and strategize.

SonyIf you're a not fond of difficult games, Bloodborne isn't fo ryou.

We built this world for all to savour, regardless of initial skill level. Every moment you play is a moment of growth – I think that’s a really fun concept.

Q: What do you feel are the main differences between the Souls series and Bloodborne?

Bloodborne’s principle distinction would have to be its frenetic life-or-death combat encounters.

Replacing shields with firearms, the introduction of the rally system – the entire battle system itself – all represent design steps we’ve taken to make you feel every fight… might just be your last.

Q: Can you provide more detail on how the game’s co-op game works?

Co-op mode allows for up to 3 players. And by popular demand, we’re also allowing friends to communicate via a “gesture” system. As for matching criteria, this generally adheres to player level.

Apple Watch can’t launch in Switzerland because of patent from 1985: report

National Post Tech Desk - Mon, 04/06/2015 - 07:57

ZURICH — Apple is not able to launch its new smartwatch in Switzerland until at least the end of this year because of an intellectual property rights issue, Swiss broadcaster RTS reported on its website.

The U.S. tech giant cannot use the image of an apple nor the word “apple” to launch its watch within Switzerland, the home of luxury watches, because of a patent from 1985, RTS reported, citing a document from the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property.

The document, reprinted on the RTS website, was published by trade magazine Business Montres & Joaillerie, RTS said.

The patent is set to finish on Dec. 5 of this year. It currently belongs to William Longe, who owns watch brand Leonard that first filed the patent.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property could not immediately be reached outside of normal business hours.

The Apple Watch, the firm’s first new device since Tim Cook became CEO, will be available in stores in nine countries on April 24.

The world’s largest watchmaker Swatch unveiled its riposte to Apple’s smartwatch last month, announcing a plan to put cheap programmable chips in watches that will let wearers from China to Chicago make payments with a swipe of the wrist.

© Thomson Reuters 2015

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Axiom Verge review: My childhood recreated (Crush Cream Soda and Wagon Wheels not included)

National Post Tech Desk - Fri, 04/03/2015 - 07:22

If you want to know what games were like in 1987 without actually playing a 28-year-old game, Tom Happ’s Axiom Verge is the way to go.

Five years in the making, this one-man project is an ode to retro games like Metroid and Castlevania. From graphics and music to design and mechanics, it channels a late 80s gaming vibe in a way few other modern takes on classic genres do.

It took me back more than a quarter century to sunny weekend afternoons spent in a dark room in front of a glowing tube, controller in hand. At one point I strongly lamented that I didn’t have a Wagon Wheel and a bottle of Crush Cream Soda beside me to complete my travel through time.

Tom Happ Games

Let me rewind a bit for readers who were born into a world of three-dimensional gaming.

Metroid and Castlevania popularized a new kind of genre when they first landed on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. They provided players a maze-like two-dimensional world divided into discrete cells. Your objective was to make your way through the labyrinth, but you’d frequently run into obstacles between areas that you couldn’t get past until you found a special item. Once you found said object, the world would open up in fun new ways – until you ran into another barrier.

Axiom Verge follows this formula to the letter, all the way down to its decidedly old-school audio and visual presentation.

It tells the story of Trace, a scientist – who looks suspiciously like a lot of game designers I’ve encountered, complete with tousled hair and too-long sideburns – caught in a terrible accident who wakes up within a strange world brimming with bizarre biomechanical technology.

A strange voice instructs him to arm himself with a gun and start exploring, which he gamely does despite his confusion. This begins a long process of finding weapons, gadgets, and upgrades to unlock new areas that lasts the entire game as we gradually learn the history of this strange world, who Trace’s computer-like companion is, and the role he’s been unwittingly forced to assume.

Tom Happ Games

I settled into Axiom Verge‘s familiar rhythm with ease.

Oop, there’s a glowing wall blocking my way with an energy-activated switch behind it. Can’t shoot through. Guess I’m going to go explore a bit and return later. Why here’s a new weapon that spurts a bit of green energy. Maybe it can penetrate that glowing wall I saw a few rooms back. Ha! It does. Switch flicked, wall eliminated. Now let’s see where this path goes…

There’s lots and lots of that.

The innovation Tomm Happ brings to this well-worn bit of game design is the sheer number and diversity of gizmos you collect

There aren’t six or eight or 10 weapons to collect, but dozens, each with its own unique properties, some of which are helpful against certain enemies and others of which can be useful in removing barriers. You’ll likely settle on a handful of favourites (you can handily quick-draw your two most used weapons by setting them to the R3 and L3 buttons – one of the few concessions to modern design made by Mr. Happ), but there are appropriate places in which each one will make your life easier if you take the time to equip it.

Even more interesting are the gadgets. They start off pretty basic – an electric drill that can bust up certain bricks in the environment – but soon become much more imaginative.

For example, you’ll don a lab coat that lets you displace your body through thin walls – which, among other things, unlocks access to hidden passages along the sides of some areas so you can quickly navigate around enemies you’ve already fought but which have respawned.

You’ll also find a disrupter that can turn glitchy-looking parts of the screen into platforms, and which also affects certain weaker enemies, sometimes making them disappear, sometimes rendering their attacks ineffective.

When you eventually find a remote drone – a many-legged little thing vaguely reminiscent of Halo’s Flood Infection Forms – capable of being tossed to out-of-reach areas, scooting through narrow spots, and exploring entire areas on its own, the world really starts to open up.

Tom Happ Games

But for all the nostalgic fun I’ve had with Axiom Verge, it’s also served as a reminder that the medium of games evolved for some good reasons.

The thrill of finding hidden paths and upgrades is tempered by how you do it: by drilling or zapping or running up against just about every new surface you see in an attempt to reveal any potential secrets. It’s like setting up a mine in a place where you haven’t used any modern technological marvels to determine what might lie beneath the earth and just hoping for the best. You get lucky occasionally, but spend a lot of time coming up empty handed. More visual clues about what you can and can’t interact with in the environment would have been nice.

And combat is pretty simplistic, despite all the different weapons. You can only shoot in eight directions, which means you’ll be doing a lot of old-fashioned jump-and-fire moves to properly aim your blasts. It looks and feels a bit goofy.

Plus, most bosses follow very predictable patterns that can be easily exploited. In one case I just jumped behind a chubby guy that could only shoot forwards and kept hitting it from behind until it died. These big foes are generally loaded with a heaping amount of health that takes time to whittle down, but that’s really the only way in which many pose much challenge.

The real kicker for players without patience, however, could be the lack of fast travel points.

Axiom Verge‘s world is mighty big, and choosing to go back to previous areas where you think you might remember a barrier you now have the power to overcome can be a serious commitment requiring a lot of time, especially once you reach the halfway point and there are multiple areas each with many enemy-infested rooms between you and your goal.

It feels like needless punishment that could have been avoided with the ability to teleport between each area’s save point.

Tom Happ Games

Axiom Verge is clearly not Ori and the Blind Forest, another great – and I would argue slightly better – Metroid-style game released earlier this year that fuses classic exploration and action with cutting edge graphics and a few more modern concepts. (Read our review).

In contrast, Mr. Happ’s game is laser-focused on recreating the glory of games past for an audience that still remembers them.

Having said that, my concern that the retro look and feel would appeal only to nostalgic players was lessened when my daughter, nearing 10 years old, walked into the room while I was playing and was amazed by what she saw. “This is like Minecraft, but, like, 2D,” she said, eyes transfixed on the screen. “It’s beautiful. When can I play?”

So I suppose there’s something here for a younger generation that sees simplistic graphics as a kind of style rather than an indication of age. Still, my hunch is that the bulk of people who play and stick with Axiom Verge will be older players sucked in by the prospect of summoning up fond memories.

If that’s you, I suggest picking up your favourite childhood snack in advance.

Google Inc’s new Asus Chromebit can turn any television into a smart TV

National Post Tech Desk - Thu, 04/02/2015 - 09:38

Google Inc. has revealed another platform for its Chrome operating system – televisions.

Google and Asus’ Chromebit is an under US$100 HDMI-enabled device that plugs directly into your TV. The dongle is roughly the same size as a USB thumb drive and can turn any display with an HDMI port into a Chrome OS computer.

However, this concept isn’t exactly new since Intel also recently announced the Compute Stick, a US$150 HDMI dongle that provides the same functionality, but also gives users access to the full version of Windows 8.1. Other smaller manufacturers have also been releasing HDMI-based mini computers for approximately a year.

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The Chromebit is designed to be ultra-portable and the HDMI plug part of the device can be rotated, allowing it to be popped into almost any HDMI socket without the need for an extension cable. It also comes equipped with an impressive array of features: Rockchip RK3288 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB or on-board storage, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and even a USB 2.0 port. The Chromebit will be available in three different colours when it launches later this summer – blue, orange and grey.

According to Google this new Chrome OS-based device also isn’t a replacement for its popular Chromecast streaming dongle, which makes sense since both devices fill a very different need. Google’s Chromecast is focused on allowing users to stream video and still images from other devices, as well as access established streaming platforms such as Netflix.

The Chromebit is set to offer similar functionality, but also give users access to a basic self-contained personal computer, giving users full web browsing functionality and the ability to plug a tiny, albeit not very powerful, computer into any television with an HDMI port. USB 2.0 and Bluetooth support will also allow a keyboard and mouse to be used with the device.

Also, Asus reportedly won’t be the only Chromebit manufacturer. In an interview with Gizmodo Google’s vice-president of product management, Caesar Sengupta, explained that other manufacturers have signed on to create Chromebit devices.

The Chrome OS is used in Google’s line of Chromebook laptop devices. Google has also announced a new $149 Chromebook is coming from Haier.

It’s unclear if Google will launch the Chromebit in Canada, although the company’s other streaming device, the Chromecast, made it north of the U.S. border a few months after its initial release.

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