Say hello to the new AGROclient!

Yesterday I hinted at what I've been working. In this post I'll try to explain what's in my head and what I'm trying to do (so you don't go thinking that I've abanoned this place and stuff).

The original idea behind PROJECTNICO was to build a place where I could collect all sorts of stuff that is related to both games, so I started using Blogger as the means to do so. Well, it worked... for a bit. But now I (and so many readers) feel that it's all messy and confusing. To look for wallpapers you'd have to look at over 100 posts... and that doesn't work.

So I had an idea. I said: "Hmmm... I'll build a website!" Ten seconds later I abandoned the idea. "There are so many websites around. I want to do something different!" And so I did (well I started to do).

In comes AGROclient, which is (or will be) an offline launcher that lets you access every single file from the host using a simple menu.

How will it work? What does it do?

It's simple. You double click on the launcher, and you're welcomed with a simple flash program (with a nice interface) with a menu on. You press "n" and the launcher takes you to the news page. You click "g" and the client launches the file gallery which will contain all sorts of stuff like music, videos, wallpapers and so on. Think of it as an offline flash site, but with added stuff.

The full function roster will include:

A news feed
A file gallery that points to wallpapers, videos etc.
A community message board
Features like interviews and making of's
Competitions
Staff page with contact details and vacancies

You can sample what's to come by downloading the very first build of the client below. Remember: It does not work! But it will give you a rough idea why I've been missing for so long.

Let me know what you all think and if I'm just wasting time! Or not. I like the idea, anyways!

The client will be ready next week. And there will be two versions - one for ICO and the other for Shadow. There's so much more but I'll leave it as a surprise.

In the meantime I'll still be posting any news (like the PLAYSTATION NETWORK one) that comes up!

*Goes back to work*

Download the AGROclient Build 1.0 - Here

News: 1Up Reports Team ICO working on PSN title

1Up reports that Team ICO might be working on a PlayStation Network game. This news may explain why the team was looking for programmers with experience in network technology...

"Sony's premium studios are allegedly working on PlayStation Network titles. It's been speculated that the Ico team -- the team responsible for Shadow of the Colossus is working on a PlayStation Network title..."

Maybe we'll see this game by the end of this year then... a 2D downloadable game?

Source: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3157494

*Where is Alex?*

In case you're wondering where I've gone, what I'm doing and why there are no posts being made... it's because, for a while, I've been working on something. Something new and nice which should make you forgive me for slowing down.

For now I'll just give a hint by revealing that the community needs a better place to gather, especially now that we'll start receiving bits and pieces of news regarding 'ICO 3'.

Tomorrow I'll give you a better glimpse on what's to come.

Quickpost: Eminence plays Shadow at PS3 meeting

Kotaku.com reports that Eminence Orchestra closed down the PS3 Australian launch gathering at Walsh Bay, Sydney by playing some pieces from the Shadow of the Colossus soudtrack. Maybe they'll add some more pieces to their website soon!

Source: http://kotaku.com/gaming/ps3-launch/australian-ps3-launch-the-details-238654.php

Interview Special: ComputerAndVideoGames.com with Fumito Ueda

Below you may find a link to the PDF version of one of the most interesting interviews with Fumito Ueda that talks about Shadow of the Colossus...

Link: Download

*Of red sentences, huge zipped files, podcasts and weird things*

Just to be sure everyone knows, the red sentence overlaying the Team ICO ad a few days ago was written by the person who scanned the page. No mysteries or hidden messages then. It was the personal view of the author who thinks it's a bit late for Sony to start looking for staff to work on a game rumoured not to be released before 2009... Maybe they're right. Maybe not!

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On other things... I've noticed that not everyone likes to send personal addresses to random people over the internet (I'm talking about the winners of the mystery picture competition) so what I'll do is upload the huge folder to my host and send the link and password to the three people who guessed it was Gaius hiding. You can then burn the files onto a CD. And as an extra I'll also include the ICO Press Disc content too. Double the fun! If any of you winners prefer getting the CD through the post just send me your address at the usual address.

Various images and documents from the Shadow press disc will be posted next week (to give seven days exclusivity to the winners).

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More news: The latest 1Up Yours Radioshow talks a bunch about the Team ICO advert and notifies that the game has been in development for quite some time... I'll try to download the show and upload it to my host. Cheers to Quinton for the double heads-up!

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I'm sorry posts slowed down these last few days. I can assure you that's going to change. There are lots of interviews, pictures, fan works, novel chapter summaries, profiles and much, much more coming your way.

Poll of the Day: 'ICO 3' will be released by the end of...

So most of you (63%) think that network features in Team ICO's PS3 game would be a welcome addition, if done right. I share that opinion. It would be interesting to see what the team can come up with...

21% of you thought that this would surely make the game even more appealing while the minority (17%) do not think that network features should be added to the game, probably because you thought this would detract from the general feeling Team ICO games present.

Today's poll asks when do you think the PS3 game will be released. Do you think we'll see it on shelves by the end of this year? Or maybe by next year's? Surely it cannot be released at the end of 2009... right? It's your call to decide, so put in those votes and let us know!

The Castle of the Mist - Part 1 Chapters 4,5,6 Summaries

Part 1 Chapter 4

Ico, still in his cell was informed that Toto disappeared with one of the horses in the village. He could read through his friend's plan and worried that Toto would trespass The Cursed Mountain and be in danger, so Ico begged for the village Elder to let him go and look for him.

However the Elder refused categorically and accused him of planning to run away with Toto. (This was not true. the Elder didn't believe he would esacape but this turn of events started to increase his burden and let it all go on Ico.)

The Elder then left, with Ico feeling so hurt and alone, crying in the cell.

Ico's guess was correct: Toto rode the horse to The Cursed Mountain and found the petrified city. But there was something else... something he wasn't to find.

Part 1 Chapter 5

While Toto was exploring the city he saw a strange mist in the shape of a woman's face. This misty face demanded to know who he was, and as he tried to run away, it blew a gust of wind from its mouth that petrified his horse in an instant.

Toto managed to scramble away and hid himself in an underground library. There he found that every but one book had turned into stone. That particular book, written in a strange language he couldn't read was glowing in the darkness and felt warm to his touch. Thinking that it could somehow protect him, he grabbed the glowing book and ran down the mountain path as fast as he could.

Part 1 Chapter 6

Toto reached the village and gave the book he found to the Elder, just in time before his body turned into stone.

The Elder knew what this book was and thought that it could be they key to village and Ico's survival. He ordered his wife to start weaving another poncho, this time using the pattern he saw on the book...

*I am back* = So much stuff to do

Hey everyone, I've been away from my computer for a couple of days and there's so much stuff I have to do... so let's start right away!

1. If you take a look at the page view counter on the left you'll see that we've reached a pretty number indeed - 10,000 views in less than two months, and just in time for the Shadow of the Colossus PAL anniversary. It goes without saying that I'm amazed at the way the community responded to this journal and I'm well aware that most of you have high expectations so I'll be doing my best to keep you all happy. A big thank you to every visitor we've had so far!

2. The mystery picture competition is now officially closed. There were three people who guessed that it was Gaius who was hiding behind the picture and will each receive a CDR copy of the Shadow PAL Press Disc. I know that I've said there will be two winners but since these three people were dedicated enough to send an e-mail they will all get the prize! Look out for the next competition which will appear very soon! (I'll be posting a proper post about this later during the day.)

3. I've received an e-mail from Quinton saying that Ziff-Davis confirmed that Fumito Ueda and his team have been working on their PS3 project for a while now... I'm looking for some confirmation of this so if there's anyone who knows something feel free to contact me through e-mail or leave a comment. Anyways, a big thank you to Quinton for the heads up!

I'll make up for these two post-less days starting this morning by posting three chapter summaries of the ICO novel.

Oh and if you see me post in Italian do not worry, this journal will always be in English - it's just we've been having lots of visitors from the land of pizza and pasta. I will be translating any posts in English so everyone will know what's being said!

SCEJ Team ICO Online Application Form

An online version of the job application form which was printed alongside yesterday's Famitsu advert has been uploaded to the SCEJ website.

You can check it out here. There's also a simpler text version which may be found here.

News: Work on the new game is just starting now *NOT CONFIRMED*

Gameaholic, a Japanese video game blog, reports that actual work on the new PS3 game is just starting now. Still, the developers started thinking about new concepts right after localizing Shadow of the Colossus for the European / Australian market so the initial concept and design phase should be over.

The blog also comments that Fumito Ueda will still act as the Director and Game Designer for this new project.

Note: This information has not been yet confirmed by any official sources.

Link: http://gameaholic.blog34.fc2.com/blog-entry-3005.html

Making: ICO, a 1UP.com Feature

The Method of Developing ICO by 1UP.com

"It's been a couple years since Ico's release, but the lush, unique adventure game has won enough converts to be able to still fill a room with a talk on its development, as shown by Fumito Ueda's GDC talk last night. Along with producer Kenji Kaido, he discussed the philosophy behind the game's development, the struggles along the way, and how he kept his vision intact from the project's beginning to end.

In 1997, he got the idea to create a game with the universal theme of "boy meets girl," with the two main characters hand-in-hand during an adventure. To express the imagery behind this vague concept, he took an assistant and made a 3-minute movie using Lightwave. In it, a young (normal-looking) young boy in a red shirt gazes from an inclined step at a horned girl sitting on a couch below, cloaked in shadow. There follows some un-Ico-like footage of armored robots flying around and firing energy blasts, destroying part of a castle, and then an end to the trailer as the girl reaches out and touches the boy's cheek.

Already a number of Ico's elements were in place, and Ueda began to work with Kaido at this point to turn the concepts expressed in the movie into a game design for a PSone title. Their three key points were "differentiation" (to make a game unlike any other), "artistic presentation" (a level of aesthetics such that any still screen of the game would be artistic), and a "non-realistic reality" featuring a vivid heroine who would make the player want to be heroic.

They began to accomplish this using a method they referred to as "subtracting design:" every element of the game that took away from its reality was removed. Instead of having a varied cast of enemies with unique strengths and weaknesses, for instance, there would be only one enemy type; instead of a castle, its environs, and nearby settlements, there would only be the castle and an escape from it. They also used unconventional hiring techniques: to put together a team capable of realizing Ueda's vision, they hired mostly outside of the industry to put together an initial staff of two programmers, four artists, and one designer in addition to Ueda and Kaido.

A movie Ueda put together during this period shows what they had so far on the PSone version. The lone enemy type is one of the masked, horned soldiers present in the final game only during a cutscene, though the horns are now on Ico rather than Yorda. Some locations are already familiar even at this stage; the outdoor sluice gate puzzle is clearly recognizable, as is the waterfall area.

Full production on the game began in October 1998; the team had made the decision to go with hand-done key frame animation rather than motion capture. Ueda claims that actors weren't able to understand the situation and move appropriately, while the key frame method allows for smoother transition between motions. Some of the fruits of this time are visible in a second PSone clip, where the horned guards now have a kick maneuver and Ico's stick weapon is in place. A couple of elements not present in the game also appear briefly: Ico dodges blowgun traps in the wall at one point, and has a visible health meter while battling the guards.

September 1999 marked a turning point for the project. Ueda wasn't satisfied with the results they were achieving, and became frustrated that the hardware wasn't capable of realizing his initial vision. He considered three options: either canceling the project outright, altering the design to try and finish the game on PSone, or changing platforms. After some deliberation, the team began converting the project for the PS2 hardware. It had a dramatic effect on the project: their graphical problems were over, with a new engine capable of 60 frames per second, particles, cloth movement, and a unique lighting system.

The first movie from the PS2 era of the project shows that lighting right off the bat, as it filters through the trees in an outdoor scene. The character design for Ico is mostly finished at this point, though Yorda (sporting a purple dress and pigtails) is still a ways off from her final design. A few rooms of the castle (such as the large indoor bridge room with chandelier) are now recognizable in their final forms.

The project was going well, though Ueda had a couple of new concerns. The enhanced graphics made the content seem too dark – originally, the storyline had Ico trying to return Yorda to her room after she'd been kidnapped by the horned soldiers. Ueda felt that the extra detail made such themes too vivid, and rethought the story to fit more with the new graphics engine. Accordingly, in the next movie clip, the shadow enemies have replaced the horned warriors. Apart from a short-lived white cape that Ico sports in this movie, it's not far from the final version, represented in the presentation by a clip from a PlayStation Underground CD.

After reviewing the history of the project, Ueda noted that though the 4-year development history was a long one, creating the various concept movies along the way was an invaluable tool for keeping his vision pure throughout the project. Visualizing his ideas at each stage, he says, gave the development team a reference to understand the concept and work toward making it concrete.

Once the presentation was over, Ueda took questions from the audience. Standout responses included his opinion that "maybe in Ico, I think we subtracted too much!" when asked how well the "Subtraction Method" worked. Explaining why he opted not to include subtitles for Yorda's dialogue, he said that it was critical to the physical contact and "holding hands" concept that the two not be able to communicate and talk to each other all the time during gameplay.

The game's camera was accomplished by setting the camera to fixed positions and changing the angle as players reached certain points, using pans rather than cuts so as not to disorient the player. When asked what inspirations he drew from in making Ico, Ueda said "Influences … since I was born, every TV, comics, movies."

Regarding the ending, Ueda said that "I want to have a happy ending, but it's not sure that [Yorda] is alive, or if she'll stay with Ico, or if she wasn't a dream. I wanted a happy ending that was still a little bit vague." And in keeping with that desire, he issued a firm "no comment" to questions about a possible sequel."

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Source: 1UP.com

News: A Night in Fantasia 2007

Eminence Orchestra's "A Night in Fantasia 2007" will have some very incredible guests of honour, one of whom happens to be Kow Otani, composer of the Shadow of the Colossus music score.

Tickets are available from Eminence Online. If anyone is going to attend make sure you let us know!

Link to Eminence's official website: Here

Link to "A Night in Fantasia"'s official page: Here

Famitsu Advert: The Background

Here's the background image which was used for the advert. It shows some more mathematical equations, formulae and clouds...

Famitsu Advert: The Red Sentence

I guess I was (a little bit) excited when I read the advert yesterday, but there's something weird about the red sentence on that page...

It reads:

"Are you only just hiring people now? Is the PS3 going to be in any fit shape by the time you finish this game? It's too late, old timer."

I wonder what's the meaning behind it...

Link to scan: Here
Link to news post: Here

The Castle of the Mist - Part 1 Chapter 3 Summary

Here's the third chapter summary by Anithin:

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The Castle of the Mist

Part 1 Chapter 3 (Summary)

The Elder's wife tried to concentrate on weaving the poncho, but found herself in too much tears to do so. She recalled her older brother whom she was close to when they grew up together in the capital city.

He studied Theology and was wise enough to be appointed as High Priest despite his young age. He refused, however, and moved to a remote village earning his keep as a teacher instead. This caused his family to disown him, but he and his sister kept in touch by sending letters to each other.

When he knew she was going to marry into Tokusa's Elders' family he told her of the tradition concerning the sacrifice in the village. He told her that horned boys looked helpess and benevolent because they were "soulless", without any chance of evil tainting their hearts. Sending them to the Castle would make them join once again with their "soul", which stayed there since their birth.

Learning the High Priest's role in the ritual she couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason he refused to become one. She even asked him in one of her letters but he didn't give her an answer even before his death.

As she was lost in her thoughts, Toto visited her and asked her when the High Priest would come, saying that he would ask him if he could go with Ico to the Castle. Knowing that he wouldn't listen she lied and told him she'd go instead so he didn't need to worry. This stopped the boy from asking but he had another, new idea; he would go on ahead and wait until the High Priest's entourage left with Ico, then follow them to the Castle's gates.

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Chapter 4 coming tomorrow!

Poll of the Day: "ICO 3" + Network Features =

Yesterday's poll closed with 57% of you wanting Team ICO to focus on PS3 (which they'll be doing as announced today), 30% saying they'd love a game on the Wii, 9% on the 360 and 4% wanting a multi-platform release. I'd love to see a game on the Wii. But the huge potential the PS3 offers is too inviting...

Anyways, onto today's poll! Today, thanks to Famitsu, we've come to know that our favourite developing team is seeking people with expertise in networking technology. Could this mean we'll have some form of online multiplayer mode? Or maybe downloadable content? In any case, would you like this option, or do you think Team ICO games should stay a personal (single-player) experience?

Put in your votes, and let us know!

News: Team ICO Vacancies - The Details

The actual positions are listed on the missing page of the advert but here are the main posts the developers are seeking to fill: programmers and engineers who are familiar with physical simulations, shader programming, algorithms, networking technology, and general game programming.

The team is also looking for animators, artists, level designers, scripters and assistant producers.

You read that right, they're looking for people experienced in networking technology...

Breaking News: Team ICO looking for staff members to work on PS3 game

PlayFrance just reported that Team ICO posted an advert on weekly Famitsu for new staff members to work on their new PS3 game... more news as it's available.

Translation from French:

"As expected, Team ICO, the celebrated developers behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, are planning to release their new game on PlayStation3.

The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu contains an advert placed by the developers where they're looking for new staff members to work on a new game.

This year will be, without any doubt, the year where we'll see another masterpiece being announced. We can hardly wait!"

Link to news article: Here

EDIT: It appears Famitsu actually had an interview with the team and it was there that it was mentioned they're looking for new staff members. This could mean there are no scans (like the NICO advert ways back in 2003)... or only scans of the actual article. (look below...)

Source: Here

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Update: Scanned Advert

The page just says the developers are looking for applicants to fill various posts in the team. It is a SCEJ official advert so it should also be uploaded on the official PlayStation JP website as well.

Poll of the Day: Team ICO developing for other consoles?

I'm surprised. 75% of you would like to see a movie inspired by the works of Fumito Ueda. The other 25% think it's not a good idea. I wouldn't be happy if Sony or some other movie company decided to do a film based directly on any of the two games. On the other hand, a movie based on one of the storylines would be worth watching. Maybe a movie explaining what happened in the Forbidden Lands when Dormin was imprisoned and divided into sixteen shadows?

Today's poll is somewhat different. If Team ICO wasn't part of SCEI, would you want it to develop games for other consoles? Maybe for the Wii? Or the 360?

Cheers for voting!

Picture of the Day: Reality

Today's Picture: "Emotional Reality is not equal to Photo-Realistic Reality" being the basis on which Team ICO built its first game.

The Castle of the Mist - Part 1 Chapter 2 Summary

Here is the summary of the second chapter of "The Castle of the Mist", courtesy of Anithin.

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The Castle of the Mist

Part 1 Chapter 2 (Summary)

Meanwhile, the horned boy, Ico, was imprisoned in a stone cave in accordance to tradition before his sending. His friend, Toto, secretly visited him and tried to persuade him to run away together. Ico strongly refused, knowing that terrible disaster would strike the village and even the whole country if he did so.

Before he was brought to this cell, the Elder had taken him to "The Cursed Mountain", to the north of the village. There Ico saw, horrified, a town where everything was turned into stone - both living and inanimate objects. The Elder explained that this was the doing of the Lord of the Castle of the Mist, and Ico felt that he was willing to become a sacrifice if this helped prevent such a fate to everyone he loved. The Elder also told him that to be sacrificed didn't mean he would die, but would "become one with the Castle and live on for ever."

However, the Elder forbade Ico from telling anyone about what he saw, hence he couldn't make Toto understand why he had to surrender.

Before leaving, Toto said he wouldn't give up, telling Ico that if he couldn't escape with him, he would follow him to the Castle.

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Those who'd like to buy the book may have some luck finding it on Amazon Japan. I can give some links to all those interested; just leave a comment saying so.

Competition: Mystery Picture - Hint #3

And here's the third hint which will help you obtain a chance to win a CDR copy of the Shadow of the Colossus Press Disc:

Hint #3 - "-13"

Send your guesses at: alexrowe@projectnico.net.

More about this competition: Here

Poll of the Day: Fumito Ueda inspired movie?

It seems most of you (67%) would prefer if Ueda-san didn't show interest in the PlayStation Portable. On the other hand, the other 33% of you would like a portable game of some sorts. Personally I'd like a game on PSP, as long as it keeps that kind of magic which only Team ICO is able to conjure.

Today's poll was inspired by the recent announcement of the Metal Gear Solid movie in production. Would you like to see a movie inspired by the works of Fumito Ueda and co.? Would you go watch it? Or not?

Put in your votes, the poll is at the top of the page!

The Castle of the Mist - Part 1 Chapter 1 Summary

For all those who wished to know more about the ICO novel, here's the first in a long line of chapter summaries, brought to you by Anithin.

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The Castle of the Mist

Part 1 Chapter 1 (Summary)

The Elder of Tokusa Village was standing outside the weaving house, waiting for his wife to start working on the poncho for the sacrifice. However, he heard only her sobs. At the same time, he thought about the special tradition of his village, which had been passed down in the Elder's family for many generations.

Once in every generation, a horned child would be born into a family in the village. The unfortunate family would be banished from the village, sparing them the pain of raising their child just to see him sacrificed thirteen years later.

The child would be taken care of by the Elder's family until his thirteenth birthday when the High Priest from The Holy Capital would come to the village and take him to the Castle of the Mist to be sacrificed.

However, as he raised the horned boy during his time, as his own grandchild, he and his wife had come to love the boy as their own and could not help but lament the child's fate. The only consolation to the Elder was that there was nothing he could do, for the sacrifice of the horned children was the only way the "Lord" of the Castle of the Mist would keep the village safe.

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These summaries are based on the Thai version of the book. Again, a big thank you to Anithin for doing these and for letting me host them on the journal!

Kotobukiya Figures Feature *Postponed*

I must apologise to all those who've been waiting for the feature I promised yesterday. I did not have the time to take the pictures and write the review but I'm planning on bringing you the feature within a couple of days. Thanks for understanding.

Still, I have to say the figures far exceeded my expectations. The amazing attention to detail and overall polishing make this a must have collection. Hurry up and get yours before it's too late!

Shadow of the Colossus *Unofficial* Novel

What a surprise! I was looking for some news and I stumbled upon an interesting find. A Shadow of the Colossus e-book, published by Denpan. The short novel follows the story of the game and tells the journey of a lone wanderer looking for a way to bring back the soul of his beloved.

Those who can read Japanese may find the e-book here. Those who cannot, don't despair: I'll be translating this straight away.

Link to Denpan page: Click

Picture of the Day: Artwork

Today's Picture: Some of the artwork from Shadow of the Colossus shows the extent to which the artists worked to create a believable world, rich in detail and emotions.

Interview Special: EuroGamer Top 50 Reaction: Shadow of the Colossus

More so than ICO ever did, Shadow of the Colossus has proved divisive amongst those who've played it since its American and Japanese releases. But like ICO, it proved hugely popular with our writers (placing third in our Top 50) and with Eurogamer readers as a whole. The latter's arguably more impressive given that it's achieved that entirely on the strength of imports, with the game only due out in Europe on February 17th.

With this in mind, the game's creator Fumito Ueda was high up on our list of "people to bombard with questions after the top 50". Fearing that it would take a while to get through the various channels that separate European journalists from Japanese developers these days, and conscious that we've already spoken to him twice recently (once in Tokyo, once in London), we didn't ask too much, but we did focus on the game as played, rather than the game as a prospect. We only hope it won't be another few years before we get to see Ueda-san and his team in action again.

Eurogamer: We've been enormous fans of yours since you released ICO, and it was lovely to see Shadow earn such a positive reception. What is your opinion of the game now you have finished development?

Fumito Ueda: Personally, there are some regrets, but I think that that was the best we could considering the team's resource and skills. I felt the same with the previous title, ICO, and I think I will feel the same with my future titles. Although I know that it is not possible, I always seek perfection...

Eurogamer: You seem to specialise in creating quiet characters who live through their actions. Why do you think that is?

Fumito Ueda: It is because it has to be like that currently.

I think that the hero is the player, so I want to respect the intention of the player and make sure that character won't act against the player's intention as much as possible. To make it happen naturally without showing strangeness, characters of ICO and Wanda [Shadow's Japanese title] were created that way. I would create some talkative characters if I could come up with a natural and accurate representation.

Eurogamer: Which was your favourite colossus, and what do you find particularly satisfying about it?

Fumito Ueda: That would be the first humanoid type colossus.

I think that this colossus can freely move around the most compared to other tetrapod and snake types, and you can feel that it is intelligent. I can put into various ideas as the colossus is available for different actions and the action that you see when player gets caught is big as well.

Eurogamer: What was your favourite game of 2005, and why was it special to you?

Fumito Ueda: Although it is difficult to pick one as there were many great games in 2005, I would pick "biohazard 4". Overall quality of the game such as graphic, interaction, and sound, etc. was high, so I liked it. My other favourite games include "God of War", "Ryu-ga-gotoku", and "Peter Jackson's King Kong The Official Game of the Movie".

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Source: EuroGamer

Interview Special: Wired News: Behind the Shadow: Fumito Ueda

Fumito Ueda, the director of Shadow of the Colossus, is one of the game industry's artistic geniuses.

With a background in fine art and painting, Ueda was the creative force behind Sony's critically acclaimed Ico, which was a particular hit with women for its romantic tone and soft visuals.

One of Ueda's signatures is dispensing with game chestnuts like meters and levels, instead showing players' progress by personifying the information in the characters' personality or movement. In Shadow of the Colossus, for instance, the scale of the massive beasts that must be slayed shows the "level" reached by the player.

A measure of the man's stature in the industry is that even designers with major game credits of their own want to get near him to express their appreciation for his work. Wired News recently interviewed Ueda, as games producer and industry veteran Kenji Kaido sat in. But Ueda answered all the questions -- the games, as everyone knows, are Ueda's babies.

Wired News: Is there any connection between the worlds of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus?

Fumito Ueda: There's no specific connection as far as a timeline. But, both games exist in the same world.

WN: But you've said the baby we see at the end of Colossus is the first "baby born with horns" referred to in the backstory of Ico.

FU: Yes. I wanted to give some idea to the player, after you complete the game, that there was a connection to Ico. That's why I put in the baby with the horns. If somebody goes all the way through the game, I wanted them to be rewarded.

WN: Have you worked out the timeline of this world for yourself? What happens between the two games?

FU: In the beginning, I didn't have a complete picture of the storyline. But I did know what I wanted the game design to be. I try to match the game design with the storyline, so the story followed from the mechanics. (At an industry conference recently, Ueda was asked why Ico, the main character of the first game, had horns on his head. The designer said that in early play tests it was difficult to tell which character you were controlling, so they put horns on his head. Only after that did it become part of the game's story.)

WN: In 2002, before anything about Colossus was revealed, you were asked about your next project. You said while Ico was one big challenge, your next game would be many small challenges. What did you mean by that?

FU: The big challenge of Ico was that it was my first game, and I was inexperienced. And so was the team; they didn't have the experience necessary to create this kind of unique title. It isn't a video game -- a conventional video game has things like a life meter or other icons on the screen. Ico doesn't have these things.

So, after finishing Ico, I thought we would have a lot of even better ideas for the next project -- those were the "small challenges." But looking back, I don't think they were small.... The team knew what they were doing at that point, and thought they could easily overcome any challenge.

WN: When you say Ico isn't a video game, it makes me think of the animator Hayao Miyazaki, who stresses that his work is not anime. It's as if he wants to distance himself from the connotations of that word.

FU: Yes, he always says that his films aren't anime, they're manga movies. But I think it's different -- I think Miyazaki is shy, and he'll never praise his own work. That's why he says that. But for Ico, at the beginning of the development period, I thought that the games industry had a negative image for many people. If I called my work a video game, people would think, "Well, this is just a video game, so I don't want to play it."

WN: Colossus, though, had many of those traditional video-game elements added back in: strength gauges, life meters. So would you say Colossus is a video game?

FU: When we said ... Ico is not a conventional video game title, we set limitations on ourselves for the development of the game. We had to eliminate everything that made it look like a video game. But for our next game, we wanted to remove those artificial limitations that we placed on ourselves. We wanted to just make a game that was fun. If a limitation made the game less fun, we weren't going to restrict ourselves. And yet, while we were developing Colossus, it became similar to the Ico style. We don't know why.

WN: You've said you thought about having smaller enemies in the game, not just the 16 colossi, but you took them out because it would be too similar to other video games.

FU: We thought if there were a lot of small enemies that a lot of players would actually appreciate that. But I wanted the team's focus to be on the colossi. If we added other elements, the team would have to put their efforts into those elements, and the quality of the boss characters would go down.

I really like boss fights in video games, and I wanted to create high-quality ones. When I start playing a game, I want to get to the boss fights quickly. Fighting a boss is a really fun element in games, and I wanted to have a lot of that.

WN: What about the final game do you not like?

FU: There are a lot of things, but I don't want to talk about them. It's too soon.

WN: What's next for the team?

FU: (Ueda hands the question to Kaido.) Yeah, what are we going to do?

KK: I couldn't tell you. Fumito has a couple of ideas, but we don't even know what the platform is going to be. I want to create a game that takes full advantage of the format it's on. If we made a PS3 or PSP game, we want it to take special advantage of the abilities of that format.

---

Source: Wired News

Picture of the Day: Fumito Ueda

Today's Picture: Fumito Ueda, pictured here in his younger days, did not imagine that one day he'd become one of the most influential video game developers in the world.

Bonus Interview, courtesy of Gamasutra.com:

Fumito Ueda is a product manager at Sony Computer Entertainment, and directed the critically acclaimed ICO for the same company. He is currently working on an action game by the Japanese name of Wanda to Kyozou (also known as Wanda And The Colossus in the West).

GS: When did you first start thinking of making games?

FU: I didn't originally intend to make games per se, but in middle school I had various interests, including movies and games, and when I saw something I liked, I thought I'd like to make something like that of my own. But it wasn't that I wanted to make a game from the beginning - just something that would make people happy.

GS: What kind of games did you play in middle school?

FU: Normal Famicom games. Then I didn't have time to play for a while, but in college I played games on the Amiga, and maybe some arcade titles.

GS: What games specifically do you like?

FU: Lemmings.

GS: Do you still play games these days?

FU: Yes.

GS: What kind?

FU: Recently, hmmm…I've played Prince of Persia and Katamari Damashii.

GS: What did you think of the ending? It's kind of sad once you've gathered everything up.

FU: Oh, I haven't seen the end of it yet! (laughter)

GS: I wonder what kind of person it was who created ICO.

FU: The way I'm different from a normal producer, or a normal person, is that I really like technology, for example graphics technology and computer technology. So I feel like I can find a good balanced way to express what I want to do, within the limits of the technology. No matter what size world I want to create, I can do it, if I think about the constraints of the console, like the PS2.

GS: Why did you name the main character Wanda?

FU: Well Wanda, W-A-N-D-A, is kind of a play on words, because it also means wander, which you do a lot of in this game.

(Note: in Japanese, Wanda also has the same pronunciation as both 'wander' and 'wonder.')

GS: The Wanda to Kyozou music was done by Kou Ohtani. Why did you choose him?

FU: ICO's composer was (female composer) Michiru Ohshima, and I didn't want to create the same image for this game. Aside from that, ICO was a game that both male and female players could enjoy equally. But I think this is a game that male players will enjoy more. So I chose a male composer.

GS: Do you like music?

FU: Of course.

GS: What kind?

FU: I mostly listen to movie soundtracks.

GS: What's your favorite movie then?

FU: Kind of tough, since I don't rank them in my head. But recently, I liked Spiderman 2 and Gladiator.

GS: What was the inspiration for the graphical style?

FU: The concept is to express giant scale comparative to the player perspective, but within the scope of realistic experience for the users. Take a block, for example - in normal games, the size of a block tends to appear much bigger than it would in reality. But in this game, it's a believable size to involve you in the world.

GS: How can you meet these sort of sentimental graphics with an action game?

FU: Well perhaps they're a bit lonely looking now, but it's not done yet. I think that once the game is more complete, and we put in more greenery and such, it should be a bit livelier. But I don't think that a graphical sadness is out of place in an action game, and really that wasn't exactly our intention to begin with.

GS: Why are you making Wanda an action game?

FU: Because I like them. No real other reason. Well, I guess also, since the last game was very quiet and peaceful, I wanted to do something different, even though it did have some fighting elements.

With Wanda to Kyozou, I wanted to create a firm-feeling environment, so the design was very dense. An action game seemed to flow naturally from what I was doing.

GS: What is your dream?

FU: Hmm, I have a lot of them.

GS: For example?

FU: Some day I want something that I have created to make a large group of people feel something. That would be interesting.

One Coin Grande Figure Collection Feature - *Coming Tomorrow*

I have received my One Coin Grande Figure Collection from Play-Asia. I've been taking lots of pictures, which I'll use in tomorrow's feature post on the new set.

You can expect:

• Over twenty pictures of the figures
• A closer look at the special pack box
• Review of the set; the attention to detail and mistakes

Don't forget to check it out tomorrow!

Competition: Mystery Picture - Hint #2

It's time for the second hint which will help you figure out what's hiding behind the mysterious picture...

Hint #2 - "etiBltr"

For those who missed the original post, this competition will give the opportunity to the two winners to receive a CDR copy of the Shadow of the Colossus Press Disc.

More information about the compo here.

Fan Works: Amazing Mono Art by Sammy

Sammy, of ConceptArt.org has some amazing Mono art. You'll find links to the pictures below:

Picture 1 - Link
Picture 2 - Link
Picture 3 - Link
Picture 4 - Link
Picture 5 - Link

I'll be trying to arrange an interview. If I do, expect to see it posted in a few days.

Thanks to Rafael for the heads up!

Poll of the Day: Ueda game on PSP?

DICE Summit is over and apparently there's no news coming from Team ICO. It was expected, as shown from our last poll where 69% of you thought we wouldn't see anything at all. The other 31% were, like me, hoping for some form of hint on what's to come.

The only thing coming from Sony at DICE that could relate to the next Ueda game is an announcement that at next month's GDC (Game Developers Conference) there will be several announcements of yet to be revealed first and second party PS3 and PSP titles.

Now, about today's poll:

What would you think if Ueda-san announced he's working on a portable game? Would you like it? Would you buy it? Or would you be dissapointed?

Put in your votes and let everyone else know!

Help Request: Shadow of the Colossus Discoveries

I'm looking for any Shadow of the Colossus fans interested to help build a discovery guide. If you found some nice trick, amazing vista or weird glitch in the game send me a quick e-mail and let the community know about it! Think of it as an opportunity to get in the game again.

Thanks to Mike for the suggestion!

Poll of the Day: Extended

The DICE Summit Poll will be extended till the conference is over (Friday 9th February). So those who didn't put their votes in yet will have some more time to do so!

So, do you think Ueda will reveal something? Or will he make a no-show this year?

Picture of the Day: Chika Fukui

Today's Picture: Chika Fukui, Character Designer, was recruited by SCEI to work on ICO and for like many other members of the team it was her first time working on a video game.

Competition: Mystery Picture - Hint #1

Here's the first hint to help you uncover the mysterious picture:

Hint #1 - "Heavens and anger."

Don't forget to send your guesses to alexrowe@projectnico.net.

You can find all there is to know about this competition here.

New Welcome Page

I've changed the welcome page to a simpler splash page. You can check it out at http://www.projectnico.net.

The Page will automatically refresh and re-direct you here after 10 seconds.

Where to get the Shadow Japanese Game Guide

If you were desperately looking for a place to order the Shadow of the Colossus Japanese game guide without spending all your hard-earned money, look no further: YesAsia still has some copies of the guide in stock and they're selling them for $22.50 (€17.50), so hurry up and get yours before it's too late!

Link to YesAsia Page: Here

Competition: Mystery Picture

Look at the image below:

Can you guess what it is? It's a mystery picture! Throughout the duration of this competition, which ends on the 17th of February (the Shadow of the Colossus PAL anniversary), you'll be given hints which will help you unravel the mystery and in the last few days the picture will be unscrambled.

Send your guesses at alexrowe@projectnico.net. You have an unlimited number of chances.

The first two lucky winners to get drawn out of a hat will each receive a CDR copy of the Shadow of the Colossus Press Disc, which contains some interesting material tied in with Shadow's PAL release. Winners will be contacted through e-mail at the end of the competition.

Good luck everyone!

Picture of the Day: Shadow at TGS2005

Today's Picture: Tokyo Game Show 2005 was the first time Shadow of the Colossus was playable.

Now let's hope we see something new at this year's Tokyo Game Show!

Poll of the Day: Do you think we'll see something from Ueda this DICE Summit?

The second poll closed and the results are out! You, the readers, definitely want to see the next game set in the same universe as ICO and Shadow of the Colossus (83%). Some of you would prefer the next game be something completely new (17%). Personally I'd like the new game to be related (in some way) to the first two games. Even if it's set in the near future with airships all over. Anyways, thanks to all those who voted!

Today's Poll asks if you think we'll see something from Ueda at this week's DICE Summit. I hope so! Poll is, as always, at the top of the page. Put in your votes!

EDIT: Oh, just noticed that this is the 100th post. Yay, I hope I reach the 1,000th one soon! Thank you everyone who spends time reading this journal!

Poll of the Day: What are you hoping for the next Ueda game?

The first poll closed with Shadow of the Colossus (64%) preferred over ICO (36%) as the game readers like most. Thanks to all those who voted!

Today's Poll asks what are you hoping for the next game by Fumito Ueda. Do you want to see another game set in the same universe as ICO and Shadow or do you want to see something completely new?

The poll may be found at the top of the page. Don't forget to put in your vote!

Fan Interview: Nolan Snoap, Creator of "Forget the World"

After allowing me to host his video, Nolan also spent some time answering a few questions about his music video, "Forget the World" and Fumito Ueda's games in general:

What were the main themes you wanted to portray in Forget the World?

Well, you basically hit the nail on the head in your description. Love and solitude are both heavily pervasive themes in the game. On my first playthrough of the game, I loved it but found the story to be merely above average. It was looking back on it, however, that I started to appreciate the plot more. When I started thinking about how much Wander must have loved Mono to soldier on through not one, but sixteen seemingly impossible fights in a row. The title for the video came from a feeling that I took from the game about Wander. He fled his home with a sacred sword to a forbidden place and, knowing that he would ultimately pay a heavy price, did everything it took to bring back his love.

Also, I think that sacrifice was a big theme in the game, and I tried to represent that in the video as well. I mean, come on. I included the death scenes of every character in the game!

How long did it take you to complete the music video?

This being my first time ever attempting to use video editing software, it probably took a lot longer than it should have. I'd say, including the time it took to find and download all the footage, it took about eight hours of work. Granted, probably four of those hours could have been saved if I hadn't run into some newbie trouble with Windows Movie Maker.

Did you do any other videos in the past?

Nope, this was my first video.

What is your general feeling about Fumito Ueda's games?

Fumito Ueda and his team over at SCEJ is one of the few developers that remain in the industry today that consistently hold my interest (the other being Kojima Productions). Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are easily in my top five games of this console generation. Ico absolutely blew me away with its aesthetic prowess and brilliantly simplistic gameplay. Shadow of the Colossus didn't have quite the same impact on me, but I found that it got better with each playthrough as I noticed all the work that went into the gameplay mechanics. Both tapped into an emotional spectrum that is rarely touched upon in video games.

I think that the minimalist approach that Fumito and Co. use in their games really makes them stand out in a sea of mediocre titles. In an industry that seems to produce less and less high-concept games in favor of recycling established hits, my appreciation towards Sony for allowing Fumito's team to take years developing their wonderfully original games is unmeasurable. Condensed quality and attention to detail are what Team Ico's games are all about.

What are you hoping for the next game?

As much as fans of Shadow of the Colossus and Ico might hope for another game taking place within the same universe, I would like to see what else Fumito can do outside of the box he's created. He's such a talented young designer, and I think it would be a shame to see him pushed into a creative corner ala Hideo Kojima by the fans that love his games so much. Plus, if his next game were to clear up what happens between Shadow and Ico, that would kill the mystery and probably shatter 90 percent of the speculative discussions that have resulted from the obscure link between the games. Whatever he is working on now, I anxiously wait for it to be announced.

Thank you so much for your time and good luck with any new projects you go for!

Link to "Forget the World" - Here

---

These first two posts - the music video and the interview - are part of a new campaign to get to know fans of the games and their works. You'll be seeing a lot more very soon!

Fan Works: Forget the World by Nolan Snoap

There's more than a few Shadow of the Colossus music videos which try to capture the two main themes of the game (love and solitude). But, in my opinion, none come closer than Nolan Snoap's "Forget the World". I could go on all day saying how amazing the choice of music, montage and editing are but the best way to appreciate this piece of work is by seeing it yourselves, which you can do by downloading the High Quality version below:

Forget the World by Nolan Snoap - Download Link

You may also find the interview with the creator here.

Song used: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

Lyrics:

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

A big thank you to Nolan for giving me the opportunity to host the music video!

Added Poll of the Day

I thought it was time to add a poll to the journal. I hope everyone that visits votes! It will help me tell what you like and what to post about. You'll always find the poll at the top of the page.

News: PlayAsia restock First Colossus Statue

Great news for all those who have wanted to get their hands on Kotobukiya's First Colossus statue but are weary of Ebay and other auction sites. PlayAsia have restocked the statues. Hurry up and get yours before it's too late (again)!

Link: Here

Did you Know: There's a debug mode in ICO?

Using an Action Replay with the NTSC version of ICO you may access the debug mode and use the free roaming camera, which is amazing when taking in-game shots. Note that the (M) Code must always be on.

(M) Code:
EC87A648 143ACAF4

Debug Data:
1CF6AFE4 1456E7A6

Debug Bar:
1CF6AFD8 1456E7A6

Tracking Lines:
1CF6AFF0 1456E7A6

Motion Data:
1CF6AF08 1456E7A6

Wall Collision Detection:
1CF6AFFC 1456E7A6

Wirestring Effect:
1CF6AE30 1456E7A6

Field Collision Detection:
1CF6AF0C 1456E7A6

Wall Check:
1CF6AFF8 1456E7A6

Motion Node:
1CF6AF00 1456E7A6

Free-roaming Camera:
1C8F475C 91D484E1
1C8F4760 0896E79B
1C8F4754 1456E7A5
1CF6AFDC 1456E7A6

To control the camera in this mode you need to use the Controller in Port 2.

Controls:

Left Analog Stick - X-axis movement
Right Analog Stick - Free roaming movement
R2 + Right Analog Stick - Y-axis movement

Counter Strike of the Colossus

Those Shadow of the Colossus fans who play Counter Strike may have already stumbled upon a custom map called "de_wanda". Created by Soenke C. Seidel (also known as Warby), this 160MB hefty map features a giant Shadow of the Colossus-like foe inspired by Beyond Good & Evil. Speaking with Joystiq, Warby admitted he's been designing the map since the US release of Shadow of the Colossus. Below you'll find the original interview with Joystiq:

How long did it take you to do the map?

When people ask me this question, I usually just respond 4 months. The truth is, I don't remember anymore. I started it this summer and I released it [in the] beginning of December, but I already sketched out the colossus and the layout long before that, at the time when the game Shadow of the Colossus got released in the U.S.

What was your inspiration?

Well obviously Shadow of the Colossus for the bomb target statue, but the rest of the city is inspired by a not well know Ubisoft game called Beyond Good and Evil that I found in a bargain bin for 1 Euro a month or so prior to start building the map (best buck i have ever spent). Pretty much all textures you can see in the map are made from a photo collection provided by another great German artist "Thomas Hess" ... they inspired me quite a bit, too. He shot them in Southern France and even though Beyond Good and Evil is set on an alien planet, you can clearly feel [Ubisoft's] French architectural influences. So that was a lucky coincidence that matched up so nicely.

Could you tell me about your history in the mod community and your professional life in the gaming industry?

The only two mods I have worked on are called project Timeless (based on Half-Life One engine) and Red Orchestra (based on Unreal). I started working in the commercial game industry practically the day I was allowed [by] German law. I had my first gig at a studio called Nuclear Vision. They were working on a first-person shooter called Psychotoxic based on an engine called Vulpine Vision (now Trinigy). The game got neither critical nor commercial success, but considering that it was made with less than a shoestring budget I guess we can still be proud of it because it's proof of standing power and finishing ability!

At around the same time me and another Nuclear Vision employee made the flash game Codename Gordon as a fun side project, which later got its official release by Valve over Steam and is bundled for free with every Steam Account. Codename Gordon is what I am most proud of! At the same time i was doing a lot of Unreal custom mapping as well (those were busy days), which resulted in a lot of contacts to U.S. studios. One of them eventually hired me so I moved to the Boston area to work for Windward Mark Interactive as a lead level designer, where I worked for about two years on a really ambitious first-person shooter project called Alliance: the Silent War.

Unfortunately, the U.S. government would not grant me a permanent work permit so I am back in Germany again, and I am only doing occasional freelance work for the project at this point.

Where does Warby (or War Beast, whichever your preference) come from?

It's from a cheesy Sci-Fi B-movie called Death Machine its sort of an Alien / Terminator spoof by Director Stephen "Blade" Norrington. So the film monster in this one is called the Warbeast [and] I always loved the design and the simple but effective animatronics in that thing.

But with more and more international contacts suddenly the words war and beast actually have meaning ... a meaning that doesn't fit my persona or attitude at all so I slimmed it down to Warby, which doesn't mean anything but I hope sounds happier and more peaceful.

Tell us about your background in 3D animation / education.

Not much to say there. I have the regular German High School degree, and we sure as hell did nothing 3D art or game design-related in school, so all I know about art and game technology is self taught.

What software did you use when rendering?

I don't offline / pre-render anything ... everything I do is for real-time purposes! Of course, the light maps in de_wanda, with all the global illumination and ambient occlusion, are rendered offline by the standard Half-Life compile tool vrad provided by Valve Software, but I am pretty sure that's not what you were asking, but what 3D tool I like to use? Right! [Ed.'s note: right!]

I prefer Maya over Max XSI and Blender, but I am curious to try out Modo. But seeing how Maya 8 makes its first steps to becoming a full-fledged shitty Max clone, I might just declare "rock 'n roll as dead" and switch to Max permanently soon.

Anything else you would like to add?

If you like Shadow of the Colossus and I assume you do check out my website. There was a "CG Talk Shadow of the Colossus level design contest" recently ... you can view my "winning entry" on the front page. There is also a fake in-game screenshot of the colossus seen in de_wanda *smiles.*

-- End of Original Interview --

You can find map screens and some more great artwork inspired by the game in Seidel's portfolio.

News: TGS2007 lasts one extra day

The TGS Committee has announced that this year's Tokyo Game Show will run for four days instead of the usual three. The show will now start on the 20th September and will go through four intense days ending on the 23rd. Thursday and Friday will be the busiest days, especially now that TGS is taking center stage after E3 was downscaled.

If we get an announcement about Ueda-san's next game at the show, we'll have an extra day to go crazy over it.

Link to official press release: http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/20070201.html

Ebay Listings: ICO PAL Art Cards

Here's a great opportunity for all UK ICO fans who'd like to get their hands on the PAL Art Cards which were bundled with the original game ways back in 2002. Note that this auction ONLY includes the cards and NOT the carton boxed game.

Link to Listing: Here