Shu yoshida E3 09 interview

[KnackChap]

On Sony's new motion controller

In the past, Sony Computer Entertainment was a little bit hardware-oriented. Technology was invented in Japan and given to developers like us when that was done. But with this controller, the R&D for the camera technology has continued since EyeToy on PS2. When we decided to continue it with a motion controller on PS3, we involved representatives from the game and software research teams. So it was really a collaborative effort. It’s not like we’re given some secret new technology from Tokyo and have to figure out what to do.

 

The first thing we thought about was how to make the interface seamless and easy for consumers. That’s what EyeToy achieved when we debuted on PS2, but it was a bit limited next to what you can do with this controller. We’re trying to make it so precise that what you do is exactly what you get in the game. You don’t have to learn any specific moves; how you move already is how you move in the game. But as we learn to use this tech, more and more ideas are coming from studios that would be great to use in an adventure-type experience, or a firstperson shooter. So we’re not limiting ourselves to certain types of audience or experience.

 

on whether the dual shock can be used alongside the motion controller

 

Technically, it’s totally doable. We’re working with the group in Tokyo to make such things simple and understandable.

 

on Natal

 

I saw the [Natal] demonstration and it’s a very sweet video; it’s more futuristic and I felt like I was watching some Consumer Electronics Show event. What I think they’re trying to do is continue on the path we began with EyeToy and PlayStation Eye, removing the barrier between consumers and games. That’s very natural when it comes to what you have to learn. However, we know from working with camera technology for a long time that just using the camera without precisely detecting what the consumer wants to do, with buttons and triggers, is quite difficult, especially when bringing it into the game context. So while it’s very interesting, what we’re providing with our technology is very different.

 

10 year lifecycle

The platform is evolving. The firmware and software are evolving. So the teams in Tokyo and the US are adding features and making more memory available. It’s allowing the developer to incorporate more interesting network features, for example. And the more code they move from the PPU to the SPUs, the more they find the computing-intensive tasks like AI and particle effects to be very easy on PS3.

 

Team Ico's Game "The Last Guardian"

 

’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. Maybe there’s a reason the person who leaked it waited until just before E3. But the reason we didn’t show early footage was because the team wanted to feel comfortable that the vision they created could be delivered. So everything we showed here was from the game engine, and they’ve got to the point where they know they can make this game and can see how it’ll be completed.

 

When I teased them about being the Olympic Team [a reference to four-year gaps between Team Ico’s games], I thought that would suggest a limit of Christmas this year. But we’ll be able to show more now because the game is running and the team is creating more and more content, and you’ll be able to play it sooner rather than later.

 

Rockstars exclusive game "Agent"

 

Well, I’m not getting involved in this thirdparty deal, but it’s a very exciting announcement coming from Rockstar North

 

 

On motion controls being the new battleground

 

It’s one area where we’ll see advancement in the future. What Nintendo has done is phenomenal; it’s great for attracting new people. But they’re just scratching the surface of what this can do. So we see a long road ahead, and we’re very proud of what we’re developing, but we know this is a constant development.

 

3dTV

 

We’ve been working with Sony TV group on these technologies and have shown small segments at shows like CES. The reaction is great: people just walking by stop and are glued to the TV. It’s like going into the game scene, especially with interesting vistas like those of Motor Storm: Pacific Rift. It’s like going on holiday or to a theme park. Again, we’re just scratching the surface.

 

OnLive

 

I tried their demo at GDC and was quite impressed by their setup. They had the box in San Francisco and the server in Santa Cruz, which was like 15 miles away. It’s playable and the picture is very clean. Expecting every household to have an 8mb connection is a bit unrealistic, but if they start with something less ambitious – like SD content and games that don’t require such a quick response time – it might work quite well.

 

http://www.edge-online.com/features/interv...hida?page=0%2C1

[Karooo]

nice one from edge.. but i know about the last guardian dissapointment