Epic Mickey Catch-All

Malor wrote:

One point where I would agree with you: they made the drawing of straight lines too hard on the Wii. They needed to modify the algorithm a little, because it wasn't on the PS2's thumbsticks anymore. But in every other respect, it was superior to the PS2 original.

It didn't have the paper texture filter, it didn't have the original Clover end credits sequence, and the box art has the IGN logo in it that they then decided to hide behind a big ugly sticker, from everything I've ever seen and/or heard. Failure all around.

MechaSlinky wrote:
Malor wrote:

One point where I would agree with you: they made the drawing of straight lines too hard on the Wii. They needed to modify the algorithm a little, because it wasn't on the PS2's thumbsticks anymore. But in every other respect, it was superior to the PS2 original.

It didn't have the paper texture filter, it didn't have the original Clover end credits sequence, and the box art has the IGN logo in it that they then decided to hide behind a big ugly sticker, from everything I've ever seen and/or heard. Failure all around.

I personally laugh each time I see that box, because once I saw that logo in there, I could never avoid it again.

I'm willing to wait for the final game to see how it turns out. I'm curious to see what they kept, and to see exactly where that line was drawn for acceptability.

This will probably be a game I'll pick up--I just found this thread actually. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. I'm going to go at this with an open mind, since when I first saw KH, I really disliked the idea until I ended up playing the game.

Nintendo Power just did a huge article about Epic Mickey. The entire thing was Warren Spector talking about the concept, and it had some screenshots in it too. It still sounds amazing, especially since we get to see Oswald and Mickey interact. Should be interesting. Game is due out fall of 2010.

I'll try to get some answers to some burning questions from the article when I read through it a second time.

EDIT: Here's some screenshots and other pictures.

How do you go from:

IMAGE(http://i27.tinypic.com/11bltmf.jpg)

To:

IMAGE(http://www.aeropause.com/wordpress/archives/images/2009/10/Screen6.jpg)

Concept art. Wii game.

What's not to get?

cyrax wrote:

Concept art. Wii game.

What's not to get?

I think his point is that the concept art is so far away from what actually happened that it looks like concept art for a different game! Shame really, as I'd like to have played the game the concept art was pointing to.

It also looks like it would be a different area of the game.

Coldstream wrote:

I think his point is that the concept art is so far away from what actually happened that it looks like concept art for a different game! Shame really, as I'd like to have played the game the concept art was pointing to.

Thank you for elocuting what I could not.

Woo!

^Moon Dragon's question about how'd you go from this to that^

It's such a shame. There seems to be so much wasted artistic goodness. Having said that, I'll give it a shot. My roommate has a Wii, so I can potentially play the game.

If only the game could have the graphic and artistic fidelity of the new Studio Ghibli/Level 5 game on PS3. *sigh*

At least the B&W parts of the game could possibly look okay on the Wii solely due to the lack of color problems exhibited in that above screenshot.

Can't wait to watch that Gamescom trailer a bit later.

It really is unfortunate that the original concept art was ever leaked. Because the game Warren Spector has created looks like it could be really cool, but folks won't let go of those mages of a game that was never made.

That is a great trailer-- good tease without much content.

I really enjoyed that trailer. It gave me a Fantasia vibe.

Coldstream wrote:
cyrax wrote:

Concept art. Wii game.

What's not to get?

I think his point is that the concept art is so far away from what actually happened that it looks like concept art for a different game! Shame really, as I'd like to have played the game the concept art was pointing to.

I'd imagine concept art that doesn't match the final product stays on some dude's HDD until Kotaku unveils them in another "What Game X could've been" article. Concept images are just ideas in visual form. It's a shame they were leaked so early before the developers could reveal which ideas they had finalized. Now I don't know what to expect.

The colorful screenshot is just one area. Maybe the Disney castle and those other places from the first page still exist... but in color? Well, at least this happened. I also like these:

IMAGE(http://i33.tinypic.com/k4usqs.jpg)

IMAGE(http://i35.tinypic.com/1r955w.jpg)

Anyone willing to posit that this game will be a financial success?

The sad thing is that if the game is good, that won't be enough to translate into success. For all that core gamers complain about the quality of Wii games, theres a general trend of failing to step up and purchase games that are actually good on the Wii. The exception, of course, being a Mario Bros game. I think what the games going to need is to reach critical mass so that non-core gamers become aware of it and pick up a copy.

It's Disney, I think they have a good chance to lock down the non-core market, simply with a pair of mouse ears on the cover.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

It's Disney, I think they have a good chance to lock down the non-core market, simply with a pair of mouse ears on the cover.

I agree. Most of the "hardcore" games that have been less successful on the Wii (Deadly Creatures, Madworld, etc.) have been new IPs and, truthfully, haven't had subject matter with the broadest appeal. Mickey Mouse is about as established of an IP as you can get, and its a game that's friendly enough that parents won't have to think twice about buying it for their kids. Right now, it's slated for a November release, and I expect that it'll be one of the best-selling games over the Christmas season; I'd be shocked if it wasn't a financial success.

Disney is caught in a cycle of over-saturation (not just in the games market). This won't be the first Mickey game out, and I doubt anyone else is suggesting that all of the other Disney games are a huge success. I think the best chance for it reaching critical mass is if it gets exceptional word of mouth-- specifically if it gets mainstream media attention at all. This may be unlikely, just depends if it is as interesting as some people suggest it will be.

Still, I expect the core gamer group to ignore it since that's what happens. The group that complains about a lack of games on the Wii insures that those good games that come out flop in silence.

I'm not suggesting this will be failure-- just that I'm not sure if it's a guaranteed hit.

Disney is caught in a cycle of over-saturation (not just in the games market). This won't be the first Mickey game out, and I doubt anyone else is suggesting that all of the other Disney games are a huge success. I think the best chance for it reaching critical mass is if it gets exceptional word of mouth-- specifically if it gets mainstream media attention at all. This may be unlikely, just depends if it is as interesting as some people suggest it will be.

Still, I expect the core gamer group to ignore it since that's what happens. The group that complains about a lack of games on the Wii insures that those good games that come out flop in silence.

I'm not suggesting this will be failure-- just that I'm not sure if it's a guaranteed hit.

I think I'll be picking up a copy...my wife is a huge Disney fan (a disease which I've caught somewhat--I think it's passed through contact with bodily fluids), and I'm a huge Warren Spector fan. I will want to see an actual gameplay video and a little more copy on it, though.

I already have my preorder down, and I've wanted this game for a while, even with all the changes.

My kids want it, and I want to play it. Looks like a win/win for me.

If the paintbrush nunchuck is available for purchase, is anyone else going to purchase it besides me?

Joystiq has a short preview up that includes this very Warren Spector-like moment:

Here on my one hand was a helpless gremlin in a cage, begging for rescue. On the other, a treasure chest full of the game's currency, E tickets.

The tickets were counter-balancing the catapult in which the gremlin was confined, so snatching them would lead to his doom. But I was told that the tickets would be lost if I freed the gremlin. I had to get one of the two, but as soon as I did, the other would be lost forever.

Alas, I can't be a bad guy in games, so I already know that I'll free the gremlin.

Also, some requisite whinging about how the game would look better if it weren't on the Wii, but the screenshots look good to me.

Dominic Knight wrote:

If the paintbrush nunchuck is available for purchase, is anyone else going to purchase it besides me?

This one?

Also, Epic Mickey now has a $10 games credit when pre-ordered through Amazon.

Dominic Knight wrote:

If the paintbrush nunchuck is available for purchase, is anyone else going to purchase it besides me?

If it would be okay with you I'd like to hold yours before I make a decision. I want it very much just because I'm such an unabashed fangirl, but with my hands in the state they're in I don't know how that design will play out ergonomically.

This was definitely one of the highlights of PAX this year.
A few notes after getting to go hands on with it

Graphics look very nice, art direction from what I saw was superb and they really managed to wring a great deal of fidelity and lighting effects and such out of the Wii. Definitely on par or better than the Super Mario Galaxies and Monster Hunter Tri's of the world in this respect. I honestly don't think anyone will have anything to complain about in this category when the game ships.

Gameplay wise it seemed quite varied and enjoyable. The 3D stage I played was very entertaining and with what they seem to be doing with story and such I think will lend itself to staying fresh and fun for a full game. The painting/thinner mechanic is well implemented and I'm really looking forward to seeing how their creativity manifests in that regard. I'm hoping it goes beyond the " paint this, erase that" mechanic that was largely on display. Most of what they showed was basically just using the power on very specific objects or "empty" spaces in the game. There is so much potential in the mechanic I hope we get to see them take it beyond simply a more or less prescripted object present --> object absent idea. I'm imagining how much fun it could be to solve Rube Goldbergesque physics puzzles or have levels/minigames/etc... that use the painting mechanic in a similar fashion as Kirby's Canvas Curse used the DS stylus.

Moving on, the 2D scrolling parts seem like they do nicely to break up the pace of the game a the one I played was interesting but felt a bit throw away - seemed like very straight forward platformer ideas without much in the way of mechanics based innovation. Too bad given the amount of progress that any number of games have brought to that genre over the past several years (that complaint could of course be completely invalidated by the final product as I only tried 1 sidescrolling level and have only seen 1 other.)

All in all I'm very much looking forward to the game. As it stands it is definitely on my must play list. Oh and the paintbrush Wiimote was surprisingly sweet (to look at, at least.)

momgamer wrote:
Dominic Knight wrote:

If the paintbrush nunchuck is available for purchase, is anyone else going to purchase it besides me?

If it would be okay with you I'd like to hold yours before I make a decision. I want it very much just because I'm such an unabashed fangirl, but with my hands in the state they're in I don't know how that design will play out ergonomically.

No problem. I will probably have it day one, and that way you can give it a go.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Dominic Knight wrote:

If the paintbrush nunchuck is available for purchase, is anyone else going to purchase it besides me?

This one?

Also, Epic Mickey now has a $10 games credit when pre-ordered through Amazon.

This makes me very angry. I didn't want to spend an extra $20. Now I hardly have a choice.