Fumito Ueda, the legendary creator of emotional, groundbreaking and engaging titles ICO and Shadow of the Colossus has told G4 that he is interested in making a First Person Shooter. No, really, he has, look:
I have an interest in making first-person games
That’s an actual quote from the actual genius who is actually making The Last Guardian. I actually copy and pasted it from the transcript of his translator’s speech on G4 just now. Cool, huh? Alright, so he might not mean a shooter per se, he might mean something similar to Mirror’s Edge but probably with better scripting and even less shooting. It’s still interesting to speculate on how these Japanese gaming legends would handle a traditionally western format.
I know it might seem strange that a game designer who is currently working on the seemingly sublime The Last Guardian is thinking of turning his attention to what many people think of as gaming’s least progressive genre but I think we might be able to file this one as A Good Thing.
Much like when Hideo Kojima stated that he was interested in “Westernising” a bit and the gaming world fell to its knees and wept, I think this initially sounds a bit worrying. Think about it though, who better to find a new twist to a stagnating genre than someone who has proven their genius in another genre?
Gamoc | 05/10/2009 11:15
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Ahh Ueda. How my faith in you wavers.
colossalblue | 05/10/2009 11:32
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I have no doubt that anything he does will at least be… interesting.
Gastos84 | 05/10/2009 11:35
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I actually think this would be amazing. In a world akin to Ico/Colossus/Last Guardian it would be fantastic. It would certainly shake up the FPS genre…hopefully.
Or I could be wrong and he creates a generic FPS.
cam the man | 05/10/2009 13:37
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If it’s akin to Ico/Colossus it could be good.
tyrant161 | 05/10/2009 12:11
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Oh yes! it would be a fallout/fable/oblivion esque masterpiece. I just hope that his development team decide to do a “GOD OF WAR” and bring us a ps3 remake of ICO and SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS (both on 1 disc). I have to say that i still play both these games on my backwards compatible PS3, and they both look fantastic upscaled to 720p. To have a 60fps full HD version of both games would be awesome!
nickerton | 05/10/2009 14:34
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Since I never played either of them, I welcome this.
Scum86 | 05/10/2009 12:12
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He says ‘first-person games’. Not shooters. I can see him come up with the most brilliant first person game where you don’t even hold a gun. But still, guns would be nice!
bunimomike | 05/10/2009 12:33
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Exactly… just first person perspective so it could be the next split-screen Mario Kart equivalent.
BrendanCalls | 05/10/2009 12:32
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc - YOHIMBÉ!!!
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I like my FPS games, I am a COD and KZ type of guy, but the FP mode games do need a re-think and maybe this is the start of that process. The First person mode gets a bit of a bashing every now and then because the genre is a bit stagnant and mindless, but lets be honest every now and then everyone loves getting an SMG and just mindlessly mowing down nazi’s or infidels or whatever your chosen enemy is.
Raen | 05/10/2009 12:35
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Completely agree. The games are enjoyable, but there’s no real depth to most of them, nothing to really get your teeth into. It’s a bit like crisps or chocolate. Nice to eat and you’ll always come back for more, but it’s not a real meal. Sometimes you just need a steak dinner. Team ICO could (potentially) create a “steak dinner” first person game.
bunimomike | 05/10/2009 12:39
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Now you’re just being mean… and at lunchtime too! *goes to wrestle cow to the ground*
Raen | 05/10/2009 12:43
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Sorry didn’t have any breakfast. Bloody starving.
Gamoc | 05/10/2009 13:08
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That’s hilarious, bunimomike. I like you, you’re going places.
TRiLoGY | 05/10/2009 13:12
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hmm crisps and chocolate…
bunimomike | 05/10/2009 12:32
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From a developers point-of-view (and let’s be honest, most of us in general) the grass appears greener, etc, etc. Working on a totally new project in a different genre would excite most. Anxious, nervous maybe… but thrilling too. Good on him for even entertaining such ideas.
BioEye | 05/10/2009 14:20
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The westernisation of MGS4 was a bad mistake imo.
Raen | 05/10/2009 14:24
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Yes! I haven’t even played it and I agree! 1 and 2 were great.
bajere | 05/10/2009 14:28
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i still think MSG3 was the best game from the series…MGS4,to me, was just an interactive film to round off the unanswered questions.
nickerton | 05/10/2009 14:38
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I disagree, I have played all Metal Gears (Minus Acid series) and I think MGS4 was perfect.
Now Metal Gear Online I think however was a disaster. I am in the IT industry and even I thought the Konami ID registration fiasco was way to complicated, if MGO used PSN ID’s like every other PS3 game I think it would be up there with SOCOM in the most played multiplayer games on the PSN.
bajere | 05/10/2009 14:43
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I only played the Beta…that was hard enough! lol
The gameplay was good in MGS4, i just found the story was a round up IMO. MGS3 story led onto the whole series by the end, which i thought was great. and the jungle game play was different from any other game i played on at the time.
Doddsy | 05/10/2009 15:40
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This man is a genius at capturing a story driven narrative that ties you in emotionally. Even if he was to make a convential FPS I am sure that even the coldest of psychopaths would feel their heart strings tug a little
gazzagb | 05/10/2009 16:08
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Agreed, although i wonder how he will get the balence right (FPS/Emotionally wise)
SuperKing | 05/10/2009 17:06
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Let us all pray it isn’t a first person SHOOTER.
To many of those on the market already.
Reiterpallasch | 05/10/2009 17:47
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First Person Bow Shooter.
mynameisblair | 05/10/2009 20:00
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Interesting…
Killing giant behemoths with modern guns.
Nah, but in all seriousness, I think it would be more of a First Person action adventure.
BlingOnMyWrist | 05/10/2009 20:27
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True, I think that seeing what they could do wouldn’t hurt. If they create a project and fail (which I doubt would happen) then I’m sure they’d go back to their previous workings.
stingraz | 05/10/2009 20:38
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Ha that’s funny – you’ve jus put “i have an interest in making first person shooter games” ! that’s it! anyhow, cod6 is soon so don’t make it now dudes! dudes? dudes?…
stingraz | 05/10/2009 20:40
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sorry typo error – first person games – arrgh yes excellent
pohanis | 05/10/2009 20:59
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i hope it’s not similar to mirrors edge…that game wasn’t as good as i thought it would be!
xdarkmagician | 06/10/2009 06:05
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Japan used to be the driving force in video games. Japanese companies like Nintendo used to have the business practice of creating games for the Japanese market with disregard for the interest of other markets, mainly the west. With the globalization of the industry these companies no longer have that luxury. They are now faced with the choice of either making games for a wider (western) market, or risk going bankrupt. Games like ICO and SotC are genius, but hardly a financial success. This possible new injection of culture and ideas blended into some popular and stale genres has great potential.