GameSpy: Thanks for meeting us today. Could you introduce yourself?
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Hiroyuki Kobayashi: My name is Hiroyuki Kobayashi and I' m a producer at Capcom. Devil May Cry 4 is one of my games, also in Japan I' m the producer for Sengoku Basara.
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GameSpy: How do you feel about next-gen, to start with?
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Kobayashi: It' s definitely a fun experience to work with the new next-gen consoles, especially with the variety of things you can do, more graphics and whatnot. But since this was the very first title Capcom released on the PS3, it was definitely a hard step to actually go through. BLUE DRAGON!!! Nobody knows anything about how to develop on the PS3, nobody really had that experience working with PS3 games. So, they' re basically the first team to kind of pioneer within Capcom to release a next-gen [PS3] game.
GameSpy: Is that part of why it became multi-platform?
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Kobayashi: It wasn' t that the PS3 was a hard-to-work with machine. Capcom has a PC-based engine that they use to develop games and Devil May Cry 4 was developed with that same PC engine. Basically it branches out from there. You can have it on one central PC engine, and then make it compatible for the PS3 or the 360, so it' s really just one workflow. So it really wasn' t just that the PS3 was a hard-to-work with machine. Also, Capcom' s operational goal was to release games on multiple platforms so that more players could actually play the games. Because the 360 is a popular console for both the North American market and Europe, it was natural for Capcom to branch out as well.
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GameSpy: So we saw DMC4 and got hands-on with it at Capcom' s pre-E3 event. A lot of the press saw it and thought " It' s just a prettier DMC." But then they played it and thought, " Oh wow, it' s a prettier DMC!" Is the team happy with the approach of minute improvements that really take advantage of the graphical capability, or is it just a stopgap?
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Kobayashi: Of course, since this game is released on the PS3 and the 360, the graphical improvement is like a baseline, a minimum It' s a minimum thing that they need to conquer. But bringing in the new element of the Devil Bringer was done because the team is always looking (BLUE DRAGON) for new ways to make unique action games. That' s why the Devil Bringer was brought about; to bring new action to the old DMC style. It' s a constant struggle to come up with new ideas, new improvements of course, and obviously we' ll continue to improve with the new releases.
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GameSpy: How much does the Devil Bringer having a ranged throw change the whole impact of the game? As opposed to only being able to grab from up close...
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Kobayashi: Of course, it was the goal to come up with a new action game, to keep up with fresh action games. Having the Devil Bringer enables the player to bring the enemies to the characters.(BLUE DRAGON) Of course Dante and Nero have the sword and the guns, where the characters would actually repel the enemy, and then you have to actually go to the enemy and do the combos and such. Adding the new element of pulling in the enemy and then chaining combos is completely new. So that was the idea to use Devil Bringer with this new release. Also, what was hard to implement with the Devil Bringer, in terms of graphics and animations, was the number of variations you can use. So many combinations and so many movements, it was definitely a challenge.
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GameSpy: So, after introducing the Devil Bringer while working on Nero, was it tough to go back to working on Dante and realize that you were stuck with what seems like a problem: that Dante can only push people away, he doesn' t have this new key ability?
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Kobayashi: Because Nero is a new playable factor, it' s a completely different system of thought between Dante and Nero. In previous games, like DMC3, Dante had the Gunslinger and the Swordmaster styles, but now in DMC4, those two styles of Dante are more combined. It' s easier to use, you don' t have to switch back and forth. But Nero is a completely new attacker, so he introduces a new element, a new action. But no, Nero and Dante are basically separate.
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GameSpy: Just to clear this up, you can switch between any of the styles from DMC3 on the fly, or just Swordmaster and Gunslinger?
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Kobayashi: The main point for Dante in DMC4, this is released information, is that you can switch back and forth between SM and GS in real time. Of course there are other styles that you can switch to in real time as well. Nero' s biggest selling point is his Devil Bringer and how he uses that in the game. Dante' s selling point is the ability to switch back and forth on the fly.
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GameSpy: On that note, is Dante going to be, essentially, expert mode? It seems like if you have combos that go from GS to SM on the fly, it' s going to be really hard, like DMC3 original release hard.
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Kobayashi: You switch from Nero to Dante in the game, and Dante is already strong enough. The players of previous games already know this, so this is like just one step up from where he was in other games. But for newer players, Dante is strong enough that you can actually go through and enjoy the game just being a Gunslinger, because that ability is strong enough. He' s strong enough in that mode.
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GameSpy: So, switching from Nero to Dante, is that something that the player chooses, or is that something that happens at pre-assigned times?
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Kobayashi: The player will not be able to switch from Dante to Nero on their own. Within the larger story of DMC4, it gradually shifts from Nero to Dante, so that' s when the player switches between the characters.
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GameSpy: What' s the ratio you' re looking for between Nero and Dante?
Kobayashi: Initially I thought about Dante and Nero being about 50-50, but now it' s a little more focused on Nero, so I' d say 60-40.
GameSpy: Storywise, are we looking at a prequel or a sequel?
Kobayashi: In terms of the storyline, from the previous titles, DMC3 comes first, and then DMC1, and then DMC4comes after.
GameSpy: And it seems like the order Nero belongs to was founded by Dante at some point in the past. Is that the case? Can we find out anything about the order?
Kobayashi: Dante is not the founder of this order. However this order worships Dante' s father. Dante' s character is initially an enemy, he attacks this order. Nero' s companion gets attacked by Dante, and that' s how the story goes.
GameSpy: Are we going to see Dante' s brother?
Kobayashi: No, he doesn' t come in the game. [Kobayashi speaks to his translator for a moment]. He says you are a fan! (laughter)
GameSpy: Is there any validity to the PS3/360 performance comparisons?
Kobayashi: I believe that the PS3 and the 360 are about the same level but Blue dragon is a sign of the awesome of the 360' s power, they have the same kind of specs though. Leaving aside personal thoughts about each machine, I won' t say that the PS3 or the 360 is above the other…It' s about development, it' s about the thing.
http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/devil-may-cry-4/809508p2.aspx
< Message edited by quezcatol -- 2 Aug 07 17:33:49 >