Edge: It's when I have two men and a dog happily balanced on the undulating form of my giant quadrupedal anthropomorphic caterpillar and then eat a house that I realise this is either one of the most important videogames of recent years, or somehow not a videogame at all. What is this crazy thing called Noby Noby Boy?
The core pleasure of Boy's stretchiness is the kind of thing that is, in videogames, sometimes loosely called a 'mechanic', but that word implies a sense of linear rigidity belied by Boy's twangy and twirly acrobatics. It's more about the simulation of a recognisable material quality, like my preference for blue denim when I am Sackboy (a texture I in some way stroke with my eyes), or the peculiarly satisfying way in which Metal Gear Solid's iconic cardboard box flops down around Snake. Some kind of stylised 'physics' had been around in videogames for a long time, of course (think of the crucial role played by versions of 'inertia' in Asteroids or the 2D Mario games), but gradually more interest was directed not just at how objects move but what they are like in themselves.
We recently played Wattam, but we also got to speak with one of its creators, Keita Takahashi, who is most known for Noby Noby Boy and Katamari Damacy. He spoke to us about poop, his embarrassment over his work, and more.
A developer daring to be different. I hope this game is good. I really enjoyed his Katamari games.
Really weird and super sucks Sony canceled them, especially given their history of patience with even the most niche games. Glad it survived through all that, going the extra mile to support it and grabbed the special edition physical release with the vinyl soudtrack.
At least Sony gives them multiple chances to create something with impact. Sony as all the other developers are about sales and/or critics. If there is none of them then the product has no value.
It’s almost like he is asking for reassurance regarding poop being funny.
Well, it is. Just in the right quantities.
We recently played Wattam, but we also got to speak with one of its creators, Keita Takahashi, who is most known for Noby Noby Boy and Katamari Damacy. He spoke to us about poop, his embarrassment over his work, and more.
So does this mean Sony's not going to be taking his crap?! This developer definitely has some great creativity and the Katamari are a hoot. I hope we see more in the future.
Replies(2)
Well, he certainly seems like a lovely human being. Perhaps a little too humble but I appreciate his lack of ego - not very common in today's gaming climate. Yet another reason why Japanese gaming is my preferred country of origin. The personalities of the people making the games are SO important to the outcome. In the West, devs tend to be either money grubbing corporatists looking to squeeze every dollar possible or they are egotistical narcissists who think it's their job to change the world through their "art". Ugh.
I wonder what your opinion of Miyamoto is. Several developers have come out exposing his petty attitude
I’m actually not talking about whether a person is a joy to work for, i’m Talking about how their personality shapes their goals. In the examples I cited about the West, the goals are simply money and self-importance. The East tends to try to please the player and find success through endearment and then loyalty.
I think most Japanese developers are much more humble than their Western counterparts, however, it would be naive to think they don't have billion dollar corporations trying to milk their customers to the last penny. I mean look at the mobile game business there, it can be worse than the Western world.
Console developers do seem different though, it's old school business for people who are talented and learn through mistakes. These guys seem to be really wanting the player feel the fun and excitement when playing their game.
Please do note that Japanese are naturally quite humble in front of foreigners, in front of TV cameras, and such. It's a cultural thing (compared to Americans who are the opposite, and that is respected in the US.)
This week Brett Taylor(@BATzerk) creator of Linelight joins Tiny(@Tiny415), Mike(@AssaultSuit) and Aaron (@Ind1fference) to talk about: Linelight, Arcadium, Noby Noby Boy, Peter Panic, Grant Kirkhope, David Wise, Diddy Kong Racing, Cosmic Express, Stardew Valley, Allen Hazelton, Paper Mario Color Splash, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, My Dog Zorro, Extra Life United, Shack News, IDARB, Ultimate Chicken Horse, Overcooked, Brawlhala, Power Rangers, Bryan Cranston, Justice League, Spider-Man Homecoming, Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them, Nightcrawler, Dirty Grandpa, Chappelle, Marvel’s Iron Fist, Mass Effect Andromeda, Snake Pass, Yooka-Laylee, Overwatch, Orisa, Neo Turf Masters, Blaster Master Zero, Horizon Zero Dawn, Breath of the Wild, Everything, Rain World, Battle Princess Madelyn, DESYNC, Splatoon 2.0 Test Fire, Has Been Heroes, Pandemonium, N-gage, My and more.
