Kuju Entertainment Interview: Afterthoughts
Laptop Battery GameCube Advanced had a chance to talk with Tancred Dyke-Wells, Project Creative Director of the recently released Battalion Wars on GameCube. Check out our full interview with Kuju Entertainment right below.
AMN: What was the inspiration behind
Battalion Wars?
Kuju: Battalion Wars draws inspiration from a number of sources, a number of games I was playing at the time of its conception. We cant list all of these, but I think many players will spot the references. Advance Wars and Pikmin are influences I can mention.
It was also based an older concept called Ironclad that our Executive Producer had been developing at his own company prior to joining Kuju.
We really wanted to create a new kind of game experience an accessible, console action game that gave the player more power and freedom than is typically offered by 1st or 3rd person shooters. We wanted the player to have the feeling of command that RTS games offer, to have a sense that they could own the battlefield rather than just being a cog in a larger machine of war.
We also wanted the player to have to think, and we wanted a lighthearted, playful atmosphere. I think it was these last two qualities that made our game a suitable partner for the Advance Wars license.
The core features of control transfer and simple ordering were present in the original prototype at the outset. Nintendo recognized that we were trying to do something unique when they saw our demo, and as you know, Nintendo are all about innovation so I think they took a chance with us.
AMN: The reason the name was changed from
Advance Wars: Under Fire to
Battalion Wars is because the two game types were so different. How did
Advanced Wars become so different from
Battalion Wars? Why not create a true 3D version of the Advance Wars franchise?
Kuju: Battalion Wars, as it is now known, started life as an original concept. Nintendo were attracted to the project because it represented an attempt to do something different, and they wanted us to pursue our vision for the game.
That vision was of a fresh kind of game experience, a tactical action game with depth, freedom and the power of command. A game that offered the ability to command a battle from the thick of the action.
The Wars license was a great fit for our game because we shared the same desire to create a playful, lighthearted, toy-like game world. We also wanted a deep tactical element.
However, I think a lot of
Advance Wars fans were upset that we appeared to have changed the nature of the gameplay, and taken it away from turn-based strategy. This was tough for us, because in fact we were simply following the original creative vision for the game. We have a huge amount of respect and love for the turn-based Wars series as it has appeared on handhelds and other, older consoles.
Changing the name to
Battalion Wars was a great help in this respect, because it allowed people to perceive the game as something new, as an experience in its own right. A game within the Wars family, sure, sharing the key concepts of tactical thinking and a chunky, humorous style but a different kind of game. Battalion of course, refers to the group of units that the player has command of during the missions.
Now that
Battalion Wars is finished, I hope we might look forward to a more collaborative relationship with Intelligent Systems in future. It would be great to meet Mr. Nishimura, Mr. Shimojo and the rest of the Advance Wars team.
Battalion Wars
AMN: How much of a role did Nintendo play in
Battalion Wars' development? What was it like working
with the company?
Kuju: They visited us five or six times over the course of the projects 18 month development.
Nintendo have been unlike any other publisher that I have previously worked with. They gave us a huge amount of creative freedom. Their priority was always quality of gameplay above all else, and they sought to develop the innovative aspects of the title. We at Kuju London feel very privileged to have established a relationship with Nintendo, and we hope that it is a bond that will strengthen in future.
AMN: Why doesn't the game feature a multiplayer mode?
Kuju: Ultimately we had to drop multiplayer for this iteration of
Battalion Wars in order to deliver a core, single player experience of Nintendo quality within the budget and timescale available to us. But were very focused on the possibility of implementing multiplayer for any future iteration of
Battalion Wars.
AMN: Was the decision not to do a multiplayer mode one Kuju made or Nintendo made?
Kuju: It was essentially mutual. I have to admit I was never very happy about it, but we had to be realistic. Nintendo indicated that they did not feel multiplayer to be a central part of what we had to deliver for this game under the circumstances. Kuju took the decision to focus on delivering a quality single player game as a result.
AMN: Could you describe your favorite part about
Battalion Wars for our readers?
Kuju: Really just the feeling it gives the player; I still love playing it now because of the freedom and power it offers. As a concept, it represents something I wanted to be able to play but couldnt find on the shelves. I love to coordinate attacks and try out different strategies. Its great fun to charge forward as a ground unit, and at the same time call in artillery strikes or bomber runs on enemies up ahead - then maybe transfer to that bomber to finish the job.
AMN: What about a sequel? Has Nintendo considered letting Kuju make a sequel, and could we see
something on the GameCube in the next year or so or, even better, on Nintendo Revolution with
online play?
Kuju: I cant say anything about a sequel, all I can say about this right now is that we are having discussions with Nintendo. Obviously, the positive reception the game has received in the US has some bearing on that possibility.
Battalion Wars
AMN: With
Battalion Wars on store shelves, what's Kuju up to next? Do you have some ideas for the Revolution controller yet?
Kuju: Were hugely excited about the possibilities of the Revolution and its controller. The office went bananas when we first saw it in action. For me, Revolution is far and away the most challenging and interesting platform to consider developing for.
So I can't say too much about our upcoming projects, but I think that what we have in the offing is something people will find exciting.
AMN: Is there anything you want to say to our readers about
Battalion Wars or anything in general?
Kuju: That we listen to their comments - we read the forums, we pay attention to criticism and note their ideas. Its been really fun reading about the strategies people are trying out. We intend to work even harder to deliver them exciting, fresh and original gaming experiences in the future. Kuju Studio London believe in innovation and the pursuit of creative excellence; were not about to sit back and rest on our laurels.
Thanks to Kuju Entertainment for taking the time to talk to us.
According to the indictment, Jones would steal various IBM and Penguin computer servers from Verisign's warehouse in Virginia and sell them to Johnson. Johnson would then sell the servers to several individuals, who would sometimes place them for sale on eBay. As a result of this scheme, the indictment alleges that Jones and Johnson caused Verisign to lose more than $120, 000 worth of computer equipment. In the indictment, Jones and Johnson are charged in three counts with causing the interstate transportation of stolen property, namely IBM 330 and 335 servers, in violation of 18 U.S.C.
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