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| May 5 2006, 4:02 AM EDT | David_C | 1198 words added, 3 photos added |
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05/02/06 by Eddz Walsh
Exclusive Chromehounds Interview
Club Skill was recently given an exclusive opportunity to chat with Toshifumi Nabeshima, the Chief Producer of the upcoming Chromehounds for Xbox 360.
Being the cruel, cruel journalists we are, we were certain to push Nabeshima-san to his limits and really heat up the pressure. Unfortunately, we didn't learn a lot that will benefit our secret plans for world domination, but we found out a great deal about the stunning crush-'em-up that we're more than happy to share with you.
CS: First off, could you tell us a little about yourself and your role in the development of Chromehounds?
TN: I’m Toshifumi Nabeshima of FromSoftware, taking care of all development of Chromehounds as a Chief Producer. I was also the producer of the Armored Core series too.
CS: What do you believe will separate Chromehounds from all other mech games out there?
TN: The concepts of this title are epitomized into the following two points:
1. Hound assembly system with extremely high-degree of freedom:
You can freely build a HOUND of your own by combining parts. This concept is shared by another mech title of FromSoftware, 'Armored Core', but we removed restrictions further, enhanced and developed it for Chromehounds.
2. Team-based game progress:
Chromehounds' gameplays is based not on individuals, but on teams composed of several people. Battles are held on a team-on-team basis over vast maps. So, strategies as a team are more important than individual members’ skills in order to gain victory.
CS: In my opinion, the game is one of the best looking next-gen titles. How have you utilised the Xbox 360's power to create such a great-looking game without damaging the framerate?
TN: Thank you so much. FromSoftware started Xbox 360 development from a very early stage and we’d already released an RPG title called eM. This experience and technical knowledge helped to contribute to the Chromehounds development.
CS: Have there been many differences between developing for the Xbox 360 and the line of current-gen (PS2, Xbox, GameCube) consoles?
TN: Our biggest challenge for Xbox 360 development was how to show the differences clearly from current-gen. In product management, it was tough to estimate the next-gen standard for data creation. There were some difficulties in estimating how long it would take for a map and individual character development.
CS: One of the biggest aspects of Chromehounds is the customization, but just how much of the mech can you change?
TN: The customization in Chromehounds is much freer than previous mech games and offers infinite variations to players. To be more precise, HOUNDs can be customized by combining parts like brick buildings – e.g. a LEGO block.
CS: There have been many screenshots showing vast backgrounds. Can you tell us just how many maps will be playable on/offline on release, and how certain maps will allow for certain tactics and methods of play?
TN: Chromehounds has 80 different maps. The background of the single player game is set just before the Neroimus war, and utilises the same maps as online mode does. There are many variations in strategy but the most important factor is forecasting the enemy’s intruding routes. And each of the HOUNDs' RTs (roll types) have terrains where they can work the best.
CS: Can you tell us a little about the squad-based gameplay and how it will work in Chromehounds?
TN: It would be the easiest way to imagine team sports, such as football (soccer). Football positions, like forwards and goalkeepers, have their own roles with specific skills. In Chromehounds, there are six RTs (role types). For example, “Scout” needs to build up a robot with mobility, since the Scout goes out on reconnaissance, tracing the enemy. By making good use of these RTs, you can win by avoiding frontal war with higher-rank enemies at a minimum risk.
CS: Onto what has to be the most exciting feature of Chromehounds - Xbox Live play. What kind of game types will be available online?
TN: The Neroimus war is the main mode of online multiplayer. You join one of the three nations and fight against the players who belong to two other nations. If you win a battle, you get a reward, and your nation’s influence will expand at the same time.
The final goal is to destroy the two other nations, and dominate the whole land in the Neroimus region. In the Neroimus war mode, player squads can also play test battles and bounty missions against CPU squads. In addition to this, Xbox Live mode supports free battle such as deathmatch, capture the flag, break all, and survivor.
CS: Do you think downloadable content will enter the scene, such as new weapons or unique paint jobs?
TN: We are still evaluating Chromehounds’ download contents. In Chromehounds, having various parts will be a good advantage but players who have many parts will not win by themselves, because strategy and cooperation are more important in the game.
CS: I've also heard that players will fight between three different nations. Could you explain what that's all about?
TN: As mentioned earlier, players fall into 3 nations and fight for supremacy of their own nation in the Neroimus war mode. This mode doesn’t just contain battles, but also contains various events such as support from their own nation and being able to vote for their own president. Expanding power brings players new features like having more part variations.
CS: In your opinion, what do you feel will be the best feature of Chromehounds?
TN: We think next-gen quality graphics and squad-based gameplay. The squad-based gameplay allows play with fixed teams for high strategy not seen in other network games. We believe cooperating teams will be able to defeat a team that has high skill players but no strategy.
And we are proud that Chromehounds has so much game volume just half a year from the Xbox 360 console launch.
CS: The army have said that mech warriors would be tactically useless; they are too high and as such would create too much of a target in battle, but what would you rather use in a war - a tank or a HOUND?
TN: Chromehounds has this factor. Big HOUNDs are powerful and strong-armed but opponents are easy to hit and notice them.
We consider HOUNDs indicate “categories of weaponry” which have various types, such as gunner, commander, etc… This means the same, as we can’t say the battleship is less stronger than battle tank.
CS: Yu Suzuki (AM Plus) and Yuji Naka (Sonic Team) battle it out in Chromehounds. Who would win and why?
TN: Yu-san will play artistically. Naka-san will play speedy. But we feel that with their total strength, including leadership and strategy, they would be equal [laughs].
CS: Many thanks for this interview opportunity!
Chromehounds is due for release exclusively on Xbox 360 during the next few months. We'll bring you more news and media, as well as a full review, as the release approaches.
Exclusive Chromehounds Interview
Club Skill was recently given an exclusive opportunity to chat with Toshifumi Nabeshima, the Chief Producer of the upcoming Chromehounds for Xbox 360.
Being the cruel, cruel journalists we are, we were certain to push Nabeshima-san to his limits and really heat up the pressure. Unfortunately, we didn't learn a lot that will benefit our secret plans for world domination, but we found out a great deal about the stunning crush-'em-up that we're more than happy to share with you.
CS: First off, could you tell us a little about yourself and your role in the development of Chromehounds?
TN: I’m Toshifumi Nabeshima of FromSoftware, taking care of all development of Chromehounds as a Chief Producer. I was also the producer of the Armored Core series too.
CS: What do you believe will separate Chromehounds from all other mech games out there?
TN: The concepts of this title are epitomized into the following two points:
1. Hound assembly system with extremely high-degree of freedom:
You can freely build a HOUND of your own by combining parts. This concept is shared by another mech title of FromSoftware, 'Armored Core', but we removed restrictions further, enhanced and developed it for Chromehounds.
2. Team-based game progress:
Chromehounds' gameplays is based not on individuals, but on teams composed of several people. Battles are held on a team-on-team basis over vast maps. So, strategies as a team are more important than individual members’ skills in order to gain victory.
CS: In my opinion, the game is one of the best looking next-gen titles. How have you utilised the Xbox 360's power to create such a great-looking game without damaging the framerate?
TN: Thank you so much. FromSoftware started Xbox 360 development from a very early stage and we’d already released an RPG title called eM. This experience and technical knowledge helped to contribute to the Chromehounds development.
The graphics of Chromehounds will, quite literally, blow you away.
CS: Have there been many differences between developing for the Xbox 360 and the line of current-gen (PS2, Xbox, GameCube) consoles?
TN: Our biggest challenge for Xbox 360 development was how to show the differences clearly from current-gen. In product management, it was tough to estimate the next-gen standard for data creation. There were some difficulties in estimating how long it would take for a map and individual character development.
CS: One of the biggest aspects of Chromehounds is the customization, but just how much of the mech can you change?
TN: The customization in Chromehounds is much freer than previous mech games and offers infinite variations to players. To be more precise, HOUNDs can be customized by combining parts like brick buildings – e.g. a LEGO block.
CS: There have been many screenshots showing vast backgrounds. Can you tell us just how many maps will be playable on/offline on release, and how certain maps will allow for certain tactics and methods of play?
TN: Chromehounds has 80 different maps. The background of the single player game is set just before the Neroimus war, and utilises the same maps as online mode does. There are many variations in strategy but the most important factor is forecasting the enemy’s intruding routes. And each of the HOUNDs' RTs (roll types) have terrains where they can work the best.
Team-based action is the key to victory in Chromehounds.
CS: Can you tell us a little about the squad-based gameplay and how it will work in Chromehounds?
TN: It would be the easiest way to imagine team sports, such as football (soccer). Football positions, like forwards and goalkeepers, have their own roles with specific skills. In Chromehounds, there are six RTs (role types). For example, “Scout” needs to build up a robot with mobility, since the Scout goes out on reconnaissance, tracing the enemy. By making good use of these RTs, you can win by avoiding frontal war with higher-rank enemies at a minimum risk.
CS: Onto what has to be the most exciting feature of Chromehounds - Xbox Live play. What kind of game types will be available online?
TN: The Neroimus war is the main mode of online multiplayer. You join one of the three nations and fight against the players who belong to two other nations. If you win a battle, you get a reward, and your nation’s influence will expand at the same time.
The final goal is to destroy the two other nations, and dominate the whole land in the Neroimus region. In the Neroimus war mode, player squads can also play test battles and bounty missions against CPU squads. In addition to this, Xbox Live mode supports free battle such as deathmatch, capture the flag, break all, and survivor.
CS: Do you think downloadable content will enter the scene, such as new weapons or unique paint jobs?
TN: We are still evaluating Chromehounds’ download contents. In Chromehounds, having various parts will be a good advantage but players who have many parts will not win by themselves, because strategy and cooperation are more important in the game.
CS: I've also heard that players will fight between three different nations. Could you explain what that's all about?
TN: As mentioned earlier, players fall into 3 nations and fight for supremacy of their own nation in the Neroimus war mode. This mode doesn’t just contain battles, but also contains various events such as support from their own nation and being able to vote for their own president. Expanding power brings players new features like having more part variations.
Adjusting to different types of terrain is an essential part of Chromehounds.
CS: In your opinion, what do you feel will be the best feature of Chromehounds?
TN: We think next-gen quality graphics and squad-based gameplay. The squad-based gameplay allows play with fixed teams for high strategy not seen in other network games. We believe cooperating teams will be able to defeat a team that has high skill players but no strategy.
And we are proud that Chromehounds has so much game volume just half a year from the Xbox 360 console launch.
CS: The army have said that mech warriors would be tactically useless; they are too high and as such would create too much of a target in battle, but what would you rather use in a war - a tank or a HOUND?
TN: Chromehounds has this factor. Big HOUNDs are powerful and strong-armed but opponents are easy to hit and notice them.
We consider HOUNDs indicate “categories of weaponry” which have various types, such as gunner, commander, etc… This means the same, as we can’t say the battleship is less stronger than battle tank.
CS: Yu Suzuki (AM Plus) and Yuji Naka (Sonic Team) battle it out in Chromehounds. Who would win and why?
TN: Yu-san will play artistically. Naka-san will play speedy. But we feel that with their total strength, including leadership and strategy, they would be equal [laughs].
CS: Many thanks for this interview opportunity!
Chromehounds is due for release exclusively on Xbox 360 during the next few months. We'll bring you more news and media, as well as a full review, as the release approaches.
