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C3 Exclusive Interview | Monolith Soft on Nintendo Wii Support, Baten Kaitos II & More

on 03.08.2006 at 22:08 User Icon Posted by Adam Riley (jesusraz)
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Monolith Soft
Conducted by Adam Riley :: Thursday, 3rd August, 2006


Monolith Soft may have initially been well-known amongst the gaming community for its Xenosaga series of RPGs on the PlayStation 2, but Nintendo fans quickly grew to love the company when Baten Kaitos appeared on the GameCube. Now the company’s prequel to that game is due for a Western release this year, Cubedł caught up with Monolith’s president, Hirohide Sugiura, to get a few questions answered…

Cubedł: Your team is made up of quite an extensive range of talents. Could you please let our readers know a few details about your background?

Mr. Hirohide Sugiura, President of Monolith Soft and Producer of Baten Kaitos Origins: I have been in charge of sales, advertising, public relations, development, and producing at several game publishers, such as ASCII CORPORATION, KONAMI, WARP Co., Ltd., and Squaresoft. In 1999 I established the original Monolith Soft Company, after accepting an investment from Namco.


C3: Baten Kaitos was co-developed with tri-Crescendo. Is this the case with Baten Kaitos Origins? And if so, which areas did they contribute to?

HS: Yes, we co-developed with tri-Crescendo this time as well. Mainly tri-Crescendo was in charge of the battle direction and sound. The idea of Magnus Battle [ also ] came from them.


C3: The first Baten Kaitos was met with a lot of critical praise and performed solidly at retail. What can fans of that game expect in terms of improvements for this follow-up and how does this game differ to the first game?

HS: Although we call it Baten Kaitos II, it is the story about the world 20 years prior to the previous Baten Kaitos. If you have played original Baten Kaitos, you will be excited and [ it will ] put a grin on your face when you notice various advance hints dropped all over the story relating to the Baten Kaitos world. Of course, even if you have not played previous game, you will fully enjoy the story as a royal road role playing game.

When it comes to the system, the most notable point is its battle. In the previous game, each character held one deck to fight, but this time, one deck is going to be shared by the party. Therefore, if you are beginner, you will experience battles at a quick tempo. If you are an expert player, you will be able to enjoy more strategic battles by incorporating more advanced strategy into the deck.



C3: One particular aspect of the first game that some fans criticised was that of the voice acting. Can they rest in the knowledge that the quality has been improved upon? And will some of the same voice actors return?

HS: I believe fans can be satisfied with this because event rendering has been dramatically improved, compared with the previous game. And, some characters from the previous game also appear in this story, so you may find some voice actors return.


C3: The GameCube is seen to be a dead format in many territories, as was evident with the disappointing Japanese sales of Baten Kaitos II earlier this year. Did this fact cause any hesitation about the game’s potential for success in the West? And was any consideration given to moving it on to the Nintendo Wii in order to improve sales strength?

HS: Because we were almost finalising the development of the game when Wii was announced, we determined that transplanting it onto Wii was not worth the cost and labour hours. And since Wii is very unique hardware, we thought we should start from the basic game design if we [ were to ] make game for Wii. Therefore, I would rather challenge it in another opportunity.


C3: Have there been any issues with developing on the GameCube? Also, was there content that not be included in this game due to system restrictions or time constraints?

HS: We did not compromise because of the system restrictions. As is the case with many other titles, there are always the contents that could not be included in the game because of time and cost limitations. Within the limitation, we always make efforts to do our best, and we believed we could do it this time as well.


C3: Card battling games seem to be a regular occurrence nowadays, with their popularity increasing at a very fast rate. What do you feel helps Baten Kaitos Origins appeal to people more than the competition’s titles?

HS: I think it is its comfortably fast-paced gameplay. There are various games that incorporate card battles, but they often end up slow-paced gaming experiences because of the process when they choose cards from the deck and decide the winner by comparing the strength of the card. However, in the “Magnus Battle” the system was designed so that cards can be easily seen visually, and you will be able to enjoy fast-paced battles.



C3: How long has the game actually been in production and how large was the team working on it? Also, what was the deciding factor to continue work on a new BK after the original Baten Kaitos?

HS: It took 18 months to develop and about 50 developers were involved. Since the original Baten Kaitos game was highly regarded by the users, we wanted to respond to them. That was the deciding factor.


C3: When the Nintendo DS was originally announced, a list of future games was released that included a version of Baten Kaitos. However, since Xenosaga I & II was revealed and released in Japan nothing has been heard about BK on the DS. Is the project still alive?

HS: Please ask Namco for this question, because they sell the title. We are strongly willing to develop this.

[ In response, one of Namco’s Producers said the following: "The Baten Kaitos DS project has been stopped once. Further development
is currently undecided at this point." ]


C3: If you could do a crossover Baten Kaitos RPG project with Nintendo, which characters from the Nintendo universe would you like to include and why?

HS: I believe we could create a lot of very exciting elements using the card battle [ mechanic ] if we could have Link from The Legend of Zelda appear in Baten Kaitos’ world.


C3: Has work begun on a Nintendo Wii version of Baten Kaitos or any ideas been formulated yet? And can fans expect Baten Kaitos to remain exclusive to Nintendo formats?

HS: At present, we do not have concrete plan to produce Baten Kaitos for Wii. However, there are several on-going titles exclusively for the Nintendo format. Please look forward to them.



C3: What are your thoughts about the WiConnect24 concept, being able to leave the Nintendo Wii on in order to download new content? How do you think this could be best incorporated into the RPG genre?

HS: I think it is an amazing concept. We will be able to make it clear how the function will be utilised in the game when the on-going titles are announced. We would rather refrain from commenting on the details at this point in time, since our competitors seem to be in the process of the development of their software.


C3: Finally, how do you see Nintendo doing against the competition in this generation?

HS: I feel Nintendo is aiming at the innovation of entertainment, while Sony and Microsoft are interested in technological innovation. Nintendo’s message of “the graphical beauty is not the decisive fun factor of games” has strongly reached out to the developers. And it is clear that more and more users are agreeing with Nintendo’s message, as the success of Nintendo DS indicates. I hope they continue to work on overcoming the innovator’s dilemma.

The team at Cubedł, and I personally, would like to wholeheartedly thank everyone that took part in this interview and wish them all a very bright future!

Do not forget to check out the following links for previous exclusive interviews:

  • Skip Ltd About Chibi-Robo, GiFTPiA & Beyond!
  • Nikoli, Creators of Sudoku
  • Matt Bozon of WayForward Technologies (Sigma Star Saga, Shantae)
  • TOSE Co., Ltd (co-creators of Nintendo's Starfy games)
  • Mitchell Corp. (Magentica, Polarium and more)
  • Tuna Technologies, Developer of Alien Hominid GBA
  • Wii Interview with Robert Saunders, Nintendo UK
  • Brooke Burgess, Ex-EA & Creator of Broken Saints
  • Namco Tales Studio
  • Interactive Brains, Deep Labyrinth RPG on DS
  • Martin Kitts, Editor of NGC Magazine
  • Wil Overton, Former Super Play / N64 Mag, now at Rare UK
  • Steve Jarratt, Group Senior Editor at Future Publishing
  • Charlotte Martyn, Production Editor at Official Nintendo Magazine

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    jesusraz Reply Quote #1 

    jesusraz

     News Editor
    The Interviews Wizard...

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    Number of comments 10420 428 Number of comments 22.01.2003 Wi-Fi Name none

    HS: At present, we do not have concrete plan to produce Baten Kaitos for Wii. However, there are several on-going titles exclusively for the Nintendo format. Please look forward to them.


    More than just Disaster: Day of Crisis confirmed RIGHT THERE! Smilie

    Cubedł Senior Editor :: Lead Writer :: News & Interviews Editor
    on 03.08.2006 at 22:13 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    amtrid Reply Quote #2 

    amtrid

     L31 Dark Director

    Offline

    Number of comments 419 34 Number of comments 15.06.2006 Wi-Fi Name iddy

    that is really good news but i really want more info on disaster. just a little snippet. i'll shut up and keep my fingers crossed.
    on 03.08.2006 at 22:26 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    Grumbro Reply Quote #3 

    Grumbro

     L100 Eternal Master
    Umbro

    Offline

    Number of comments 11560 1466 Number of comments 11.07.2005 Wi-Fi Name none

    Warp ey? I got this picture of him off my Enemy Zero disk. This is him 10 years ago working on CG for Enemy Zero:
    It'll be amazing and you jolly well know it.
    on 03.08.2006 at 22:40 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    patjuan32 Reply Quote #4 

    patjuan32

     L22 Captain Blue

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    Number of comments 237 30 Number of comments 25.04.2006 Wi-Fi Name none

    I'm just hoping that Namco will have other titles in development for the DS and the Wii
    on 04.08.2006 at 00:05 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    tiamat1990 Reply Quote #5 

    tiamat1990

     L78 Golden Torizo

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    Number of comments 2850 66 Number of comments 29.10.2004 Wi-Fi Name tiamat or tiamat1990

    Xenosaga Wii.SmilieYou heard it first here in Cubed3.com



    on 04.08.2006 at 05:33 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    dojo Reply Quote #6 

    dojo

     L95 Assassin
    Bidoof.

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    Number of comments 4514 303 Number of comments 06.05.2006 Wi-Fi Name benj

    That's very promising. I mean, obviously there is something that the GC has that Sigiura-san likes, because in all honesty, any other developer would have just ported over to the PS2.

    Yay for third parties! Smilie
    XBL: dojo99
    on 04.08.2006 at 07:35 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    iCAME Reply Quote #7 

    iCAME

     L100 Eternal Master

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    Number of comments 6194 203 Number of comments 19.07.2003 Wi-Fi Name none

    Nicely done...great interview.
    on 04.08.2006 at 07:48 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    Ino Faust Reply Quote #8 

    Ino Faust

     L90 Elite Warrior
    Im,T�r En Gurth, Aran En Dae, K�no En Fuin!

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    Number of comments 4078 265 Number of comments 08.08.2005 Wi-Fi Name Faust

    We would rather refrain from commenting on the details at this point in time, since our competitors seem to be in the process of the development of their software.
    Love that commentSmilie
    Nice interview, and it's good to see a lot of developers that are really into Wii Smilie

    ~2008: A new year, a fresh start; If this year turns out shitty, I'm suing God.~
    on 04.08.2006 at 09:49 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    OLU1701 Reply Quote #9 

    OLU1701

     L23 Fire Leo

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    Number of comments 259 31 Number of comments 12.06.2005 Wi-Fi Name Uzoka-Sanin

    Great Interview Raz,I really got a lot of information out of it. I really can't wait to see what monolithsoft and co produce next for Nintendo. It really is good to see that a lot of developers are really garnering interest for all things Wii.
    on 04.08.2006 at 11:10 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    The Croft Reply Quote #10 

    The Croft

     L91 Metamorphic Being
    Who the fuck are you when you take that mask away ?

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    Number of comments 4122 451 Number of comments 26.06.2006 Wi-Fi Name The Croft

    need more info on Diaster has stacks of potential

    Mike Gee of iZINE said, "...The Verve, as he [Richard Ashcroft] promised, had become the greatest band in the world. Most of the critics agreed with him. Most paid due homage. The Verve were no longer the question mark or the clich?They were the statement and the definition."
    on 04.08.2006 at 13:59 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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    jesusraz Reply Quote #11 

    jesusraz

     News Editor
    The Interviews Wizard...

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    Number of comments 10420 428 Number of comments 22.01.2003 Wi-Fi Name none

    It's a shame they couldn't talk about certain subjects (like Xenosaga or their Wii games). But at least they seem eager to develop on Nintendo systems. That's definitely a good thing...

    Cubedł Senior Editor :: Lead Writer :: News & Interviews Editor
    on 05.08.2006 at 13:32 Games | Blog | Wii Codes | Message Me

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