Ubisoft embraces Wii MotionPlus for Red Steel sequel
Publisher hopes to achieve ambitious gameplay by adopting new Nintendo tech for core titles
Ubisoft is one of the first publishers to confirm the use of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral to improve the execution of its core Wii titles.
Adopting the tech for the sequel to Red Steel, Alain Corre, Ubisoft's executive director, has said the improvement of 3D motions will help the sequel achieve the ambitious gameplay attempted in the first game.
"Red Steel 2 has been in development for many months now, and this new device will help us be even more precise in what we do with the product," said Corre, speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz.
The original Red Steel was released on the same day the Wii launched in Europe, and attempted to mimic the users' movements for gunplay and hand-to-hand combat, but was criticised for a lack of sensitivity.
Corre believes that the Wii technology wasn't finished at the time of launch, but the recent announcement by Nintendo that the MotionPlus add-on will track true 1:1 responsive movement will allow the development team to realise its ambitions.
"The Red Steel brand is strong - I think we released it on year one, and that people understood that it was a first try on new technology, technology that wasn't completely finished. And our game tried to grab the best out of it, and was a bit rushed to be sure to offer something in year one to Wii consumers," he added.
"So Red Steel is a brand, and as with every brand we have, we now have to reach the top quality possible. What was missing was the preciseness of the sabre - and with this new device I think it will change the experience."
Ubisoft is one of the few third-party publishers to see considerable sales success on the Wii, and Corre puts that success down to the amount of time spent on developing games for the unique home console, compared to competitors.
"When you make a great game, you need more than one year of development," offered Corre.
"A lot of games are made in less than a year, but they're not great products and they're not selling at all. So it takes some time to develop good games. This year we're coming with Shaun White, which we've developed over 18 months, and the same for Rayman 3.
"I think these two games can be in the top ten of the Wii charts at Christmas again, and there will also be new Wii games announced soon - more games dedicated to capturing this new audience," he concluded.
The full interview with Alain Corre can be read here.