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This page includes interviews primarily focused on Shadow of the Colossus.
September 10 2004, Famitsu: SCE Presentation Continues! "Wanda and the Colossus", what is the game about?[]
Sony Computer Entertainment's (SCE) presentation of new titles took place on September 10. Here, I would like to share with you the details of the presentation of "Wanda and the Colossus". First of all, "Wanda and the Colossus" is the first new action game in three years from the development team behind "ICO" for PlayStation 2, which was released in 2001. "ICO" attracted the attention of game fans and game developers around the world with its emotional graphics, sad storyline, and original game features such as "hand-holding action". Like its predecessor, this title is being developed by SCE's Kenji Kaido and Fumito Ueda. Present at the presentation were Kenji Kaido, producer of SCE's 1st Production Department, Fumito Ueda, director/game designer/art director of the same production department, and Satoshi Tamaki of the Product Marketing Department. Facilitated by Mr. Tamaki, Mr. Kaido and Mr. Ueda explained the game contents of "Wanda and the Colossus". Here is a summary of what they had to say.
The young man on the horse in the foreground is the main character. In the background is a colossus. Various colossi appear in this game. They will battle with the main character!
The main character stands up against a colossus with a bow. In the video shown at the event, the main character grabs a colossus and climbs up its body. The entire body of the colossus becomes a field, and it looks like we will be able to experience action like never before!
Kaido: With my previous work, "ICO," I think I was able to expand the possibilities of games. After "ICO" was released, I started thinking about the next game. Normally, I would have thought of a sequel, but "ICO" was so complete that I decided to try a new game. That's how Ueda-san came up with the idea for this game, in which you fight a large enemy.
Ueda: "ICO" was a very quiet game, and perhaps as a reaction to that, I wanted to incorporate "action elements" in the next game. When I play a game as a user, it is important for me to be able to enjoy it as the main character, so I wanted to create something that would push that envelope.
Kaido: The first step in the production process was to start with a concept movie. This is a technique unique to Mr. Ueda. First, he creates a movie of near-final quality. I worked on the core of the game first, such as the huge enemies and the vast field.
Kaido: It begins with a scene in which a young man travels on horseback. The young man comes to an ancient land at the end of the world. This is a place cut off from the world. There is an altar inside, and he holds a young girl who seems to have lost her soul, whether alive or asleep. The hero decides to fight the "colossi" that lives in this place in order to revive the girl.
Ueda: The ancient land is a sealed off place, where there are various locations such as ruins, desert, and wilderness. The protagonist travels here to find the Colossus. The only people in the ancient land are the hero, a girl, and a horse. The horse is a sidekick and provides support in battle. The girl was very important to the main character. But I don't think the details will be told in the game. As with "ICO," I think there will be many parts that will be left to the imagination.
Ueda: There are many types of colossi, including humanoid, flying, underwater, and many others.
Kaido: As for the controls, you can cling to a colossus with the R1 button. This is the cling button. You can then climb over the body and attack where it seems to be a vital spot to inflict damage. There are also colossi whose bodies themselves are mazes, so you can enjoy both action and puzzle elements.
Ueda: Regarding the design of the colossi, we tried to avoid so-called game-like monsters. We want to create a mystical impression. The key to the action part of the game is a technology we call deformation collision, and we are focusing on realizing the movement of the giant enemy and the movement of the main character in response.
Kaido: The body of the colossus itself is the game field. Moreover, the colossus is always moving. I hope you will enjoy the new sensation of playing the game. The game has changed considerably from the previous "ICO," but the way we created the game has not. We want to deliver the game in a good form so that you can fully enjoy the sense of fear and realism of fighting a huge enemy. Please look forward to it!
In fact, at the venue, video footage of the game in development was shown. The mysterious field, delicate sounds, and dynamic battle scenes of the main character and the colossi were breathtaking to watch. The unique atmosphere that can be felt from the game screen is still there, and those who have played "ICO" will be able to tell that this is a work by the "ICO" team just by looking at the game screen. "Wanda and the Colossus" is scheduled for release in 2005. It will also be exhibited at the Tokyo Game Show 2004, which will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture from September 24 to 26 (the 24th is an invitation day). Let's wait in anticipation for its completion!
From left to right: Mr. Kaido, Mr. Ueda, and Mr. Tamaki. Mr. Ueda concluded, "Development is entering a critical stage. Please look forward to it. We are really looking forward to the completion and release of this game."
Mr. Kow Otani, the music producer of this work, performed the music from the game. The lyrical and delicate music echoed in the hall. On the screen behind him, the main character attempts to climb the Colossus' weapon!
November 2004, Kikizo: Video Interview[]
Exclusive sit-down with SCEI's Fumito Ueda and Kenji Kaido for a quizzing on the spiritual successor to Ico.
With years of reminders from every corner of gaming media that Ico for PS2 is the critic's all time favourite, you'd hope its spiritual successor will have a much cosier time at retail.
And naturally, sales performance is one issue that prized Sony Computer Entertainment talent, Fumito Ueda and Kenji Kaido, address in Kikizo's latest video interview.
Wanda and Colossus, tentatively known as Ico 2 in the west, is already shaping up to be a spectacular videogame. You can get a taste of what's in store in our fecent first-hand impressions of the game here, but now we get up close and personal.
Ueda-san and Kaido-san, the game's Product Manager and Producer respectively, are without question the brains behind both Ico and Wanda and Colossus, and discuss with us some the ideas and processes that have gone into the making of Ico 2. Expect to learn all about:
- The team working behind Wanda and Colossus
- Sales of Ico and sales hopes for W&C
- Why did Ico have difficulty selling?
- What makes the relationships in these games so important?
- What is the nature of the relationship in W&C?
- Organic collision deformation - what is it?
- How exactly organic collision deformation enhances gameplay
- More about the giant monsters and their behaviour
- How does a large dev team focus on quite personal ideas?
- Who does most of the emotion come from?
- And is it possible to take emotions any further in games?
You can expect the usual video goodness you get from interviews around here - including clips of the game - this time in an altogether more digestable ten minute package.
Ueda-san and Kaido-san both seem focussed on bettering their own acclaimed best with Wanda and Colossus. And despite Kaido-san recovering from a heavy night of karaoke before our interview, which we promised we'd not post photos of, these chaps make for a lovely interview too.
This has every chance of being one of the best PS2 games ever made - so learn more now and get downloading.
Source: http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/features/ico2_videointerview.asp
December 2004, EDGE: ICO 2[]
Back in the saddle for a closer look at perhaps the most visually arresting PS2 game ever conceived.
We'd already given a cover story to the next Ico game (a moniker SCEE is keen to maintain for the western release, rather than the literal translation of its native Wanda To Kyozo), but it would have been impolite to pass up another opportunity to speak with Fumito Ueda and (an introspectively quiet) Kenji Kaido. Not just impolite, but impossible: as much as the game's fabulous mystery deserves to be unspoiled by forewarning, it's the same mystery - those towering creatures of pelt and sinew and ancient stone - that leaves us so insatiably curious.
EDGE: Why Wanda To Kyozo?
Fumito Ueda: Wanda is the name of the hero. Kyozo would mean Colossus in English. So the game title [translated] is Wanda And Colossus. I thought Ico was perhaps too abstract, so this time I wanted something simpler, easier to understand. Now, from a Japanese perspective, I think it is more appealing, in addition to being easier to understand. It shocks people's ears.
EDGE: Though you don't intend the game to be a continuation of Ico, it does echo the visual style. Did you at any point consider starting over with a completely new visual approach?
FU: We researched various styles, but nothing actually satisfied us. Our choice to deliver something close to Ico was motivated by the fact that it is still today very original and could be developed in another way. Ico was filled with light, but Wanda is more terrestrial - closer to earth.
One dreamscape features a reinterpretation of the impossibly long aqueduct seen in the team's 2002 recruitment advertisement. It's been a gruelling wait for the fans.
EDGE: How do you intend to let the new game's storyline unfold?
FU: I can't explain the scenario in detail, but it is about a young man who brings a girl who has lost her soul to a long-forgotten place, where it is said she can regain her soul. He is guided by a sort of divine voice, which explains to him that he must awaken the colossi and defeat all of them to succeed. We are designing a strange language, different from Ico's, to keep t his mythical feeling about the game's world. There will be subtitles to understand the dialogue. Some questions we will not provide any answers to, even at the end of the game, like Ico. For example, you will have no explanation about why the girl lost her soul. We want players to imagine the reason behind some elements of the story. But you will learn about the nature of the colossus and their place in that world at the end.
EDGE: Have you determined how many the player will encounter during the game?
FU: At the moment we have around 20, in various forms. Some are bipeds while others fly, live in water, and so on. According to our designs, the game should last for an average of ten hours. But this time we want to provide enough bonuses to motivate players to play it several times, much more than Ico.
This impressive phenomenon is perhaps a less subtle means of communication from the 'divine voice' overseeing Wanda's quest, though the colossi are hardly inconspicuous beasts.
EDGE: Can you explain how Wanda works in concert with his horse?
FU: His horse, Agro, is a very important partner. Since colossi come in various shapes, he will need his horse's speed and mobility to study his opponent's movements or even just catch up with it. There are many actions both 'characters' can perform together: the hero can stand on his horse's back and jump, for instance. We are particularly proud of the horse animation. I think the animation of the character is worth attention, too - he can perform an incredible variety of movements according to his situation.
EDGE: Is that entirely situation-based, or will he learn new skills, or the ability to use new equipment over the course of the game's duration?
FU: It is not a roleplaying game, so he will not have an inventory or new equipment to acquire. However, he will gain some kind of experience, improving his parameters. I can't tal definitively on this yet, but he may actually change slightly in appearance in some way, due to these improvements.
The colossi amaze not just with their scale, but in their recollection of the rigorous architecture of Ico's castle, as if it had risen from its haunches and marched inland.
EDGE: Considering some players found the combat in Ico too difficult, is there a concern that the concept of scaling a colossus may be too overwhelming, or even frustrating?
FU: We are testing this key feature of the game, and I believe we have found the right balance so it will not be that difficult, letting the player focus on understanding each colossus' body's configuration and nature. Of course, you will fall many times as you challenge the enemy's body. But when you get a good knowledge of its configuration and especially the locations of its weaknesses, then you will go for it. I think the first exploration is challenging, but it will not be a barrier for the game experience. That's what we're working to achieve, and when we perfect it, I think the game will be successful.
On falling: "What will happen depends on the altitude, but most of the time he will be hurt - you will see in the way he impacts on the ground. After he falls several times, he will be wounded and find it difficult to move".
EDGE: What would you say your greatest achievement is with the game so far?
FU: It is definitely the way we managed to animate the surface on the colossus' body. As it moves, like any living being, its hide distorts and extends. This represents one of the game's main challenges for the player - it is like the levels are constantly evolving. The situation is always changing, so progression on his enemy's body will be hard for the hero. Hairs offer the best grip but other surfaces can be slippery, or even offer no grip. In addition, there are obstacles, these sort of 'accessories' the colossus wears.
After defeating a colossus, Wanda must ride cross-country to find the next, an experience that Ueda suggests will be unbroken by pauses for disc access. "We are still perfecting this technical aspect at the moment," he qualifies.
And, finally, the colossus will not let the hero climb freely on its body - it will try to dislodge him, adding to the stage's difficulty. Now, you may have a very active colossus so the game will be very much action-oriented. Others may be more peaceful, but just moving around the body will require a lot of thinking. This tactical aspect is not just limited to the body configuration: the environment is another key component. Its shape provides access points to certain forms of colossus. Higher ground combined with the use of the horse will give a jumping point to catch a flying colossus. Bringing another colossus to a certain location might limit its mobility. We are thinking about this kind of uses of the environment to amplify the importance of the horse, and also provide more depth to the game. But the body animation and the vast landscapes are the biggest challenges we are facing in development right now.
Director Fumito Ueda and producer Kenji Kaido at the Manhattan Hotel during TGS.
March 21 2005, Kikizo: Exclusive New Interview, All-New Trailer & Screens[]
We catch up with SCEI's Kenji Kaido to learn more about the spiritual sequel to ICO and grab a whole load of awesome new media, including unseen footage!
By now, you can't fail to have heard of a game called ICO on PS2. The wonderful, critically acclaimed SCEI title bombed at retail, but hopes are high for a smash hit with its spiritual successor, now known as Shadow of the Colossus.
It isn't hard to see why this game's chances of success are considerably higher - something you can get a better idea of than ever before in the amazing new video footage offered below. Not only that, but the game's Producer, Kenji Kaido, agreed to sit down with Kikizo once again for a more detailed discussion about the anticipated game.
Kikizo: Thanks for your time today Kaido-san. Do you agree with Fumito Ueda [Wanda's Manager] on his reasons for the first game not selling well, despite critical acclaim?
Kenji Kaido: Yes, certainly. The content is perceived as artsy rather than typical action-oriented. Most genres that sell overseas are more action-oriented - it wasn't really a mass-market appealing title. The product also varied from territory to territory, which was something that really depended on the order of the release. For example, the cover art of the US version was different from the others. This was because we hadn't finished that cover art by the time the game was due to release in the States.
Kenji Kaido, Producer, Shadow of the Colossus - SCEI PDD#1
Kikizo: Was this also the reason why both the Japanese and European versions of ICO had subtitles for Yorda's vital speech, but not the US version?
KK: Again, that depended on the sale dates [laughs]. We couldn't implement everything by the master date in the US, but we had time for the other territories.
Kikizo: So what was it that determined the dates of release across the territories, then?
Kaido: The marketing sections in the different territories each had their own master dates. Sony Japan wanted it out at year's end, but the American branch wanted it sooner. We used the time between the releases to tweak things. We were more or less obliged to follow their requests.
Kikizo: Can you remind us of the story and setting for Shadow of the Colossus?
KK: There's a young man on a horse, with a girl. You can see that she's unconscious, and this is because she has lost her soul. He takes her to a temple-like area that exists at World's End. He is trying to revive her and recover her soul. In order to do that, he has to defeat the Colossi.
Kikizo: What is Wanda's relationship with the female - is it similar to the relationship in ICO, and what is the relationship between Wanda and the horse?
KK: For the relationship with the female character, as with ICO, I want to leave it to the user's imagination. But the players will know that they are tied together somehow. As for the horse, it is just a partner. It's not something to be protected or saved like Yorda in ICO.
Kikizo: Story-wise, Ico was about a guy who was thrown into a situation he didn't want, and along the way found Yorda - but Wanda seems to be on a self-chosen mission against the Colossi, is that right?
KK: Well, we wanted something different from ICO. It's natural that the story is very different. Obviously, we also wanted to make it more action-oriented.
Kikizo: Do you think this game will end up have wider appeal than ICO?
KK: Yes, we do think so. We have to be satisfied with our result, but it has to meet the users' satisfaction, as well.
Kikizo: How long has the game been in development now? Did you build a new engine?
KK: It's been in development for about two years or so. There's a new engine - Ico was set in a rather confined environment. Wanda is a lot more open, and almost endless. We attempted to use the same engine at first, but we decided to remake it from scratch instead.
Kikizo: Are there any special gameplay features you can elaborate about?
KK: The feature that we talked about before, "organic collision deformation", means that while you are fighting, the field you are on is actually the colossus itself. Because it is a sort of living being, it's constantly moving and changing. You can't stand still on the field, you have to keep moving. The horse, also, has its own AI. The horse essentially becomes the main character's partner. The Colossi are really, really huge and you have to move across them - they are part building, and part living creatures.
Kikizo: Will the player be looking for a weak point on their body?
KK: No comment on that at the moment!
Kikizo: Was there a specific reason why the majority of Ico was set in relative musical silence, and can we expect more of this in Shadow of the Colossus?
KK: It was intentional. It'd be easy for us to use music to inspire emotion, but it's sort of fake, in a way. We want the users to involve their own emotion with the game. We want to make it feel as if the game world is real. Using too much music would ruin this mood. Wanda will likely be in the same fashion, but we haven't decided yet. We'll make a choice we feel will suit Wanda's game world.
Kikizo: Could Shadow of the Colossus have a special edition release like ICO had?
KK: At the moment, we don't have any plans like that [within the studio]. The decision will be up to each territory's marketing team.
Kikizo: Are there any particular influences you had for ICO and Wanda?
KK: There isn't really one particular influence. It's more like a little bit of everything we feel and experience in our lives.
Kikizo: You are familiar working with PS2, but the next generation PlayStation will offer a lot more power... which do you think would allow you more creative freedom?
KK: Hmm, that's a hard question. At the moment, we're focused on the PS2. We always wish we had a bit more power... more memory, faster CPU... we ALL wish for that sort of thing. We're looking forward to working on a higher-spec machine. On the other hand, the PS2 is a platform with wide appeal and has a strong development environment. We're used to working with the hardware. It's a two-sided coin.
Kikizo: What are your thoughts on the PSP and have you got plans to develop for it?
KK: I can't really think about it yet - we're pretty busy with Wanda right now. I always wonder, though, if these games would be appropriate for a portable machine like the PSP.
Kikizo: Is it possible for good quality, artistic games to sell well, or do you think the games industry is moving towards the movie model where you have "blockbusters" and "art house" movies?
KK: First of all, I hope these types of games will sell well eventually. We're not intentionally making an artsy game; rather we are making something high quality that we are proud of. As a result, we wind up with a game like ICO or Wanda. We just want to make the best game we possibly can. In entertainment, there are many genres within any given field. Hopefully, a game like Ico or Wanda, where the user's imagination fills in a lot of the experience, will eventually do well in the marketplace.
Kikizo Staff: Wanda when the game's gonna come out...
Source: http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/features/shadowofthecolossus_interview_march05.asp
October 28 2005, Dengeki PlayStation: Wanda and the Colossus[]
It's been four years since the release of the last "ICO" game. We spoke to director Ueda and producer Kaido about the connection between "Wanda" and "ICO", which has a lot in common. With the release of "Wanda and the Colossus" just around the corner, here's a rare interview.
What is hidden in the worldview shared with ICO?
Dengeki PlayStation: In "Shadow of the Colossus (Wanda)", the scenery, the atmosphere and the main character's clothes are similar to "ICO".
Fumito Ueda: In the early stages of development, we called "Wanda" "NICO", which stands for "NEXT ICO". We wanted to build on the experience of "ICO" and do something new with our next game. But "NICO" was just a temporary project name, and we knew from the beginning that the name would change.
DPS: What is the connection with "ICO" in terms of time and setting?
Kenji Kaido: The world is not directly connected, but there is a subtle connection. There are some similarities, such as Wanda's costume design and the "heavenly voice". If you've played "ICO", I think you'll find it easy to get into the world.
FU: I'm not telling ...... about the time period. It might be that Ico and Yorda have grown up and come to the "Land of Ancient Times", or it might not be related at all.
DPS: The black mist that appears when the the Colossi are defeated is also reminiscent of the enemies in ICO, isn't it?
FU: Yes. I hope you'll enjoy imagining all these things as you play through the game.
DPS: What are the colossi that live in the "Land of Ancient Times"?
FU: In a nutshell, it's a world isolated from the outside world. Humans recognize the colossal statues that live in the "Land of Ancient Times" as "great beings".
DPS: What do you mean by "great beings"?
KK: To some people they may be gods, to others they may be demons that bring misfortune. Ordinary people are afraid to go near the "ancient lands".
FU: That's why there are no humans in the "Land of Ancient Times". But there's also a game design reason for this. When you put people on the field, you have to make them talk to each other, don't you? If you put people on the field, you have to talk to them, and if you don't talk to them, you can't move on, or you have to get off your horse and go to ...... to do it, and it interferes with the tempo of the game. In this game, I wanted to emphasize the exhilaration of riding through a vast field on a horse. That's why we decided that the "Land of Ancient Times" is completely uninhabited.
KK: Instead, there are lizards, pigeons, turtles and other non-human creatures. If you get tired of adventuring, paying attention to these creatures might do ...... you a bit of good.
FU: That's right. But please don't pick on them too much. They are precious creatures (laughs).
The battle against the Colossus is a "huge puzzle"
DPS: When I played the game, I found that the route to the colossi had fewer obstacles than I had expected.
KK: If you've played "ICO", you might think you'll need to solve a lot of puzzles and take a lot of actions to defeat the colossi. But in "Wander", all the puzzle-solving from "ICO" is integrated into the battle against the colossi. It's no exaggeration to say that finding the colossus' weak point and getting to it is already a huge puzzle in itself.
FU: Anyway, we wanted the game to be a parade of boss battles, so we made it so that you could focus on the battles against the colossi. But if you need to perform a particular action in the fight, we've put a little obstacle in the way to remind you of that action.
DPS: Was "grabbing" the colossus' body to climb it and the stamina meter something that was in place from the beginning of development?
FU: Yes, they were. The stamina meter in particular was something we knew we would need no matter which other ideas were rejected. Thanks to the stamina meter, I was able to create a sense of tension when Wanda was desperately trying to hold on to the colossus that was trying to shake him off.
DPS: How do you break through when you're struggling in a fight with a colossus?
FU: The first thing I do is shine the light of my sword and look for weak points. Once you know the weak point, it's easier to find the route. Even if you don't shine the light, if you go near the weak point while holding the sword, the weak point will glow, so that's one way to find it.
KK: You can also try looking at the colossus from a bit further away. It's also important to use the terrain and other features. Also, the hints that will be given to you over time will give you clues.
DPS: The battle against the colossi has an elaborate direction, such as the scene of the colossus' introduction and the camera work.
FU: We paid a lot of attention to the camera work so that we could show off the colossal size of them to the fullest. When the colossus attacks, it's an overwhelming mass that hits Wanda. That's why we made the arms and legs vibrate when they hit the ground, to create a sense of weight. We also made sure that the colossus' motion doesn't shift during the action, because if it does, it loses all its realism.
DPS: The angle from which you look up at the colossi from below is reminiscent of monster movies.
FU: I've always liked director Ray Harryhausen (the master of science fiction films, known for "Clash of the Titans"), so I think I've used some of his work as a reference.
DPS: This game doesn't have a "subjective viewpoint", which is a standard feature in 3D action games, but why didn't you use it?
FU: It's true that it's useful to have a subjective viewpoint when moving around the field or aiming a bow at a colossus. Technically it's possible, of course, but there are many scenes in Wanda where you have to hold on to the hair on the colossus' body, and if you're holding onto the hair of the colossus from a subjective point of view, you're looking at a close-up of the hair and you can't see what's going on. But we didn't want to do something half-hearted, where you can't use the subjective view when you're holding onto the colossus. So we discussed it with the team and decided not to use the subjective view.
DPS: Speaking of direction, the use of BGM is also unique.
KK: When you're moving around on the field, there are only environmental sounds like the wind and sound effects like Wanda and Agro's voices. When you're fighting a colossus, you'll hear a different kind of background music. We used a similar technique in "ICO".
FU: We changed the BGM at "milestone moments", such as when you meet the colossi, or when you undo its tricks and hold on to their body. We also used different types of music for the same scene depending on the colossus' appearance, so I hope you'll pay attention to that as well. In fact, we wanted to change the tempo and type of music based on where Wanda is on the colossus, but we couldn't do it because of capacity. It's a shame, because the music was made to match the appearance of each colossi.
DPS: The movements and controls of your beloved horse, Agro, are also very realistic. Did you capture the actual movements?
KK: The movements were made by animators, we didn't use motion capture. However, all of the development staff actually rode the horses to get a feel for what it's like to ride. Unlike a car or a motorbike, a horse can think and move on its own. The rider kicks the horse lightly in the stomach, and the horse takes that as a signal to move forward. There is a delay between the signal and the start of the movement. In order to create that kind of feeling, the controls are very close to the way the horse is actually ridden.
FU: The reason why we made it possible to ride a horse was not only because it was convenient for moving through the vast field, but also because it made a good picture. Rather than having a young man standing alone in a meadow, having a horse by his side makes for a tighter picture. This was also the case with "ICO", but when I design game systems, I tend to build the game from this kind of image.
DPS: In the trailer, we saw you standing on top of a horse and sticking to the horse's side, can you do that in the final version?
KK: Yes, of course you can. It's still a secret how to do it, but you can try it out while you're on the move (laughs).
FU: We were actually going to prepare a colossus that you could use that to fight it, but for some reason we had to reject it. But the action itself was fun, so we kept it. There are a lot of "play elements" like this.
DPS: Will there be any hidden weapons or other hidden elements for the second and subsequent playthroughs, like there were in "ICO"?
FU: I can't tell you what the conditions are yet, but we've prepared a lot more than in "ICO". Please keep your eyes peeled!
An uncompromising attitude creates an unprecedented game
DPS: What was the most difficult part of developing this game?
FU: Everything about "Wanda" is unprecedented, from the concept of actually climbing a colossus to the system. We had to create all the elements from scratch, so that was quite a challenge. But making a game from scratch is not only a bad thing, it's also a good thing because it means you're not bound by restrictions, so I think we were able to make a game that we were happy with.
KK: I'm in charge of managing the progress of the whole team, and it's difficult to make a schedule for a game that's never been made before. Every time a new change is made, it's hard to estimate the schedule to accommodate it. In fact, it wasn't always easy to keep to the schedule, but it did give us some idea of what to expect. The more time you spend on a game, the better it becomes, but if you don't have a schedule, the game itself will never be finished (laughs).
DPS: Finally, please tell our readers about the appeal of this game and give us a message.
KK: We brushed up the game until the very last minute, and it's a work of perfection that won't disappoint. If you're interested in the concept and visuals of climbing and fighting a giant monster, I hope you'll pick up this game.
FU: In "ICO", the HP in other action games was replaced by an AI-powered girl called Yorda. In "Wanda", the stage itself was replaced by an AI character called colossus, who is an ally in "ICO" and an enemy in "Wanda". It took us a long time to make Wanda, but we're just relieved that the game is now finished. I hope that people who haven't played "ICO" will also enjoy it, because the quality of the game is very high.
Source: https://dengekionline.com/soft/recommend/wander/
November 2005, PlayStation Club: Special Interview[]
PlayStation Club: Please tell us why you chose the title "Shadow of the Colossus".
Fumito Ueda: I think the previous title "ICO" was a bit confusing. On the one hand, it was nice and simple, but on the other hand, you couldn't read it without knowing what it meant, and you couldn't imagine the genre. That's something to reflect on, and this time I decided to make the name extremely easy to understand.
PSC: What exactly did you envision "Shadow of the Colossus" to be like?
FU: It's a bit vague, but we thought that the appearance of a huge statue like the Colossi would be a highlight of the game. When something much bigger than your character appears, you feel like "I want to climb up on that!" I wanted to give them the chance to do just that. In ICO, people say that the castle is huge, but if you think about the distance, it's actually a very small space. I was trying to make it work within that constraint, and as a reaction to all the things I was accumulating, I decided to make a more expansive world next time. Also, ICO was a game without boss battles, except at the end. So I wanted to make a game with only boss battles in "Shadow of the Colossus".
PSC: The characters speak in an unknown language, is there something that inspired this language?
FU: Yes. I wrote it as a script, but in this case I used my own "NICO language" logic to replace it. As for the heavenly voice, I used a female voice and a male voice recorded at the same time.
PSC: Do you use Japanese voice actors?
FU: Yes, they are. They have to speak in a language with a pronunciation that is not similar to Japanese, and they have to put their emotions into it. It was also difficult for the voice actors to know how to act.
PSC: How many "Colossal Statues" are there in total?
FU: If you count the "Colossus" idols in the shrine, you will see that there are more than 10. You'll have to play through the game to find out how many more there are.
PSC: Each of the Colossal Statues is unique, but did you decide on what you wanted each one to look like, or did you have to choose from a lot of designs?
FU: Both. I made a few designs and then when I had a few more ideas, I chose from the ones I had drawn. I was very careful when I was making the selections, and I made sure that the strategy elements didn't overlap. We didn't go for the ones that looked different but had the same way of defeating as another colossus.
PSC: It sounds like there were a lot of technical difficulties, such as moving through the vast map and entering buildings without darkening the screen to load.
FU: We had to work on two things: what we call the "deformation collision" system, which allows you to ride on top of the Colossus' body, and the seamless stages that allow you to progress without loading. These are two things we had to work on from the beginning to the end. We wanted to make sure that the game flow didn't stop when the screen went dark because of loading. It doesn't matter how big the field is, if you have to wait a few seconds for a "NOW LOADING" message to appear after you've progressed a bit, you'll lose continuity at that point. We worked very hard to make it seamless. And since we've made it seamless, we've created a field with a view of the horizon. You can ride your horse and agro towards the horizon.
PSC: There are fruits growing on the trees, can we eat the fruits as an item?
FU: Yes. There are many kinds of fruits all over the field, and if you find and eat them, something good might happen.
PSC: There are some small animals crossing the field, can you kill them with a bow and arrow?
FU: Yes, you can. But it's better not to kill them as much as possible.
PSC: Is the light source and drawing system the same as in "ICO"?
FU: Yes. It's inherited. We get a lot of compliments on the airiness and atmosphere of the graphics, but we don't feel that we're doing anything that others aren't doing. It's just that we use fog very cleverly, and paint distant objects with a certain density.
PSC: There doesn't seem to be any dusk or night, do you have any concept of time?
FU: There is an entrance across the bridge, which is called "The Ancient Lands", where time stops.
PSC: When I looked at the concept art, there was a picture of you riding Agro (horse) at night, did you initially have a nighttime setting in mind?
FU: For the opening scene, we set the weather and time changes in order to show the long journey to the current location. I wanted to show that if there was a village where the protagonist lived, it was not a place that you could just walk to from there.
PSC: You have a 16:9 wide screen, don't you?
FU: The fact that I bought a 16:9 TV is a big part of it (laughs). Up until then, I didn't really care that the colours looked different on different monitors, and I used to say, "If it's a good picture, it should look good in any environment." When I bought a new TV, I thought, "16:9 is good. Progressive output is good." (laughs).
PSC: Is the music for this project by the same person who did "ICO"?
FU: I asked Michiru Oshima to do the music for "ICO", but this time I asked Sachi Otani to do it.
PSC: I see a pillar of light coming down from the sky, what is the meaning of that?
FU: The pillars of light will appear at the positions of the colossi that you have defeated. It's actually a reminder that you can fight the colossus you've defeated again. As you progress through the adventure, your stamina and strength will change, so we've prepared this mode to help you see the results of these changes. In "Reminiscence Mode", there is an old film-like noise effect, just like after clearing ICO.
PSC: How big is the field in "Shadow of the Colossus"?
FU: Not all of it is accessible to the player, but it consists of just under 50 quadrants of 600m x 600m.
PSC: I was really surprised by the vastness of the field, the speed of the horse and the weight of the "colossus".
FU: That's right. We didn't compromise on those three points.
PSC: Agro, the horse, behaves very naturally, did you use motion capture?
FU: No. All the motions were done by hand by the animators, not only for Agro (the horse). None of it was captured. Motion capture doesn't make things more realistic, we believe that the "movement" in your mind is more realistic, although it may not be the most realistic. That's not the only reason why we don't use motion capture, though.
PSC: Did you add the motion to the colossus' sensitively, to give it a sense of weight, to make it fall over, to make it swing its weapon?
FU: I often tell the animation staff that the bigger the colossus, the slower it moves. But the density of the information in the movement is the same whether it's small or large. That's why, even if the movement is slow, if you don't add more and more information, such as the reaction of the ground when it takes a step, or the way the reaction is transmitted to its knees and hips, people will only see it as something slow.
PSC: I'm really impressed by the sense of presence, the "air of being there" that I've felt since "ICO". The colossi don't just fall down, but the ground shakes, dips and cracks, and smoke comes out. Agro (horse) will also run in the dust, and birds and beasts will cross the screen as you move around the field. You can even feel which way the wind is blowing. Were you particular about these kinds of effects?
FU: I don't think we were particularly particular about it, but we took the stance that we should do what was natural and proper.
PSC: Your travel partner, Agro (the horse), is very reliable and lovable, dashing through narrow spaces and rushing to you when you call her. Did you have this kind of partner in mind from the beginning?
FU: At first, I thought that having a horse in the story would make it more attractive, but I felt that animals are obedient and pure, and that they will continue to love their masters even if their masters' bodies or minds change. However, it may sound harsh, but a horse is a "tool" used by humans, so we don't want to treat it like a pet, but we want to show that it never forgets the line between master and servant, and that it always comes when we call it.
PSC: What other actions are available in "Shadow of the Colossus" besides clinging to the colossi?
FU: What you can do with jumping and clinging, you can do anywhere. For example, you can cling to Agro (horse), and you can also jump by standing on Agro (horse). The controls themselves are simple, but the combinations are enormous.
PSC: So you didn't consciously set out to use the Agro (horse) for these actions?
FU: It means that you can perform the same actions as if you were standing on the ground at any time. Also, it's not like you have to use them to attack.
PSC: The fact that you can perform a variety of actions with simple controls is what makes it a great action game.
FU: Because of the intimidation of the colossi, people tend to think that it's a difficult game, but it's actually very simple. I think it's more elegant to be able to use one thing in multiple ways, rather than just one element, so we've made it so that you can perform a variety of actions with simple controls.
PSC: In a normal game, you'd have to use an arrow or a compass to point in the direction of the colossus, but in this game, you can hold your sword up to the sunlight and the light will point you in their direction. This kind of expression is also very natural.
FU: That's right. Like the action controls I mentioned earlier, it's all about how complex you can make things with simple controls, and how much scope you can add. It's the same with the sword, it's not just a tool for attacking, it's also a way of pointing you in the right direction. In a normal game, you can use a directional magnet to show where you are going, or you can use a dot on the map to show where you are going, or you can use a villager to tell you that you are going that way. There are many ways to do this, but the most natural one I came up with is to hold a sword up to the sunlight and it will show you the direction.
PSC: The setting of the sun and shade required to hold the sword up is exquisite. In the shade, I thought, "I'd like to check the direction I'm going here," and then I looked around and saw that there was only a little bit of sunlight, which I thought was very clever. This was also deliberate, wasn't it?
FU: Yes. To a certain extent it was deliberate.
PSC: The angle of the camera when you're moving around the field on Agro (horse) is also excellent. Normally, the main character would be in the middle of the screen, but in this game, Agro (horse) is shown off-centre in the bottom left corner, and the destination (landscape) is shown in the centre of the screen. This composition is really beautiful!
FU: You've noticed it very well. Shifting the axis of the camera angle was the first thing we wanted to achieve, and we wanted to avoid a symmetrical composition when we wanted to show the horse. We wanted to avoid symmetry, even if it meant a slight loss of usability.
PSC: Every frame of the game has a painterly or cinematic feel to it.
FU: Conventional games have a cinematic feel to them when you're not in control of them, but when you are, they're often very bland. In the case of "Shadow of the Colossus", one of our concepts was to create a cinematic screen structure even during normal play. When you look at the colossus, you can see Wanda's back in the foreground, and the axis of the statue is properly offset. That's what we were trying to recreate. But it was a lot of work to recreate that. In a normal game, the ground where the character is standing doesn't move. However, in this game, the main character's position changes from moment to moment depending on the location, so we had to go through a lot of trial and error to make sure the camera didn't run out of control. For example, when you're about to be swept away by a colossus, if the camera doesn't follow them perfectly, the player will get drunk. It was very difficult to find the right balance.
PSC: It's a perfect balance. There's another scene I like, where you're looking up at the colossus from behind a pillar. It's just like an old monster movie.
FU: It's because the objects are placed properly that the sense of scale comes out. I've calculated the size of the object so that it fits into the frame with a sense of immensity.
PSC: Personally, I like the scene where the giant creature appears looking up at us and the birds all take off at the same time. It's a scene that people who like special effects and monster movies should see. It's something that hits you on the spine.
FU: I like that kind of scene too (laughs).
PSC: There's a scene where you're fighting on the back of a colossus that looks like a pterodactyl, but the feeling of flying in the sky is so good that you forget to fight.
FU: When I was little, I loved monster movies and films by directors like Ray Harryhausen, so I wanted to make something that allowed me to be the hero. The monster movie I mentioned earlier came to mind quite recently. In fact, when I started Shadow of the Colossus, I didn't have any intention to make it for people who like monster movies. But when I went back in my memory, I realised that for as long as I can remember, my favourite films were the ones with monsters in them. I'd like people who like special effects movies to play "Shadow of the Colossus". If you're not a fan of action games, we've made it so that you can get over that and enjoy it.
PSC: If you consciously try to make a monster game, you tend to get fighter planes and tanks, but I like the closeness of the distance between you and the monsters, where you climb up and attack them.
FU: That's right. That's what we wanted to achieve in this game.
PSC: I felt the same way when I played "ICO", but at first glance, the landscape of the field didn't look like a game made by Japanese people.
FU: No, we didn't do that at all. Like with ICO, it's all a figment of my imagination. I think it's better to express the world in your mind without degrading it, rather than just looking at the material and copying it as it is, so that you can get the atmosphere of somewhere that might exist. I was also careful not to identify where or when it is. I try not to use textures that are taken from real objects. I draw them myself, or rather I model the trees, render them in high resolution and then cut out the textures from them. I'm happy if the atmosphere created by this process is a good one for everyone. If you take a picture of a real tree, it will look photorealistic, but I'm not sure how realistic it would be. I don't think the soul is in the picture.
PSC: Now that we've got that out of the way, do you have a final message for us?
Kenji Kaido: The exhilaration of running around in the wide world, the sense of presence and realism of the world. Please enjoy the fear of the overwhelming "colossi" and the sense of accomplishment of climbing on them and defeating them.
FU: I want you to feel the world inside the monitor, and I hope you will enjoy it, because it took us almost four years to make it. Thank you very much for your time.
PSC: Thank you very much for visiting!
December 2005, CG World: Technique[]
In this fantastic world, you'll have to confront the ridiculously large "Colossi". The development team behind ICO has taken a completely new approach to the Action-Adventure genre with "Shadow of the Colossus". Let's take a deeper look into the making of the game, from its vast field to the unique character motions.
Interview and Text by Sadatake Takagi.
The concept of the game deserves to be analyzed.
ICO has been acclaimed for its fantastic visuals and the quality of its graphics, but it was an adventure that took place only in the confines of a castle. 'Wanda and the Colossus', on the other hand, pits the player against overwhelming and intimidating bosses alone within a vast field-map. Since the beginning of production, the amount of staff members has doubled and the number of designers has grown to over 20. The difficulties of this development process can only be guessed at.
"In this game, we tried to keep the inertia and the weight of the statue in mind, but at the same time make the movement more action-oriented and responsive," says Fukuyama, who was also in charge of animation for ICO, "A lot of checking and trial and error was done to get the weight and feel of the movement, especially with the Colossi, which are by far the largest characters in the game. That's the thing. They occupy a large area of the screen, so monotonous movement would have been unpleasant. In addition, the Colossi, which are the heart of the action, represent the surface of the game, so we had to find a way to combine the shape with the motions allowed by the game's system. We had to find a way to tie the motions together seamlessly. As there is no similar game on the market, it has been quite a challenge! Furthermore, as a game with such huge characters moving around, there are severe restrictions on the visuals of the background. As there are no smaller mook enemies in the field, the game does not have to handle the weight of drawing a large number of characters, but there's a different kind of burden on the system's processing to take into account. Even so, the development of the field's design was based on a lot of trial and error, with dozens of large and varied areas that had to be constructed."
I'll leave you to pore over the details in the making of each section, but this is a title I'd personally like to recommend very highly. The thing is, games are not only about visual beauty, but also for the conceptual aspects of games, such as discovering and proposing new ways to play, and having fun just by exploring them. I think "Shadow of the Colossus" is a title that has mastered both of these aspects.
General Map Creating Process
1 - Creation of the height map. 2 - Creation of the test model. 3 - Generating the rough shape of the correct model. 4 - Develop the correct model, collision model and the LOD model. 5 - Finished product.
In the early stages, the rough appearances are drawn on height maps and then gradually sculpted on a test basis. Once the shape we want has been more or less determined, the model is divided into grid-areas and developed as a formal model. Of course, we make collision models (including various ‘flags' such as event, camera, etc.) and LOD models for switching between the more distant views to reduce the burden on the processing. Eventually, we had a rough model of the entire map. Incidentally, every step of this process is done with LightWave 3D.
Field Design with Parts
In the end, a large number of parts were prepared and applied, with their shape being customized to suit the key points.
Innovative Texture Work
Versatile and Original Tools
In real-time CG production, it is impossible to evaluate a texture's final appearance unless it is in-machine. For this reason, tools are used that allow acertain amount of texture adjustment (brightness, saturation, level, contrast, etc.) even on the actual machine. We can also save the textures after adjusting them and go back to the PC to do more work.
Model Making Process
Colossi Imageboard.
The transition from a rough model to a completed design.
The order of the models is as follows: 1 - Crude model > 2 - Initial model > 3 - Finished model. A B C D - In the process of tuning it out, the team made minor adjustments to the points the player can grab, the slant of the chest, and the details of the boss's thighs.
Realistic Fur Representation
Increasing the alpha channel at each stage.
Side-view fur texture.
A screenshot of the boss' model after setting the fur texture.
This is an original plugin that automatically creates a hierarchy of fur polygons and automatically applies a texture with gradually increasing alpha for fur. You can also adjust parameters such as distortion, gravity and flow along the UVs.
The actual model with fur applied. You can see the area around the face is structured in layers.
To reduce the flatness of the image when viewed from the side, the plate's polygons are arranged vertically, and a fur texture is applied to increase the sense of density.
It's difficult to do trial-and-error adjustments on LightWave, so the vertex color of the fur was done on Photoshop, and then the resulting image was burned on LightWave. We developed an independent plug-in for this purpose.
Texture Ingenuity
A screenshot showing examples of some textures used on Colossi. They are generally 128 by 128 pixels with 16 colors.
As the game's system is designed to grab a Colossus by its edges as well as its fur, the textures have been created to highlight the edges.
Character Designs
Mr. Fukuyama says, "LightWave's IK can't fix the central areas, like the elbows, so I prepared my own plug-in, SOFTIMAGE|3D's up vector, and used it to adjust everything."
Facial Animations
Playable Motions
Cutscene Production
Creation of Effects
For effects that are difficult to build with tools alone, polygons are generated and applied in LightWave. The screen is a representation of the smoke curling up from the ground.
Most of the effects are created using the tools on the machine. Examples include water splashes and dust plumes.
After and before applying the effects to the scenes.
December 7 2005, Game Watch: "Wanda and the Colossus" graphics course for 3D game fans[]
At this point in time, with the PlayStation 3 scheduled to be announced in the spring of 2006, the PlayStation 2 game platform can be said to be at its most mature. At this time of year, people tend to focus on next-generation consoles, but in reality, this is also the time when the culmination of technology developed during the lifetime of the current consoles comes to fruition, and it is during this time that many masterpieces of gaming appear.
"Wanda and the Colossus," which was released this winter, is a game that represents the PS2's most mature period.
The game itself is highly accomplished and genuinely "fun," but even as a stand-alone software title running on the PS2, it has a "very high-tech" feel to it, and there are many things to admire about it.
We interviewed the development team of "Wanda and the Colossus" and were able to ask them about the technology used in the game, which we have summarized below.
- Fumito Ueda, Game Designer & Director
- Hajime Sugiyama, Motion System Programming
- Takuya Seki, Post Effects Programming
- Masanobu Tanaka, Character Animation
- HDR rendering + tone mapping with dynamic exposure compensation is actually a pseudo technique
Although Wander and the Colossus has a pseudo HDR rendering representation, the effect is significant and creates a very impressive visual.
The first striking visual you will see after launching "Wanda and the Colossus" is the magnificent scene outside as seen from inside the temple. The outside scenery is blown white, and light is seen flooding through the gaps between the pillars supporting the temple. This scene appears to be a so-called "High Dynamic Range" (HDR) rendering, as you can imagine from the representation of the scene as it appears.
When we jump from the dark temple indoors to the outdoors, the outdoor scene is rendered almost as if it were skipped white, with a slight delay before settling to the proper luminance balance. This, too, seems to be a combination of HDR rendering and dynamic tone mapping, if only in terms of effect.
For more information on HDR rendering and tone mapping, please refer to the article, "Half-Life 2: Lost Coast" Engine Course for 3D Game Fans - The Impact of Realistic HDR Rendering in "Lost Coast"" in this series.
HDR rendering is a process in which rendering itself is performed over a wide range of colors regardless of the display or TV's color range, and tone mapping is the process of adjusting the HDR rendering results to the display or TV's color range with the appropriate luminance balance.
Originally, 3D graphics were created as a way to create images that closely resemble the real world using the power of computers. In the real world, there are subtle gradations of brightness and darkness, and humans and cameras adjust the exposure, shutter speed, pupil aperture, etc., to best suit the viewer's perception of the scene. In 3D graphics as well, the rendering process is similar to the real world, where a huge range of light intensity is rendered with high precision (HDR rendering), and then the camera and eyes are simulated at the display stage (tone mapping) to obtain a realistic image.
HDR rendering is difficult to record in the 16.77 million color system represented by 8 bits each of RGB used in GPUs for PCs prior to the DirectX 8 generation and in general current game consoles (it is possible to force it, but it would be slow), so "it looks like that", pseudo-HDR rendering is all the rage for game graphics.
The Xbox 360 and PS3 support a format with 16-bit floating point (FP16) RGB each, and the hardware is designed for HDR rendering from the start, but the current PS2 has no such potential. It is easy to imagine that the graphics in "Wanda and the Colossus" are pseudo-HDR rendering.
Speaking of pseudo-HDR rendering, the most common method used in the past was lens flare in backlit conditions, and more recently, the overflow of light (bloom effect) has been added to high-luminance areas by post-processing. Pseudo-HDR rendering, which includes exposure and pupil simulation, is not commonly used, but in "Wanda and the Colossus," it seems to be done in accordance with the scene where the player is. What kind of technique is this?
- The true nature of the pseudo-HDR rendering in "Wanda and the Colossus"
"The basic idea behind it is the same as our previous work, 'ICO'. When you look at a certain place from a certain point of view, it's just a process of overflowing..." (Takuya Seki, Production Department 1, SCE)
In "Wanda and the Colossus," detailed box-like scene definitions are set up throughout the map (called scene boxes for the sake of convenience in this paper), and when the player is inside one of these boxes, the scene seen from there will be affected by the effects set there.
In other words, in the case of the temple, the scene definition is based on the idea that "the interior of the temple is always dark, so when the player looks out from there, the scene should naturally turn white" and "such effects are added."
"The rendering itself is done normally. We just apply the effect of light overflowing into the outdoor scene according to the defined scene effects," said Seki.
The procedure is as follows.
1. Render and save the distant view
2. Render the near view and save it
3. Composite the far and near landscapes
The content of the depth (z) buffer after (2) is used as a mask pattern for compositing.
4. The depth buffer after (2) is also used to create an image like a mask pattern without the near view.
5. Reduce this to 64 x 64 dots using a bilinear filter (make it ultra-low resolution)
Reuse in (8)
6. Combine (7) from the previous frame with semi-transparency at a ratio set for each scene box.
7. Save the image created by (6)
Reuse it for drawing the next frame
8. Now enlarge (5) to an appropriate resolution using a bilinear filter
This will be the material for the bloom effect, in which the distant scenery seems to overflow from the contour of the near scenery.
9. Combine (7) and (8) with semi-transparency at a ratio set for each scene box.
In construction
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20160427093955/http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20051207/3dwa.htm
April 2006, Digital Media World: Shadow Boxing[]
Shadow of the Colossus is a visually striking new PS2 game from legendary developers and artistic partners Fumito Ueda and Kenji Kaido. the pair are located at Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's internal development studios, most noted for the creation of the critically acclaimed Ico. we asked Fumito Ueda, director and lead artist, for the story behind the making of Shadow of the Colossus.
Digital Media World: According to the press release, the development on this project has drawn "on the production values of the film industry." Could you explain how this relates to what you have done - is it referring to the image resolution or camera movement or animation quality?
Fumito Ueda: I think it is really difficult to simply compare video games and films, as the expression methods of the two genres are very different. However, when working on camera angles and cutscenes in game I get great inspiration from techniques often used in the film industry. One area where we can definitely compare them is in the soundtrack. If you haven't already heard it, you should definitely check it out — it’s stunning.
DMW: There appears to be a very natural feel to the creatures, with textures that recall stone, fur or moss. How was the lighting and texturing approached to achieve this unique look?
FU: with regards to the texture, in most cases, we are using the reduced size of the texture that was created by modeling on unlimited 3D tool and rendered at hi-resolution. For the texture of a branch on a tree, for example, we do this by modeling the branch so that it looks real enough for us to be satisfied and then we cut out the rendered version, changed into 2D, and use it in the game.
Shadow of the Colossus takes place in a vast world populated by enormous figures known as Colossi, each the size of a mountain. As the hero, you must travel through this desolate landscape on horseback to seek out the Colossi then vanquish them one by one.
DMW: The hair or fur of the Colossi is quite detailed. Did you use generic 3D software or require specific plug-ins or programming to achieve the effect?
FU: The creation of the hair and the fur is done by putting one polygon on top of another and repeating the work. We can do that work manually, but to be more effective, I had a programmer on the team plug-in that. The tool we are using is LightWave3D.
DMW: Could you break down the different roles of the full-time digital production team of more than 30 staff?
FU: There are 4 animators, 7 stage artists, 2 colossus artists, 2 effect artists and 6 programmers. The rest are planners and collision team members.
DMW: What were the tools the artists and animators used to develop the look and feel of the game?
FU: This may surprise you, but everything is created using the LightWave3D. We sometimes use Photoshop for adjusting textures, though. It is not so much that different tools provide different things - what's important is if and how the artists are accustomed using to the different tools.
DMW: The quality of animation of the horse is quite outstanding. Could you explain how this was done?
FU: The animators in charge and I created the horse's motions manually. It's a keyframe animation. Therefore, no motion capture was used. This does not only apply to the horse but also to motions of all other characters and objects.
"Shadow is a massive project and one that draws on our ten year heritage in gaming as well as on 100 years of cinema! The result, we feel, is a special, deeply personal experience — cinematic in scale but at the same time delivering the emotional and immersive experience that you can only get when you are actually living the life of the hero." - Game designer Ueda San.
DMW: Were all the cut scenes generated in-game?
FU: Yes, all the cut scenes of Shadow of the Colossus were rendered on PlayStation 2. In fact, you can change camera angles by using the right analog stick and R2 button in all the cut scenes.
DMW: How many distinct environments are there in the game?
FU: All the environments are connected seamlessly, so it is hard to count them distinctively. However, I would say there are more than 16 different environments, the same as the number of colossi.
DMW: Can you highlight any significant new features of the games engine, environment display or character animation?
FU: There are many new techniques and features in Shadow of the Colossus. For example, there is motion blur, addition motion, original shading, motion control by artists' formulas, and many more - I could go on and on about them. I was somewhat numbed when I was creating the game but I realised how enormous the amount of new techniques and features was after the production ended.
January 29 2009, 1UP: Shadow of the Colossus Postmortem Interview[]
Last summer, 1UP FM kicked off its Backlog segment with Shadow of the Colossus, as various editors played through the game alongside the 1UP community. If you haven't had the pleasure of climbing giants in Team ICO's stunning PS2 adventure, it's not too late to join in that fun by checking out the ends of Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, and Episode 4.
We had a fantastic time rediscovering the special place that Shadow holds in our hearts, and talking through our experiences with it, both anecdotal and analytical. At the time, we were hoping to do a follow-up interview with the developer mastermind Fumito Ueda to share some of our post-game thoughts and burning questions. Well, it took a while, but we were finally able to tear him away from whatever wonderful project he's surely working on now. So excuse our drooling, and LOOK OUT FOR SPOILERS, as the Backlog crew throws some questions at the man behind the magic:
1UP: How do you feel about having made the type of game that appears on something like our Backlog? A game that didn't sell as well as it should have, but is still discussed and feels relevant years later? Is it frustrating? (The same could be said for ICO.)
Fumito Ueda: As a company employee, it is necessary to create something that sells. However, if I were to choose between something that sells for a moment and is forgotten, and something that doesn't sell much but is remembered, I would choose the latter. But I personally think that a game has potential to sell a certain number of units no matter how quickly it sells. That is why I think that the one that leaves good memories is better, since it will make a sequel more appealing.
1UP: Visually speaking, Shadow of the Colossus holds up incredibly well to this day. Why do you think that is, and what lessons can other developers learn from you in that regard?
FU: I think I have more interest in technology than anybody else around. I sometimes come up with a certain idea as I get inspired from technology, but sometimes the concept comes first and then I develop technology to express the image. I try not to be satisfied with using technology only in one way or the other. This means I use the technology, rather than get used by it.
1UP: Do you feel that you could have made the beginning of the game more accessible by holding players' hands a bit more? Many people seem to have been turned off by the (seemingly) open-ended nature of the game, with very little initial direction to go off of, and simply stopped playing there.
FU: It has been about three years since Shadow of the Colossus was released, and I am aware that there are such opinions and feedback. There probably should have been more adjustment to this part, as I can objectively look at my title now. However, the guide method used to get to your destination in a 3D world was a result of much consideration of expression, especially in 3D. It's easy to display the destination clearly in a world map, but it then becomes meaningless to travel in a 3D world. That's why I choose the specific guide method.
1UP: We all agreed that having the horse control like an animal and not like a car was very important and worked really well. How did you accomplish that? Was there a specific trick to it?
FU: I've never made a car racing game so I can't compare it. However, when I develop I try to be conscious of controlling a man who's on a horse, not the horse itself. So I intentionally delayed the control response, knowing it could spoil operability, which was a difficult choice.
1UP: We felt that the sixth colossus (the one with the beard) was the first "filler" one, feeling too similar to the first colossus, and that the most interesting colossi were all very late in the game. How long did it take to get to the final ordering of the colossi? How much thought went into that?
FU: I was adjusting the order of colossi until the very end of production. I picked simple colossi in the beginning of the game, as they are used for tutorial purposes. Therefore, there are some colossi that I changed from requiring a complex approach to beat, to a simple approach.
1UP: We had a big debate about what the best way to tell story in games is: traditionally through cut-scenes, like a movie, or playing more to the medium of videogames, through the gameplay and your interaction with the world. Shadow of the Colossus skews heavily towards the latter -- were you ever more overt with the story during development? Have you been happy with the narrative interpretations that people have taken away from it over the years?
FU: I think that the story is nothing more than the motivation to clear the game. I believe that there should be game design first and a story that suits the design, not the other way around. However, I now think that it could be better to have more cut-scenes, as there would not have been any inhibition to interaction in Shadow of the Colossus.
1UP: There seem to be many hidden moves and animations -- diving into water, jumping flips, etc. Were these leftovers from more fully developed ideas, or simply fun little things for the player to find?
FU: The more freely a character moves, the more emotionally a player gets involved, I think. Some were implemented for the purpose of that, and some were leftovers from more fully developed ideas. So both reasons.
1UP: The 13th colossus was the overall favorite for us, thanks to the visual design, the way the battle incorporates Argo, and the scale. What's your favorite colossus, and why?
FU: This is a question that's asked often, but my overall favorite is the first colossus. The first colossus is the one which players meet for the first time, and there are many elements that I had to consider, such as impact to the player and battle tutorial, etc. I did a lot of trial and error for this one, which became a memorable colossus.
1UP: Are there any secrets in the game that still haven't been found?
FU: I wonder about that, but there seem to be many enthusiastic players so I believe all of the secrets have been found already.
1UP: Why does the fruit in the secret garden take away your stamina? Is there any specific reason for this in the story, or is it just a way to reset your stamina meter?
FU: The fruit in the ancient land was set to get you closer to non-human existence. The [secret garden's] fruit was set to return you to a human one.
1UP: What do you think of the hero/heroine dynamic? The role of female characters in games, even in Shadow of the Colossus and ICO, seems to be as the "other" to be saved, not as the savior. That's not entirely true if you reach the endings of both games, but have you ever thought of making a lead character female, who needs to save her love (who is somehow vulnerable and/or incapacitated)?
FU: There are many reasons, but most of them are due to consistency of game design. Making a lead character female seems to be fascinating cinematically, but I picked a male character since most game players are male, and they need to become emotionally involved with the lead character. However, recently there have been many female gamers, so it is possible to have a female leading character, I guess.
1UP: Both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus have quite a bit of unlockable endgame content. Specifically of interest are the new items and weapons you can acquire. Prior to finishing the games your options as a player are limited, but after completing them these items add depth to the experience. Had you considered making any of this content available throughout the course of the game?
FU: The unlockable endgame contents are something extra, so they are implemented without much involvement with the game's main story. Working these into the game's main story means "items" and "skill changes" that affect gameplay. I didn't want ICO and Shadow of the Colossus to be those kinds of games.
1UP: Your games have a particular minimalism that sets them apart from others. Is this a product of having a small staff and a limited budget, or is it just your style? Should other developers be trying similar things?
FU: There are many reasons for this, too, but to make it short, it's my ideal to create a game that is unique. Therefore, if the market was full of games that had a minimalism, I would probably create games with excessive decoration and full of explanation.
1UP: Shadow of the Colossus, like ICO before it, has at least one fictional language. What was the reason behind creating new languages, rather than using existing ones? Do the languages have real-world inspirations? How complete are the languages you've created? Is that something you do on your own or with the help of a linguist?
FU: First I decided to convert logic from existing languages to a fictional language, and then created the script using the existing language... One reason for using the fictional language is not to specify a particular region's characteristics to the game world, and to avoid having the game be too realistic. But the biggest reason is for editing purposes -- if the language is fictional, we can switch and edit voice up until the very end of development.
1UP: Both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus appear to be a part of the same universe. Have you written a more complete, all-encompassing version of the narrative/mythology/creation story of this world, or are you developing the story one game at a time?
FU: It's not that I was thinking of the universe from the beginning. Rather, I wanted to create a totally different world for Shadow of the Colossus from the world of ICO. In the middle of the production of Shadow of the Colossus, I decided to create a similar world to the world of ICO.
1UP: Many gamers consider the soundtrack to Shadow of the Colossus to be one of the most impressive ever created. How early into development did you start working on the soundtrack? Did you anticipate having such dynamic, real-time music to accompany the battles initially? Will your future titles allow you to make even more dynamic changes to the score in real-time?
FU: Yes, because I wanted to create a totally different world for Shadow of the Colossus compared to the world of ICO, I was thinking of using songs that are dynamic and gallant from the beginning. Also, I had an idea for songs that dramatically changed depending on the situation of the game character. There had been some games in which several tracks were played and turned on and off depending on the situation of the scenes, but my ideal was that to change the melody and how the song develops as the situation changes, just like how they work in movies. It's my challenge now to come up with songs that change more dramatically for the title I am working on.
1UP: What games are you playing these days?
FU: The game I recently played and cleared is Braid on Xbox Live Arcade. I feel a little dizzy when I imagine the workload that the level designer of this game took to ensure level consistency.