Xenoblade Chronicles eD launches today on Nintendo 3DS XL (the first game that requires Nintendo's new handheld to run), and we were able to send a few questions over to the game's developers in Japan. Check out the Q&A below that covers Xenoblade's original launch on Wii, what it took to bring the game to a portable device, and a few details about the upcoming Wii U-exclusive Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Answers were provided by Testuya Takahashi (the head of developer Monolith Soft), representatives from Monster Games (the company that worked on the 3DS port), and representatives from Nintendo SPD (an internal Nintendo developer that is lending support to Monolith).
GameSpot: The original Xenoblade Chronicles took a long time to come out in the West. Did Monolith originally intend to release the game worldwide, or was this going to be a Japan-only game?
Takahashi: This is just my personal point of view, but I think it's pretty difficult to think about markets or potential acceptance levels in a nation outside your own, with different people, different cultures and different histories -- someplace you've never even lived in. Even if you try to consider it, it's a matter of fact that you won't be able to understand all of the factors completely, and if you provide a game based on that kind of armchair thinking, you'll always wind up off the mark.
However, we are also all human beings, all living creatures, and we must all have some common points of contact or things we can all empathize with. Thus, from the time we worked on the Japanese version, we planned out the game's specs with the idea that it would be sold overseas, picking up those common points one at a time so we could reply to the demand.
What is it that you think made Xenoblade Chronicles such a critical and commercial success here in the US?
Takahashi: I think it all comes down to "empathy." As I wrote above, it may not be impossible for Japanese people to understand what people in the West feel and like, but it does take a fair amount of time. Empathy, however, is something we can all recognize. Those of us in Japan can be moved by, and can empathize with, things like Hollywood films, dramas and novels written by Western authors. I personally love the TV dramas I watched as a kid, like Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and Starsky & Hutch; I looked forward to seeing them broadcast every week.
Even if we remastered it for Wii U, my concern was that people like that would still avoid playing it.
The things that we're moved by, the points that we can empathize with, are the same. So we decided it'd be fine if we just made something we could honestly be moved by and find fun; there was no need to fiddle around too much thinking about what we would need to achieve success outside Japan. That was a philosophy we took pains not to stray from as we proceeded with development.
What drove the decision to bring Xenoblade Chronicles to 3DS instead of a remaster on Wii U (like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD)?
Nintendo SPD: Xenoblade Chronicles features a ton of depth and volume, something that earned it a lot of high praise from the people who played the Wii release. I think a lot of people began to take an interest in this game after hearing all of that praise, too. However, it's not unheard of for this game to take around 100 hours just to complete it normally, so even if people take an interest, I think some of them would give up the idea of playing it, thinking to themselves: "No way do I have the free time to sit in front of a TV and play this game for 100 hours."
Even if we remastered it for Wii U, my concern was that people like that would still avoid playing it. Remaking it for a portable system, however, will let them play it whenever they like, at home or outside, and we thought that would lead to more people trying it out. We considered making it for the original Nintendo 3DS at first, but if we wanted to achieve nearly the same quality as you saw on the original Wii version, the New Nintendo 3DS XL became all but required.
Would it have been possible to run this on the regular 3DS? If no, what did the New 3DS open up?
Monster Games: We initially tried to get the game to run on the regular Nintendo 3DS system. After months of work, we realized that the game was too big and would perform too slowly. At this point we learned about New Nintendo 3DS XL hardware and were excited to learn about the faster CPU and extra RAM. This immediately made the project seem possible, so we continued working on the conversion.
The team had to rebuild all the graphical assets while making sure it still looked as good as the original game.
Even with the system's extra capabilities, it was still a challenging project and we spent many months working on optimizations. Given how hard it was to convert the game for New Nintendo 3DS XL hardware, we can easily imagine that the port to the regular Nintendo 3DS hardware would have ended up far from the quality game play that the original Wii version had even if we had given it our all.
Were there any particular technological or UI hurdles to bringing the game to 3DS?
Monster Games: The biggest technical hurdle when porting between Wii and New Nintendo 3DS XL is that the two systems have very different capabilities. All these differences kept the project from being a simple port. Every part of the game had to be reworked to account for the capabilities of New Nintendo 3DS XL hardware. For example, New Nintendo 3DS XL has a different GPU architecture, so none of the art assets could be directly used. The team had to rebuild all the graphical assets while making sure it still looked as good as the original game. Each world was carefully optimized by the art staff and we needed to invent new techniques to render the large scenes where the player can see far into the distance. It wasn't until late in the project that we finally were able to make sure the frame rate was good everywhere.
Regarding the UI design, our big challenge was to maintain the look and feel of the original game, while taking advantage of the dual screens. There are hundreds of screens in the game and the design had to work for many languages. The design team spent over a month mocking up various UI designs until we got one that seemed to work well. Once we converted the screens to run on New Nintendo 3DS XL, we brushed up the artwork to fit the small screens and fine-tuned the placement of the elements. Given the number of screens and languages, this process took a long time and we were working on improving and fine-tuning details all the way to the end of the project.
Without revealing any spoilers, what can fans of Xenoblade Chronicles look forward to when the franchise comes to Wii U? Will it feel familiar for returning fans, or will it be a departure from what was put together in Chronicles?
Takahashi: I think Xenoblade Chronicles X will have a different play feel from the first Xenoblade Chronicles game. Xenoblade Chronicles is a pretty linear game, but Xenoblade Chronicles X is non-linear, and I think a lot of the gameplay will depend on that.
Xenoblade Chronicles’ core thrust is centered around its story, but Xenoblade Chronicles X is shaping up to be a game with more focus placed on action elements that take advantage of the open world instead of the story aspects. However, both games will retain a common feel based on the core elements that serve as the foundation for the series. It may feel different to play, but it’ll provide a new way of having fun within the same Xenoblade series.
this is the reason i got a wii u. i cannot wait!Â?
I'd buy a WII U right now if they put remastered the first one.
will the game feel different? ahhh 100 foot mechs....yes i think it will play different lol
Hopefully Monolithsoft will remaster their GameCube era masterpieces... Baten Kaitos I and II.
Good. Hopefully it won't suck like the first one. My Wii U is ready.
@NeoBillbine Dude the first one was a JRPG Masterpiece , you know a game is going to amazing when the intro screen music makes you stop whatever you are doing and listen
@musalalaÂ?@NeoBillbine Amen
@NeoBillbine You didn't play it, did you? :(
@NeoBillbineÂ? It's pretty ignorant to say that the first one sucked consideringÂ?it got such high ratings from critics all around. (Gamespot gave it a 9) Â?I would say it is in my top two best games for Wii, and I own over 40 games for it.
@NeoBillbine the only one that sucks is you go and play teenage ninja turtles
I did not get to play the first one unfortunately it is expensive and hard to get. Hopefully the one coming out for the 3DS won't look too bad.
Bloodborne killer.
@Mraou apples and oranges both are good gamesÂ?
X looks amazing can't wait for that game
I. CANNOT. WAIT. SO EXCITED
The reason given for why the remake is on the 3DS seems a bit lame, by that reasoning then X should only be on the 3DS as well.
@anime-2k3 Im sure they might have plans to do that on the next handheld system.
@anime-2k3 if i didn't already beat it on the wii i would have picked it up on the 3ds that game is longggg took me a while to kick the high level dudes asses lol but sooo worth it take that huge monkey dude blocking my path lol
Looks good.Might get a wii u for this game
@blackhammer109 Don't know if you are being sarcastic or not, but it is only on NEW 3ds.
@iammcgruberÂ?@blackhammer109 Xenoblade Chronicles X is on the Wii U, its Xenoblade Chronicles 3D that is on the N3DS which is a remake of the Wii version.
well, the first one was awesome, so I hope they won't mess it up with that "will have a new feel"....
Bit offtopic: I need a bloody Nunchuk for my WiiU in order to setup the Wii BC...what is the cheapest Nunchuk you know(3rd party)?
I have some Wii JRPGS to play on my WiiU
@iandizion713Â?@sladakrobot There is no Nintendo store in Germany i believe
@sladakrobot You can get a cheap refurbished one from Nintendo Store for $10, it comes with a nice warranty
." Warranty "
" Authentic Nintendo Refurbished Systems carry a standard 12-month warranty, which is one of the longest standard warranties in the video game industry. Games and accessories sold separately carry a three-month warranty. The warranty covers any manufacturing or workmanship defects and these will be repaired at no charge. "
@sladakrobotÂ?@iandizion713 You dont have one online? They might ship to you, not sure on price. I dont know much on third party, ive never used or really looked at them. You could get one at Gamestop used and if you dont like it you can take it back within 7 days for something else.
@iandizion713Â?@sladakrobot They dont ship anything hardware,just sotware(digital)
@sladakrobotÂ?@iandizion713 Yeah forgive me, it seems yall have way different stores in Germany. Does Saturn sale used Nunchuks? I dont know the common good places to buy in Germany.
I own the first xenoblade but didn't like it. The new one looks way better to me. I'm really looking forward to it.
@jdc6305 First one was awesome for me.
I'm not trying to be "that guy" but I really don't see what's so special about the Xenoblade game on the Wii. I really do love a good JRPG considering Mother 3 and Persona 4 are some of my favorite games ever, but every time I tried watching clips and walkthroughs of Xenoblade on YouTube, the game always looked so damn bland and generic to me...
If the game only cost $20 (as it should be) instead of the asinine $80-$100, than I would probably dust off the Wii and give it a spin. But since I don't want to spend a fortune on the game I don't think I'll ever play it.
@Simulator_Shock How bout on 3DS? I know its a handheld, but still great. Also you could rent it from Gamefly and give it a try. I know the Wii price is high just to try it out, hopefully one day they will bring it to digital.
@Simulator_Shock I think it's a good game but definitely not the second coming. The world is certainly impressive-looking, and the combat is fairly fun and the music is great. However, I'd say the story is merely serviceable and most of the cast of characters are average at best. In terms of characters, something like Persona 4 as you mentioned is definitely better. Hopefully Chronicles X will pick up in this department.
@Simulator_Shock You're not wrong. I got the game on drop-day because I was hyped from...well hearing all the hype, and I love the open world concept.Â?
Which, all delivered pretty well when I started the game. The story was great, the characters were great, the game looked great. But the battle system killed it for me. There's no method or madness to it, you're either strong enough to beat an enemy or you're not, and Â?the entire rest of the game is going through that cycle of grinding you're way up one enemy at a time just to explore a place.
Needless to say I could take the grinding anymore halfway into it and sold it, which I regret now. Not because I sold it, but because it's worth so much more now.
@manbakuÂ?@Simulator_Shock Aye, I can imagine feeling the sting a few years later when you found out that the game appreciated in value a lot more.
@iandizion713Â?@Simulator_Shock That's the problem right there. I already own a 3DS XL so I'm not very keen on buying the "new" 3DS just to play one silly game, not to mention all I ever hear about GameFly these days is that it's a horrible service and they take forever to ship your games out.
But there is a method to the madness. There are players who are able to get setups going to low level a game and go straight through the story. The system may be complicated, but is certainly is not incomprehensible. Also, to raise your level, you can just do side quests. It's a much faster way of leveling.
@manbakuÂ?@Simulator_Shock Actually the battle system makes sense, think of it like Chrono trigger, where its all based on position, Enemies that are leveled over you are dangerous, the ability to fight them is grouped in levels of 5, which is tied to their evasion/hit rate stat(agility)
the most important stat is agility , to fight any enemies leveled over you during the night you equip night vision goggles to take on the level
Xenoblades battle system is great because theres no clear defined roles for optimum damage, you just pump in your agility stat and learn how your characters pairs in combos /effective at raising tension, which is what you need to survive.
The MMO style tank and heal method is viable but its not truly effective for playing the game ( it only makes fights last longer)
Say for instance you're playing reyn, he has a skill called Berserk, his entire DPS strategy revolves around that skill and the others you pair him up with, he usually works well with dunban, riki or shulk, you can also pair him up with someone like fiora and have them play a game of aggro stealing back and forth with them.
For melia she's someone you have to control and she actually pairs up well with sharla, Melia's best set makes her look like an iron maiden. its pretty effective to pair her up with sharla( focused on Dps and minor healing, since melia's pretty broken) Â?Sharla has a lot of attacks that combo with melia's so its very effective for chaining damage + melias the only character where its worth pumping DEF into besides evasions and ether magics.
Xenoblade's combat is pretty simple but there are certain aspects of the game that people arent really clear about until late in game ( when it comes to building skills, the heart to hearts, the effects of relationships in combat, the ability to gift players items to improve those relationships, ect)Â?
Blah. All aboard for your bland weaboo game that nintendo fans will keep telling you its so awesome but when you'll play it you'll just find it mediocre. Like Xenoblades. In defense of nintendo fans tho, theres no jrpg on the wii u so any jrpg coming out, mediocre or not will be branded as a masterpiece. I'll be getting this but i'm not hyped for this, after hearing so many good things aboout xenoblades then playing it and realizing it was only a below average rpg... Oh well Witcher 3, pillars of eternity, will entertain me enough this year. And with Persona 5 and FFXV voming I dont even see this selling much.
@El_Zaggy I always wonder what leads people to these close minded opinions, and they feel that they won't like it so it means it will fail. Kind of sad really.
@El_Zaggy If you find Witcher 3 and Pillars of Eternity entertaining, well, that says a lot about you buddy.
@El_Zaggy Xenoblade Chronicles is rated top JRPG of the decade. I would love for you to name a better JRPG then it in the last decade.
@El_Zaggy you are correct that it will not sell well relative to other jrpg franchises such as persona etc. that is a given. let's see, bayonetta 2 will be lucky if it ever crosses 1m total sales in its lifetime, and that is a great game exclusive to a console that is barren of releases. people wonder why key nintendo franchises such as mario kart or brawl sell so well? it is because there is hardly any selection on the platform so all of the major releases become "must-have" releases (people are starved for any game and will eat whatever comes their way). xenoblade may fare better in japan, but i don't expect it to make much of a profit in the end. knowing nintnedo, they won't print nearly enough copies and it will be sold out within a few weeks, further hurting its sales in the west.
@XristophorosÂ?@El_Zaggy Bayonetta sold worst on PS3, stop hating.
@iandizion713Â?@El_Zaggy XenoChron is great and the dude was being a prick, but greatest JRPG of the last decade? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Even with my personal favoritism of it aside, I'd consider either of the Persona 3/4 games to have done more to revolutionize the genre.
@iandizion713Â?@El_Zaggy Lost Odessey, Persona 3 & 4, Tales of the Abyss, Tales of Vesperia, SMT4, SMT Nocturne, Dragon Quest 8. Just to name some off of the top of my head.
@bacontophat45Â?@iandizion713Â?@El_Zaggy Those games are, believe it or not, over 10 years old now...
@iandizion713Â?it sold over 1 million on ps3 alone... more than the 360 version.
@manbakuÂ?@iandizion713Â?@El_Zaggy What the hell did Persona 3 or 4 do LOL?
@XristophorosÂ?@El_Zaggy The Wii U's not barren of releases. Come on people.
@bacontophat45Â?@iandizion713Â?@El_Zaggy Everyone got different taste my friends. I really love Xeno series but I'm not quite fond with Persona, SMT and Dragon Quest. But I really really hate Tales series, don't know why hahaha. So it's not weird if someone got different opinion about certain games. For me, Xenoblade Chronicles is a masterpiece and Xenoblade Chronicles X will become a masterpiece too, just my opinion.
@rho_manÂ?@bacontophat45Â?@iandizion713Â?@El_Zaggy It kind of sounds to me you just don't like many JRPGs. But yeah different people different opinions. I think all the games I listed are masterpieces but I found Xenoblade to be mediocre especially compared to it's predecessors. Xenogears especially. I LOVED that game. I hope they do a remake someday.
@ElranzerÂ?@bacontophat45Â?@iandizion713Â?@El_Zaggy Oops. Some of them are but not all. The persona games, Tales, SMT4 and Lost Odessey aren't. Damn you made me feel old though...