Deca Sports Interview

Posted under Game Releases, Games, Interview, Mr B4, Nintendo, Wii, XBL Radio by Mr B4

Hey what is up everybody at Platform Nation and XBL Radio, Mr B4 here to give you he latest as to what is going on in the gaming community. What I have for you today is an Interview that I recently had with John Lee, the VP of Marketing and Sales at Hudson Entertainment, about a new game coming to the Nintendo Wii, entitled Deca Sports.

So lets go ahead and get right into the interview.

Mr B4: Why did you choose the name Deca Sports as the name for the game?

John: Actually, the original name of the game was Deca Sporta in Japan. Deca translates to 10 in Latin which fits our game nicely since there are 10 complete sporting events inside. We did change the name a bit from Sporta to Sports, and that mainly came from feedback from fans. The ten sports include are Basketball, Soccer, Kart Racing, Super Cross, Snowboarding, Curling, Archery, Figure Skating, Beach Volleyball and Badminton. There’s something here for everyone!

Mr B4: Will the game feature Wi-fi support and local multi-player? How
many players can play together?

John: 2-4 people can play Deca Sports on one system and depending on the sport you can either compete against each other or co-op on the same team. Because the game was conceived before Wi-fi features on the Wii were finalized, this version of the game will only have local multi-player.

Mr B4: Will the control scheme of this game be similar to titles such as Wii sports? Is it going to be a pick up and play type of game that anyone can play, or is there a learning curve?

John: The control scheme is similar to Wii Sports in that the controls are naturally intuitive so that anyone can just pick it up in a mere moment. However, what makes Deca Sports so much deeper is that we also built in some advanced controls so that the more seasoned gamer can really pull off some complex moves in each sport. These moves include the ability to do drop shots in Badminton, cycle kicks in Soccer, power spikes in Volleyball, etc. The game can really be enjoyed by both casual gamers and more hardcore sports games together.

Mr B4: Is it going to allow people to play as any of the Mii created characters that they have saved to their console?

John: When the game was originally conceived we actually wanted to include the Miis, but at the time of development Miis were not allowed in 3rd party games. We are looking at implementing this in future iterations.

Mr B4: Will all the events be available to play when you start the game, or will there be certain objectives that a player has to complete in order to unlock all of the events?

John: Since we wanted the game to be fully accessible, we made sure every sport and every mode comes unlocked with the game. You can play any one of these at any time throughout the game. The challenges come from completing each mode, winning trophies and taking on friends!

Mr B4: What type of reward system will there be, medals, trophies, etc? Will there be a single player career mode?

John: One of the things that we wanted to do was make sure there was a good amount of content in our sports compilation pack. So there are a number of different modes, and also a reward system built into the game. 3 of the 4 single player modes involve competitions that players compete for trophies. Tournament, a single player career mode with a one sport competition between 8 teams, awards trophies for defeating the rival teams. Deca League, a single player career mode with a decathlon between the 8 teams, gives trophies for being the top team. Deca Challenge, a training mode for time and point challenges, awards medals for achieving the goals set to the competitors.

Mr B4: Will there be support for different controllers like the Classic controller or Gamecube controller in addition to the Wii remote and Nunchuk?

John: The game was specifically designed around the use of the Wii Remote. A few sports do involve using the Nunchuk, as we determined that those sports played much better with the dual controls.

Mr B4: What sets this game apart from titles such as Wii Sports and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games?

John: Wii Sports has really opened people’s eyes on just how much fun a casual sports game can be on the Wii. In many ways, it was the appetizer. People want more! As for Mario & Sonic at the Olympics, people generally feel that some sports play more like mini games. Deca Sports sets itself apart in that it delivers 10 complete sporting events with 5 different modes of play: 4 single player modes and the multiplayer mode that really defines the game. We really wanted to deliver on providing good value in one package, as well as give people a chance to play some sports that typically just haven’t been in the spotlight.

Mr B4: Will this be one of the Wii titles that supports the new balance board?

John: No, the new balance board only just got introduced in Japan, so our game was pretty much close to finished by then. But it’s definitely something we are taking a look at for future iterations of Deca Sports.

Mr B4: Is there going to be a practice mode for each event in the game?

John: Yes. While the game is designed for anyone to just pick up and play, and instantly have fun, there are some advanced techniques that you can master. We decided to include a Deca Challenge mode, as way to make learning these advanced techniques fun as well. Each Deca Challenge is different, some are timed challenges, others are point based. I can tell you that if you master each Deca Challenge then you will really dominate at the game! We actually have quite a bit of fun with this particular mode in the office, as we try to see if we can top each other’s latest achievement!

Mr B4: What is the expected US release date for this game?

John: We are planning on a May launch for the game, so pre-order today!

Mr B4: Well John thanks a lot for joining me here at Platform Nation and thanks for giving us a little of your time.

Alright P*N’rs there you go, I hope your looking as forward to this game as I am. Until next time this is Mr B4 signing out.