Frederick Raynal at E3

[Axx]

And the game they're working on is....

[insert drum roll]


Battle Tag!

Spoiler:

toggle spoiler

Let the ranting begin

It is unique (as can be expected from Raynal by now), and effectively brings laser tag into your living room.

On the down side, I think there are, unfortunately, a few constraints. Primarily you don't want to buy extra kit to be able to play a game. Sure guitar hero etc... have done well with both, but they seem to me to be the exception not the rule.

I also think that in contrast to guitar hero, you really need others to have the same kit, therefore it becomes impractical unless all your friends buy it as well.

I think it will appeal to the younger audience, as older gamers may well feel silly running about their home playing this.

I feel all the above may hinder its success, then again I'm sure Ubisofts marketing team would not have backed it up if they felt so.

Good luck to Ludoid. I very much hope this succeeds, giving Raynal that extra bit of confidence/courage to continue producing innovative products that are disticnt in a market fairly saturated with generic games.

[Abne]

Interesante

[Cyberg-Ares]

Cool cool. I have been thinking that the advent of video games make most toys look boring. I don't mind this really.

Well except that Fred is my favorite game designer ever and even as a child, living in the city and not the country (like fortunate Miyamoto), games and books provided far more exciting entertainment than toys.

But that's a personal issue and I think this is great too.

Though, I didn't know Ubisoft was in the toy business.

[elmuerte]

Well, this looked stupid:
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3...tle-tag/101407

[Axx]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9rick_Raynal

Hmm, who updated?

[Axx]

Apparently, Raynal is actually working on an MMO called THI, or is this somehow the same thing?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397032

French source

And a linked-in from a former employee

Adding weight to all this, the name of the second slate on the Ludoid website (with the rubbed out message) is, well you guessed it, THI.

What's confusing me is why it didn't have an E3 presence, considering by all accounts, its slated for release this year. That could mean many things, small budget (unworthy of e3 time perhaps), delayed, canceled. Who knows?

[Cyberg-Ares]

I wrote this as well in the E3 thread, although no one said anything. So I thought it was old news somehow?

[Axx]

Not to me it wasn't

I was almost certain he was working on "I am Alive". Apparently not, and the title is being worked on by Ubisoft Shanghai (work was previously done by Darkworks studio, which probably still has a fair amount of the former LBA staff)

[Axx]

Little Worlds Studio reveal 5 games at E3.

Animal Color Cross (DSi, Webgame, iPhone)
Color Cross (Webgame)
Cosmicrew (Webgame)
DJ Mix Bob Sinclar (iPhone)
Sea Pong (iPad)



They've already published 90 titles. Impressive stuff, they really have it going for them

[Jast]

Even though MBNers aren't going to be running around playing this (unless they have kids, I suppose), I think Battle Tag could do well if marketed properly, especially because (from what I understand) you need a PC to play rather than a console... usually console stuff sells better, but I think families will appreciate being able to use the old computer rather than having to buy a console as well as the kit. If it's successful it means money and recognition for Fred and Ludoid, something he's going to need if he wants to get back into making major titles (and potentially LBA3 or an LBAish game)

The idea that Fred may be working on a game called or abbreviated to THI is much more exciting (for us). It's interesting that he left us that hint in the image name.. if it's not more than a rumour. Looking forward to more information on this and the LWS games!

Now, I think, LBA3 is more likely than ever... especially with the sudden revival of the adventure game market (the recent Monkey Island games is a perfect example). A few more years guys.. just a few more years

[Rex_Hollywood]

I heard THI stands for Twinsen Has Issues, it's going to be a dark and mature game (in the spirit of modern games) about Twinsen that lost Zoe and Arthur, and all he does is sit at home and drink till one day a new twisted force threatens Twinsun.
The game is going to be a mix between LBA, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth and American McGee's Alice.

[Polaris]

Let's wait and hope...

[Double-J]

Originally Posted by Jast

Even though MBNers aren't going to be running around playing this (unless they have kids, I suppose), I think Battle Tag could do well if marketed properly, especially because (from what I understand) you need a PC to play rather than a console... usually console stuff sells better, but I think families will appreciate being able to use the old computer rather than having to buy a console as well as the kit.

Disagree. The Wii has made console gaming extremely accessible for non-gamers ranging from elderly grandparents to the disabled. Many people in these groups find using a PC daunting, whereas popping a disc into a Wii and waving a controller about takes about two steps. I think if Fred (or whomever is making the development decisions) was smart, this would be a Wii game, not a PC title.

[Darkflame]

Does it even need a console/pc at all? The processing side might be simple enough just to require a little independent box. Kinda like a wireless router style thing.

Talking of Wiimotes, I'm surprised no one made a game like this using them. You would need to give people wearable IR LEDs, but it should be possible. (especially since Wiimotes use standard bluetooth).
Hell, you could probably make it run of a bluetooth/android phone even :P

[Axx]

I think the biggest problem with Battle Tag is that parents will probably not purchase it, as it will involve children running around the house frantically, breaking chinaware in the process (or so they shall fear). Older audiences will get tired/bored quickly.

It appears Fred may well be working on "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved" and "Motion Sports". Go here for the video presentation with a short clip of Fred in it, pay attention to what the presenter says after Fred appears.

Your Shape looks pretty awesome, and as opposed to battle tag looks like it will actually sell... millions... easily Motion sports looks good as well, and based on the Wii Fitness sales figures, both look to be profitable ventures.

Edit: Just noticed battle tag footage with his kids in the blue graded footage next to him in the presentation. Maybe no involvement after all.

[Jast]

Interviews with some of the developers (including Fred), and a game demo showing that they are, indeed, marketing it towards kids (fortunately).

http://battle-tag.uk.ubi.com/

- Implied that Fred came up with the idea.
- Team of 15 working on it
- 'Ubiconnect' is the reciever, and scores etc are managed on the PC. They refer to the PC as the 'master' so maybe the reciever is plugged into it?
- Can download user generated content
- Play up to 8 friends

[xesf]

Interesting!! Although, I don't see grown up guys playing this. Old people may prefer playing paint-ball or all other similar games. Still, it is a nice toy for the kids, something to make them interact each other in different ways which we haven't this days for kids.

Anyway, I think Fred is working on something else. 4 years making this is just too much, so I actually expecting another exciting news.

[Axx]

Whatever it is, I hope its a success. I think Fred's main failure has been an inability to market his product. He's taken a lot of consideration into making unique and truly enjoyable games in the past, however appears to have a problem getting gamers to take notice of them.

Although EA/Activision are to blame for that partly, as they are the one's who failed to market his products.

[Double-J]

The worst part (for me) is that it's not really unique. About five years ago, I purchased a home laser tag setup for about $50, which came with the light guns, body sensors, etc. Maybe Fred's is a bit more technically developed since years have passed...I'm not sure why they think this would be a really big idea. It's not going to replace FPS for anybody, and kids already have toys like this.

[Axx]

Whats unique is the ability to interface between the hardware and the computer software, thus giving players the ability to play through various different modes, monitor their scores, and receive input from a game master. It sort of blends between computer games and laser quest/tag, and that's where it is unique.

I think everything depends on the game/hardware price tag. If its cheap/affordable it could well sell. Location is also important, here in the UK most homes are 80sqm, which is bugger all in comparison to were Fred lives in Lyon (our "gardens" here usually are hardly big enough to play a game like this comfortably outside).

[Double-J]

I'm not sure how popular they are in other areas, but laser tag centers are somewhat of an institution in my area. We were like progenitors of this...for some random reason. Maybe that skews my perspective a bit, but I've always found the consumer versions of laser tag to be quite lacking. Maybe with the right price tag, this could be the next step, but these home versions generally suffer from the same problems: poor accuracy/response, low build quality, and lack of universality to work with other folks' systems (i.e. if you have gun build a and your friend has gun build b, you're fucked).

[Mia]

LaserQuesting as it's known here is also pretty popular, but again is fairly flawed. It's one of those things kids do for their birthdays - you go bowling or to the cinema... or you go to LaserQuest or equivalent. I was never a big fan to be honest, but I wasn't really a typical kid. Perhaps this could work, however I agree that space is horribly limited in the UK - unless you're living on a farm, as I did one summer. But honestly, if you do live on a farm, are you likely to want to play laser tag? I don't know...

[Double-J]

Maybe Fred could continue his proclivity for cow "humor" and make some straps to put the laser tags on a bovine.

[Darkflame]

I think LaserQuest/Tag/Quazer type systems will become very popular again at some point as prices drop and tech increase's.
I especially think Augmented Reality will make the games "insanely awesome" but we are a a few years from that truly having an affordable impact.(imagine having googles overlaying your view and showing damage, hitpoints, explosions, airstrikes etc..)

The question is will this be before the wave, make the wave, or leading it? :P

[Double-J]

Heh, IGN ripped on Fred's idea pretty hard, calling "Battle Tag" the 5th most terrible moment of E3. They argued Battle Tag isn't even a video game, and thus didn't even deserve to be on the floor.

IGN: 5 Most Terrible E3 2010 Moments