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Monolith Soft wants to become "something like" Bethesda
News reported by 
(Editor-in-chief)
December 15, 2012, 06:19
 
I suppose this isn't a huge surprise, as Xenoblade had some major elements of WRPG in it. Albeit in context it seems that Inaba is talking more about the raw tech. (Xenoblade is a pretty technically impressive game...)

From Siliconera

Monolith Soft’s Michihiko Inaba and executive producer, Hirohide Sugiura, had a couple of quotes to share, regarding their upcoming Wii U game.

Inaba: “I’d like to make an HD game that will wow the players. I want to show that Japan can still keep up with the USA when it comes next gen technology. Our goal is to become something like the developers of the Fallout series, Bethesda Softworks.”

Sugiura: “I believe that today’s Japanese gaming industry has lost its touch, and we’d like to do something to change that.”

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Posted: 12/15/12, 06:19
 
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Well, they're shooting for a pretty good goal, I guess. Good for them, and good for them having the guts to say it.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 07:55
Ubi said they wanted to be like Nintendo a while back and in recent times they've really stepped it up, so I think anything is possible.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 12:32
I'd kind of argue that Monolith Soft is better than Bethesda, if I'm just putting Xenoblade against Oblivion in fun factor.

Really though it just seems like they mean as far as impressive graphics/etc. tech. And I get their point in that respect. The only Japanese developer who has obviously kept up there is Kojima's team.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 12:49
@Zero Wait... Oblivion? Oblivion was garbage. At least compare it to Skyrim!

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 13:42
I kinda like Monolith Soft more than Bethesda already too, but it's still exciting to hear them planting a flag for Japan and getting more ambitious in their Wii U plans!

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 14:00
Oblivion was okay but Fallout 3 and Skyrim really stepped it up.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 14:06
@Stephen Bleh. I thought Oblivion was an abortion of a game. The NPCs were all stiff and recycled, the world didn't feel natural at all, the level scaling COMPLETELY ruined the gameplay for me, the Oblivion gates were some sort of sick joke and the combat was horrendous.

Skyrim suffers from all the same problems (sans level scaling), but to a FAR lesser degree.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 14:20  - Edit:  12/15/12, 14:21
I thought Skyrim had level scaling too? I haven't played it yet, but I thought that was one of the things a new popular mod addresses?

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 14:24
@Xbob42 I have not played and probably never will play Skyrim. I'm sure it made improvements but you know... everyone and their brother lauded Oblivion, and then it was... Oblivion. So yeah. That's it for me.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 14:35
@Xbob42

It's hard for me to look at Oblivion fairly because when I played it I contracted a disease that made me a vampire which I then spent hours trying to remove on a really annoying questline. Also, those planes of Oblivion were absolute slogs. The experience really was not a lot of fun but I know some people really went crazy for it.

@Zero

Oblivion and Skyrim are good examples of how much can change in a generation. It's like Super Mario Bros to Super Mario Bros 3. That being said if you don't like the base game it probably won't change your opinion.

@Infinitywave

I honestly couldn't tell you. A lot of the numerical value of leveling is hidden from the player. You can see your weapon/armor ratings, and how much health/stamina/magicka you have but that's about it. You can't really tell what level enemies are at. I assume there is scaling though as you fight similar enemies throughout.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 14:46
@Infinitywave There's SORT OF scaling, but not in the same way. In Oblivion, wherever you went, the same enemies from the start of the game would grow in power alongside you. So a basic ass bandit would be as strong as your level 900 billion wizard and it made everything a pain in the ass and you never felt stronger. In Skyrim, it's different, as you approach new areas, enemies tend to scale with you, but they STAY at that level, if you go back to areas, you're much stronger than the enemies.

@Zero Oblivion and Skyrim are like two completely different universes of game. I loathe Oblivion. It was hot garbage. Skyrim still shares many of its issues, but not all of them and not nearly to the same extent. It's a wonderful world to explore.

That said, Far Cry 3 kicks the shit out of all of them. Far more interesting world to explore and it doesn't have shitty combat.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 15:13
Hmmm. I might have to give Skyrim a chance, afterall... because Oblivion was very "bleh" indeed. I did, however, enjoy Morrowind... even though it was a technical nightmare on Xbox.

Anyway, I am excited to see what they are working on, and I hope we don't have to fight Reggie to get it released over here. It sounds like it will be very ambitious.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 19:10
Honest question: how did Oblivion score so well if everyone is so down on it? And where were you guys when it released and was used to tear apart Twilight Princess?!

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 19:42
@Hinph

They haven't released a playable version of Skyrim on the PS3 so I won't hold my breath.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 19:48
Didn't they patch up all of the issues with the PS3 version? Or maybe that was Fallout 3? I think one of those two people said was "fixed" and now the PS3 version is supposedly just as good as the 360 version.

Actually I do think it was Fallout 3 now that I think back. Because I was actually thinking of trying that one since I was told it was like a much more fun Oblivion, but the PS3 version had all of these issues at launch so I passed. Never got back to it.

So I guess Skyrim still sucks on PS3 huh. Unfortunate. Also pretty much guarantees that I will never play it.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 20:03
@Zero

Last I heard, Bethesda was "giving up" on that version of Skyrim and Sony stepped up and said "we wanna help". Never really heard anything since. And I think some DLC never came to the PS3 because of it.

My info might be old.


Fallout 3 was awesome. Even on PS3!

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 20:05
Hopefully this doesn't mean they'll start releasing glitchy games.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 22:24
Oblivion was an incredible game, better than Wii's entire library with the exception of the Galaxy games (IMO), so no, not everyone hated it. I haven't played Skyrim yet since it doesn't work on PS3, if the Gods are kind it will eventually get released on Wii U, with the extra RAM maybe it will fair better than the PS3 port.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 23:28
You really got into Oblivion, d_h? I found it just okay. Which considering the budget and the scope of the game and it being a genre I absolutely love, is faint praise. I feel that given those kinds of resources many other teams could have made something more involving and special.

Bethesda, for me, is a really curious company. Often ambitious in the size of their projects but painfully behind the curve in terms of narrative, gameplay and character. I totally loved Fallout 3 though. So... I don't know what goes wrong with their fantasy games.

Posted by 
 on: 12/15/12, 23:56  - Edit:  12/16/12, 02:58
I guess Xenoblade was leaning towards that kind of thing already so i'm not too upset by this reference. I just hope they become the Japanese bethesda and don't lose their eastern flavor. Xenoblade was a masterpiece and i'd like to see more games like that.

Posted by 
 on: 12/16/12, 01:00
 
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