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[aerts1js]

Game looks ugly... art looked beautiful.

 

[SirPenguin]

I think this Mickey model is perfect. He looks nice and ratty, not bloated and bulbous like the new-age version.

My brother.

Michael.

My own selfish brother.

Michael.

Selfish Michael.

Spoiler

This has nothing to do with what you just posted, I just couldn't resist

I'm saddened by the fact we probably won't hear a single thing about this game until E3. I do wonder what type of stuff they'll be bringing then...playable demo? Will we finally see the trailer?

 

[Brinbe]

gah

 

[JCreasy]

Spector's best game, one that's frequently considered one of the best of all time, is Deus Ex. It was not considered a very good looking game at all, even for the time.

Just keep in mind that when people come to Disney, when WE, the Disney fans, come to Disney, we're expecting something great-looking. It doesn't matter the style (Princess and Frog = Hand Drawn, Toy Story 3 = 3D CG, Pirates of the Caribbean, TRON: Legacy = Live Action, Kingdome Hearts = Anime/Videogame), it has to be stunning.

So he's not only inheriting the legacy of an iconic character, he's inheriting a legacy bound to artistic achievement. So visual expectations are going to be high, especially for something that purports to be Disney's big comeback to videogames.

 

[Black-Wind]

Hopefully he can get his dev team to deliver on his goals.

Right now that's not happening. If the expectation is that it will eventually look impressive, they should've waited to reveal it then.

This.

I know that the game aint finished yet but I do NOT like what I see from these shots. Seeing it like this just gives me a shitty feeling I can't shake . . .

Maybe it will pull a Spyborgs and go from 0 to hero in presentation. Maybe it will actually be able to compete with the games WS keeps gunning for in his comments (Mario/ Zelda/ R&C).

All I see now is a game thats giving off shitty presentation vibes in screen shots. Clearly its too early to be showing screens if the fans can't even see the game in motion yet.

Would have settled for animation test and some really nice art work for what they aim to succeed in doing in-game.

Just keep in mind that when people come to Disney, when WE, the Disney fans, come to Disney, we're expecting something great-looking. It doesn't matter the style (Princess and Frog = Hand Drawn, Toy Story 3 = 3D CG, Pirates of the Caribbean, TRON: Legacy = Live Action, Kingdome Hearts = Anime/Videogame), it has to be stunning.

So he's not only inheriting the legacy of an iconic character, he's inheriting a legacy bound to artistic achievement. So visual expectations are going to be high, especially for something that purports to be Disney's big comeback to videogames.

And this explains it better then I have been for the past few pages.

I can say that I have never played a WS game and I take people's word when they say he is great at what he does. I can see his passion in his words. But my expectations in presentation arnt based on WS, its based on Disney.

This is the big return of Mickey and Oswald to the spotlight and the brake out title for Disney's full-on go into gaming in a dreamy/ surrealist world for the Wii. I can't help but to expect it to compete with the most whimsical, surreal and graphically impressive presentation game on the system.

So I yeah, I don't think Im expecting too much when I hope for SMG level presentation. Its not like 3rd parties just can't do it . . .

 

[rasberryjam]

I can't wait to see more of this. I'm sure it'll be an enjoyable game, at the very least.

 

[magicalsoundshower]

Spector's best game, one that's frequently considered one of the best of all time, is Deus Ex. It was not considered a very good looking game at all, even for the time.

While I think it's debatable that Deus Ex is his best game (I still liked it a lot, mind you), it was indeed okay-looking at best and was marred by questionable graphics performance and numerous engine and stability problems. Thief, too, had very rough-looking models consisting of only a small number of polygons and was based on a very clumsy 3D engine. On the other hand, I consider the pinnacle of his work to be the Ultima Underworld games and they pulled off real-time 3D dungeons like no one had ever seen before at the time. I guess this means that Spector games can "swing both ways" but it's still obvious that Spector isn't a graphics artist or programmer and is dependant on the talent in his team. The only logical thing to do is obviously to wait and see.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

shame about the graphics.

I don't know what I was expecting.

 

[neorej]

While I think it's debatable that Deus Ex is his best game (I still liked it a lot, mind you), it was indeed okay-looking at best and was marred by questionable graphics performance and numerous engine and stability problems. Thief, too, had very rough-looking models consisting of only a small number of polygons and was based on a very clumsy 3D engine. On the other hand, I consider the pinnacle of his work to be the Ultima Underworld games and they pulled off real-time 3D dungeons like no one had ever seen before at the time. I guess this means that Spector games can "swing both ways" but it's still obvious that Spector isn't a graphics artist or programmer and is dependant on the talent in his team. The only logical thing to do is obviously to wait and see.

What all his great games have in common and what these Epic Mickey-screens are missing though is atmosphere. One can debate on the graphics of his games all day long, but at the very least they had atmosphere. Epic Mickey just looks like an empty shell, just like all those other generic games we've seen on the Wii and PS2.

 

[Amir0x]

Just keep in mind that when people come to Disney, when WE, the Disney fans, come to Disney, we're expecting something great-looking. It doesn't matter the style (Princess and Frog = Hand Drawn, Toy Story 3 = 3D CG, Pirates of the Caribbean, TRON: Legacy = Live Action, Kingdome Hearts = Anime/Videogame), it has to be stunning.

So he's not only inheriting the legacy of an iconic character, he's inheriting a legacy bound to artistic achievement. So visual expectations are going to be high, especially for something that purports to be Disney's big comeback to videogames.

That is a really well-stated point.

I really have to think that this is just so early, and it cannot be representative. We can see the animation in those videos Game Informer put up, and they're very impressive. And they say Junction Point understands at least part of the visual process on a Mickey game. While I think it is at least fair to say that even if the visuals were upgraded on a technical level the art direction at the current stage would still be very underwhelming, I don't think we anyone can make a final judgment call. Obviously.

So, is what we've seen so far ugly? Undoubtedly so. Is the gameplay still gonna be rad? I think so! But visual component is very important, much more so when it comes to translating Disney worlds, so it's obvious people are gonna react very negatively if they see early shit that looks this way.

I have faith because WARREN FUCKING SPECTOR though.

 

[LazerRanger]

I have to say maybes it just because the Game Informer pics really underwhelmed me but I actually think this shot looks pretty good. It looks like an above average Wii game which is all we can ask for at the moment, I'm sure it's going to look really awesome in motion and in a few more months with more polish.

 

[spidye]

hmm. I don't know but I like what I've seen until now.
what did you guys expect? I believe warren is going to 'wow' us. just wait and see.

 

[Jocchan]

I'm not liking the art direction at all. The game is still in development, so they can improve the quality of models, lighting and so on, but this is completely unrelated to art direction, which very rarely changes once a game has reached a stage during development where screenshots can be shown to the public, no matter how early they are.

I find the character designs pretty cheap, but what bugs me most is the horrible use of colors... everywhere. In both models and environments. They seem paired randomly, and the use of acid MS Paint-style colors gives everything the "shitty shovelware" look everyone seems complaining about.

The game will almost certainly be good, we're talking about Warren fucking Spector, but I believe being disappointed in the art direction is perfectly understandable in my opinion, even without comparing the game to the (glorious) early leaked artworks.

Also, technically I have no problem with how the game looks right now. We're talking about a Wii game, so I'm not expecting that much graphically, and the animations seem really excellent. My only gripes have to do with the art direction, but that alone can - sometimes - make a game look really fugly, despite it being potentially a technical marvel.

 

[goomba]

Looks ok to me.

Were expecting Ratchlet and clank ps3 graphics?.

 

[MNC]

Looks ok to me.

Were expecting Ratchlet and clank ps3 graphics?.

It's the conversion from art to graphics that bothers most. Even the latter more fitting fantasy art looks good still, but it didn't translate well i think.

 

[Darkpen]

I just don't like how Mickey looks like he's made out of clay, instead of looking more... I don't know :/

 

[Azure J]

Just keep in mind that when people come to Disney, when WE, the Disney fans, come to Disney, we're expecting something great-looking. It doesn't matter the style (Princess and Frog = Hand Drawn, Toy Story 3 = 3D CG, Pirates of the Caribbean, TRON: Legacy = Live Action, Kingdome Hearts = Anime/Videogame), it has to be stunning.

So he's not only inheriting the legacy of an iconic character, he's inheriting a legacy bound to artistic achievement. So visual expectations are going to be high, especially for something that purports to be Disney's big comeback to videogames.

This is a really great post you know. I'm inclined to completely agree with it. At the same time though, I'm not one to call it when it's pretty obvious that it's still in it's baby phases. I'll put my trust in the team though since they have proven with their initial and current art concepts that they are worthy of the Disney caliber pedigree, and it nothing else, they also have the support of Pixar and the backing of Disney themselves.

 

[Fuu]

Just keep in mind that when people come to Disney, when WE, the Disney fans, come to Disney, we're expecting something great-looking. It doesn't matter the style (Princess and Frog = Hand Drawn, Toy Story 3 = 3D CG, Pirates of the Caribbean, TRON: Legacy = Live Action, Kingdome Hearts = Anime/Videogame), it has to be stunning.

So he's not only inheriting the legacy of an iconic character, he's inheriting a legacy bound to artistic achievement. So visual expectations are going to be high, especially for something that purports to be Disney's big comeback to videogames.

Although I'm keeping to myself my comments on the visuals due to game being early (and because there are enough of them being said), I share many of the concerns posted in this thread about the art direction. This post nails it, even if we don't consider what the early concept art looked like.

Regardless of being acquainted with Spector's other works, most if not all think the gameplay details sound sweet. It's how the game looks that's the biggest issue right now.

Many talked about crow eating... To me it will be more like a sigh of relief when future screens/vids (hopefully) look great.

 

[goomba]

Apparently the game was originally a ps3/360/pc game but was moved to the Wii!.

In the beginning of development, Disney Epic Mickey wasn't even planned to release on the Nintendo Wii at all.

Now that Disney Epic Mickey has been officially announced with screens, art, and details, I thought we could finally take a break from the title for a while. In spite of the recent deluge of information, there are still juicy tidbits about the game's development to reveal, including the fact that even though Epic Mickey will be Wii-exclusive at release, it wasn't at first meant for the Wii.

Speaking to Official Nintendo Magazine, Epic Mickey developer Warren Spector revealed: "The reality is that we started Wii development in 2008, but before that we were a PC, PS3, and 360 title." Spector told Disney Interactive Studios boss Graham Hopper that to develop a true success, "it'd be awfully nice if we could focus on one platform." Everything was switched up when a Wii port of the game was discussed, with Spector rightfully believing that a regular port wouldn't cut it due to the unique, arm-flailing nature of the Wii, so Hopper suggested that Epic Mickey go Wii exclusive.

Spector was all for it, and has been enjoying the simplicity of Wii development, further telling ONM, "Being able to focus on gameplay over flashy graphics is kinda nice - almost like the good old days of development. I mean that in an entirely positive way." Spector says: "[He thinks] that a lot of people missed the boat with the Wii," choosing to go for extremely futuristic graphics rather than making the best games.
Rumors have been flying about the possibilities of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports of Disney Epic Mickey, but it looks like if Spector has his way these won't be necessary at all. If any game has the ability to escape the fact that third-party exclusive Wii games usually don't sell well (see Madworld and The Conduit), it would be one with the strength of Mickey Mouse behind it. Epic Mickey looks kid and family friendly enough to sell to that market, but with enough grit to appeal to the hardcore community as well. Could Mickey be the next Mario?

 

[SirPenguin]

Looks ok to me.

Were expecting Ratchlet and clank ps3 graphics?.

You don't have to look past the Wii for good graphics. Mario Galaxy's use of lighting, Punch Out's use of cel shading, A Boy and his Blob's use of artwork...there are many different routes one can take to make a gorgeous game on the Wii.

 

[Dali]

Apparently the game was originally a ps3/360/pc game but was moved to the Wii!.

I'm betting this post will spark another round of bannings.

edit:

And I don't like what seems to be his philosophy on graphics. There's a lot of overlap between good games and games with good graphics. What the hell is he talking about "The good ol' days". Companies have put effort in good graphics as long as I can remember. Is he talking about the Pong and Pacman "good ol' days"?

 

[evilromero]

Looks mediocre. Psychonauts is what this game is trying to look like.

 

[Ganondorfo]

Castle of illusion is still safe for being the best mickey mouse game.

 

[MGrant]

Looks mediocre. Psychonauts is what this game is trying to look like.

I thought so, too. The blue/green thing stalking Mickey in particular looks a bit too much like the lungfish people:

Also, I don't know if this has been clarified, but are there any Disney animators/artists working on this thing? Because it's really sub-par. The inconsistent style in particular, like the shadows on Mickey that make him look weirdly bulgy. The 2D face in the corner is great; the 3D model is just off somehow.

 

[Dude Abides]

What all his great games have in common and what these Epic Mickey-screens are missing though is atmosphere. One can debate on the graphics of his games all day long, but at the very least they had atmosphere. Epic Mickey just looks like an empty shell, just like all those other generic games we've seen on the Wii and PS2.

How can you judge atmosphere from just a handful of screens?

 

[Fuu]

http://icrontic.com/images/prime/articles/psychonauts/psychonauts2.jpg

Totally OT but I remember being a little freaked out when I noticed the faces on the clouds at that area in Psychonauts.

 

[dragonfart28]

I think you guys are on crack. This game looks really nice. My only complaint is that his ears are just a bit too small. Everything else is gravy.

 

[The Technomancer]

Yeah, exactly. I hadn't realized it till someone mentioned it, but it has a very Phsycohonaut-ey vibe to it.

 

[Punchy4486]

Totally OT but I remember being a little freaked out when I noticed the faces on the clouds at that area in Psychonauts.

Mind blown.

 

[DieNgamers]

The artworks are cool but the game itself looks underwhelming...Perhabs they need a few more years. I think the cheap texture-work is the worst aspect after the modelling. Just look at Mickey's eyes and how they almost blend with the nose in that pic.
And this looks just really bad.

 

[WrikaWrek]

I was expecting some kind of amazing Tim Burton esque looking game, just crazy ass shit.

It looks pretty lame.

 

[Hiltz]

I agree about making slight changes to Mickey's facial features. Get rid of the shadow between underneath his eye which makes it look like it is forming the bottom part of his eyeball and give him slightly larger ears.

Getting rid of the shadow underneath his eye alone makes a big improvement in my opinion.

If Spector really does care about Mickey Mouse then perhaps he should start listening to some of the feedback fans and gamers are saying about the character and make the necessary changes.

 

[Kandrick]

I'm betting this post will spark another round of bannings.

edit:

And I don't like what seems to be his philosophy on graphics. There's a lot of overlap between good games and games with good graphics. What the hell is he talking about "The good ol' days". Companies have put effort in good graphics as long as I can remember. Is he talking about the Pong and Pacman "good ol' days"?

I dont know. Before you could have 2-3 guys do graphics, now you need 200 without counting all the out sourcing.

 

[Dali]

I dont know. Before you could have 2-3 guys do graphics, now you need 200 without counting all the out sourcing.

Everything has grown, not just the number of artists required. I took his comment to mean there was a point in time when companies didn't care as much about how a game looked as they did every other aspect, which is ridiculous.

 

[JCreasy]

What do you guys think of the original cartoon footage shown here in the top left corner and how it compares to the translation in the videogame?

Here is the original cartoon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Nj2Z8b22I

 

[octopusman]

Anyone into the artist McBess?
It's got a cartoony feeling to it while mature Some images NSFW, nothing that downright bad though.

 

[nio]

This might be interesting for someone. Here is a video of the press conference from the London event.

press conference with Warren Spector

 

[Notorious_Roy]

Eurogamer preview: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/disney-epic-mickey-preview

 

[hEist]

the graphics reminds me of tonic trouble, somehow. hm
bit disappointed.

 

[Jocchan]

the graphics reminds me of tonic trouble, somehow.

YES! This is what the game has been reminding me the whole time, I just couldn't figure it out.
Thanks for helping me clear my mind.

 

[RurouniZel]

Some games look horrible in screenshots, but gorgeous in motion.

See Wind Waker.

 

[Mik2121]

Some games look horrible in screenshots, but gorgeous in motion.

See Wind Waker.

What? Since when did Wind Waker look horrible in screenshots? Simple? Yes, Horrible? Hell no.

 

[onken]

Well obviously disappointed at the concept -> substance, but I'm still cautiously optimistic.

 

[Neoriceisgood]

YES! This is what the game has been reminding me the whole time, I just couldn't figure it out.
Thanks for helping me clear my mind.

Same here, I knew I had seen a game with a pretty similar graphic style in my youth, but I honestly couldn't remember what it was.

That's definitely it though.

 

[Jocchan]

A few screenshots from Tonic Trouble:

Lots of similarities in "wacky" artstyle and color palette.

 

[lordmrw]

The only thing bugging me about whats been shown so far is the color choices. I have no problems with the models whatsoever, as they look to have nailed what JP were going for. Granted its only 1 supposed level shown so far, but christ the colors they've chosen for it clash so bad its distracting.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

holy shit, I'd totally forgotten about Tonic Trouble. I rented it once, like... a decade ago?

Is there any videos of this in motion yet? Every time I see a screen a part of me dies a little inside.

 

[Jocchan]

holy shit, I'd totally forgotten about Tonic Trouble. I rented it once, like... a decade ago?

I remember the whole game was bundled with a video card I bought aeons ago (Matrox Marvel G200 maybe?), but I never bothered to install it :lol

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I played the 64 version. It was advertised in the back of my Rayman 2 manual, so I decided to give it a look. I always lump this game and Glover together, for some reason. :lol

So much has happened in a little over ten years, it's scary. :lol

 

[Jocchan]

I played the 64 version. It was advertised in the back of my Rayman 2 manual, so I decided to give it a look. I always lump this game and Glover together, for some reason. :lol

So much has happened in a little over ten years, it's scary. :lol

Haha, yeah! Glover had a similar look, and I think several other N64 games shared it.
I tried looking for screenshots, but googling the title overloaded me with pics of some hugely titted woman named Louse Glover (so be careful if you're at work).
I didn't remember the polygon count to be this high, honestly.