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[LakeOf9]

As it turns out, developing a physics-driven world where the player can glue together anything they want was incredibly difficult, and Nintendo is finally pulling back the curtain on some of the reasons why. During Nintendo's Tears of the Kingdom panel at GDC, Senior Director Takuhiro Dohta, Sound Programmer Junya Osada, and Physics Programmer Takahiro Takayama explained how Tears of the Kingdom's impressive world came to be.

The developers explained that the philosophy behind both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom is something they call "multiplicative gameplay", where action and objects come together to create countless possibilities. When it came time to begin development on Tears of the Kingdom, the Zelda team felt there was potential to enhance that philosophy by allowing players to stick multiple objects to each other. This idea would eventually be finalized as Link's Ultrahand ability, but it was a long road to get there.

[/quote]
Just like the design philosophy for the rest of the game, sounds in Tears of the Kingdom play in a system without dedicated implemenation, and in some cases abstract sounds combine to create something entirely new. For example, there is no dedicated wagon sound or paddle boat sound, these sounds are created by the wheels rolling or rotating on the water, with the quality changing based on the size, shape, and material. Osada said, "It’s making sounds that I have no memory of creating! Even the director told us, 'This is basically a physics engine for sound, isn’t it?'”[/quote]

Full article here. Some pretty cool stuff, Tears of the Kingdom felt insane with how open ended it was so it's pretty awesome to get a peek behind the curtain

 

[GigaBowser]

greatest of all times

 

[Kataploom]

Nintendo in their own Olympus as always. Their games might not run on mid range level PC hardware but they're still top in technical and design complexity

 

[Maestr0]

This game..... THIS GAME !

 

[Deerock71]

I've still got Tears of the Kingdom in my backlog, still "learning" how to hunt. Maybe the immense possibilities made me take a step back.

 

[Robb]

The world contains voxel information to create a 3D terrain. A search algorithm determines how sound interacts with the voxels, like sound changing when an object is behind a wall.

Just like the design philosophy for the rest of the game, sounds in Tears of the Kingdom play in a system without dedicated implemenation, and in some cases abstract sounds combine to create something entirely new. For example, there is no dedicated wagon sound or paddle boat sound, these sounds are created by the wheels rolling or rotating on the water, with the quality changing based on the size, shape, and material. Osada said, "It's making sounds that I have no memory of creating! Even the director told us, 'This is basically a physics engine for sound, isn't it?'"

How do you even test something like this? Feels like sounds should just merge into each other, distort one another, or just go unexpectedly batshit crazy at times..


Sometimes I wonder if Nintendo made TOTK just to flex.

 

[daclynk]

Boys thats just crazy. i wonder if nintendo will innovate with Raytracing.

 

[NeverYouMind]

I dislike BotW and TotK, but that is genuinely impressive soundscaping.

 

[daclynk]

Just another reminder that raw graphical horsepower is not the end-all-be-all of gaming technology.

 

[kiphalfton]

I thought this would be an article about piracy...

 

[Robb]

I thought this would be an article about piracy...

Here’s the same GDC talk behind closed doors:

 

[Hudo]

Please tell me there is a video recording of their panel. I very much enjoyed the panel on Breath of the Wild back then.

 

[Hudo]

Sometimes I wonder if Nintendo made TOTK just to flex.

It certainly feels like one to me. It's quite impressive how they managed to get this thing going on the Switch. And to make it so robust that I have yet to encounter bugs.

Starfield feels like a student project in comparison.

 

[Robb]

Please tell me there is a video recording of their panel. I very much enjoyed the panel on Breath of the Wild back then.

I really hope so. I think the BotW one came out a week or two post the actual talk, so hopefully this’ll be released in the coming weeks.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Here’s the same GDC talk behind closed doors:

This is the person who wrote this salt- dripping satire:

 

[STARSBarry]

Nintendo in their own Olympus as always. Their games might not run on mid range level PC hardware but they're still top in technical and design complexity

I am sorry but... when you say mid range level PC are you talking like a 4060 here? Because im pretty sure they do run on that... and run rather well...

 

[Kataploom]

I am sorry but... when you say mid range level PC are you talking like a 4060 here? Because im pretty sure they do run on that... and run rather well...

Yes, that's what I meant. Nintendo doesn't need such specs to show technical complexity, a game like TOTK would be a technical marvel even on PS5 since it's the amazing design, the clean implementation and the balls Nintendo had to try it what makes that game shine in their technical aspects.

 

[Lethal01]

Sadly it feels like a safebet that it will keep being the most impressive until nintendo makes the next Zelda.

Non nintendo devs haven't even caught up to breath of the wilds open world design

 

[STARSBarry]

Yes, that's what I meant. Nintendo doesn't need such specs to show technical complexity, a game like TOTK would be a technical marvel even on PS5 since it's the amazing design, the clean implementation and the balls Nintendo had to try it what makes that game shine in their technical aspects.

It is however dramatically more enjoyable at a locked 60FPS with many of the pop in resolved. As someone who owns a switch and a pretty solid PC (5900x, RTX 3080) I really wish Nintendo would just put stuff out on PC. A comparison would be Monster Hunter Rise on PC Vs Switch.

 

[Hudo]

Non nintendo devs haven't even caught up to breath of the wilds open world design

While I do agree with this, you're being quite brave posting that sentiment on this forum.

 

[Moses85]

Here’s the same GDC talk behind closed doors:

The sad about this is.

 

[Regginator]

"multiplicative gameplay", where action and objects come together to create countless possibilities

Isn't that basically what "emergent gameplay" means in immersive sims? In fact, there are some people that consider BOTW and TOTK immersive sims-ish (obviously not to the point of Deus Ex or whatever), and they're not entirely incorrect. If I think about emergent gameplay, one of the first things that come to mind are BOTW and now TOTK.

 

[Operations66]

Just another reminder that raw graphical horsepower is not the end-all-be-all of gaming technology.

“It’s in the way that you use it.” Eric Clapton sang that, and it’s true here and in every level of life.

 

[KaiserBecks]

The only major problem this game has is its god awful shitty fuck no good soundtrack. And they straight up rub it in your face every time Link is using the cooking pot and starts humming ocarina of time tunes.

 

[Closer]

A comparison would be Monster Hunter Rise on PC Vs Switch.

Yeah, but that's Capcpom, not Nintendo.

 

[STARSBarry]

Yeah, but that's Capcpom, not Nintendo.

I mean that's something a user can legally buy and compare... I can directly compare Nintendo game to Nintendo game on PC, it's just a grey area.

Suffice to say Tears of the Kingdom is infinitely more enjoyable at a stable 60, as was Breath of the Wild.

 

[Closer]

I mean that's something a user can legally buy and compare... I can directly compare Nintendo game to Nintendo game on PC, it's just a grey area.

Suffice to say Tears of the Kingdom is infinitely more enjoyable at a stable 60, as was Breath of the Wild.

I know what you mean, but I'd bet Nintendo games released on PC would have minimal upgrades, if any at all.

 

[STARSBarry]

I know what you mean, but I'd bet Nintendo games released on PC would have minimal upgrades, if any at all.

Ah I get ya now, I thought the improvements for Rise where minimal so...

 

[Kataploom]

It is however dramatically more enjoyable at a locked 60FPS with many of the pop in resolved. As someone who owns a switch and a pretty solid PC (5900x, RTX 3080) I really wish Nintendo would just put stuff out on PC. A comparison would be Monster Hunter Rise on PC Vs Switch.

Nobody is saying otherwise, I wish I could play at 60 fps in next Nintendo console (I won't emulate, btw, have reasons), but the technical accomplishment Nintendo did is still to be equalled even in more powerful machines by basically everyone else.

 

[Kataploom]

The only major problem this game has is its god awful shitty fuck no good soundtrack. And they straight up rub it in your face every time Link is using the cooking pot and starts humming ocarina of time tunes.

Well, that's a problem you a few others have with the game, the silent (or almost silent) style of the game is part of what makes it so great for many

 

[LordCBH]

Non nintendo devs haven't even caught up to breath of the wilds open world design

A big, mostly empty open world? Plenty of devs do that.

 

[Fake]

I don't like the route BOTW take into Zelda series, but I appreciate they improve what fans complain about.

And this is what he should care about. Making the game people love better.

 

[Svejk]

That was the problem? I can think of plenty of other glossed over ones...

Said it before elsewhere, but Nintendo's biggest missfire was using their Zelda IP with such tech, rather than Mario... He's a plumber .. they use tools... and changing into different gameplay characters in most his games. These tinkering physics based mechanics were made for Mario.... but they sacrificed the tried and true Zelda formula with it instead? It baffles me no one else sees this.

 

[LakeOf9]

That was the problem? I can think of plenty of other glossed over ones...

Said it before elsewhere, but Nintendo's biggest missfire was using their Zelda IP with such tech, rather than Mario... He's a plumber .. they use tools... and changing into different gameplay characters in most his games. These tinkering physics based mechanics were made for Mario.... but they sacrificed the tried and true Zelda formula with it instead? It baffles me no one else sees this.

It’s almost like people don’t agree with you

Please tell me there is a video recording of their panel. I very much enjoyed the panel on Breath of the Wild back then.

An upload will be made available in a couple weeks I believe

 

[Fbh]

The only next gen game so far.
Wait...why is it on Switch?

 

[Dacvak]

Great read, I’m looking forward to accessing the full GDC talk later on. TotK still absolutely blows me away. The fact that they managed such a complex physics engine on a mobile chip is frankly witchcraft.

I’m hoping for a more traditional Zelda game next time, but I also hope they utilize their work in physics-driven gameplay elsewhere. I could see a new IP being born from the TotK engine.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Non nintendo devs haven't even caught up to breath of the wilds open world design

It is beyond subpar. Whole lot of nothing, no treasure worth plundering, and practically no interesting quests to make an area memorable. No interesting NPCs either.

 

[SantaC]

Next time, make a real Zelda with actual dungeons. I am not into building cars or boats in a zelda game.

 

[conpfreak]

Great read, I’m looking forward to accessing the full GDC talk later on. TotK still absolutely blows me away. The fact that they managed such a complex physics engine on a mobile chip is frankly witchcraft.

I’m hoping for a more traditional Zelda game next time, but I also hope they utilize their work in physics-driven gameplay elsewhere. I could see a new IP being born from the TotK engine.

I don't see a traditional 3D Zelda happening anymore. The market has spoken twice and the two 'open air' design games have sold multitudes more than what the series has done in the past. And honestly, the only 'traditional' thing the open air games need are more unique main dungeons. The scenarios for the dungeons were much improved in TotK, but the 'activate switch' objectives are played out at this point.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Boys thats just crazy. i wonder if nintendo will innovate with Raytracing.

My money is on them using the hardware for enhanced collision detection (which further drives physics) more than for realistic lighting.

 

[Lethal01]

It is beyond subpar. Whole lot of nothing, no treasure worth plundering, and practically no interesting quests to make an area memorable. No interesting NPCs either.

Funny Npcs and interesting backstories for you to go hunt some monsters in a world that is nothing but a static background compared to Zelda's.



Emergent open world gameplay can't happen when most games are giving you almost any ways to interact with the worldt

 

[FunkMiller]

Gonna say it:

Having now put 70 hours into Baldur's Gate 3, there's no way it should have won GOTY over ToTK.

I think people got a little too carried away with what BG3 actually is - a very, very good CRPG. But nothing more.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Funny Npcs and interesting backstories for quests in a world that is nothing but a static background compared to Zelda's.

Have you been outside lately? I think you would love it.

 

[Svejk]

It's all good.. Dragon's Dogma 2 is here and will shit astronomical heights above all other open world games and how you interact with them.
~Fin

 

[Lethal01]

Have you been outside lately? I think you would love it.

Because I like interactive worlds? yes, this is true

 

[LakeOf9]

Gonna say it:

Having now put 70 hours into Baldur's Gate 3, there's no way it should have won GOTY over ToTK.

I think people got a little too carried away with what BG3 actually is - a very, very good CRPG. But nothing more.

I think any of BG3 or AW2 or TOTK could have won last year and I’d have been happy about it

 

[IAmRei]

For me, this is the best game ever now

The only next gen game so far.
Wait...why is it on Switch?

i was talking with friend yesterday, my friend said, there is no next gen gameplay yet. maybe ToTK, but again, it is on switch. then we have good laugh.

 

[hangdang69]

I didn't enjoy TotK anywhere near as much as Breath of the Wild, and some of the new powers we're a big reason why. If I wanted to build things, I'd play minecraft

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

I'd argue that the game's single biggest problem was that it was meandering to the point that it became incredibly boring, which they most definitely did not solve. But sure.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Funny Npcs and interesting backstories for you to go hunt some monsters in a world that is nothing but a static background compared to Zelda's.



Emergent open world gameplay can't happen when most games are giving you almost any ways to interact with the worldt

The video put his channel on the map and hurt so many feelings. The truth hurts.