http://blogs.ign.com/SEGA_SonicUnleashed/2008/10/23/104478/
Hello all Sonic fans!
My name is Yoshihisa Hashimoto and I am the project leader for Sonic Unleashed as part of the Sonic Team, Segas development studio in Japan. My duties include managing the production of Sonic Unleashed as a Game Director and Lead Game Designer, and also as a Technical Director, supervising the Hedgehog Engine which is critical in ensuring the high quality graphic images in the game.
In this 2nd entry in the Sonic Unleashed Developer Diary series, Id like to discuss a couple of things with all you fans:
* How Sonic Unleashed has made big advancements in Sonic game play
* The "Hedgehog Engine," which generates beautiful and impressive graphic images
New Concept for Sonic
Sonic Unleashed offers many attractive features one of the most outstanding being the gameplay itself for Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Art Director Sachiko Kawamura and I have participated in the development of many Sonic games for over 10 years, ever since Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. During that time, weve seen a lot of Sonic games being developed and released. But we always felt that something was missing.
I kept asking myself Is this the Sonic that fans really want to see? It looked to me that Sonic was a bit restrained. I could hear his cry; I want to run faster! I want to run freely! For years to come as I worked steadily to build my career at Sonic Team for Sega, I kept my belief that the true Sonic the Hedgehog could be even better!
Then, in 2005, I was approached and asked by the Producer Akinori Nishiyama Would you like to produce the next Sonic? And this is when the new chapter of Sonic began.
I started straight off by thinking of what is needed to make the real Sonic. And I found the answer pretty quickly - I actually already had my answers in my mind since Id always been thinking about what the ideal Sonic was!
* Sonic is all about speed. Without it, he is not Sonic. So we needed to put absolute priority on the sense of speed and let him dash non-stop on the trackless routes.
* Draw from and improve the classic Side-Scrolling Sonic from Genesis. This would surely please loyal Sonic fans.
* However, be careful not to end up with just an ordinary side-scrolling game. Because it will be nothing more than a Nostalgic Sonic experience. We wanted to make the Ultimate Sonic experience.
* Keep the 3D gameplay that progress players towards the back of the screen, which was something adapted since Sonic Adventure. 3D is absolutely essential in giving the sense of speed and an powerful presence. 3D Sonic could definitely be very entertaining if made right so wed rather we go more towards the 3D ( 3rd person ) Sonic direction.
* Compare 3D to 2D, and think of two completely different gameplay styles taking only the good aspects from both, while discarding the bad. And then mix those two parts seamlessly to result in a stage that changes rapidly and dynamically offering gameplay that offers all advantages from both 2D and 3D.
* Keep platforming gameplay elements in mind too. Speed can be appreciated more with the contrast of differently played, slower in speed areas.
*To achieve the non-stop-supersonic-running sensation, revise the controls and develop a new speed action mechanism.
* Prepare amazing visual images with rich presence so that the player can be immersed in the experience with Sonic.
And thus, the New Sonic would be born from this set of key concepts.
Unleashing Sonic the Hedgehog!
So we began with the prototype of the new Sonic.
First, we needed some new control mechanism to achieve the non-stop supersonic running sensation. I came up with the following new action mechanisms: Quick Step and Ring Energy.
Usually, the player moves in 3D gameplay using the left stick, but since its analogue, it limits users movement for linear directions. Since Sonic dashes at supersonic speed, it is difficult to let him run non-stop within a complicated 3D environment using the left stick alone. We needed a system that allows Sonic to move quickly and avoid the obstacles. That is where the Quick Step idea came about. The control was quite simple: while running, all that needed to be done was to press either trigger with your right or left index finger, enabling Sonic to side step directly to the left and right while still being able to run in supersonic speed, zipping through the obstacles in the 3D environment.
Next, I focused my attention to the rings, the item traditionally used in the Sonic games. With rings, or even with one ring, Sonic could avoid taking damage from enemies. That was a fantastic system for a fast action character such as Sonic, but I always felt it was a shame that collecting more than two rings makes little difference in the gameplay. So I presented a new concept called Ring Energy in which collecting many rings is enjoyable and rewarded, marrying the concept of the rings and the speed. As more rings are collected, more energy would be accumulated, and by gathering the rings, it would also allow Sonic to Sonic Boost, the fast acceleration feature. Sonic Boost also allows him to break through walls and objects, and run quickly blasting through the enemies. Using the Sonic Boost is very thrilling and you will quickly become addicted to using it.
And so, the ring became more important in its role. Also, the more rings are collected , it increases the Max speed at which Sonic can sprint, so the Time Attack feature that tracks how fast a stage is finished becomes another fun feature. Moreover, by using other various actions such as Sonic Drift, Sliding, Stomping, Wall Jump, and Light Speed Dash, we solidified our concept to let Sonic be able to dash non-stop on the trackless route.
Once the speed mechanism was in there, we moved onto the stage designs. The stages that Sonic dashes through are designed to show the change in view rapidly from 3D to 2D every 15 to 30 seconds. On each 3D and 2D area, the course is carefully laid out with various geographical elements such as uphill, downhill, banking, loops, valleys, walls, ceilings, floors, grind rails, springs and jump bumpers.
In Sonic Unleashed, the speed in which the player travels in the game is actually increased many times compared to past Sonic titles. Since hes so fast, each action stage is as long as 10~20Km.
Our artists worked very hard to put together these massive geographical areas. And we were eventually able to see Sonic running through these courses. Even though the control is pretty simple, Sonic runs around freely in the beautifully elaborate background at his super speed. The camera is optimized so that the change between 2D/ 3D is very smooth and dynamic.
Our entire staff was excited by how fun and how good the game felt to play. Sonic was finally freed from any restraint and started to shine in his true color. This was the moment when finally Sonic was Unleashed!
The Hedgehog Engine and its visual quality
We also have stunning visual beauty as a major theme in Sonic Unleashed. I was not interested in making average-quality visuals at all. For me, the target for visual quality was to be on par with pre-rendered CG animation and I wanted to achieve that goal in this title. Now with high-end hardware such as Xbox 360 and PlayStation3, its the right time to be able to achieve this goal.
Back in 2005, I was able to see new games from some other studios for Xbox360 and PlayStation3 and I remember always feeling that something was missing. I thought that though it was true that they looked better than past-gen games, I still felt something was missing. They were doing things with Shadow Map, Normal Map, HDR shaders and everything. So okay, the lighting may have been richer but was not blended enough. Things just looked flat as a whole. I thought the users expectation was much higher. So we knew we needed graphics that reached the pre-rendered CG animation level.
So I started thinking about what is needed to achieve this. What does pre-rendered CGs have that game graphics lighting doesnt? I went on to make it a habit to observe many games, a lot of pre-rendered graphics and real-life scenes as well. As a result, I came to the conclusion that the effect of light reflecting from one object to another was what was completely lacking in many gaming graphics. I realized that this was what I felt was missing. This is a concept called Global Illumination in the field of pre-rendered CG.
After much struggle, we finally developed a Renderer that calculates Global Illumination by our 100% original algorithm. To cover the vast amounts of calculation that need to be processed, we also improvised a system that connects 100 PCs for the team to distribute the work load, which enabled us to complete all the lighting calculations for an action stage which goes as long as 10~20Km in 2 or 3 days.
At the same time, we developed a technology called Light Field, which is used to ensure that the lightings on Sonic, enemies and objects are naturally blended to the background under the Global Illumination environment.
The result of Global Illumination and Light Field produced brilliant results. Graphics at the quality which were only a dream just a few years ago started to come alive before my eyes. I remember watching the prototype graphics with my background and character artists as their eyes started to glisten as they looked at the screen with such intensity. Thats when I became sure of our success.
As you all know, We have Sonic in Sonic Unleashed. The overall feel of the graphics is rather cartoonish. Usually people dont associate high-end visual technologies with these cartoonish graphics. But we have set the foundation for creating world-leading quality visuals that could be on par with hardcore FPS or racing games of a more realistic nature. We made no compromise in visual quality and/ or game mechanism. This is Sonic Unleashed.
Back to its roots?
Ive been asked a lot of times if Sonic is going back to its roots in interviews. My answer is always No. Sonic Unleashed still retains the spirit from his Genesis days, which is his origin. But its only one of the many amazing qualities of Sonic Unleashed. We are learning from and taking good bits from his origin but we are not going back at all. And actually, I wanted to go beyond the origin.
Im confident that this one is so good that everyone will say Sonic is back! This title has the best of SEGA, the passion of the Sonic Team. I cant wait the to have everyone see and play this newly unleashed Sonic.
There will be more to come in the developer diaries . So hope you look forward to the next one, too! Stay tuned!
Hello all Sonic fans!
My name is Yoshihisa Hashimoto and I am the project leader for Sonic Unleashed as part of the Sonic Team, Segas development studio in Japan. My duties include managing the production of Sonic Unleashed as a Game Director and Lead Game Designer, and also as a Technical Director, supervising the Hedgehog Engine which is critical in ensuring the high quality graphic images in the game.
In this 2nd entry in the Sonic Unleashed Developer Diary series, Id like to discuss a couple of things with all you fans:
* How Sonic Unleashed has made big advancements in Sonic game play
* The "Hedgehog Engine," which generates beautiful and impressive graphic images
New Concept for Sonic
Sonic Unleashed offers many attractive features one of the most outstanding being the gameplay itself for Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Art Director Sachiko Kawamura and I have participated in the development of many Sonic games for over 10 years, ever since Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. During that time, weve seen a lot of Sonic games being developed and released. But we always felt that something was missing.
I kept asking myself Is this the Sonic that fans really want to see? It looked to me that Sonic was a bit restrained. I could hear his cry; I want to run faster! I want to run freely! For years to come as I worked steadily to build my career at Sonic Team for Sega, I kept my belief that the true Sonic the Hedgehog could be even better!
Then, in 2005, I was approached and asked by the Producer Akinori Nishiyama Would you like to produce the next Sonic? And this is when the new chapter of Sonic began.
I started straight off by thinking of what is needed to make the real Sonic. And I found the answer pretty quickly - I actually already had my answers in my mind since Id always been thinking about what the ideal Sonic was!
* Sonic is all about speed. Without it, he is not Sonic. So we needed to put absolute priority on the sense of speed and let him dash non-stop on the trackless routes.
* Draw from and improve the classic Side-Scrolling Sonic from Genesis. This would surely please loyal Sonic fans.
* However, be careful not to end up with just an ordinary side-scrolling game. Because it will be nothing more than a Nostalgic Sonic experience. We wanted to make the Ultimate Sonic experience.
* Keep the 3D gameplay that progress players towards the back of the screen, which was something adapted since Sonic Adventure. 3D is absolutely essential in giving the sense of speed and an powerful presence. 3D Sonic could definitely be very entertaining if made right so wed rather we go more towards the 3D ( 3rd person ) Sonic direction.
* Compare 3D to 2D, and think of two completely different gameplay styles taking only the good aspects from both, while discarding the bad. And then mix those two parts seamlessly to result in a stage that changes rapidly and dynamically offering gameplay that offers all advantages from both 2D and 3D.
* Keep platforming gameplay elements in mind too. Speed can be appreciated more with the contrast of differently played, slower in speed areas.
*To achieve the non-stop-supersonic-running sensation, revise the controls and develop a new speed action mechanism.
* Prepare amazing visual images with rich presence so that the player can be immersed in the experience with Sonic.
And thus, the New Sonic would be born from this set of key concepts.
Unleashing Sonic the Hedgehog!
So we began with the prototype of the new Sonic.
First, we needed some new control mechanism to achieve the non-stop supersonic running sensation. I came up with the following new action mechanisms: Quick Step and Ring Energy.
Usually, the player moves in 3D gameplay using the left stick, but since its analogue, it limits users movement for linear directions. Since Sonic dashes at supersonic speed, it is difficult to let him run non-stop within a complicated 3D environment using the left stick alone. We needed a system that allows Sonic to move quickly and avoid the obstacles. That is where the Quick Step idea came about. The control was quite simple: while running, all that needed to be done was to press either trigger with your right or left index finger, enabling Sonic to side step directly to the left and right while still being able to run in supersonic speed, zipping through the obstacles in the 3D environment.
Next, I focused my attention to the rings, the item traditionally used in the Sonic games. With rings, or even with one ring, Sonic could avoid taking damage from enemies. That was a fantastic system for a fast action character such as Sonic, but I always felt it was a shame that collecting more than two rings makes little difference in the gameplay. So I presented a new concept called Ring Energy in which collecting many rings is enjoyable and rewarded, marrying the concept of the rings and the speed. As more rings are collected, more energy would be accumulated, and by gathering the rings, it would also allow Sonic to Sonic Boost, the fast acceleration feature. Sonic Boost also allows him to break through walls and objects, and run quickly blasting through the enemies. Using the Sonic Boost is very thrilling and you will quickly become addicted to using it.
And so, the ring became more important in its role. Also, the more rings are collected , it increases the Max speed at which Sonic can sprint, so the Time Attack feature that tracks how fast a stage is finished becomes another fun feature. Moreover, by using other various actions such as Sonic Drift, Sliding, Stomping, Wall Jump, and Light Speed Dash, we solidified our concept to let Sonic be able to dash non-stop on the trackless route.
Once the speed mechanism was in there, we moved onto the stage designs. The stages that Sonic dashes through are designed to show the change in view rapidly from 3D to 2D every 15 to 30 seconds. On each 3D and 2D area, the course is carefully laid out with various geographical elements such as uphill, downhill, banking, loops, valleys, walls, ceilings, floors, grind rails, springs and jump bumpers.
In Sonic Unleashed, the speed in which the player travels in the game is actually increased many times compared to past Sonic titles. Since hes so fast, each action stage is as long as 10~20Km.
Our artists worked very hard to put together these massive geographical areas. And we were eventually able to see Sonic running through these courses. Even though the control is pretty simple, Sonic runs around freely in the beautifully elaborate background at his super speed. The camera is optimized so that the change between 2D/ 3D is very smooth and dynamic.
Our entire staff was excited by how fun and how good the game felt to play. Sonic was finally freed from any restraint and started to shine in his true color. This was the moment when finally Sonic was Unleashed!
The Hedgehog Engine and its visual quality
We also have stunning visual beauty as a major theme in Sonic Unleashed. I was not interested in making average-quality visuals at all. For me, the target for visual quality was to be on par with pre-rendered CG animation and I wanted to achieve that goal in this title. Now with high-end hardware such as Xbox 360 and PlayStation3, its the right time to be able to achieve this goal.
Back in 2005, I was able to see new games from some other studios for Xbox360 and PlayStation3 and I remember always feeling that something was missing. I thought that though it was true that they looked better than past-gen games, I still felt something was missing. They were doing things with Shadow Map, Normal Map, HDR shaders and everything. So okay, the lighting may have been richer but was not blended enough. Things just looked flat as a whole. I thought the users expectation was much higher. So we knew we needed graphics that reached the pre-rendered CG animation level.
So I started thinking about what is needed to achieve this. What does pre-rendered CGs have that game graphics lighting doesnt? I went on to make it a habit to observe many games, a lot of pre-rendered graphics and real-life scenes as well. As a result, I came to the conclusion that the effect of light reflecting from one object to another was what was completely lacking in many gaming graphics. I realized that this was what I felt was missing. This is a concept called Global Illumination in the field of pre-rendered CG.
After much struggle, we finally developed a Renderer that calculates Global Illumination by our 100% original algorithm. To cover the vast amounts of calculation that need to be processed, we also improvised a system that connects 100 PCs for the team to distribute the work load, which enabled us to complete all the lighting calculations for an action stage which goes as long as 10~20Km in 2 or 3 days.
At the same time, we developed a technology called Light Field, which is used to ensure that the lightings on Sonic, enemies and objects are naturally blended to the background under the Global Illumination environment.
The result of Global Illumination and Light Field produced brilliant results. Graphics at the quality which were only a dream just a few years ago started to come alive before my eyes. I remember watching the prototype graphics with my background and character artists as their eyes started to glisten as they looked at the screen with such intensity. Thats when I became sure of our success.
As you all know, We have Sonic in Sonic Unleashed. The overall feel of the graphics is rather cartoonish. Usually people dont associate high-end visual technologies with these cartoonish graphics. But we have set the foundation for creating world-leading quality visuals that could be on par with hardcore FPS or racing games of a more realistic nature. We made no compromise in visual quality and/ or game mechanism. This is Sonic Unleashed.
Back to its roots?
Ive been asked a lot of times if Sonic is going back to its roots in interviews. My answer is always No. Sonic Unleashed still retains the spirit from his Genesis days, which is his origin. But its only one of the many amazing qualities of Sonic Unleashed. We are learning from and taking good bits from his origin but we are not going back at all. And actually, I wanted to go beyond the origin.
Im confident that this one is so good that everyone will say Sonic is back! This title has the best of SEGA, the passion of the Sonic Team. I cant wait the to have everyone see and play this newly unleashed Sonic.
There will be more to come in the developer diaries . So hope you look forward to the next one, too! Stay tuned!
Bad SEGA, bad.
