Official Site: http://infinite-line.sega.jp
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IGN has a preview on Platinum Games and Sega's upcoming 2009 sci-fi RPG game by Nudemaker on the DS called Infinite Line. The game is produced by Inaba and directed by Kouno who headed Tekki (Steel Battalion). The character designs and mechanical designs are by the same guys who worked on Tekki as well.
http://ds.ign.com/articles/874/874179p1.html
The video began with a slow spaceship crawl reminiscent of the opening scene of Star Wars. Eventually the camera panned out to reveal many vessels traveling in space. A representative from Platinum Games explained that Infinite Line will allow players to captain a ship, "like Captain Kirk in Star Trek." There are two main features of Infinite Line.
First, players will be able to customize their ship. There are over 150 design models, and another 150 possible crewmembers. The innards of your vessel are modular and can be rearranged at will.
There will be a deep story that spans across two galaxies. Platinum Games says players will learn what it means to be human.
According to Platinum Games, the "graphics will blow you away. You will not believe this is being done on the DS." Characters will be in 2D, but ships, exploration, and battles will all be in 3D.
There will be Wi-Fi two-player battles with your friends and their spaceships.
Infinite Line will be based on the novella "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke.
"There are two main [story] threads," Platinum Games told us. "One is a poor young boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps, has no money. He gathers the money, the parts, and equipment he needs to become a space captain. Another thread gets into very high-level, philosophical science fiction stuff. [We are] fans of science fiction writers Arthur C. Clarke and Greg Egan. Humanity is made to observe and they are defining the physical laws of the universe through their observation. We want to explore the idea in the game and storyline that 'what if there are not alien species but different types of humanoid species who observe each other?' So that's where the themes of Childhood's End come into play. What is the real role of humanity? Why is humanity there to observe the universe?"
"All controls are with the touch screen. Because this is a spaceship you're not able to move completely in real time. You'll click your destination and click your engage button and your ships will start to move.
"A spaceship battle will pretty much occur in real time. There will be various parameters for your ship. According to these parameters you'll have what's called a 'command gauge.' This command gauge builds up and you can spend it to perform specific attacks during battle. For example, if you get some really great personnel on your ship, great pilots or whatever, they may be able to improve your command structure and your ship may react faster."
"We're probably talking 50-60 hours just to get through once. But if you want to do everything it will probably take you 100 hours."