I'll translate the interview. I'm not a huge fan of Mr. Bernard at this point, but I am a fan of translating french. It sucks being bilingual since birth but not having an opportunity to frequently speaking one of your languages...
Translation follows
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Question: If I understand correctly, for Eternity's Child you worked effectively with a small group from alten8. How small? Fewer than ten people?
Luc Bernard: With Alten8, I have fewer than 5 people. In fact, more than 4. In terms of full-time (and I do mean full-time, 24/7) we only have two workers.
So then, you probably don't have any internal communication difficulties! Here's a real elephant-in-the-room; you didn't have any trouble getting yourself hooked up, despite your young age (21)?
Yeah, everyone hates me and treats me like an idiot (laughs). The industry pretty much sucks for me. Half the industry hates me and the other half hopes I've created them a winning franchise.
But for now, you're just working with Alten8, right?
Yeah, for now... but I hope to work with other game designers, especially ones with experience, so I can concentrate on the artistic side and the story side without totally directing the game myself.
Do you already have some names or concepts for games that you'd like to make with others?
I'd like to do the artistic direction, the story, and the game design with a producer who has been in the industry with ten years and has recently put out an Unreal Engine 3 title.
Can you tell us more about this game idea?
Yeah, it won't be on the Wii (laughs)
On an HD console then? (winks)
Yeah, on an HD console. Wow, I'm spouting off already...
With Alten8, if I understand correctly, you have projects other than Eternity's Child and Imagination is the Only Escape, right?
I'm signed for 5 Wii and DS games with them.
Can you tell us about the game you told us about before that has 16 player online?
I don't have a press guy, I can say whatever I want.
Then we want to know everything!
I want to make a 2d platform, but online-only, for the Wii... since that console has basically no online games.
So, like Little Big Planet?
Yeah, like Little Big Planet... except that the Wiimote will open up great new possibilities.
Since we've seen stuff like Zack and Wiki, we sort of think that developers can't go wrong [with the Wiimote]. Have you thought about a map editor, physics puzzles, or enigmas (--I'm not familiar with the term "enigmas".)
Yeah, totally... but it would have a level-based structure and a full story mode... but I need a studio to finance this. I think most studios would prefer that I do a rat-raising simulation!
So, everything pretty much rides on the success of Eternity's Child?
Yeah, totally. That's why my other projects are delayed, because I can't put them out until gamers have a positive attitude bout my work.
Gamers really don't have any patience for games that get released without being polished, hey?
I'd say that ALL games are released before being fully polished (laughs)
So, to clue up discussion about your LBP-like project; how do you image the Wiimote would be used? Interactive point-and-click with the environment elments? Motion controls?
A little like Eternity's Child; the Wiimote as an interaction driver and the Nunchuk to move around.
In Eternity's Child, the pointer is used to steer and pull the angel that accompanies Angel (that's funny to say!)... but we don't know the angel's name or his back-story. Is it a secret?
You need to keep some secrets before the game comes out.
About Angel's movement; is the impression that he "flies" caused by the sort of stiff animations... or can he actually do more than jump?
He doesn't have wings, but a new video to be released will show you how his jumping works.
I imagine that the lack of "nervousness"/tension in the gameplay is something that will end up changing by release?
Eternity's Child will not have revolutionary gameplay. It'll be very similar to a next-gen oldschool platformer. You need to play it to understand it. It's not so complicated as many people think.
At its current state, how long is Eternity's Child?
It'll be 8 hours... if you play like a madman, 6 hours. The 40 megs doesn't let me make a super long game without reusing sets for hours... which I don't think anyone would like.
The game is engineered in a heavy way--I think the best translation here is "has heavy physics" but it's an awkward sentence--(which seems a little strange when you watch the video) and is sort of like a shooter in some moments. I think the game is inspired by the Brothers Grimm.
The "red" theme of the game and the use of love as a thematic element, visible in screenshots, is it recurrent in the game or is this a specific level?
This chapter of Eternity's Child is all about love.
Will there be more chapters? How many!?
Maybe there will be one more. I'm not sure, but definitely no more than three and nothing is planned yet.
So about the rumor that Imagination is the Only Escape (DS) is banned; in general, we see these sorts of subjects in cinema. Do you think video games can have as much influence in this domain?
Of course. People play more games [than watch movies], so it's an excellent medium to speak about these things.
Is "Rose Princess" still in development or is it postponed for now?
It still exists. I'm doing this game with Mega McCauley (editor: a british singer). It's now called "Manufactured Beauty".
It's pretty nice. I like the cel-shading
I don't think a low-budget game can be done any other way... and of course I'm a fan of cel shading.
Did you like Wind Waker?
You could say it made me a gamer. It's probably the most beautiful game ever created. It's magnificent, I'd love to make a game so beautiful. I hope that "Manufactured Beauty" will approach that level. To be honest, the Wind Waker is my inspiration. Manufactured Beauty won't come out until it's that beautiful!
The game takes place in Paris. The rest of its inspiration is the music of the area, the local S&M culture, and burlesque
Do you already have someone composing the music?
Yep. Same guy as Eternity's Child (editor: Sean Beeson)
Is it for WiiWare?
Yeah, but I haven't asked nintendo yet. With this game, we could say that I've decided to directly attack the theme of "music".
You have such a ... excited style
Yeah, everyone is going to really dislike me.
Is there anything you hate about video games and want to change?
FPS! I'm fed up with FPS! I'm fed up with realism, which is why I prefered 16 bit games.
So this is why you had the idea for the GBA Eternity's Child?
Definitely... back then there was no system like XBLA or WiiWare.
So would you like to port Eternity's Child to PSN?
Well, I'd like to make PSN games. Sure I'm interested. I'd even say that I'd do nothing but PSN games if I could.
You'd toss the Wii aside?
The PSN has limitless possibilities. It has no 40 meg limit. I could make a 1 gig game if I wanted. Of course. If a studio proposed me a Wii DVD game, I'd make nothing but DVD games for the Wii!
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Personal commentary: What a nutcase.
I don't see what differentiates this guy from the random who registers for a video game forum, pops in with a demo of his Multimedia Fusion game, and then says "I've got so many ideas! I'm going to write a letter to Square-Enix to see if I can make Final Fantasy XIV!!!"
