MezCo Studios Interview and FAQ
DS Update: Thanks for your time, can you to tell our viewers your name and what you do at MezCo Studios?
Rich: My name is Rich Vitale, and I am President and Lead Designer for MezCo Studios, Inc.
DS Update: What is the name of the Nintendo DS game being developed by MezCo Studios and what genre is it?
Rich:The name is Cerulean Dreams, and it's a hybrid action RPG/shooter.
DS Update: How did you come up with the idea for the game?
Rich: I really enjoy playing both role-playing games, and shooters, and realized that there have been very few efforts to combine the two genres. The storyline and basic design of Cerulean Dreams seemed to fit the hybrid genre perfectly.
DS Update: What is the story line for Cerulean Dreams?
Rich: I'll just refer to the preview on this one...
"It’s a time of conflict; two major sky-city powers, the Daladian Kingdom and the Xamin Empire, have been warring for over 20 years with no real outcome. It’s also a world shrouded with superstition; people live in cities floating high in the sky but have no understanding of the ancient technology used to make them float, and the majority of people have never seen the ground. In reality, there is a world below the sky-cities which the Daladians and the Xamins have never discovered, and they are separated from this world on the ground by a vertically massive sea of clouds – the “second layer.†But when a close friend of Kayle Sethan, Gene Hakins, is downed in an air battle and falls into the “second layer,†Kayle, an assassin pilot of the Daladian Kingdom, refuses to believe Gene’s fate is sealed in superstition. Some have tried to explore beneath the second layer, but those who have either never come back or return after seeing nothing but clouds, and for this reason, Kayle is advised not to go after Gene. But, defying orders, he goes down to the second cloud layer, followed by his close friend, Crystal Shelia. Unbeknownst to them, a team commander of the Xamin Empire, Vince, follows them, but the truth that Kayle and Crystal discover on the ground will force the Daladian and Xamin empires to work together – a civilization on the ground indeed exists, and the ground dwelling people are planning a massive assault on the cloud cities that will be all too successful if the Daladians and Xamins continue to oppose each other."
DS Update: Will the graphics in the Cerulean Dreams be in 3D or 2D?
Rich: The game will be rendered mostly in 3D, although the view will be top-down/overhead most of the time, giving it a more limited perspective.
DS Update: Who is the main character? and do you play with other characters?
Rich: The main character is Kayle, although the characters Gene, Crystal, and Vince will all be playable throughout much of the game as well.
DS Update: Will there be multiplayer in this game? If so, will the game have utilize the DS' WIFI capabilities?
Rich: The game will certainly have multiplayer functionality using the networking abilities provided by the DS.
DS Update: How long have you have been developing Cerulean Dreams?
Rich: We have yet to start full production on the game. If you want to count the design/concept stages of development we've already gone through to get the demo ready and better pitch the DS project, it's been about 6 months. If you go all the way back to the GBA version - well, quite some time.
DS Update: What do you think about the Nintendo DS?
Rich: Personally? I think it's an impressive piece of technology that definitely has a place in the market, and has a ton of potential for some truly innovative projects.
DS Update: When will this Cerulean Dreams be released?
Rich: I don't really have an answer for this at the moment. It really depends on the publisher, etc.
DS Update: Will there be any more Nintendo DS games you guys might develop?
Rich: That remains to be seen. We're concentrating on one project at a time at the moment, although we're always coming up with new ideas. Nothing I can really comment on right now, at least.
DS Update: Thank you for your time and best of luck with Cerulean Dreams.
Rich: Thanks for the opportunity, and take care.
________________________________________________________________
Sent via the WebMail system at mezcostudios.com
Well, it's actually more of a commentary based on some of the information I've seen posted or referred to out there in regards to Cerulean Dreams, but, for the sake of keeping things easy-to-understand, I'll make it more of a FAQ-type format. I'll probably add to this from time to time, too. =)
Q: Will Cerulean Dreams be a DS launch title? If not, when will it be released?
A: The DS has a supposed US launch date set in November. Cerulean Dreams is a game designed to be released for the Nintendo DS, but without a publisher secured, we do not have an anticipated launch date at the moment. It will definitely not be a launch title.
Q: Will there be online multiplayer?
A: We're currently taking steps to make sure such a concept is brought to life, as the original design does call for multiplayer aspects. With the innovative networking solutions the DS is capable of making use of, it should be entirely possible to play the game online, but time will tell for sure.
Q: Did you hire an orchestra to perform the music for Cerulean Dreams?
A: Nope. We did hire an orchestra to perform a piece for Dark Reflections, and the piece turned out rather nicely. Seeing as how the composer is the same for both games (Mike did/is doing the musical composition for both concepts), the music quality will be of the same caliber, if not higher. Mike is constantly refining his vision of the soundtrack for the game, but so far, no orchestral performance has been done. Several samples are available on the forums, though, but are entirely synthesized.
Q: Your ship models lack in detail, and don't look too hot, overall. Are you planning on changing them?
Q: Some of your design ideas are rather loose. Will you be refining the game design itself?
Q: The old GBA demo video you posted looks like crap. How do you expect to increase the level of quality in the DS version?
A: I posted those questions all together, since they can all be answered the same way - Absolutely *no* production work has been released regarding Cerulean Dreams, save for the music samples Mike posted. Other than that, none of the concept renders, nor the demo video, are actually items we ever plan(ned) to be used in the final production version of the game. All items posted so far were developed for internal use, to give both us, and possible publishers, an idea of what our basic vision of the game is supposed to be. As far as our design info goes, you've actually seen very little of it, as we certainly can't post every aspect of the game up for everyone to see before production is nearly finalized. I've tried to stress this aspect before, but seeing as how these questions/comments have come up a few times (although nowhere near the amount of positive commentary we get - special shoutout to all of our fans out there!), I feel perhaps I've failed in making this point clear. So, again - Cerulean Dreams is a game concept designed for the Nintendo DS. We're actively seeking a publisher for the title, and at the same time, refining design aspects and doing generalized production work. Everyhing you've seen so far is **concept** work. The models we've shown will not be used in the actual game, although they do represent the general design concept we have for each of the ships - the final design will rest with a real 3D artist, and not me . The GBA video out there was created to visualize what we meant by a "party-based" shooter - demonstrating the ship assist functionality, as well as the basic overhead gameplay. All of the graphics used in compiling the demo were merely placeholder graphics, and certainly nothing we ever intended on using in the final version of the now-cancelled GBA version of the game. We posted all of this information simply because we like keeping our fans and those interested in the project informed. In my experience, there aren't too many companies out there that rather consistently post pre-production concept work for the public to take a look at. We just thought that folks might be interested in the evolution / different stages the project goes through as time goes on. Models will change, and the design itself will become more refined and evolve as the project does. That said, we will continue to post pre-production concept work as allowed, however, you probably won't see much for quite some time as this is being written, as things are entering a deeper stage and such freedom isn't quite as available to us.
Q: Can I play as just the character of my choice throughout the whole game, or will certain storylines be pre-set?
A: Some areas of the game will require you to play as a certain character - especially in the beginning. As time goes on, and certainly towards the final third of the game or so, you'll have complete freedom over which of the party members you control, which ones are included as your wingmates, and which ones sit out a battle.
Q: You mentioned not being able to pause the game?
A: That's something people seem to have gotten a bit confused on. What I said, was that using the touch screen menus of the DS will be quick, and allow you to play the game and make decisions on weapons, energy levels, etc on the fly without having to pause. I see this as a benefit because you won't *have* to pause and therefore interrupt playing, but you certainly *can* if you'd like. It's all a matter of preference and choice, and I think that's a huge benefit to the touch screen on the DS.
Q: You've mentioned before that you don't have a DS development kit. How can you possibly be working on the game, then?
A: Cerulean Dreams is a game concept designed for the Nintendo DS. We can design all we like without a DS development kit. It's not necessary, as long as we keep in mind the specifications released for the unit, and the demos and concepts we've seen running on the system so far. The game concept we had set up for the DS before it's unveiling at E32004 was, luckily, right on the money in terms of what Nintendo showed off as the DS' capabilities. Very little had to be changed. As far as the modeling and other work we're doing at the moment, it's being done with the technical capabilities of the DS in mind, but also mostly being done for internal and demo use, to better illustrate to possible publishers and other partners what we expect to accomplish with the project on the DS.
Q: What do you mean by "top-down shooter?"
A: I'm rather surprised at how many times we get this question, actually. Basically, we mean the game is played from a straight-down overhead perspective. Your view as the player is not from inside or behind the ship, but rather from directly above it. As such, all of the action is witnessed from above, and as such, you see mostly only the top of your ships, and those of the enemies and obstacles. Most of the game, however, will be rendered in 3D to allow for more dramatic and interesting angles and lighting, and seamless cutscenes (Yes, cutscenes, I told you this is a shooter/RPG hybrid - and don't you forget it! )
That's all for now. Should I add anything to this, or edit it, I'll post a revised comment in the subject. Thanks again for visiting, and keep sending in or posting questions, and we'll continue to try to answer them!
-Falco8
Rich: My name is Rich Vitale, and I am President and Lead Designer for MezCo Studios, Inc.
DS Update: What is the name of the Nintendo DS game being developed by MezCo Studios and what genre is it?
Rich:The name is Cerulean Dreams, and it's a hybrid action RPG/shooter.
DS Update: How did you come up with the idea for the game?
Rich: I really enjoy playing both role-playing games, and shooters, and realized that there have been very few efforts to combine the two genres. The storyline and basic design of Cerulean Dreams seemed to fit the hybrid genre perfectly.
DS Update: What is the story line for Cerulean Dreams?
Rich: I'll just refer to the preview on this one...
"It’s a time of conflict; two major sky-city powers, the Daladian Kingdom and the Xamin Empire, have been warring for over 20 years with no real outcome. It’s also a world shrouded with superstition; people live in cities floating high in the sky but have no understanding of the ancient technology used to make them float, and the majority of people have never seen the ground. In reality, there is a world below the sky-cities which the Daladians and the Xamins have never discovered, and they are separated from this world on the ground by a vertically massive sea of clouds – the “second layer.†But when a close friend of Kayle Sethan, Gene Hakins, is downed in an air battle and falls into the “second layer,†Kayle, an assassin pilot of the Daladian Kingdom, refuses to believe Gene’s fate is sealed in superstition. Some have tried to explore beneath the second layer, but those who have either never come back or return after seeing nothing but clouds, and for this reason, Kayle is advised not to go after Gene. But, defying orders, he goes down to the second cloud layer, followed by his close friend, Crystal Shelia. Unbeknownst to them, a team commander of the Xamin Empire, Vince, follows them, but the truth that Kayle and Crystal discover on the ground will force the Daladian and Xamin empires to work together – a civilization on the ground indeed exists, and the ground dwelling people are planning a massive assault on the cloud cities that will be all too successful if the Daladians and Xamins continue to oppose each other."
DS Update: Will the graphics in the Cerulean Dreams be in 3D or 2D?
Rich: The game will be rendered mostly in 3D, although the view will be top-down/overhead most of the time, giving it a more limited perspective.
DS Update: Who is the main character? and do you play with other characters?
Rich: The main character is Kayle, although the characters Gene, Crystal, and Vince will all be playable throughout much of the game as well.
DS Update: Will there be multiplayer in this game? If so, will the game have utilize the DS' WIFI capabilities?
Rich: The game will certainly have multiplayer functionality using the networking abilities provided by the DS.
DS Update: How long have you have been developing Cerulean Dreams?
Rich: We have yet to start full production on the game. If you want to count the design/concept stages of development we've already gone through to get the demo ready and better pitch the DS project, it's been about 6 months. If you go all the way back to the GBA version - well, quite some time.
DS Update: What do you think about the Nintendo DS?
Rich: Personally? I think it's an impressive piece of technology that definitely has a place in the market, and has a ton of potential for some truly innovative projects.
DS Update: When will this Cerulean Dreams be released?
Rich: I don't really have an answer for this at the moment. It really depends on the publisher, etc.
DS Update: Will there be any more Nintendo DS games you guys might develop?
Rich: That remains to be seen. We're concentrating on one project at a time at the moment, although we're always coming up with new ideas. Nothing I can really comment on right now, at least.
DS Update: Thank you for your time and best of luck with Cerulean Dreams.
Rich: Thanks for the opportunity, and take care.
________________________________________________________________
Sent via the WebMail system at mezcostudios.com
Well, it's actually more of a commentary based on some of the information I've seen posted or referred to out there in regards to Cerulean Dreams, but, for the sake of keeping things easy-to-understand, I'll make it more of a FAQ-type format. I'll probably add to this from time to time, too. =)
Q: Will Cerulean Dreams be a DS launch title? If not, when will it be released?
A: The DS has a supposed US launch date set in November. Cerulean Dreams is a game designed to be released for the Nintendo DS, but without a publisher secured, we do not have an anticipated launch date at the moment. It will definitely not be a launch title.
Q: Will there be online multiplayer?
A: We're currently taking steps to make sure such a concept is brought to life, as the original design does call for multiplayer aspects. With the innovative networking solutions the DS is capable of making use of, it should be entirely possible to play the game online, but time will tell for sure.
Q: Did you hire an orchestra to perform the music for Cerulean Dreams?
A: Nope. We did hire an orchestra to perform a piece for Dark Reflections, and the piece turned out rather nicely. Seeing as how the composer is the same for both games (Mike did/is doing the musical composition for both concepts), the music quality will be of the same caliber, if not higher. Mike is constantly refining his vision of the soundtrack for the game, but so far, no orchestral performance has been done. Several samples are available on the forums, though, but are entirely synthesized.
Q: Your ship models lack in detail, and don't look too hot, overall. Are you planning on changing them?
Q: Some of your design ideas are rather loose. Will you be refining the game design itself?
Q: The old GBA demo video you posted looks like crap. How do you expect to increase the level of quality in the DS version?
A: I posted those questions all together, since they can all be answered the same way - Absolutely *no* production work has been released regarding Cerulean Dreams, save for the music samples Mike posted. Other than that, none of the concept renders, nor the demo video, are actually items we ever plan(ned) to be used in the final production version of the game. All items posted so far were developed for internal use, to give both us, and possible publishers, an idea of what our basic vision of the game is supposed to be. As far as our design info goes, you've actually seen very little of it, as we certainly can't post every aspect of the game up for everyone to see before production is nearly finalized. I've tried to stress this aspect before, but seeing as how these questions/comments have come up a few times (although nowhere near the amount of positive commentary we get - special shoutout to all of our fans out there!), I feel perhaps I've failed in making this point clear. So, again - Cerulean Dreams is a game concept designed for the Nintendo DS. We're actively seeking a publisher for the title, and at the same time, refining design aspects and doing generalized production work. Everyhing you've seen so far is **concept** work. The models we've shown will not be used in the actual game, although they do represent the general design concept we have for each of the ships - the final design will rest with a real 3D artist, and not me . The GBA video out there was created to visualize what we meant by a "party-based" shooter - demonstrating the ship assist functionality, as well as the basic overhead gameplay. All of the graphics used in compiling the demo were merely placeholder graphics, and certainly nothing we ever intended on using in the final version of the now-cancelled GBA version of the game. We posted all of this information simply because we like keeping our fans and those interested in the project informed. In my experience, there aren't too many companies out there that rather consistently post pre-production concept work for the public to take a look at. We just thought that folks might be interested in the evolution / different stages the project goes through as time goes on. Models will change, and the design itself will become more refined and evolve as the project does. That said, we will continue to post pre-production concept work as allowed, however, you probably won't see much for quite some time as this is being written, as things are entering a deeper stage and such freedom isn't quite as available to us.
Q: Can I play as just the character of my choice throughout the whole game, or will certain storylines be pre-set?
A: Some areas of the game will require you to play as a certain character - especially in the beginning. As time goes on, and certainly towards the final third of the game or so, you'll have complete freedom over which of the party members you control, which ones are included as your wingmates, and which ones sit out a battle.
Q: You mentioned not being able to pause the game?
A: That's something people seem to have gotten a bit confused on. What I said, was that using the touch screen menus of the DS will be quick, and allow you to play the game and make decisions on weapons, energy levels, etc on the fly without having to pause. I see this as a benefit because you won't *have* to pause and therefore interrupt playing, but you certainly *can* if you'd like. It's all a matter of preference and choice, and I think that's a huge benefit to the touch screen on the DS.
Q: You've mentioned before that you don't have a DS development kit. How can you possibly be working on the game, then?
A: Cerulean Dreams is a game concept designed for the Nintendo DS. We can design all we like without a DS development kit. It's not necessary, as long as we keep in mind the specifications released for the unit, and the demos and concepts we've seen running on the system so far. The game concept we had set up for the DS before it's unveiling at E32004 was, luckily, right on the money in terms of what Nintendo showed off as the DS' capabilities. Very little had to be changed. As far as the modeling and other work we're doing at the moment, it's being done with the technical capabilities of the DS in mind, but also mostly being done for internal and demo use, to better illustrate to possible publishers and other partners what we expect to accomplish with the project on the DS.
Q: What do you mean by "top-down shooter?"
A: I'm rather surprised at how many times we get this question, actually. Basically, we mean the game is played from a straight-down overhead perspective. Your view as the player is not from inside or behind the ship, but rather from directly above it. As such, all of the action is witnessed from above, and as such, you see mostly only the top of your ships, and those of the enemies and obstacles. Most of the game, however, will be rendered in 3D to allow for more dramatic and interesting angles and lighting, and seamless cutscenes (Yes, cutscenes, I told you this is a shooter/RPG hybrid - and don't you forget it! )
That's all for now. Should I add anything to this, or edit it, I'll post a revised comment in the subject. Thanks again for visiting, and keep sending in or posting questions, and we'll continue to try to answer them!
-Falco8
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