VBに社運をかけています
Putting the Company’s Future into the VB
開発よもやま話
Small Talk on Development
和(開発)部長/藤原茂樹
Wa (Development) Manager / Shigeki Fujiwara
今日の取材で見てもらった『とびだせ!ぱにボン』と『バーティカルフォース』にはまだ入ってないですが、VBは目を休めることを促すオートポーズを最低でも30分に1回は入れなきゃいけないんです。これは、逆に30分を逆手にとった中でどれだけ面白いゲームができるかという部分に主眼を置いて開発しています。
It was already explained during an interview today that, although it is not yet included in “Pop-out! Panic Bomber” or “Vertical Force,” an automatic pause feature must be included in Virtual Boy games to encourage the player to rest his or her eyes at least once every 30 minutes. Conversely, we are developing software by placing focus on the aspect of: To what extent can we make a game interesting, while turning the 30 minutes to our advantage?
VBは昔のハドソンに立ち返ったものを出そうというのがあるんです。遊びやすいソフトというか、説明書がなくてもすぐ遊べるものに仕上げていこうと思っています。
With the Virtual Boy, we are trying to take things back to the old days of Hudson, with software that you can play immediately, even without instructions, and that you want to finish, or perhaps I should say “easy-to-play software.”
[With middle photo]
前の打合せでの疑問点もぶつけてみた
We also asked questions in a previous meeting.
ぼくはVBは子供が買える次世代機だと思っています。だからハードも1万台と安いんだと思ってます。値段のほうはできるだけGBに近いものにするつもりです。VBが売れるか売れないかはソフトの値段や内容によると思います。子供がゲーム離れしているって言われてますよね、最近。うちはキャラバンをやっているので子供たちと接する機会が多いんですが、よく遊ぶゲームを聞いてみると年齢の低い子供ほどシミュレーションがかったRPGや複雑なゲームやってないのを痛感しますね。
I think that the Virtual Boy is going to be the next-generation machine that a child can buy, so I think that the hardware itself is going to be cheap with tens of thousands of units available. The price is going to be as close as possible to that of the Game Boy. I think that whether or not the Virtual Boy sells well will, therefore, depend on the price and content of the software. Nowadays, it’s said that children are getting away from gaming. Well, we often have opportunities to be in contact with children as we are doing caravans, and after inquiring into the games that are frequently played by lower-aged children, we feel strongly about not doing RPGs with simulation elements or complex games.
ゲーム作りからいうと、VBが立体であるということは時が熟せばゲーム性自体を大きく変えると思っています。SFCではごきないゲーム性ってやつですね。VBだってポリゴンやろうと思えば一応できますし。でも、正直なところ、なにをどう描けば、どう立体的に見えるかということを完全に把握していない状況なんですよ。絵を描いてみてはVBをのぞいて確認して…って感じです。同じ位置でも暗い色にしたほうが奥に見えるとか、発見もいくつかあっていい経験になってます。
From a game-making standpoint, since Virtual Boy games will be stereoscopic, I believe it’s the right time for the natures of the games to change significantly. There can now be game characteristics that cannot be in Super Famicom games. If one wants to use polygons, the Virtual Boy is made for that. But to be honest, when I am drawing something, there are situations where I don’t fully grasp how it will appear three-dimensionally, so when I’m trying to draw something, I review the drawing while looking into the Virtual Boy… to get an impression of it. It’s been an experience for me, and I’ve also discovered a few things, such as when two objects are in the same position, it is better to have the one that is a darker color appear behind the other.
GBのときも賛否両論ありましたけど、逆に、いろいろ言われるのはそれだけ注目度があるからだと私は考えています。うちの社長もVBはビジネスチャンスだと言ってますし、なによりあんなハードを作れるのは任天堂さんしかいないと思います。ハドソンはVBに社運をかけていると言っても過言じゃないって感じですね。
Although there were pros and cons even at the time of the Game Boy, at the same time, there was a lot to be said about it, and I believe that’s why it got all the more attention. Even our company president has said that the Virtual Boy is a business opportunity, and I think that Nintendo is the best of all at being able to make such hardware. As for Hudson, it feels that it is not too much to say that the company’s future is being put into the Virtual Boy.
カラーのスーパーVB…ですか? 技術的には現在でも可能だと思いますけど、コストと色数が多いということで問題があるんじゃないんですかね。でも、可能性はあると思いますよ。
Will there be a Super Virtual Boy with color…? Though I think it’s technically possible even now, there would probably be too many problems with the costs and the number of colors. However, I think there is a possibility.
[With bottom photo]
VBが立体に見えるしくみを身振り手振りで教えてくれた
He explained to us, while gesturing, how the Virtual Boy makes things look three-dimensional.