Post by wafflerevolution on Sept 11, 2013 17:40:37 GMT
by gakon5
In the words of it's creator, Fumito Ueda, Ico is a true "Heroic Fantasy Story". For anyone unfamiliar with the story in Ico, Ueda can wrap it up with this sentence, "Ico is a game about holding a girl’s hand and escaping from a castle." And that sums it up very nicely, but this simplicity belies a beautiful sophistication within the game.
Ico
Developer: Team Ico
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: Playstation 2
Releases:
September 24, 2001 (US)
December 6, 2001 (JP)
March 22, 2002 (EU)
February 17, 2006 (EU Re-release)
Backstory
An artist and animator, Fumito Ueda decided to pursue a career in the video game industry specifically because it is a relatively new form of media, and as such, offers more creative opportunities and fewer barriers. Ueda's first job in the industry was with the WARP development team as an animator on Enemy Zero for the Sega Saturn.
Ueda turned next to Sony Computer Entertainment to begin work on a new game, which would become Ico.
Development
Ico began as a CG animation, created by Ueda himself. He did so to give the development team a clear idea of his vision for the game. The team itself was comprised of only around twenty people, and most of them had no prior experience in game development. This was by design, as Ueda sought a team that would not have preconceptions about what a video game should be. Work began in 1998, and at that time Ico was planned to be released for the original Playstation. However, in late 1999 plans changed to release the game on the PS2.
Unique Design
Ico was developed under Ueda's concept of "Design by Subtraction", he wanted to remove anything that made Ico look like a video game. Furthermore, anything that was considered to be hindering the experience of the game would be immediately cut. As a result, there are no life-bars, inventory icons, or Heads-Up-Display of any sort. In game music and dialogue is kept to a bare minimum as well. However, the predominating absence of these elements serves to more strongly emphasize and underscore the gravity of the situations at which they are present.
In fact, details of the protagonist's history are almost non-existent. In the opening scenes of the game, the main character, a young boy named Ico, is delivered via armed escort to a seemingly deserted island castle. The only thing the captors say to Ico is, "Do not be angry with us. This is for the good of the village". And with that, they seal the boy up in an upright stone sarcophagus within the castle and leave. Shortly thereafter, the tomb falls over, breaking, and Ico is free to explore the castle. It is here that the player begins to take control of Ico in order to find a way out. It is obvious that Ico has horns on his head while his captors did not, and that he gave little struggle during his imprisonment, but what else are we told about Ico? Why exactly was he banished? Where did he live? Is there anyone that he cares for back in his home village, and is there anyone that cares for him? And where is he now? What happens in this castle? Why are there no people there?
This, I feel, is part of the brilliance of a game like Ico. Right from the beginning, the player is filled with wonder of the unknown and has to use their imagination to fill in the blanks. Even if the player isn't actively trying to figure out all of the details in their mind before continuing with the story, certain aspects will be filled in. For example, we are never shown the "village" that Ico was delivered from, but just at it's mention, it is likely that given the dress and the mannerisms of the guards and Ico, one will immediately draw a picture in their mind of what it must look like. And in thus doing so, at every step, the experience of the game becomes more personal to the player, as they become a part of the story as well.
Not long after gaining control of Ico, the player will find the second protagonist of the game, a young delicate girl named Yorda. And here is where the core game-play of Ico is introduced. Not only must you find a way out of the castle for yourself, but you must help Yorda out as well. But Yorda is not as agile and athletic as Ico, she cannot climb, jump, and fight as he can. So Ico must find ways to make paths for Yorda, and fight off the shadowy spirits that appear to carry her off; both further complicating your trek through the castle.
Another unique aspect of the game is the fact that the two protagonists, Ico and Yorda, do not speak each other's language and therefore rarely attempt to communicate verbally. This was an intentional design by Ueda, intended to facilitate the player's imagination. In his words, "Personally, I often import games from abroad and play them. On such occasions, my imagination is sometimes stimulated more as I don't understand the language. ICO is a game which intentionally tries to achieve this effect.". Also, his reasoning was that if the two characters could speak to each other, there would be less reason for Ico to lead Yorda around by her hand.
And this too is a simply ingenious means of emotionally involving the player to the story and the characters. The player never directly controls Yorda, but through Ico, they are constantly taking hold of Yorda's hand; to help her leap across gaps, to pull her up to stand, to lead her onward, and even when sitting next to her on a "save couch". Throughout the game, the player is always helping Yorda, looking out for her well-being and giving each other companionship. I became instantly aware of this bond at a specific point on my first play-through of the game. I will try my best to avoid revealing any spoilers in this description for those who have not played the game, but just in case, I have placed the next paragraph within a spoiler box if you are worried. Click below to reveal the text.
***SPOILER***
There is a cutscene toward the end of the game that ends at a crucial point for Ico. The player is then given back control of Ico and you have a split second to choose either your freedom or Yorda's protection. When I first played this, I didn't realize the choice I was about to be given, and as soon as I came to that realization, I had to snatch up the controller and make a hasty decision. A decision I made not because I wanted to continue playing the game (which I did), but because I genuinely wanted to help Yorda. I love video games, and I've played through a lot of games, but I can't ever recall having such feelings for any other game character.
The scope of the ultimate goal in Ico is also quite different from most games. Instead of (yet again) saving the world, or combating against an evil army, you just want to find your way out of a castle and help a stranger to do the same. But despite this, the game feels no less dramatic for having a not-so-grandiose goal. In fact, it may feel even more powerful for all the emotional weight the game manages to involve the player with.
Releases
Of the four releases of Ico, the North American release came first. Rushed to meet an early shipping deadline, the NA release also lacks several enhancements present in the Japanese and European releases such as more challenging puzzles and bonuses for second play-throughs. These bonuses included an unlockable lightsaber-like weapon, second player control of Yorda, and additional dialogue (translated from the imaginary character languages).
Also, while the North American and Japanese releases were packaged in standard cases, the original European version was available in a limited edition cardboard packaging along with game art postcards. However, the initial European release was also considerably under-stocked. A problem which was eventually fixed upon the eve of the release of Shadow of the Colossus, when Ico was re-released in Europe (with standard cases).
Just to note, a novelization of Ico written by Miyuki Miyabe was released in Japan in 2004.
Nico
The next game that the Ico development team produced was Shadow of the Colossus. Just as Ueda created a CG animation for Ico before it's development, he also created a pre-development demo animation for colossus. For both games, it is amazing to see how closely the final product matches with the initial demo videos.
That demo video displays the title, "Nico", which lead to the wide speculation that the game would be a direct sequel to Ico (Nico, being a merger of the Japanese word "ni", which means "two", and "Ico"). However, even after the release of Shadow of the Colossus, Ueda did not want to indicate if the two games existed within the same world. He preferred that the fans should decide that for themselves. Ueda eventually did admit that even though the initial intent was to develop a completely different world and environment from what they had in Ico, the two do exist within the same world. In fact, Shadow of the Colossus is a prequel of sorts to Ico.
What's next
At this point, it is not sure what kind of game Team Ico will develop next, but the platform will certainly be the Playstation 3. In February 2007, a full page ad was placed in Famitsu magazine for additional technical and art staff members. Whether this next game will take place in the same universe as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus is completely unknown as well. Ueda has said that his games are based primarily upon a game-play design, and then he finds a universe to set the game in that best matches that design.
When asked about what can be expected from his team in the future, Ueda comments that he likes to try new things, and tackle new challenges. He also had this to say, "I would like to continue making videogames that I myself want to play."
In the words of it's creator, Fumito Ueda, Ico is a true "Heroic Fantasy Story". For anyone unfamiliar with the story in Ico, Ueda can wrap it up with this sentence, "Ico is a game about holding a girl’s hand and escaping from a castle." And that sums it up very nicely, but this simplicity belies a beautiful sophistication within the game.
Ico
Developer: Team Ico
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: Playstation 2
Releases:
September 24, 2001 (US)
December 6, 2001 (JP)
March 22, 2002 (EU)
February 17, 2006 (EU Re-release)
Backstory
An artist and animator, Fumito Ueda decided to pursue a career in the video game industry specifically because it is a relatively new form of media, and as such, offers more creative opportunities and fewer barriers. Ueda's first job in the industry was with the WARP development team as an animator on Enemy Zero for the Sega Saturn.
Ueda turned next to Sony Computer Entertainment to begin work on a new game, which would become Ico.
Development
Ico began as a CG animation, created by Ueda himself. He did so to give the development team a clear idea of his vision for the game. The team itself was comprised of only around twenty people, and most of them had no prior experience in game development. This was by design, as Ueda sought a team that would not have preconceptions about what a video game should be. Work began in 1998, and at that time Ico was planned to be released for the original Playstation. However, in late 1999 plans changed to release the game on the PS2.
Unique Design
Ico was developed under Ueda's concept of "Design by Subtraction", he wanted to remove anything that made Ico look like a video game. Furthermore, anything that was considered to be hindering the experience of the game would be immediately cut. As a result, there are no life-bars, inventory icons, or Heads-Up-Display of any sort. In game music and dialogue is kept to a bare minimum as well. However, the predominating absence of these elements serves to more strongly emphasize and underscore the gravity of the situations at which they are present.
In fact, details of the protagonist's history are almost non-existent. In the opening scenes of the game, the main character, a young boy named Ico, is delivered via armed escort to a seemingly deserted island castle. The only thing the captors say to Ico is, "Do not be angry with us. This is for the good of the village". And with that, they seal the boy up in an upright stone sarcophagus within the castle and leave. Shortly thereafter, the tomb falls over, breaking, and Ico is free to explore the castle. It is here that the player begins to take control of Ico in order to find a way out. It is obvious that Ico has horns on his head while his captors did not, and that he gave little struggle during his imprisonment, but what else are we told about Ico? Why exactly was he banished? Where did he live? Is there anyone that he cares for back in his home village, and is there anyone that cares for him? And where is he now? What happens in this castle? Why are there no people there?
This, I feel, is part of the brilliance of a game like Ico. Right from the beginning, the player is filled with wonder of the unknown and has to use their imagination to fill in the blanks. Even if the player isn't actively trying to figure out all of the details in their mind before continuing with the story, certain aspects will be filled in. For example, we are never shown the "village" that Ico was delivered from, but just at it's mention, it is likely that given the dress and the mannerisms of the guards and Ico, one will immediately draw a picture in their mind of what it must look like. And in thus doing so, at every step, the experience of the game becomes more personal to the player, as they become a part of the story as well.
Not long after gaining control of Ico, the player will find the second protagonist of the game, a young delicate girl named Yorda. And here is where the core game-play of Ico is introduced. Not only must you find a way out of the castle for yourself, but you must help Yorda out as well. But Yorda is not as agile and athletic as Ico, she cannot climb, jump, and fight as he can. So Ico must find ways to make paths for Yorda, and fight off the shadowy spirits that appear to carry her off; both further complicating your trek through the castle.
Another unique aspect of the game is the fact that the two protagonists, Ico and Yorda, do not speak each other's language and therefore rarely attempt to communicate verbally. This was an intentional design by Ueda, intended to facilitate the player's imagination. In his words, "Personally, I often import games from abroad and play them. On such occasions, my imagination is sometimes stimulated more as I don't understand the language. ICO is a game which intentionally tries to achieve this effect.". Also, his reasoning was that if the two characters could speak to each other, there would be less reason for Ico to lead Yorda around by her hand.
And this too is a simply ingenious means of emotionally involving the player to the story and the characters. The player never directly controls Yorda, but through Ico, they are constantly taking hold of Yorda's hand; to help her leap across gaps, to pull her up to stand, to lead her onward, and even when sitting next to her on a "save couch". Throughout the game, the player is always helping Yorda, looking out for her well-being and giving each other companionship. I became instantly aware of this bond at a specific point on my first play-through of the game. I will try my best to avoid revealing any spoilers in this description for those who have not played the game, but just in case, I have placed the next paragraph within a spoiler box if you are worried. Click below to reveal the text.
***SPOILER***
There is a cutscene toward the end of the game that ends at a crucial point for Ico. The player is then given back control of Ico and you have a split second to choose either your freedom or Yorda's protection. When I first played this, I didn't realize the choice I was about to be given, and as soon as I came to that realization, I had to snatch up the controller and make a hasty decision. A decision I made not because I wanted to continue playing the game (which I did), but because I genuinely wanted to help Yorda. I love video games, and I've played through a lot of games, but I can't ever recall having such feelings for any other game character.
The scope of the ultimate goal in Ico is also quite different from most games. Instead of (yet again) saving the world, or combating against an evil army, you just want to find your way out of a castle and help a stranger to do the same. But despite this, the game feels no less dramatic for having a not-so-grandiose goal. In fact, it may feel even more powerful for all the emotional weight the game manages to involve the player with.
Releases
Of the four releases of Ico, the North American release came first. Rushed to meet an early shipping deadline, the NA release also lacks several enhancements present in the Japanese and European releases such as more challenging puzzles and bonuses for second play-throughs. These bonuses included an unlockable lightsaber-like weapon, second player control of Yorda, and additional dialogue (translated from the imaginary character languages).
Also, while the North American and Japanese releases were packaged in standard cases, the original European version was available in a limited edition cardboard packaging along with game art postcards. However, the initial European release was also considerably under-stocked. A problem which was eventually fixed upon the eve of the release of Shadow of the Colossus, when Ico was re-released in Europe (with standard cases).
Just to note, a novelization of Ico written by Miyuki Miyabe was released in Japan in 2004.
Nico
The next game that the Ico development team produced was Shadow of the Colossus. Just as Ueda created a CG animation for Ico before it's development, he also created a pre-development demo animation for colossus. For both games, it is amazing to see how closely the final product matches with the initial demo videos.
That demo video displays the title, "Nico", which lead to the wide speculation that the game would be a direct sequel to Ico (Nico, being a merger of the Japanese word "ni", which means "two", and "Ico"). However, even after the release of Shadow of the Colossus, Ueda did not want to indicate if the two games existed within the same world. He preferred that the fans should decide that for themselves. Ueda eventually did admit that even though the initial intent was to develop a completely different world and environment from what they had in Ico, the two do exist within the same world. In fact, Shadow of the Colossus is a prequel of sorts to Ico.
What's next
At this point, it is not sure what kind of game Team Ico will develop next, but the platform will certainly be the Playstation 3. In February 2007, a full page ad was placed in Famitsu magazine for additional technical and art staff members. Whether this next game will take place in the same universe as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus is completely unknown as well. Ueda has said that his games are based primarily upon a game-play design, and then he finds a universe to set the game in that best matches that design.
When asked about what can be expected from his team in the future, Ueda comments that he likes to try new things, and tackle new challenges. He also had this to say, "I would like to continue making videogames that I myself want to play."