LostWinds Any chance of Lost Winds and LW2 on PS3?

G'day Team Frontier,

I'm a new Wii owner, and only today downloaded Lost Winds to give it a try, and was very impressed. Now, I'm not suggesting you bring it to the PS3 right away, but once the motion controller thingamijig launches later this year, Lost Winds would work just fine. PS3 gamers would get to enjoy what is a very enjoyable game (and there's a crowd on the PS3 into these types of games - fans of PJM Eden, Flower, that kind of thing), you'd hopefully get to make a goodly amount of money with what would hopefully be a fairly straightforward update to make it HD, and in 1080p, Lost Winds would look even more dazzling than it does now :).

Of course, for me I would personally want a port of Lost Winds 2 - I'm playing Lost Winds on the Wii, but I'm finding the Wii to be a very painful experience for a range of reasons* (see below), and I can't see me using it for much more than Wii Fit Plus and the odd Wii exclusive that _really_ impresses me in the future - which means there's a reasonable chance I'll play Lost Winds 2 if it stays on the Wii, but there's 100% chance I'll play Lost Winds 2 on the PS3, (assuming the port isn't a mess).

(Footnote - issues with Wii, don't read if you're a Ninty fanboy - rant warning ;))
* I've been gaming since the 1980s (back then, I used to write my own games as a kid for the Apple IIE, and the Amstrad 512, as well as design and make (somewhat simple) board games, and have been gaming on one or more platforms ever since), and the Nintendo Wii is the most frustrating and over-rated gaming (video and otherwise, with the exception of gambling) experience I have ever had (granted, I never had the chance to try the power glove or virtual boy ). And it's not the idea of moving my body around that gets me - I really enjoyed the PS2 Eyetoy and the small number of PS3 Eye games that are available, as well as real-life sport and exercise. However, unlike Sony's Eyetoy/Eye, the Wii is a pain to setup (it was the first console to bug out on me during the setup process and require a restart), has limited range (our couch is too far from our TV to use the Wiimote - a _whopping_ 3.5 metres (and I've played around with settings and sensor bar location) - so I have to pull out a chair or stand up to play the thing!), the motion control is not incredibly accurate (credit to Frontier for designing compelling gameplay for it that works), chugs through batteries like its going out of fashion (and, at least according to Nintendo, doesn't take rechargeables), and is about as online-enabled as Alexander Graham Bell's early work (I had to change the settings on my router - specifically the frequency - limiting the effectiveness of my home network's, because the Wii couldn't cope with the 'high' end stuff - something even my PSP had no trouble with!) And then, after all of that, I gave the Wii's best game, Super Mario Galaxy, a run, only to find out that the much-vaunted game was barely a cut above a solid PS2-platformer (the camera in Super Mario Galaxy is actually considerably worse than pretty much any 3D platformer I've played on the PS2 or Gamecube), and is left in the dust by the PS3 Ratchet and Clanks (and while it's a matter of taste, I found playing LittleBigPlanet far more enjoyable). Not to mention that the asymmetrical Wiimote and nunchuk control lead to a sore shoulder after a couple of hours.

So, while there are good games on the Wii, not only do they have to be good enough to overcome the Wii's technical shortcomings in terms of graphics and gameplay, they also have to be worth dealing with chewing through batteries, getting a sore shoulder, and pulling out a chair that's considerably less comfortable than our couch. I know Ninty fans won't like to hear this, but the PS3 is a _far_ better system all-round. Further, my experience with Ninty's best recent games suggests that Ninty has lost its edge with game design (back in the N64 era, Ninty's games were the best in the business - even during the GC days they were solid, if not quite up to the best on the PS2 - but now, they're only a jot above what they were doing on the GC, whereas what's on the 360 and PS3 is leaps and bounds ahead of what was out last generation).

Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to like the Wii (I paid good money for it, after all) - and I _do_ really like Wii Fit Plus (!) - but the technical niggles with the system, and Ninty losing their touch when it comes to their first-person games (I don't mind if the graphics aren't up to scratch, but when they're playing catch-up with graphics and gameplay, then it's hard to justify spending the time and money on Wii games), combined with the ridiculous number of cutting-edge games on PS3, means that I'll enjoy Lost Winds 2 far more on the PS3 than sitting in the middle of the lounge on a kitchen table chair, getting a sore shoulder, chewing through another set of batteries.....
 
Glad you're enjoying the LostWinds experience. With Sony releasing a motion controller bring LostWinds across is certainly a possibility. You'll have to watch this space while the team discuss their options!
 
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Glad you're enjoying the LostWinds experience. With Sony releasing a motion controller bring LostWinds across is certainly a possibility. You'll have to watch this space while the team discuss their options!

Really great to hear you're at least considering it :D. Played some more Lost Winds yesterday, and will do today as soon as I can get to the TV. Only thing holding me back from it is not being able to sit on the couch (well, and my other half watching TV ;)) - and deffo enjoying the Lost Winds experience - I've played a lot of games in my time, and really like the way you've put it together, it's the kind of game I could see being successful on the PSN (of course, would recommend doing a little more market research than that ;)).
 
Really great to hear you're at least considering it :D. Played some more Lost Winds yesterday, and will do today as soon as I can get to the TV. Only thing holding me back from it is not being able to sit on the couch (well, and my other half watching TV ;)) - and deffo enjoying the Lost Winds experience - I've played a lot of games in my time, and really like the way you've put it together, it's the kind of game I could see being successful on the PSN (of course, would recommend doing a little more market research than that ;)).

If you're enjoying the first, I would recommend you also check out LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias. As with all great sequels, the team were able to learn from their experiences of the first game and developing for WiiWare, and so it benefits from some great features and improvements.
 
Absolutely - it was always the plan, I just started with the first as I'd heard it was also a great game (which it is - the more I play, the more I like it :)), and it's usually better to play the first then the second, rather than the other way around. Will admit I'm keen for it on PS3, so I can sit on the couch, not to mention see it in HD, but I'll definitely play it one way or another - credit to your dev team for creating a genuinely new, original, fun and interesting series - I hope it brings you lots of success, as it's definitely brought me a lot of fun, and I've still got LW2 to look forward to :).

Thanks for your replies, and good luck with the rest of the series (which I'll definitely be getting, on one platform or the other).
 
Absolutely - it was always the plan, I just started with the first as I'd heard it was also a great game (which it is - the more I play, the more I like it :)), and it's usually better to play the first then the second, rather than the other way around. Will admit I'm keen for it on PS3, so I can sit on the couch, not to mention see it in HD, but I'll definitely play it one way or another - credit to your dev team for creating a genuinely new, original, fun and interesting series - I hope it brings you lots of success, as it's definitely brought me a lot of fun, and I've still got LW2 to look forward to :).

Thanks for your replies, and good luck with the rest of the series (which I'll definitely be getting, on one platform or the other).

It's unfortunate you're unable to play the Wii without standing up. I've been able to play my Wii while sitting quite far away, though the cursor does spasm a little from being at distance. Is your TV / sensor quite high up? Is this why you have to stand rather than sit?
 
I don't have to stand up, but I do have to either stand up, or bring another chair in front of the couch (or move the whole couch about 1.5 metres forward, but it's fairly heavy, so don't take that option!) Have tried varying the sensor placement and the sensitivities, and holding the Wiimote at different heights, and it seems to have no effect. Sometimes I can get it to register briefly from greater distances, but only for matters of seconds and then it's all over unless I move within the 3 metres range again. Appreciate your advice though :).

However, I think enough is enough for me. I've been giving the Wii a good shake since picking it up in January, and besides Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus and Lost Winds, everything else I've tried has been a chore to play, either because of the nature of the system or because Nintendo hasn't kept up to speed with modern game design. The three games that worked, worked because they had simple controls that focussed on Wiimote - as soon as the Wiimote/nunchuk combination starts happening, things tend to start to fall apart - although Super Mario Galaxy worked pretty well except for the motion control parts (the spin attack registering was pretty mediocre, a button press would have been more accurate and reduced frustration - and don't start me on the 'balance ball' thing). While Metroid is much more playable with the ability to turn and move at the same time (the Gamecube controls were pretty atrocious, it felt like Samus was an elephant), I get a sore shoulder after playing for a couple of hours (and the buttons on the Wiimote aren't particularly well placed for games that require more than just the A and B to be pressed regularly). And I didn't try Zelda:Twilight Princess, as I find the Zelda games boring and contrived (a story a five-year old could come up with, terrible dialogue, lots of boring walking around, puzzles that are trial and error (or warped logic) rather than good solid logic. And if Zelda, Metroid and Super Mario Galaxy aren't up to scratch, I can't see any sense in spending any more money on games for the system*.

So after giving it my best shot, I'm going back to a platform where the games are generally better designed (NOT a reference to Lost Winds), and the control system doesn't make me ache! I'll still use it for Wii Fit Plus (the whole point of exercise is to ache :D) and Wii Sports Resort (which I found a lot of fun), but at the moment I'm passing up on playing Assassin's Creed 2 and the latest Ratchet and Clank for inferior games on an inferior system (for anything other than motion-control heavy games). Just like the Gamecube, I didn't come to the Wii with an anti-Ninty bias (or I wouldn't have bought the blasted thing in the first place), but after trying the best the system has to offer, it feels like a step back from the PS2.

*It just so happens, though, that I have 1000 points left on my Wii Points balance, and so I reckon I'll say goodbye to my 'core' gaming on the Wii with Lost Winds 2, that way I'm sure I'll leave with happy memories - Lost Winds stands out as more enjoyable for me than any of the Nintendo 'heavies', and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've done with the sequel :). Good luck for the future - after my experience, a frontier-dev'd game is about the only reason I'd come back to the Wii for more than Fitness or party games - although still strongly encourage you to give them a crack on the PS3 ;).
 
Aye - I have to say, by the time the PS3 gets its Move stuff released, I would happily buy LW1 and 2 to play them again on it :) (in fact, while I've bought LW2, it's still sitting on the Wii unloved - just can't bring m'self to touch the Wii again, it's given me _that_ much fun :rolleyes: - I'll get there (and you've already got the money :)), although if you were to announce LW2 for the PS3 I wouldn't have to (I would _happily_ buy it again to not have to play it on Ninty's rather painful white box) ;).
 
Its a good point this. I imagine that with both the PS3 and Xbox360 getting motion based controls the possibility of Frontier releasing LostWinds on both formats with the increased sales that would bring.

(And yes I'd buy them both again as well if they came out on 360 ;) )
 
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