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Pac Man, Ico Creators Discuss Classics At GDC

Posted by simoniker on from the relevant-icon dept.

Thanks to GameSpot for its article covering a lecture by Pac Man creator Toru Iwatani at Game Developer's Conference in San Jose, during which the long-time Namco employee discussed his role in the company's Incubation Center, and "cited Namco's travel photography site NamcoPolo and Counter-Strike LAN cafe LEDZone as two examples of past projects" from the department he heads. Elsewhere, GameSpy has coverage of a lecture by the creators of Sony's ICO, in which its revealed that the PlayStation 2 game "was originally developed as a PS1 title" - however: "When a question was posed concerning the oft-rumored sequel to ICO -- commonly referred to as Nico -- Ueda gave an expected 'no comment' response." Update: 03/25 22:39 GMT by S : There's more comprehensive coverage of the ICO lecture over at 1UP.

21 comments

  1. Creator? by john_sheu · · Score: 3, Funny

    Pac-man creator? He must be like 200 years old by now...and chomping them magic pills by the bucket just to stay alive

    1. Re:Creator? by UltimaL337Star · · Score: 1

      with terrible games like bmx xxx out there, he's probably still running away from his old ghosts

  2. ICO by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

    Wasn't ICO the game that everyone claims to have the saddest ending they have ever seen in video games?

    1. Re:ICO by Neon+Spiral+Injector · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I was sad until I walked down the beach. That made it better. Then I was just sad it was over. One of the best games I have ever played. Can't recommend it enough.

    2. Re:ICO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm working my way through this now.

      I can't wait for a sequal. It is so far ahead of almost everything else I've played lately, it's a little sad really.

    3. Re:ICO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

      I don't know that its the saddest, but SCEA made no secret of the fact that Ico was originally a PS1 title.

    4. Re:ICO by nathanh · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I was sad until I walked down the beach. That made it better. Then I was just sad it was over. One of the best games I have ever played. Can't recommend it enough.

      I would have preferred an ending without the beach. It was a tragic yet moving ending without the beach. The beach scene made it Disney-esque.

      That said, it was an astounding game. Easily my favourite PS2 game.

    5. Re:ICO by deek · · Score: 2, Insightful
      • I would have preferred an ending without the beach. It was a tragic yet moving ending without the beach. The beach scene made it Disney-esque.


      Without singing and dancing, you can't really compare it to Disney. ;)

      Actually, I quite liked the ending as it was. Maybe you prefer the semi-tragic ending, but I liked the resolution of what happens to Yorda's body (and presumably spirit). Plus, it sets up the scene for a sequel. And that is a Good Thing!

      Totally agree with you that it's one of the best PS2 titles. It's almost Nintendo-esque in its innovativeness.
    6. Re:ICO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When Aerith died in FF7 - now that made grown reviewers cry.

    7. Re:ICO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      over rated, highly redundant. Aerith/s/ph was a rediculous, impersonal, dull character and I didn't care a whit when she died.

      Square's done much better in previous games for tugging at the heartstrings.

    8. Re:ICO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I dont see what that has to do with anything. I also don't think I've ever heard that before, who cares if it's a PS1 title originally? What the hell are you complaining about?

    9. Re:ICO by lukeml · · Score: 1

      Yeah, walking down the beach made it one of the most satisfying endings ever. Ico is definitely one of my all-time favorites.

    10. Re:ICO by banjobear · · Score: 1

      Ummm., that's not flamebait, given that the next 15 posts below this one all say essentially the same thing.

  3. ICO by Carlos+Rodriguez · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's another article about the ICO conference at 1up.

    ICO is one of the most amazing games I've played, and much of that is due to the attention to details. The first time I held Yorda's hand and I felt the tug through the Dual Shock I was sold on the game. A pity it didn't do better in the market, though - it really deserved to do better.

  4. Original ICO movies/screenshots? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does anyone have any media of it during development?

  5. I don't own a console by News+for+nerds · · Score: 2, Insightful

    like PS2 or others and only play PC games,nonetheless this music at the official Japanese site is so cool... is it the music that is in its title screen or somewhere?

    Then I saw demo movies... it's mind blowing. I played Prince of Percia: the Sands of Time on PC in 2003, but ICO in 2001 looks better than that!! Its beautifully animated character, consistent camera, look nicer than PoP. I'm sucker for such lyricism expressed in ICO, and anxious about short-sighted designers of current PC games market, though I know without backing of SCEI for PS2 4-year development is impossible in PC games except for Duke Nukem Forever... I really hope PS3 go higher than PC games in technical specs, then I will convert back to console gaming.

    1. Re:I don't own a console by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      nonetheless this music at the official Japanese site is so cool... is it the music that is in its title screen or somewhere?

      It's the credits/ending-sequence music. The whole sequence is incredible, and that music definitely adds a lot.

      I don't think I'm alone when I say that this game is, by itself, worth buying a PS2 for.

    2. Re:I don't own a console by wickedj · · Score: 1

      ICO was one of the first games I bought for PS2. I've been sorely disappointed by every PS2 adventure game afterwards. There has been no PS2 game that I've felt more attachment to than this one. This is what games should strive for. It's short and there is barely any dialogue but dang, what a fantastic story this game delivers!!! By the end of the game, you are totally involved in the relationship between the boy and Yorda. You actually care about the characters.

    3. Re:I don't own a console by dsyu · · Score: 1

      Yeah -- after playing both ICO and PoP, IMHO, it definitely feels like several moments in PoP were inspired from ICO (I could swear there was a bridge-lowering puzzle that was extremely similar).

      Either way, both are great games, but ICO had a "feel" that stayed with me. If you liked PoP, you should definitely check out ICO (although PoP's combat system, of course, was better than ICO's).