EA vets create a new with the goal of bringing back that NBA Street energy with a new... IP!
Game Industry Biz, spoke to CEO Scott Probst and creative director Mike Young about what the sports games market is missing while serious simulations dominate. Clearly they're viewing a problem they hope to be a solution for, but... we can't overlook other studios like Playground Sports and their contribution to the arcade sports genre in recent times.
It is interesting to see EA vets form their own studio for the sake of releasing their own version of NBA Street. It will certainly break away from what EA would target legally if they aren't the publisher, but one thing I scratch my head about is will they have official players or... are they going their own way in terms of creating their own characters.
If they choose to take this route, the fun factor will have to be through the roof, because a number of people don't simply play these games just to play with... Jammin John Doe with the double dunk. They play sports games usually because they love gaming + sports and want to be a part of the experience when it comes the league and their favorite teams and players. All it took was inviting my parents to a Heats game back when the big three called the team... home, and they were hooked. Playing sports games of the past, just like the present, is also motivated by the fanfare a good chunk of the time. I won't say it's doom and gloom, because some of us grab arcade sports games just because they're fun (I've played some no name titles back in the day myself)... but there are also other options Play by Play can take if they approach the player associations rather than the league (i.e. What Playground Sports did with Wild Card Football).
I didn't see anything in the Game Industry Biz article about not grabbing the license to make things official, but... the way they use examples like "Nintendo's Mario-fronted sports games" and mentioning fighting games who got their start with unrecognizable characters, it's easy to assume that the characters won't be recognizable during this first go round.
Will it matter? We shall see, but... I wish them the best either way if gamers are satisfied.
KANAGAWA, JAPAN, January 9th, 2024 -- Yatagarasu Enter the Eastward, a new original 2D fighting game, will be released worldwide on Valve’s Steam platform and on the NESiCAxLive platform in Japanese arcades. The game release announcement was held at CES 2024 in collaboration with the gaming hardware maker MadCatz Global Limited.
This new Yatagarasu title builds upon the world and characters of the previous installment ‘Yatagarasu Attack on Cataclysm,’ with new characters and painstakingly balanced gameplay, and also combines high-quality traditional pixel graphics with simple gameplay that anyone can easily pick up and enjoy.
Plus it's fight-stick-friendly! - Blu
Mad Catz Collaboration
The game also features an in-game collaboration with Mad Catz in the form of stages inspired by the
renowned maker of gaming hardware.
Overview
Following "Yatagarasu Attack on Cataclysm", "Yatagarasu Enter the Eastward" introduces a new parallel world with new characters and gameplay meticulously optimized for your enjoyment. This game preserves the classic 2D fighting game format and features high-quality pixel graphics and a simple gameplay style that anyone can pick up.
■Story
Dec 25th, 1926. The imperial era name transitions to "Kobun” and seems to herald the dawn of a new
period in history... but behind the scenes, a Japanese nationalist revolutionary group has staged a coup d’etat with the goal of restoring "the divine nation of Japan." The revolutionaries acted swiftly, seizing control of the Prime Minister’s residence, the police department, major corporations, and newspapers.
Struggling to react, former government forces initiated a secret plan to eliminate key figures involved
in the coup through an assassination program known as "Yatagarasu." This covert operation was
assigned to the "Iga Clan", a ninja clan that exists today as an intelligence agency and who are also
known as "Government Dogs."
■New Characters
Wugui (VA: Shinobu Matsumoto)
An elderly butler who serves the last descendant of the now-deposed Suitoku royal family. Wugui was
retained by the former king, but his demeanor and skills are uncharacteristic of a butler and his
background is shrouded in mystery. He intends to use the current unrest in Japan to manipulate the
government and restore the royal family.
"It's time to purge."
Ao Tienyi (VA: Yumiri Hanamori)
The last living descendant of the Suitoku royal family. When the royal family was dethroned, she was
spirited away by Wugui and lived in hiding. She has agreed to Wugui’s plan to use the current unrest
in Japan to rebuild her former kingdom. Tienyi is naturally timid but decided to take on the role of the
"bright and cheerful princess" after being deeply moved by Kotaro's acting.
"Have I become the lady you wish for?"
Sistan (VA: Hisako Kanemoto)
Originally an automated doll designed to bring joy to people, Sistan was reprogrammed by a certain
nation to become a secret operative. She was dispatched to Japan on a mission to locate a ‘Divine
Drive’ said to be able to predict any event or grant wishes.
"I will execute my orders... and eliminate all obstacles..."
■ About Yatagarasu Enter the Eastward
"Yatagarasu Enter the Eastward" is an original 2D fighting game. Our goal was to provide easy-to-
understand gameplay so many people can enjoy the fun of fighting games. We deliberately kept the
gameplay simple and focused on building a strong base around the fundamentals of fighting games
and enabling players to enjoy the fun, core aspects of fighting games.
・An Original 2D Fighting Game
An original 2D fighting game designed in the pixel art style which has become less common over the
years. We paid close attention to designing appealing character designs and animations that can only
be expressed in old-school pixel art.
・Core "blocking" System
Yatagarasu's core gameplay mechanic is the blocking / "BL" system, which centers on deflecting your
opponent's attacks and counterattacking. This simple system makes it easy to understand and apply
strategy in the game.
・Simple Game System
For a modern fighting game, Yatagarasu is very straightforward. Our goal was to create a game that
anyone can pick up and play but also offers deep gameplay.
・Commentary System
In live settings, fighting games have an off-screen appeal that includes fun smack talk, cheering, and
commentary to engage the audience. To recreate this lively off-screen excitement, we’ve integrated a
commentary system into the game. This is a unique feature where real-time commentary and hype
play out as matches develop.
・Network Battle Support
For "Yatagarasu Enter the Eastward", we've implemented our own netcode from scratch. You can enjoy
smooth online battles with minimal network lag. This game includes a variety of features such as ranked matches, lobby matches, playing while waiting, and spectating. You can also use a website (Yatagarasu News) to check the current match status from your smartphone.
・Long Production Period and Intricate Improvements
We’ve worked on the production and updating this game for for a long time, constantly improving the
quality while listening to feedback from the fighting game community.
