A director has command over everyone and the vision, including a producer. The producer makes sure everyone is doing their job.
Legend of Zelda Wii U Gameplay Demo
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A director has command over everyone and the vision, including a producer. The producer makes sure everyone is doing their job.
In Wind Waker it's actually not a framerate thing, they designed the game to give a brief pause everytime you hit an enemy to give the hits a bit more oomph
I always thought this was intentional, especially with the (awesome) dramatic chords that would actively and dynamically change the encounter themes during battles in that game. There was nothing more awesome than being low on hearts (fastest possible theme tempo) versus a mini boss (bestest miniboss theme in the series) in Windwaker and scoring hits/combos because of this.
ReyVGM
Member
The producer is sometimes the one that gets a project started (at least in movies). Let's say you found a script or a book and you want to make a movie about it. You go and get funding for it, you find a director, and you handle the management part of the project.
A producer can get as involved as he wants to. He can sit back after arranging everything and let the director do his thing, or he can be active on the whole process and provide input.
For example, George Lucas only directed the 1st Star Wars, the other ones were directed by other people, but Lucas was the producer. In that case you can be sure that Lucas was very involved in the whole process.
In other cases, the producer is just a name of someone no one ever met. Some dude that waved a magic wand and got a movie started.
A producer can get as involved as he wants to. He can sit back after arranging everything and let the director do his thing, or he can be active on the whole process and provide input.
For example, George Lucas only directed the 1st Star Wars, the other ones were directed by other people, but Lucas was the producer. In that case you can be sure that Lucas was very involved in the whole process.
In other cases, the producer is just a name of someone no one ever met. Some dude that waved a magic wand and got a movie started.
A producer makes sure...uh, that the game is marketable (thinks about target audience and selling points) And he's the go to person for approval. He's suppose to foresee problems and keep the team on track. Oh and Nintendo is the publisher, but if the publisher is someone else, the producer is the one to make sure the publisher's money is well worth it. Luckily Nintendo puts trust in where they throw their money.
A director is the person who has the main vision. There are usually multiple directors taking on different parts and the producer overlooks them all.
So basically, Publisher (Nintendo/Iwata) --> Producer (Aonuma) --> Directors (???)
Right? I dunno.
ReyVGM
Member
That's no correct. Miyamoto has been a producer for almost all of his games and not a director. That would mean that Miyamoto was not in charge then.
Director is above producer.
ReyVGM
Member
Not always. Miyamoto has mostly been a producer.
ShockingAlberto
Member
This is the western definition of a producer (sort of - a western producer secures money primarily). A Japanese producer generally oversees the product as a whole, guides it, etc. They are not involved in every aspect of production, but can and do make broad changes.
A producer for Monster Hunter, for example, might define what is and isn't Monster Hunter and tear down work he feels doesn't fit, even if the director decided on it.
Arkam
Member
In my experience it means something different in every studio.
Sometimes Producers are managers, sometimes they are simply 'product' owners.
Directors are usually senior managers though they can be department leads(art director, creative director).
ReyVGM
Member
That's a western producer too. For example, George Lucas and the Star Wars movies.
Link/Epona ship?
In what world? Director is usually hired by the producer. The producer usually has the funds and concept, but doesn't have the creativity to make the concept, though if the producer doesn't like something the producer can cut it out. The producer usually does the hiring and firing, deals with most things not involving the creative part of the project, but is above the director. Someone can correct me if I am wrong.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure becoming a producer was a promotion for Eiji Aonuma. Directors are usually younger.
The labels are becoming more and more meaningless in Nintendo games. It seems like most of the personnel over there has input in the design process when they're making a game so everybody's hand is in everything. What a director is over here probably doesn't apply to what a director is at Nintendo.
I mean, the staff credits in the recent Tokyo EAD games is just a list in ABC order of everyone involved. It's impossible to tell who exactly was involved in what.
I mean, the staff credits in the recent Tokyo EAD games is just a list in ABC order of everyone involved. It's impossible to tell who exactly was involved in what.
PooBone
Member
??? Link had an earring in Ocarina of Time. I'm literally looking at the poster on my wall right now.
PooBone
Member
The power of the babe.
He's referring to the earrings they gave him that allow him to withstand heat, taking the place of the Goron Tunic from OOT.
pinkurocket
Member
Was it someone here that suggested a good use of Epona would be as a sort of item-management hub? Like she can carry around a bunch of items, but you can only carry a limited number of items by yourself. That would make for an interesting mechanic where you have to choose wisely when stepping away from Epona into a dungeon for example. I really like that idea.
PooBone
Member
I'm a couple days behind on this thread, but this is the most sensible thing I've read regarding the blue tunic. And I agree. Looking back at Twilight Princess, it's amazing how washed out that color scheme was. I am not a fan.
ZU looks perfect and gorgeous. I'm sure at some point, though, you'll be wearing a green hat and tunic.
You know what should really come back? Kinstones. Not only were those things addicting, I can only imagine how cool it would be to fuse one and then have some new surprise show up in the big, open world. It'd fit well in this game.
Call me weird, but I liked finding the Goddess Chests in SS and then tracking them down in the sky. I like those kinds of sidequests.
I never did the rings thing. Kinstones were fun though.
Yeah, I really hope that's the case. Maybe Link's stamina/speed is influenced by how much gear he holds on his own.
I believe that was me, back at the E3 reveal.
It would be an extension of Skyward's "item storage <-> adventure pouch" system, one of the better parts of that game. Would be great if they let Epona be that.
No.
Producers are above directors.
A producer is in charge of a project, he/she oversees it, makes the budget decisions and also dictates the fundamental structure of a game (at least in Nintendo's case). He basically orders the director to create something based on a specific set of X, Y, Z rules.
TheMoon
Member
No, this is not the case with Nintendo. You're thinking of movies or some Western studios.
You cannot explain this with looking toward other industries or other companies. The Nintendo structure is very much its own thing.
Nintendo: General Producer/Manager (Miyamoto for EAD, Shinya Takahashi for SPD) -> Group Producer (Aonuma, Tezuka, Koizumi, Eguchi, Sakamoto, etc - read: all those famous names who were the directors of classics from our youth) -> Director (enter the names of people you typically don't even know the names of unless you're a credit junkie!).
Yes, like Koichi Hayashida who was just this year promoted to a producer role at EAD Tokyo (supposedly with his own team now which already brought us Ultimate NES Remix and Captain Toad) after having directed three mainline Mario titles there.
The Nintendo producers are the ones that generally say "hey, let's do this now" either based on their own idea or after getting pitched a prototype from within their groups. They then steer the ship, have final say and manage everything while the director is more responsible for the concrete problem solving with feedback from the producer. Staying on the Zelda topic, the group producers often have multiple games running. Look at Aonuma who last year had Zelda for Wii U, Hyrule Warriors, Wind Waker HD, ALBW and, as we now know, Majora 3D to worry about. That's five projects running simultaneously. He has to do regular check-ins for all of those and keep them on track, manage the budget, communicate with the GM (Miyamoto) about overall release schedules and the meta level stuff and then give feedback to the directors and teams making the individual games.
crooked spin
Member
A producer is in charge of the money so therefore a producer has "more power" than a director since they're essentially paying them to do the job. Directors have "creative control" of a project until that comes into conflict with time/budget.
edit: i'm an American and this is my American entertainment industry view of the hierarchy.
edit: i'm an American and this is my American entertainment industry view of the hierarchy.
oh really, do tell
crooked spin
Member
I think it's weird to acknowledge that Zelda Wii U seems to be a bit of a revolution for the series and still say "oh, Zelda can't have a jump button because of OoT (an 18 yr old game)."
Like, what?
Like, what?
Its more of an adventure action game.
Oh, well, okay, that clears up that. At least I know where to find it in Blockbuster Video now.
From what I understand, Shigeru Miyamoto was the Director of Super Mario 64 and the Producer of Super Mario Galaxy.
But I read (I think in Iwata Asks) that Miyamoto was more involved in the development of Super Mario Galaxy than in Super Mario 64... (which is obviously the opposite of what you'd expect to hear).
So, my thoughts are that Producers at Nintendo check in on projects on a weekly or monthly basis, but Directors are working on it on a day-to-day basis and are much closer to the smaller details.
However, I think both roles are creative at the company, but the Producer has the final say as to the overall product when there is disagreement between the two figureheads.
But I read (I think in Iwata Asks) that Miyamoto was more involved in the development of Super Mario Galaxy than in Super Mario 64... (which is obviously the opposite of what you'd expect to hear).
So, my thoughts are that Producers at Nintendo check in on projects on a weekly or monthly basis, but Directors are working on it on a day-to-day basis and are much closer to the smaller details.
However, I think both roles are creative at the company, but the Producer has the final say as to the overall product when there is disagreement between the two figureheads.
Has there been abt hunting at who the Director could be though? I know the last big one was directed by Hidemaro Fujibayashi, who also directed Minish Cap, but A Link Between Worlds was done some new guy. But I assume this game had been in development simultaneously with ALBW so I don't think it's logical to assume the ALBW director will be on this too, unless history contradicts?
I want to say I've heard it's likely Fujibayashi.
ReyVGM
Member
Miyamoto was both producer and director for Mario 64.
ReyVGM
Member
It's not that it can't, it's that it doesn't need it. Auto jump works just fine.
That's like saying Mario needs to be first person or that he should have a gun because that's what most people play and like these days.
I understand what you are saying and Zelda has had jump buttons before tied to items in the handheld series (which are great fun by the way, I don't think I've had that much fun jumping in a top-down 2D game before).
So I would ignore those posters. The designers will do what's necessary.
That being said, I really hope they take a look at Wind Waker HD's design philosophy when it comes to seamless gameplay actions.
the thoroughbred
Member
Also part of the appeal is such a vast open land. It's not based in a city like GTA. It's pastures and orchards and fields and valleys, lakes, caves. These natural areas are a little empty when it comes to things to do, they are still filled with detail, just visual detail. I really like TP, I thought it was a very ambitious game, and the attention to detail is immense.
crooked spin
Member
That's not really analogous at all.
The guy is arguing that the current style of Zelda games was established with OoT (true enough) and adding manual jump would break the "rules" of that style (also true).
But from what we've seen and heard from Aonuma and co. it seems like Zelda Wii U will be establishing a new style and leaving those old "rules" in the past. So if that paradigm is shifting, why is it so implausible to think the ability to manually jump couldn't be included?
I'm not beating the drum for a jump button or anything, to be clear. Some opinions stated here just seem inconsistent with what we know about this new game.
TheMoon
Member
You've heard that here on GAF because we don't know who else. There's no solid evidence because nobody in the press is asking that question and Aonuma doesn't talk about the staff.
Ah, I see. To clarify, I think I heard it from TheMoon on GAF.
It really all depends on the buttons. Do we want to use a whole button on jump when we usually have an action/contextual button instead?
Iwata Your struggle night and day continues but now faced with an even higher hurdle. (laughs)
Aonuma I really don't know what to do! (laughs) For the next one, if we will build on the methods we established this time, we might end up getting into a rut.
Fujibayashi That's difficult. I'm thinking about the next game, too, and I feel like the hurdle is really high.
Aonuma But there is a lot left that we didn't do this time.
Iwata You have limited time and people, so there's bound to be something left over. But five years is a long time. (laughs) Can't you do it in three years next time?
Aonuma Sorry! You're right! (laughs wryly)
Fujibayashi Sorry, I'll think of something that can happen in three years!
I think Fujibayashi is here to stay. :\
TheMoon
Member
Yup. If the game needs a jump button, it will have it. If it doesn't need one, it won't have it.
Adding jump just because other action/adventure games have it is not a reason to add it. Not adding one because all 3D don't Zelda games since OoT don't have one is also not a good reason. It really depends on the game they want to make.
If they want to add jumping to improve open-world traversal, then so be it. If they want to keep you from doing it so you don't get to places you're not supposed to go, then that's fine too. I trust them to do what's right.
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