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Nintencats In Production, Well Kinda!

K

Keyser Soze

Member
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=60624

Eurogamer: So what came first - the idea of doing a pet sim, or the idea of creating a killer app for the Nintendo DS?

Hideki Konno: Actually, the original idea was to make software dealing with various types of animals for consoles, and we were doing a number of different experiments based around this.

Then Nintendo DS hardware development project began, and once we realised the DS was going to feature the dual screens, touch screen, microphone and wireless capability, we decided to make the software for the DS. We saw that by making use of the DS's unique functionalities, we could make a game based around puppies, and that it could be a lot of fun.

Eurogamer: You mentioned there that you were looking at other types of animals... Why did you pick puppies in the end?

Hideki Konno: We narrowed down the candidates into dogs and cats - after all, they are the two main types of companion animals loved by people all around the world. Why dogs instead of cats? Well, one of the things we really wanted to do was to let players teach tricks by utilising their own voices.

Cats are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning tricks, and also we wanted to have animals with much more fun-loving natures - we wanted the animals to be able to take part in contests, such as agility competitions, and we wanted people to be able to take their pets for a walk. So we decided that dogs were more preferable than cats when it came to realising those elements.

Eurogamer: Hmm... So does that mean you have no plans to do another version of the game which features cats?

Hideki Konno: Actually we are not excluding the possibility of developing games based on other animals. Now, with the success of Nintendogs in Japan, we are considering other options.

Eurogamer: So, er, Nintencats is a real possibility then?

Hideki Konno: To tell the truth, we were already starting to develop a cat-based game at the outset of this project. So we already have the cat models, voice data and so on.

Eurogamer: All righty then... When do you reckon we can expect Nintencats?

Hideki Konno: Give me more time to review the possibilities!
Click to expand...
 
voice data? o_O

I fail to see what you can do with a cat, other than leave it out in the cold at night if it doesn't come in when you call it.
 
I'd be all over this if you could actually train your dog/cat to be a vicious fighter. Pokemon, except with real animals, gore, and a lot of beatings coming from my little black stylus.
 
Jonnyram said:
voice data? o_O

I fail to see what you can do with a cat, other than leave it out in the cold at night if it doesn't come in when you call it.
Click to expand...

You could watch it ignore you for hours on end.
 
sabine.gif
 
I love how by just adding some generic word to the end of "Nintendo" you can get comedy gold on the internet. XD!!

Nintenretarded. I'll be picking up my copy of Nintendogs tomorrow.
 
The litter changing minigame is gonna be sooo awesome. :)

Why do people act as if all cats are antisocial and cold? Every cat I've had has been cuddly, playful, intelligent, loves spending time with me, and full of purr-sonality. :) Cats are more like a buddy and less like a child than dogs are.

Oh, and call it Famicats in Japan, Kittendo here. :D
 
Hyoushi said:
Here, hehe!
Click to expand...

:lol Oh my.

dancing with cats said:
What if my cat won't dance with me?

Well you have to accept that some cats, like some humans, just don't dance. But a lot of the time cats won't dance because people expect almost instantaneous results. They think they can stroke their cat a bit, then put on the music and puss cat will be boogieing with them in no time. It's not that easy. You have to put hours of time in to the pre-dance energy alignment exercises, like mirroring, remote stroking, mutual purring and so on, before most cats will dain to join you in the dance — and then it's often for only a brief moment. The other problem people have is not being able to relax and let go of their doubts. Cats are extremely sensitive to our moods and people who are even slightly skeptical can easily put the cat off.
Click to expand...
 
Mega Man's Electric Sheep said:
The litter changing minigame is gonna be sooo awesome. :)

Why do people act as if all cats are antisocial and cold? Every cat I've had has been cuddly, playful, intelligent, loves spending time with me, and full of purr-sonality. :) Cats are more like a buddy and less like a child than dogs are.
Click to expand...

I only know of one cat like the one you described. He comes over to our house to sleep on the bench on our porch (and has walked in the house a couple times undetected.

Meanwhile:

awww.jpg


buddyplaying.jpg
> Any cat.
 
AniHawk said:
I only know of one cat like the one you described. He comes over to our house to sleep on the bench on our porch (and has walked in the house a couple times undetected.

Meanwhile:

awww.jpg


buddyplaying.jpg
> Any cat.
Click to expand...

PICT0001.jpg
>Your Dog
 
My cat is always with me. Every time I finish playing a game or turn off my computer, he comes running to me meowing, because he knows he can have my full attention. Of course, if I'm lying in bed playing DS or PSP, he's usually already lying with me. He cries if I go outside without him, and greets me at the door when I get home every day. Stop the cat hate! If you treat a cat right, they can be just as friendly and fun as a dog.
 
I adore cats, and I haven't owned one yet that won't chase a piece of string or run after marbles or whatever. They roll over and play too, some like having their stomach's stroked, others grab you if you do it. And you can make them stand up on their back paws for a stroke if you hold your hand above them...but I still think the game would suck.

They might chase the ball, but they sure as hell won't bring it back to you, unless they happen to bat it your way by accident. You can't give them commands, though they'll probably come when called if it's time for their food. You can't take them on walks and most of the funny stuff cats do, they do on their own.

They should really just do a game where you get a choice of animals, or even mix them up. Cats, dogs...I dunno...fish.
 
Make it so the game zaps you when the cat gets pissed and claws you. That'd rock!

And the cat would have to sometime wander around, then sit on the screen to annoy. own
 
Seaman. There's a mic, there's an internal clock, you can even rub seamen if you wanted to (ew). Grow from eggs, trade, then mix and match and breed -> different personality each time = your seamen can insult you in many different ways!
 
I find this quote
Eurogamer: Did you always plan to develop three different versions of the game?
Hideki Konno: No, actually we were thinking about doing many more! Initially, Mr Miyamoto and Mr Iwata suggested that if we are going to have 15 types of dog, we should have 15 different packages, so that users can visit videogame stores as if they were visiting a pet shop and identify their favourite.
Click to expand...
more interesting. It would have been awesome to see the Media Crate charts filled with nothing but Nintendogs. :lol
 
He, as much I like cats (more than dogs), I fail to see how much can do a game based on them like Nintendogs.

See how you cat looks at you with that expression of "fuck you"
See your cat leaving whenever he wants
See your cat ignoring you
See your kitty playing with a ball forever and getting furious if you try to quit it

A cat can be funny, play with you and stay a lot of time with you, but only if he wants!, not because you order it.

But it´s a game after all, I suppose it doen´t have to be 100% realistic
 
etiolate said:
Nintencats needs string, a laser pointer, mice and LOTS of catnip.
Click to expand...
A laser pointer :lol cats go crazy with those. Nintencats might actually work only if it had a laser pointer mini-game!
 
Mega Man's Electric Sheep said:
If you treat a cat right, they can be just as friendly and fun as a dog.
Click to expand...

So true. I've lived with 6 in my lifetime (2, admittedly, were of the super-affectionate Ragdoll breed - the others are mixed/mutts), and all have been super attentive, affectionate, and playful. They love to be picked up, pushed down to the ground and rolled around, cuddled and played with. A few of them even fetch! And yes, a laser-pointer would be 10x more fun to play with in the game than any bouncy ball is in Nintendogs. Anyone who has used one with a real cat probably knows what we're talking about. :D

I'd never say they're "better" than dogs, because dogs totally rock.. but the cat hate is wayyy out of hand. Especially considering that the cats in the game would probably be kittens, which are particularly fun to play with.
 
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