July 27, 2006 - Poland-based Nibris recently sent some exclusive information our way regarding their highly-anticipated yet highly-mysterious Wii title, Sadness. Fans holding their breath for any new in-game shots might as well pass out now; Nibris has said that they will not publish any screens without the direct approval of their publisher. Just who exactly that publisher is remains a mystery at this time. The only comment we could get out of Nibris relating to this issue is that the publisher is neither Atlus nor Majesco (two companies heavily rumored to be publishing the game).
Nibris also is not going to provide any closer information on the game's scenario at this time: "Sadness is a novelty on the video games market. Both the story and the presentation of the game is going to be a surprise for a player," claims Adam Artur Antolski, one of the game's scriptwriters, "You must forgive us the fact that we present such scarce information about Sadness, but we hope that once you play it you will understand our circumspection. We do not want to spoil the fun."
Nevertheless, despite withholding specific details about the game, Nibris has given us a whole lot to think about regarding their Wii-exclusive horror title. The information presented thus far has given us but a small taste of a title which could fill a wholly unique niche in the Wii's software lineup. The game is not only much more adult-oriented in content than what we have come to expect from titles exclusive to Nintendo consoles, but it is also stylistically distinct from any other video game on the market at the moment. We must remind readers of the key selling point to Sadness's graphical presentation: the game will be shown entirely in black and white. For Sadness, Nibris is trying to create a haunting atmosphere of Victorian-era horror. In order to better increase the photorealism of the in-game environments Nibris opted for this graphical technique. If this pans out, the game could end up being visually distinct from anything else out there.
Due to the scale of the project, Nibris has invited some recognized development teams to join in on the production of the game. Frontline Studios -- a 30-person team with experience developing for Nintendo platforms -- will be responsible for the programming of the game. 3D graphics specialists, Digital Amigos, will be saddled with the creation of the visual side of the game. A demo reel showcasing the recent 3D graphic work of Digital Amigos can be found here. Additionally many outside consultants including psychologists and horror authors were brought in to aid with the development of the title.
Finally, Nibris supplied us with one more telling detail about the game: Sadness will not have any in-game menu system or HUD. Unlike pretty much every other game on the market, Nibris is attempting to amplify the horrific aspects of their game by making the world as realistic and immersive as possible. This also corresponds to the in-game usage of the Wiimote. "We are aiming at completely intuitive behaviour of the player - just as in life. Every choice a player makes is essential - if you experience traumatic events in your life, they are with you all the time. This will be the same in Sadness. We want the player to feel that he is participating in events, not merely playing a game," says Piotr Bielatowicz, game designer. The Wiimote is going to be a key element in elaborating on this gameplay goal: operations using the Wiimote will be completely intuitive. If there is an item in the environment, such as an umbrella, the player need only reach out with the Wiimote and grab that item. The player can then manipulate that item realistically through motioning with the controller. This should provide players with a whole new level of involvement in the actions of the game's characters. As a further effort to heighten the realism of the game, Nibris has said that they will be employing a save system that will be completely invisible to the player.
Despite the fact that the game remains largely as mysterious as ever, we can't help but feel our excitement growing for Sadness. The Wiimote has offered players an ever-expanding means by which we can interact with in-game environments, but thus far the games announced for the system have not exactly taken advantage of this to its fullest potential. Sadness looks to be one of the first Wii games that fully utilizes the Wiimote in order to really make the player feel the game. Every action in the game will be performed completely intuitively and naturally, making the horrific scenario all the more immersive.
No matter how excited for the title we are at this point, we are going to have to try to contain ourselves. Nibris has said that Sadness will not launch sooner than Q4 2007.
http://wii.ign.com/articles/721/721396p1.html
