Interview with Nic Watt from Nnooo

I have recently had an interview Nic Watt, the creative director of Nnooo. The interview is below:

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Q – I understand that “myLifeCollected” is a collection of applications designed for DSiWare. What situations do you think a myLifeCollected app will enhance? 

With myLifeCollected we are trying to create software which will allow Nintendo DSi owners to simplify and enhance their lives. One great example of this is myNotebook which will allow them to always have a way to jot down thoughts, notes, email addresses etc while on the move. Instead of carrying a pen, paper and Nintendo DSi they just need a DSi! 

Future applications in this series will also provide fun, time saving ways of making your life more simple on the move.
Q – Will each myLifeCollected app be restricted to the space constraint of 200 point software or will some apps be 500 point apps?

We would very much like the bulk of them to be available at 200 points. However if the series proves popular we may work on a more ‘Professional’ range which have advanced features and sell for a higher price.
Q - Are there customization options to change the “colour” or size of the “pen”.

Yes in myNotebook the user can:

1. Change between a pen, pencil and eraser
2. Change the pen/pencil ink colour between Black, Blue, Red, Green and White
3. Change the pen/pencil/eraser thickness between thin and thick
4. Change each page to be lined or squared paper
   1. This is on a per-page basis so you can have some pages as lined and others as squared

Furthermore each version of the book has 18 paper styles to unlock to allow users to further customise their notebook.
Q – How did the idea for PopPlus Solo come about?

We had a lot of ideas which we couldn’t get into Pop on WiiWare or iPhone in time and so decided that we really wanted to do a final version which completed our vision of the game. When DSiWare was announced we decided that it would be a great platform for such a title and set about working on it. As we got further through development we realised that the multiplayer aspect was going to take longer than expected so we decided to split this version in two and have a Solo and a Versus version.
Q – Did any size problems come about while developing Pop Plus Solo? 

Nope we have been really clever at optimising the size of the game so it will take up as little space as possible. myNotebook has also been optimised to ensure that we can get the maximum number of pages possible within the size we are allocated.

 
Q – Did you consider your company “less” accepted by Nintendo than more closer developers, say, Capcom?

We have not noticed any different treatment from Nintendo. I am sure that companies like Capcom have more people they can dedicate to just focusing on their relationship with Nintendo and the like. For us at Nnooo we are still quite small and have to balance all the business relationship building with actually making a product!

We have always found Nintendo great to work with and currently have no major complaints.

 Q – Do you have any other future DSiWare ideas from Nnooo that you can share?

Well we have at least one more myLifeCollected app in the works which we can hopefully talk about in the next few months and we are at the beginning stages of our next game. Our next game is a brand new franchise which we think will launch on the DSi sometime next year.

Sorry I cannot be more specific than that!
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I am looking forward to PopPlus Solo and the apps! 

No problem and thanks for interviewing me. We hope your readers enjoy it.

Yours,

Nic Watt

Creative Director

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I would like to thank Nic Watt for this opportunity and hope future success for him and his company.

Too shocking for words – Copyright Bill

I am SHOCKED by the bill that might be passed by the Canadian goverment. I am speechless and will quote from GBAtemp to give you guys the horrifying news.

A little over one year ago I came to you with an urgent message regarding Canadian copyright reform. I implored your assistance in an issue that would affect the digital way of life of all, Canadians and non-Canadians alike.

Through word of mouth, the efforts of the GBAtemp.net community, the Canadian Coalition for Electronic Rights, as well as Canadian citizens and internet users everywhere we were able to make a difference.

With no less than 50,000 topic views, 245 accumulative topic replies, nearly 2600 diggs, 365 digg discussions, and over 20,000 letter submissions via the CCER website which were then physically mailed to each minister. Over one-hundred thousand were sent in total. It is because of the monumental level of support given that we were able to accomplish that, allowing for the situation to be postponed and re-approached.

Your actions were in fact so impactful that the government of Canada has opened up the debate to the public; consumers and creators alike. They want to hear your opinions on the issues at hand so that the interests of all Canadians can be taken into account. However, public consultations are not usually done in the summer months, so speculation suggests that the government is trying to fast-track the bill with minimal resistance to make it law by Christmas of this year.

Until September 13, 2009, you can do your part by participating in the ongoing copyright consultations across the country by visiting www.copyrightconsultation.ca and registering for upcoming live townhall meetings and webcasts, or via e-mail submissions.

As a consumer of digital media and electronics, Canadian or otherwise, you stand to be greatly impacted by changes to Canada’s copyright regime. If we do not voice our concerns we run the risk of having a backwards and unnecessarily extreme system of copyright law imposed upon us. Imagine living in a country where corporations and US lobby groups dictate how you consume information, media and utilize technology.

This reality would make owning, purchasing or operating devices such as flashcarts, modchips, and so on entirely illegal; even in the context of homebrew applications for private use. Fine upstanding businesses such as Canadian GBAtemp affiliates KickGaming, ConsoleSource, and electrobee would be hurt as well by such legislation. Not only limiting them, but we the consumer as well.

Please spread the word, everybody. Signing out

Review: Pokemon Platinum

I recently ordered Pokemon Platinum a week ago. It arrived on Wednesday and it is one great game. I’ve had some troublesome moments with the game but I still enjoyed it.

Story

It starts off as you and your friend (rival) attempt to go to Professor Rowan to get Pokemon. Professor Rowan deemed them worthy and gave you both a choice of starting Pokemon. This choice varies between Piplup (water) , Turtwig (grass ) and Chimchar (fire). Once you obtain the Pokemon of your choice, you embark on an adventure to become the greatest trainer ever. Several storyline elements have been changed in Pokemon Platinum.  A police officer (Looker) appears throughout the game and a new Team Galactic leader (Charon). Later in the game you go to the Distortion World. The Distortion World defies gravity so you can walk on walls and go down, up waterfalls. The 3D graphics in the Distortion World disappoint because it is a known fact that the DS could produce better graphics than the graphics there. The changes in Pokemon Platinum’s storyline are minimal to say the least. Some of the mythology has changed due to Giratina’s increased presence but few people care about that. Pokemon Platinum’s story is great for newcomers and is decent for people who played Pokemon Diamond/Pearl.

Animal Crossing Possibilities

There is so much untapped potential in the Animal Crossing series. Here are a few of my ideas.

• Permanent Job

This is a virtual reality simulator and there is no job. The only part of the series that includes a job is in the beginning with Nook. They could incorporate the ability to get laid off due to attendance and get a certain amount of “Bells” (AC currency) in your account each month.

• Own Vehicle

I would love the ability for Nintendo to add an ability to ride a vehicle on a highway. If driving over the speed limit add the ability to get penalized and charged “bells” (AC currency).

Happy Canada Day!

Today is Canada Day. July 1st. Happy Canada Day to all Canadians. And to all Americans I will celebrate Independence Day in advance. Happy Independence Day!