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SSX Community Event Wrap Up
http://merqurycity.com/ssx_forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=9103
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Author:  gondee [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:08 pm ]
Post subject:  SSX Community Event Wrap Up

I know you guys have been frothing at the mouth for any information we can give on the SSX 2012 Community Event. One of the biggest benefits to going on the SSX 2012 Community Event (or as we call it, the SSX 2012 "Weekend") is that I can give a first-hand account of my experience playing the game and also give everyone at Merqurycity.com a valid, first person evaluation of what the game is like and what potential it has. This is my write up about that. I'm going to borrow soultron's format a little, to be sure I don't forget anything.

Keep in mind I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and I am forbidden from revealing any information about the game that hasn't been revealed by EA themselves, But that doesn't forbid me from telling you about the event itself, and also from giving you my honest impressions of what path the team has taken SSX down, and what potential (if any) it has. That in itself is a pretty big thing, since you never really know just what game journalists like EGM or IGN will choose to focus on and how they evaluate the game. I am doing that here, and I'm doing it in the mind of the hardcore SSX player who played at least a few of the last games. I'm not interested in trying to give an overview of the game for the casual - there were plenty of people there who could take care of that. My main job was to use my extensive knowledge of the history of the entire series of SSX and make sure they weren't repeating the past mistakes that have led the SSX series downhill after SSX 3. If if was clear they weren't headed a good direction, I wasn't going to hold my tongue and was going to let them know. As one of the marketing people told me later in an off-the-cuff moment about my reputation among the folks at EA that read my previous posts: "If we can convince this guy, we can convince anyone."

We got breakfast after entering EA, and signing the NDAs. Then we were off to view the U-Stream event in a room close by.

U-Stream:
The Ustream event itself was far more interesting than I was expecting, and what you saw on screen was what we saw sitting in the audience. I was surprised and delighted to have Todd Batty ask if there were any Merqury City members in the audience before the event even started (a few of us raised our hands.) He then asked "Where is gondee?" and I raised my hand. :D So before we even started I knew they were aware of the SSX Fan Site, which should please you guys. That was a common occurrence over the next few days, and I remember them all.

There were a couple of tech guys who set up lighting and helped with the stream, and a few marketing guys who helped with the presentation. Alain Quinto (on the board as sk88z), our host for the week, was the guy you saw interviewing Batty and another fellow named Duke perused the website looking for questions to ask. Batty has given the SSX presentation a million times and was a real pro in front of the camera. The funny thing is, the way he is on the camera is exactly the way he is off the camera. A nice, cordial, really friendly guy who always had time to talk to us. Connor, the fellow in charge of gameplay decisions for SSX, also was there demonstrating the game on the stream.

After the stream wound down, Todd Batty came and sat with us in the audience and we got to pick his brain a little. He was eager to answer our questions in whatever way he could. Sick One had really, really done her homework and compiled 50 questions from the Question topic that had been posted. I was severely impressed with her dedication, and just as equally impressed with Todd Batty's response. He collected the print out that Sick One handed him, and looked over the questions. Connor from EA asked Todd "Are they good questions?" And Todd got this "I'm impressed" look on this face and nodded. He then wanted to know how we wanted them answered, whether it was by email, in person, or right then and there. Sick One gave him her email address and he said he would get back to us. It turns out we got all 50 questions answered, in person, by Todd the next day. I will detail that later. We also told him that the site loved him and we wanted a Todd Batty statue in the game. Todd ducked his head and blushed.

Physics Demonstration:
After the Ustream event they divided us into two groups (by counting us off at 1s and 2s Red-Rover style :lol ) and we split up to different presentations. The first thing I saw was a demonstration of the physics and gameplay engine. They took us off deep into the heart of EA where they were making the game and introduced us to the engineers who were creating the technological advancements that really define the gameplay experience.

I can't get into specifics, but I can tell you they started us out by showing us a build of the game that was several years old, based on the last-gen games. We have all seen footage of SSX 2012 running and when you compare this with the old build they showed us, it's readily apparent just how far the gameplay has come. The old build showed us the "PS2" way of trick control, and when you really compared it to the SSX 2012 engine it was readiily apparent that doing things the same old way one more time would have made SSX feel antiquated. The The physics engine that controls your character's movement has been really updated and can allow for many new things you couldn't do before, like barrel rolls which you can see in the Mac Gameplay trailer. It really is much different from the 'rotating' at the hips misty/rodeo method of the old games and it really fits the new mentality of the SSX 2012. I think we'll see some real ways people will take advantage of this in the future - it's not as simple as going on a jump and rotating around a central axis anymore, the terrain plays a big part in the tricks you do. It honestly felt really fresh when you see it compared to the old games, and I understood the old system was good, but the new one allows for all the old stuff and so much more.

We also got a demonstration of the physics behind the "Snow" Deadly Descent. It was quite impressive when viewed as a technical feat. I wasn't terribly impressed with the particle animations when I saw the E3 video on this, and was skeptical. But they cited that the physics engine allows the player to experience the track differently every time, and also allows the snow to act realistically instead of as a canned, same-every-time event. This can lead to things like what you see in real life snowboard videos, where snowboarders will jump over avalanch streams as they make their way down a mountain, or even lead the snow to jettison right over them as they make their way into a gully and the snow's momentum carries it off the ledge above and past them. It was impressive stuff and that's just not something you concieve of when all you're concerned about is the reverse camera that you see. Don't get me wrong, there are issues with that, but it will be fine-tuned and will only be on that particular track according to what Batty has said in past videos. I think it will be a killer gameplay experience by the time the game comes out, if it's that impressive now. My concerns about the appearance of the snow were answered as well, as they are still working on the appearance to make it look as authentic as possible.

We also got to see some of the tech behind the way the game recognizes rails. It was interesting and should lead to a very fresh experience. I'm not sure how much I can say about this but suffice it to say that it's apparently quite a technical accomplishment and should lead to some real flexibility in gameplay.

After this was finished, we briefly met up with the other group and then split again to see the second half of the presentation about animation.

Animation:
You've seen the fellow creating the animations in one of the Developer videos, and we met this guy as well. He's got a ton of skill in producing the plethora of tricks that were created for the game. Everyone should know this by now, but there will be a lot of tricks and they will be over the top SSX-style. There won't be any problems with feeling like the game will be too realistic. The tricks are there and are being stylized with regards to body positions and what not to really shine. We saw a few animations as a demonstration including one of the "Signature Character Ubers" - and while I can't expound on what it was or what it looked like, it was definitely worthy of SSX. By the time the game comes out, I think we'll be gawking at what they produce and wonder how we could have ever thought there weren't going to be Uber tricks. I will readily admit I thought this after the debut trailer and feel sheepish now.

Level and World Design:
We got a presentation that began with an overview of the general mountain features that will be present in the game. You can see this in this blog post from EA, so I won't go into details here. Dave Taylor was the guy who gave this presentation and you can tell just from listening to him talk that he knows about natural mountain formations like the back of his hand. He even talked about certain aspects of geography that didn't work and was removed from the track design, which I found refreshing.

He went through information of what a lot of the ranges in the game will be like. I can't go into specifics, but each range will generally have its own theme, and that some of those themes will make for some particular amazing experiences. If you want a general idea of what might be in the game, really pay attention to the concept art that has been released, as most of Dave's presentation featured a good amount of it. I think the concept art, as whacky as some of it is, will really give everyone a good idea of what to expect. So Simulation this game is not. The ideas should lead to some of the most iconic, most memorable tracks the series has ever seen. You know I probably had a deeper memory of the tracks in each SSX game than just about anyone at the SSX 2012 Community Event, and I don't make the statement that the tracks may be the best in the series lightly. We saw some gameplay of unfinished, "first draft" tracks the next day and they were almost awe-inspiring, even at this super-early stage. without any "set dressing" like billboards, flares and other decoration. If all the rest of the tracks follow through, and they are able to realize what is in that plethora of concept art, you may be gawking as you go down the mountain instead of trying to play.

Characters:
I don't think any one area of the game causes as much consternation among our userbase than the characters. I can't say anything specific about what we saw, but we don't have to wait long in order to find out as much as I know, since the characters are supposed to be released at Comic Con in late July. That's only a few weeks and then I can talk as freely as you guys will about what we saw.

Sean Smillie was the guy who did this presentation, and who is in charge of the vast majority of character decisions at EA. If you are looking for a reason to trust him, he told us that he was the one who "created" DJ Atomika and wrote his dialogue in SSX 3, so that should give you some idea of the skill of the people handling the characters you all know and love. Sean went into detail about what he was looking for when designing the characters, including what each character stood for and how they fit in with current snowboard trends. He went into detail about the story behind the game and really gave me the impression he did a mind-numbing amount of work detailing the motivations and backstories of each character, well beyond what we would ever see in-game. So when we're listening to the quotes of each character as they make their way down the mountain, just remember that it wasn't a half-baked thing. Sean Smillie really did his work on this stuff and each decision on each character was agonized over.

I can't go into specifics about who was in or what they looked like, but it'll be a few weeks and we'll all find out. And it was also mentioned a few times that things still can change if the community doesn't like a particular trait of a certain character. So if you don't like Kaori's hair, or Psymon's furry shoulder pads or whatever, find the appropriate topic and post. The guys at Electronic Arts are reading the board guys, and they know Merqury City is the place to go for the people who LOVe SSX characters. When we were on the Animation tour, I looked at one of the cubes to see one of the EA guys actively viewing Merqury City as we walked by! Sean Smillie gave props to MC when he was introducing himself at the beginning of the presentation, and I lost count of how many times Merq was mentioned by Todd Batty when he had a certain comment about the character creation process. We're well known and present in the minds of the team at EA Vancouver. Know and count on that - after a while it became an embarassment of riches in how familiar the team was with us.

That pretty much wrapped up the first day. I will continue with the second day on the next post so that you aren't going cross-eyed reading my wall of text.

Author:  gondee [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

The second day began much like the first, with a good breakfast at a local cafe. We wanted to get an early start so we headed on over the EA a little past 9 AM. Today was the day we would get to playtest SSX 2012 and EA wanted to get our feedback as eagerly as we wanted to give it. Before I talk about that though, I will finish up my recollection of the presentations they showed us, since there were two more we saw the second day.

Audio and Music:
Todd Batty has said many times that music and audio is one of the last things decided in game production, so I don't have any information about specific bands or anything like that. There is a good amount of decision-making that has to be done, and priorities involving bands, licensing, budget and a whole host of other issues have to be considered when compiling the usual kick-ass soundtrack that SSX is known for. I can say with some honesty that I was surprised that the team has as many people working on this side of production as it did - and wow, do these guys know what they are doing!

The funniest tidbit of this particular tour was one of the Audio guys knew Tunes by name and recognized him during the tour! He peruses the board too and knew of Tunes from the music topic! So again, if you have any suggestions about music in SSX, post in the music topic! And also, make fun of Tunes a little, since I saw his head inflate quite a bit after that particular experience. :lol

The first person we met was the sound designer guy (forgive me as I can't remember his name, but Tunes might), who was in charge of things like the sound your snowboard makes going down the mountain when it contacts the myriad of surfaces like wood, ice, snow, etc. He documented the process they used of actually attaching microphones to a snowboard to get an accurate depiction of sounds made in real life. This guy must have ears of steel because the decibel level in his room was RIDICULOUS, and old man gondee wanted to cover his ears. He also documented the other sounds he collected like helicopters and what not, and that was equally impressive. I think anyone with a 5.0 surround system will love this guy when you're boarding down the mountain, because this guy has a passion for audio I didn't know existed.

We met a few other guys on the sound team, including the guy who mixes sound for all the trailers. It was pretty amazing looking at the setups these guys have to play around and create audio, and since SSX is among the most famous video game series in the world for its audio, rest assured it's in good hands. I have no information as to what they are going to decide on, but they inferred the audio in past trailers might be a good guide for the feel of what they are looking for. This of course could change, so keep that in mind.

We also saw some absolutely ground-breaking stuff they are holding back from publication just yet. When you see what they have planned, you will realize the scope of what they are aiming for not only in audio, but in the game as a whole. It's reasons like this that I was completely convinced that the team is shooting for the stars and want to create the best game possible, not only in terms of SSX as a series but in terms of video games AS A MEDIUM. They might not make the stars, but hopefully even if they fall a little short we will end up with a game past almost all of our expectations.

Visual Effects
The one was longer than I was expecting and even included some hands on time with the newest build of the game. The Visual effects team was led by a pair of guys extraordinarily knowledgable about this stuff, including one legend in the film field who worked on the original Tron. They covered a lot of what they were going to do to distinguish between the different gameplay modes in the game, and some of the stuff involved some hands- on play and feedback right then and there. I think most of what we covered is forbidden by the NDA, so suffice it to say that they are looking to push the gameplay experience well past the "snowboard down a sunny mountain in clear weather" that we've seen in the trailers. The gameplay experience should be varied and intense, and if they can pull it off it will be amazing.

I was actually singled out by Todd Batty during this part to play the game and give my feedback. (He said, and I quote, "gondee, why don't you give it try!" :lol I am actually really proud he called me by my handle.) I think at this point he had really been impressed with everything members of Merqury City had to say regarding the game and wanted to know what we thought. If we were worried about being ignored by EA, don't be. Because we gave a hell of an accounting for ourself and I think everyone was impressed. It's entirely possible major gameplay decisions would have been decided based on what we told the team during the Community Event. :yes

Gameplay Sessions
I'm sure this what you all really want to know, but I wanted to really cover what we learned this weekend and make sure you guys know what it was like. So without further ado, here is the info on the game.

Know right away that we played the E3 demo, so what you saw on the Ustream event is what we played. Also be aware that we are embargoed from giving specifics about controls - and as maddening as that must be for you to read, it's as maddening for me to write. Because I want to tell you all what I learned in regards to controls since this is what I most had questions about, especially coming in as the "veteran's veteran", as Tunes called me. Regardless, I will try my hardest to convey in a general sense what the gameplay was like.

When we started the gameplay session, Connor from EA really wanted us to focus on general gameplay actions. So in one 15 minute session we would carve, and focus strictly on carving, and then give feedback on that. In another, we focused on "air gameplay" a.k.a. the tricks and gave feedback on that. During the tricks session, I made sure to pipe up and make my opinions known regarding how the trick system felt and what changes needed to be made from a hardcore SSX veteran's standpoint.

EA has mentioned the controls a little in general terms. I don't know how much I can talk about, but know that there is choice when it comes to controls, and if you don't like some particular way the game controls there is more than one way to play. After I found something I was comfortable with, I settled into a groove and quickly got down into a zone regarding learning the trick system. If you're worried about the controls being too foreign and weird since you played the old games, DON'T BE. It was no issue for me at all - I was learning the new ropes in probably 30 minutes and busting wacky tricks shortly after that.

I got some details about the trick system as it currently exists, and while I can't post anything specific - know that there IS depth to the trick system! That was by far my biggest concern and that was completely put to rest. Hardcore showoff veterans don't need to worry about the game being dumbed down - it's not. Honestly, it might be more technical than some of the other early games - it just hides it's secrets well. Todd Batty and the team have a motto when it comes to describing the gameplay - "Make Awesome Easy, and make Oh My God Really Hard". That's exactly what I wanted to hear and exactly what I wanted to experience and I did.

After the morning sessions we went off and experience the Audio and visual Effects presentations that I mentioned above. Afterward, we had lunch and then did our last gameplay session. This time we were allowed to play the Himalayas track in whatever way we wanted, and we had a contest to see who could run up the highest score in Trick It - with the reward being some unbelievably sweet schwag. I have been running Merqury City for 10 years, and have more and given away more SSX schwag than anyone, so I wasn't worried about trying to win the score contest. My concern was really digging into the details of the game and committing it all to memory, so I took some time to play around with the various features of the game. Just know that no one did more messing around with the different features of the game than I did, and when I am allowed to talk about it, you'll hear it in minute detail. :yes

Despite not being worried about winning the trick contest, I did some major examination of the trick system and broke it down pretty quickly. Connor gave us some hints on the primo path through the Himalayas to take, and after some observation I quickly gave Tunes some insights as to what to take advantage of when trying to rack up the highest score possible. I believe Tunes finished in the top 5 and Soultron finished second, so we definitely whet our appetites on the game. The Himalas as a track itself had a lot of winding paths, although it was very clear there was one optimal path to maximize your score. If all the other courses are like this one, I think your path in the game may be equally as important as what tricks you do off what jump, it's that critical.

The other thing I want to convey is how easily it was for me to lose track of time in the game. I haven't had a zone-in session like that since SSX 3 - and it's largely on this feeling that I base my conclusion that this game might be the best SSX since SSX 3. The whole of the gameplay was absolutely addictive and mesmerizing, and anyone who plays SSX knows that attribute is absolutely critical to the success of any game - and SSX 2012 has that in spades. As I sit writing this, I want to pop the game into my system and play it again. I'm having SSX withdrawals! When I got SSX 3 in 2003, I ordered a pizza, got a two liter of soda and stopped taking showers for 2 days to play. I suspect it will be a similar situation with this game. :yes

After we played the games for a few hours, we all had to fill out surveys. If I could convey to you how much work we put into feedback for EA, it would be this - Tunes, Soultron, djchrisea, Sick One and I were still there after EVERYONE ELSE including the marketing manager had left. We were actually there past the time that housekeeping came into the room to clean! We wrote for probably an hour at least, writing a novel about every aspect of the game, both good and bad. Todd Batty ended up coming down to take us back to meet up with the rest of the SSX Community Event participants, and it was at this point that I singled him out to give NA the apology for calling her Sarah Palin. It should be noted that he did it readily, with good humor and with utmost class, as he does with everything.

Final Conclusions:
At this point, we had a barbecue out on the deck, then wrapped it up and headed back to the hotel. There was drinking later that night as there was on most nights and there of course is photographic proof of that. :lol But we honestly had an amazing time, and did an amazing job. There will be some news later that we will talk about in regards to the site that I think you will be most pleased with - and that's a direct result of the work we Merqurycity.com members put in at the Community Event. If they had disregarded our weight in the community before this, they won't anymore, because we kicked some serious ass. :yes

I can tell you, with all gravity accorded to my position as webmaster of the main SSX fan site for the last 10 years, that this team is trying their damndest to make a game that will usher SSX into the current generation with a bang, and set the tone of future installments in ways that update the series while paying homage to its roots. It's a difficult path to balance those two things, but based on what I saw, I can say they are giving it their best shot. Forget everything you thought when you saw that terrible Deadly Descents trailer, because that is not representative of the entirety of the game. This game is classic SSX 100%, but updated and in a brand new wrapper with features that will make your jaw drop when you finally get to experience them. I know it will do that, because I was Skeptical Sam this weekend, and here I sit converted.

So take a bow, EA Vancouver, you won me over, heart and soul. I hope you knock it out of the park and the game sells 10 million copies. I love this game, and the rest of the world should shortly follow.

Author:  bakalhau [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Holy mother of god. I'm gonna get some supplies for the next few days, that's how long it'll take to read that. I'll post impressions later.

Author:  NA [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Wow Gondee thank you for the detailed analysis and when the time comes it will be fantastic to be able to speak freely and ask you about things we want to know. From your response it looks like EA are doing a great job so far and hopefully our comments, critiques and suggestions are helping them and influencing them.

Author:  gondee [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

You guys deserve the most in-depth analysis I could give without breaking the NDA. That was approved verbatim with no edits from EA Marketing, so consider that my unfiltered analysis of the weekend, with as much as I could say. :)

Author:  NA [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Well I understand it must be harder for you guys than us, going through topics reading speculations without actually being able to tell us anything is tough.

Author:  elIte hooper [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

I just read this whole thing....... This... Is.... AMAZING!!!! I am super hyped up for this game. Thanks for your post gondee, this is perfect!

Author:  Kav [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

What a great read. Thanks for sharing Gondee, you don't know how much I appreciate you putting your heart and soul writing up your experience. It makes me feel like I went and got to enjoy the time there with the devs.

Author:  Yeti [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Nice write up Gondee, im looking forward to what you can actually tell us and whats going to appear from the SSX team in the coming months :thumbsup

Author:  ssx_chicka [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Sounds like everything is progressing smoothly. Thanks Gondee, can't wait to read the answers off the questions topic soon. :cheers :china

Author:  Yeloway [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

That was a wonderful write up Gondee. Thanks so much for all that detail. It really really makes me genuinely excited for the game now.

Author:  UrbanInfinity [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Kav:
Quote:
What a great read. Thanks for sharing Gondee, you don't know how much I appreciate you putting your heart and soul writing up your experience. It makes me feel like I went and got to enjoy the time there with the devs.


THIS! Gondee you are my hero. I've only been a member for awhile but i've read from this site for a couple of years and WOOW i commend you on all your work and all the other peeps up on this site.

This article has me BURSTING at the seams!

Author:  66jzmstr [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

I really appreciate this, gondee. Not just summing up your experience, but to temper your recollection with what you are allowed (and not allowed) to divulge, and to write it succinctly and clearly in addition to that.

THANK YOU! :china

Author:  crispncrunchy [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Great write up Gondee, you guys musta had a intense coupla days. Can't wait to hear the good oil. And I'm particularly interested to hear the news relating to the site, sorta imagine that the MC community can be integrated into the online side of the game. Something like us having MC IDs and the site being able to publish times and scores in real-time. I know you can't say anything. Better start saving for a console :)

Author:  aceofspades89 [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

I never thought that someone could satisfy my longing for more SSX without actually giving a single solid detail about the game away, but you managed it Gondee! This is why you are our leader :D

Author:  Tunes [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

BOOM. i couldn't have said it better myself. though, i do think i'll write one of these myself. definitely won't be as extensive, but i wanna give my own insight as well.

G, that was great. i hope Batty and the devs are reading it. you hit it perfectly.

Author:  Mus [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

The revamped physics and gameplay sound excellent, I was hoping for something like that. They're going in a good direction with the music too, if the audio from the trailers is to be any indication of that. And the rest. Sounds promising as a whole. Yeah.

Author:  Blade-14 [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Going by your impressions, i'm keeping my fingers crossed with high degrees of excitement. sounds like perfection already! :D

Author:  Bildi [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Thanks so much gondee, we are so very appreciative of the time you put in to write up some really great info. I know it must be frustrating to not be able to say everyting, but at this point I think your impressions are probably even more valuable than specifics about controls etc... :china

Thanks all you guys for working so hard on giving them feedback after the session, and Sick One for your hard work on the comprehensive question list. :china

gondee wrote:
I wasn't terribly impressed with the particle animations when I saw the E3 video on this, and was skeptical... My concerns about the appearance of the snow were answered as well, as they are still working on the appearance to make it look as authentic as possible.

That's cool. I really love the idea of dynamic snow being affected by how and where you land. If they can make it look more impressive than the E3 demo I think it'll be killer.

Author:  whoozwah [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

that was so much fun to read. Thanks for taking the time to write it up :)

Author:  SweetWildFlowers [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Ohhh...wow Gondee, how long did it take you to type this up? Thank you so much for this in-depth insight on game. This is very good for those of us who won't go lucky to be there, nevertheless, it seems you guys did a fantastic job representing not just this site, but hardcore SSX fans as well! Thank you. :china

Author:  Froggy [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Wow, haven't been here in awhile. Thanks for the info! I'm looking forward more and more to the game as more info is revealed.

Author:  Granola Hero [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Thank you very much for your detailed report, gondee. I value your opinion greatly, as you have always been very objective in your reviews of previous SSX games, never resorting to slamming a game just because it failed to cater to your personal preferences. Needles to say, seeing you gush about this game in two massive, amazingly written posts is the most excellent sign, indeed. :china

I have a question that you may be allowed to answer. As you know, many of us on this forum, including yourself, have been under the impression that the game was initially moving in a completely different direction (not necessarily in terms of technical developments, but in terms of the general look and feel of the game), and that it was only after the massive fan backlash that things started to turn around. Having seen everything first hand, do you still hold this opinion or are you now convinced that fan backlash was not justified and what you played is the game they planned on creating all along?

Author:  A Sick One With A Smile [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Granola Hero wrote:
I have a question that you may be allowed to answer. As you know, many of us on this forum, including yourself, have been under the impression that the game was initially moving in a completely different direction (not necessarily in terms of technical developments, but in terms of the general look and feel of the game), and that it was only after the massive fan backlash that things started to turn around. Having seen everything first hand, do you still hold this opinion or are you now convinced that fan backlash was not justified and what you played is the game they planned on creating all along?


What we can say is that the game was headed in the right direction the whole time. there's no way they would have had enough time to switch everything around in the span of a few months. i asked Todd Batty this myself in person.

Great write up G :) i was in the middle of writing something myself but i feel like if i post it it just be repeating everything you just said lol so i think ill give my inputs in sections over time; spread it out :)

and also thank you for the shout out in the write up! i really did try my best :D

Author:  switch uber [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: SSX Community Event Wrap Up

Dude, you ROCK, Gondee!
I was initially excited to see a new SSX heading our direction,
then all the fan complains and woes made me concerned...
But knowing you and the others are genuinlely impressed,
that makes me all the more pumped for this game! :woot

And I'm glad you said they read the Music post in the forum;
if my suggestions for music feel aren't taken into account...
at least I'll be able to put my own music in and ride to it!!! :D
http://designers.mx

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