The GHZ Forum

The original team (including the music composer) have put up a kickstarter to fund independent development of a sequel to Ecco. There is mention of continuing the story, but the primary focus is on creating a zen garden ocean exploration game, much like that other one Gibbon was gushing about that I don't have time to look up now. The "music engine" intrigues me most - in the last generation or two we've had some games that have tried to have variable background music that incorporate the current situation or the player's actions into the algorithm, but I've only seen it done in a limited way. The idea of trying to code something beyond just a battle theme and a regular theme, something really trying to fluidly transist based on the ambient elements of a dynamic environment, intrigues me. It would require a pretty talented programmer and musician working together, preferably someone who's well studied in both.

They'll never make their goal by the end of the month, but they have my utmost respect for even trying to do something like this. If I had the kind of free time to sit around and relax with that kind of chill, contemplative game I'd totally be into it. They want to grow it into an MMO eventually, which has the potential to really hurt that kind of game, and it's hard to imagine the whole "creature card" thing as anything but a money grab, but that's easily forgivable. I really hope they're able to move forward with this, for the sake of the evident passion they have for it more than anything else.

I'm simultaneously surprised and not surprised that this one isn't doing so well. The whole thing seemed kind of fishy (dur hur hur) in terms of what exactly they were making, but I figured the Ecco name would carry a lot of weight. Ed Annunziata's history with Sega is the real thing and I have to respect anyone who had a major hand in oddball titles like Mr. Bones and Three Dirty Dwarves.

I'm surprised they went with more than 30 days for their campaign time limit, it generally isn't recommended for some reason. (I doubt it has anything to do with why they're struggling.)

I pledged $100 to the project on the first day because I want it to succeed, but it's looking like it won't. Sad.

Having some talented, reputable names behind a project can help a lot, but it only gets you so far... especially if you are a newly formed team or studio rather than an established one with a track record of completing and releasing games.

I don't think Ed and company can pull of what Double Fine or Obsidian did, pitching a game that barely exists yet and selling it on name only. They need to sell people on the actual product, not just the team making it. And after watching the video, reading the text and playing the tech demo, I still... don't really have a very good idea of what that product even is?

Ecco the Dolphin is one of my favourite series, but it earned that place in my heart because of the gameplay and the cool sci fi story, not because I love dolphins and the ocean and environmentalist themes and gaia theory. I think the team would have way more luck if they come back with a clearer, more specific project scope and some real gameplay footage. Right now I think the project is just too early and vague to sell people on it.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ann ... sts/459781

Looks like they haven't given up on this and will be trying again with a smaller project. Seems like we all agreed that their concept wasn't well-explained so getting a real prototype/proof-of-concept going is definitely the way to go. Really interesting that it will be free as well (they're clearly banking on getting that prototype spread around as much as possible).