Fumito Ueda spoke a bit about video games as art - of course they are; both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are excellent examples of that fact - and for the most part, I expect great things from his new project. But was anyone else just a little concerned about that game update…? It doesn’t worry me so much that the boy doesn’t have a name, but the following sort of stuck out: “…haven’t quite decided on the actual method of controls and button layouts.” Really? I know the game isn’t due out until the end of next year, but without the actual mechanics, isn’t the game little more than an interactive theory right now? Doesn’t that imply the team hasn’t even figured out how much control we’ll have over the boy, or even what we’ll be able to do with him? And what about the commands given to Trico, which I’m assuming will have to be included? It’s just a little worrisome.

Maybe I don’t know enough about game design but I would’ve thought basic controls would be one of the first things a developer tackles. Granted, we are talking about more of an artistic game, and I certainly appreciate an emphasis on atmosphere, story, presentation, and emotion. But this is still an interactive medium, so don’t wait too long to nail down a set of solid and reliable controls…