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Michel Ancel doesn't agree with Miyamoto comparisons, doesn't play Mario, Miyamoto found issues with BG&E
A portion of a GameKult interview with Michel Ancel...
GK: You have often been nicknamed the "French Miyamoto." Is this something that amuses you or bothers you?
MA: No, it's okay, there are worse comparisons. But I think I'm very different from Miyamoto. And not just because I do not speak Japanese. To me, he focuses heavily on the gameplay, on his franchises. I have a different approach, I really like to also work with tools. I love the idea of introducing the art in games, with narration, graphics, music, and make the best possible synergy with the gameplay... We have two different approaches, different paths. He's still a superstar in the field!
GK: Have you had a chance to meet him?
MA: Yes, but I've never worked with him. Of course I would like to. We have already met, however. Moreover, he said he was not so convinced by BGE ! (Laughter) In fact, he thought the collaboration with Pey'j was very interesting, but was not satisfied with the cameras. He suggested we look at what they did with Super Mario Sunshine .
GK: For Rayman Origins, I guess you had to look at New Super Mario Bros. Wii?
MA: As far as I'm concerned, not at all! I will say something awful, but I do not play Mario, I don't like to slip, I do not like this inertia, I do not like that you can not slap! I think the game is fabulous, I understand people love it, but it is not my cup of tea. Me, I was rather into Ghosts'n Goblins, Heart of Darkness, Another World, games where the narrative was important. Beyond that, it's the controls of Mario that are very interesting, but which I have trouble to get used to. I feel like I can see too much through the game mechanics ("la ficelle ludique" - kinda hard to translate), even if it's a game that works, it is absorbing, obviously.
As for LittleBigPlanet, I've played very little because I found the physics and controls rather tricky. Yet the game designers who worked with me did not stop to tell me: "You should look at Donkey Kong ! You should see Mario ! " There is always a form of influence. In fact, we all face the same issues. In a multiplayer 2D game, what should happen when a player dies? How does he comes back in the game? Should we keep him waiting? We didn't want to force the player to wait, so we gave him a little control. These are issues that come back.
Full interview here
GK: You have often been nicknamed the "French Miyamoto." Is this something that amuses you or bothers you?
MA: No, it's okay, there are worse comparisons. But I think I'm very different from Miyamoto. And not just because I do not speak Japanese. To me, he focuses heavily on the gameplay, on his franchises. I have a different approach, I really like to also work with tools. I love the idea of introducing the art in games, with narration, graphics, music, and make the best possible synergy with the gameplay... We have two different approaches, different paths. He's still a superstar in the field!
GK: Have you had a chance to meet him?
MA: Yes, but I've never worked with him. Of course I would like to. We have already met, however. Moreover, he said he was not so convinced by BGE ! (Laughter) In fact, he thought the collaboration with Pey'j was very interesting, but was not satisfied with the cameras. He suggested we look at what they did with Super Mario Sunshine .
GK: For Rayman Origins, I guess you had to look at New Super Mario Bros. Wii?
MA: As far as I'm concerned, not at all! I will say something awful, but I do not play Mario, I don't like to slip, I do not like this inertia, I do not like that you can not slap! I think the game is fabulous, I understand people love it, but it is not my cup of tea. Me, I was rather into Ghosts'n Goblins, Heart of Darkness, Another World, games where the narrative was important. Beyond that, it's the controls of Mario that are very interesting, but which I have trouble to get used to. I feel like I can see too much through the game mechanics ("la ficelle ludique" - kinda hard to translate), even if it's a game that works, it is absorbing, obviously.
As for LittleBigPlanet, I've played very little because I found the physics and controls rather tricky. Yet the game designers who worked with me did not stop to tell me: "You should look at Donkey Kong ! You should see Mario ! " There is always a form of influence. In fact, we all face the same issues. In a multiplayer 2D game, what should happen when a player dies? How does he comes back in the game? Should we keep him waiting? We didn't want to force the player to wait, so we gave him a little control. These are issues that come back.