In development: Undercover: Dual Motives (DS)

[Georg_Sproing]

Currently in development is Undercover: Dual Motives for the Nintendo DS - the prequel for our adventure game Undercover: Operation Wintersun. It takes place some time before the events of Opteration Wintersun. It's about an espionage incidents with John Russell right in the thick of it. The locations are different but anyone familiar with the PC Game will probably recognize some well known characters...

These three guys are agents from the British MI6: Colonel Travers, Agent Miller and Agent McAllistair...




The next picture is an actual screenshot from Dual Motives. The upper screen shows John Russell walking across the courtyard of the laboratory complex, the lower screen shows Audrey, the second main character standing in one of the labs.

Here is a screenshot from one of the minigames - the player has to shoot a ball through a reed to hit the professor in the upper screen. For that the player has to align the reed and then blow into the microphone of the DS to shoot the ball.

[Noone]

Hi!

Shooting a professor with the use of microphone - an interrsting feature. Is it easy to manipulate reed and blow into microphone at the same time? Or you'll aim first with keys or stylus and then take away stylus, move away fingers from buttons and then make a blow?

[Georg_Sproing]

Hi,

you'll aim with the stylus and shoot by blowing - so the player can decide if he wants to aim and blow at the same time or not.

[axelkothe]

This is one game I'm very interested in. I love the Nintendo DS and I love adventures...

so, how far along is the development of the title? I think it was announced with a March or April 2007 release date?
how long have you been working on it?
what kind of puzzles can we expect, exactly the same kind as with the pc game?
how do you plan to use the features of the ds?
how long will the game be?
is a japanese version planned?
relative to the pc game, how much does the development cost (no concrete figures, just in relation to the pc game)
do you plan to make more DS adventure games, if this one proves to be succesful?

[Noone]

As far as I understand screenshots depict both panels of DS. How much of the game we'll see two characters one on the first screen and the second on another? Will this feature be used for simultaneous interaction in one location (i.e. in different rooms of one building one character presses the button and the other goes through te opened gate etc.)?

[Georg_Sproing]

axelkothe :

- the game will be released in april as far as I know...
- we started the game in september this year
- as it is an adventure game, the puzzles are similar to the PC game, but slightly adapted for the DS
- we rely heavily on the stylus (obviously for controls, but also for minigames) and the microphone is also used
- the game will not be as long as the PC game, but it will take some time to finish it...
- no japanese version is planned
- as I am a humble game designer, I have no clue about costs (as long as my salary is being paid, I'm happy)
- to make another DS adventure would be nice, I guess it all depends on the sales figures of Dual Motives ;D

Alex ASP:

you can change characters at any time, and of course both characters can be in the same screen and interact with each other...

[Noone]

It seems that second screenshot also depicts both screens but as a whole one. Such an approach will be used only in minigames?

[Georg_Sproing]

yes, that's only for minigames...

[Noone]

You said

we rely heavily on the stylus (obviously for controls, but also for minigames) and the microphone is also used

So shooting will be not the only one puzzle which uses microphone?

[Georg_Sproing]

right now, only the shooting minigame uses the microphone

[axelkothe]

axelkothe :

- no japanese version is planned

I think you should consider trying to find a japanese publisher for the game, the DS is extremely successful over there and japanese gamers are not opposed to adventures (another code/trace memory & phoenix Wright did quite well - of course, they are japanese productions, but still...)

[dtp Olli]

Hi everybody!

This is the new press release for Undercover: Dual motives. We have just released it, our PR Manager Claas has sent it out just one minute ago:

Undercover: Dual Motives - New details

Hamburg, Germany: November 29, 2006 � While the PC adventure game Undercover: Operation Wintersun takes British scientist Dr. John Russell on a wild chase for a German nuclear bomb in the middle of WWII, Russell makes the jump to the Nintendo DS in early 2007. In the prequel Undercover: Dual Motives he investigates a British research facility in classic adventure gaming style. New screenshots and artwork give insight into the handheld point & click romp and its innovative gameplay.

Dual Motives is peppered with inventive puzzles and minigames that take advantage of the capabilities of the Nintendo handheld. In one, Russell tries to gain access to a laboratory. But gaining the attention of deaf Professor Cutter demands an extraordinary solution: Russell assembles a blowgun to shoot little paper projectiles at the Professor, who is immersed in his work. Now it�s up to the player to direct the blowgun with stylus and touchscreen and take aim at the moving target, as well as fire the projectiles with a well-dosed blast of air into the DS microphone.

Most of the time though, the player will control the two playable characters � Russell and secretary Audrey � switching between them at will with the press of a button. In order to solve the game�s puzzles he will have to apply their respective abilities and coordinate their actions.

In the new shots, Russell is exploring the exterior of the former factory grounds that have been turned into an elite research facility, while Audrey is investigating the propulsion labs, one of the three main laboratories of the site. The player directs the character through these locations in classic point & click style with the DS stylus.

New artwork from Dual Motives introduces us to new and old characters in the DS game: While Col. Travers will be familiar to some from the PC adventure game Undercover: Operation Wintersun, his two subordinates � Agents Miller and McAllistair � are new to the franchise. Closely guarding the sensitive parts of the facility, they block Russell�s way more than once in Dual Motives. Here again, the game�s clever puzzle mechanics come into play: While Russell runs into these obstacles when trying to explore these top secret areas, Audrey can gain entry due to her status as secretary of the facility�s director.

Undercover: Dual Motives will be released worldwide by ANACONDA, starting with German-language territories at the end of March 2007.

[Georg_Sproing]

dtp Olli : Hey! That sounds cool!

axelkothe: hm... gonna think about that...

[Noone]

So there's a possibility that we'll see this game in Russia... Well, lets move to the thing you told in press release:

Here again, the game�s clever puzzle mechanics come into play: While Russell runs into these obstacles when trying to explore these top secret areas, Audrey can gain entry due to her status as secretary of the facility�s director.

So, the game will have non-linear fragments? How deep will be non-linearity?

[Ultam]

"blow into microphone" = to say "boom!"?
You should use this feature more intensively!

What do you think about "oral recognition" in your games?
Will this game available on DS only?

[Georg_Sproing]

Alex ASP :

Yes, the game will have non-linear parts - that doesn't mean that there are two or more different stories to play through, just that certain results can be achieved by different means. As you play two quite different characters (John and Audrey) sometimes you can achieve a goal this way with Audrey and that way with John.

Ultam :

Oral recognition is a feature we won't use - mainly because it doesn't fit into our story.

[Noone]

will there be inventory in the game? The question sounds stupid but it is interesting to know how it is implemented? Will I be able to open inventory on both screen for both characters or will the whole inventory be opened on another screen?

[Georg_Sproing]

That's no stupid question at all - there will be an inventory for each main character. If you want to swap items between characters you have to actually give it to them. Which inventory you open up depends entirely on which character you control at the moment.

[Noone]

Will the game have voiceovers?

[Georg_Sproing]

Nope. Unfortunately the cartridges are much to small to hold that many voiceovers...