Hidetaka “SWERY” Suehiro is nothing if not unique. Responsible for two of the most bizarre, and cultishly beloved, games in recent memory (Deadly Premonition and D4), SWERY shared 65 inspirational tips for people working on games and offered some insight into his process. Check em out below!
1. Voice your actions
- - Look at actions subjectively
2. Take detailed notes on other people
- - Write explicitly - As conditions change so do senses
3. Act cool and drink tequila
- - Play the part you'll never know unless you really try to be it
4. Make others drink coffee
- - Watch how other people act - there are a lot of ways to drink
5. Turn things into symbols
- - We tried this first with Kinect (too tiring) - Symbolization is important
6. Leave some time to enjoy the drama
- - During synchro stunts QTEs all attention goes to the HUD, don't let the HUD get in the way
7. Don't let go of your notebook
- - Take notes Right Now! Saying I'll write it down later stales the idea
8. Don't blindly accept the results you get from searching
9. Lollipops are friends
- -Keep candy around
10. Keep coffee around
11. Don't take user failures negatively, don't discourage users enjoying the game
- - Failures in D4 were turned into comedy scenes, instead of traditional negative reinforcement.
12. Foreshadowing and input timing are important
- -When users know what they have to do they empathize with the character. Give users a hint to what they should do
13. Match input with feedback
- - When users are in the process of succeeding make them feel it
14. Trial and error with the UI is necessary for sensory replication
- - Not even vets can predict what will happen until they try it - shadow the player
15. Employ balance balls
16. Aim for the impossible
- - Even immortality… could be possible
17. Don't create a dream team
- - Hard for a team of vets to challenge themselves
18. Look closely at your failures
- - The ability to find something of value while you search for something else in the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind
19. Don't get hung up on devices
- - The device does not make the game
20. Ideas before technology, don't match the game to the device
- - Idea always comes first
21. It isn't for the fans, it's for the human race
22. ?
23. The unnecessary is necessary
- -People remember the pointless things?
24. Characters need dual natures
- Perfect people are boring - empathy breeds attachment.
25. Don't start from the story
- - First create world, world makes story
26. Use up all your ideas
- -Ideas only stay fresh for so long
27. Keep a stock of rejected ideas
- -A vault of valuable data
28. How many balance balls you need
- -Number of developers divided by /4
29. Decorate the studio with game stuff and art from the world that you’re making
30. Watch movies that inspired you and your team early on
- - Don't enjoy them just as references but as works of art
31. Always play the newest games with your team
32. Review your own game as a team
33. Get a big whiteboard
34. Write on it together
35. Don’t be stingy with your pen colors
36. Jump on to new things -
- -New games, new technology
37. Declare that you'll take responsibility, that way you get past deadlocks
38. Don't take responsibility for things you can't change
39. If nothing else works just get mad back at them
- - Go all out, put your full force in!
40. Use your own two feet
- -See as much of the world as you can, footwork>network.
41. Now it’s time to party!
- -Have a drinking party for the team when you finish your project.
42. Don't be afraid of paying for things out of your own pocket
- - People don’t forget it when someone treats them, your personal money is more meaningful than the companies.
43. Drink until the sun comes up
44. Play a trivia game on your balance balls
45. Don't let people’s opinions influence you
- -You don't have to immediately accept them
46. Don’t show it until its finished
- - Work in progress opinions aren't helpful and you’ll probably ignore them anyway
47. Don’t play until its finished
- - Don't play the game every day when its under progression, lest you get too used to it. Retain the user’s viewpoint.
48. Don't ignore opinions on the finished product
- - Even if it means a huge rewrite
49. Don't try to cover up for stuff with gestures
- - Say what you mean, eople only understand words
50. Don’t ignore things you don't understand
- - Get real research! Only losers Google it
51. Create buzz words in your team
- - Team slang is like a password, and will create empathy as they try to give the word a connection.
52. If you get lost collect samples
52. People who've never played the game are treasures
- -Don't give them data before they play it, get the raw reaction
53. Collect power from your fans
54. Don’t prostitute your smile
- - Only smile when it really counts
55. ? (sorry, that SWERY is a quick one!)
56. Enjoy the bugs you find
57. Overcome the hugs
- - If things get tough just hug it out
58. Let negative fans energize you
- -Quick-acting camphor injections
59. Prepare yourself for battle
- - Get good quality sleep and plan ahead to relax
60. Learn how to sleep on a balance ball
61. Just do what you want to do
- -YOLO
62. Gladly do something you don't want to do in order to get to do what you want to
63. There’s absolutely no need for everyone to do the same thing
- - Aim for your own style of art
64. Don't get hung up on hexidecimal
- -For the engineers
65. Think about it on your own
In addition, SWERY showed a PC version of the game running with mouse controls. While it isn’t confirmed for retail yet, we’ve got a good feeling about it.
