Motions of the… OK I’ll stop.
As you may remember, Ed Annuziata’s Ecco-inspired Kickstarter project, The Big Blue did not pan out. What’s interesting though, is that The Big Blue is going through almost an identical process that Ecco The Dolphin did nearly 20 years ago.
I couldn’t get anybody to give me the time of day on it. It was almost comedic.
Annunziata remarks, as he tells of Sega’s initial reaction to Ecco. Back then, the big wigs wanted games with sci-fi super cop robots and explosions, and didn’t care about anything involving gentle sea creatures. Sound familiar? It looks like things have not changed much, as the suits know what sells. Hit the jump to learn what Annunziata had to do to win them over on Ecco.
Annunziata goes on,
The right way to do it is to say ‘how about like this?’ and then just shut up and don’t explain anything – just show it. If I was a time traveller what I would do is take The Big Blue from the future, bring it back and have a 15-second video where I introduce myself and say ‘hey take a look at this’ and then just show it. And then it would get funded.
It may seem logical now, but Annunziata thought that people would be wowed simply by the concept of the game. Instead, he showed Sega a video of Ecco in motion, and before he knew it the game was in production.
As a reader of this site, you probably know that Ecco was a huge success for Sega, mainly in America. The game was packaged with consoles, followed with sequels, and even launched with the Sega CD. The problem now though, is that Ecco belongs to Sega and they won’t give it back to Annunziata.
However, Annunziata has no regrets from the Kickstarter failing. He has had this idea in his head for 15 years, so there is no way he’s going to give up on it now. As we mentioned earlier on the site, Little Blue will lead to the idea of Big Blue.
In my own opinion, and Annunziata points this out in the interview as well, a big mistake he made was to describe all of the concepts around the game on the main Kickstarter page instead of telling us the captivating plot and idea with a concept video: Earth is so far into the future that mankind is gone – extinct. Sea life rules the planet while dolphins, whales, and orcas communicate with each other globally through their sonar and have evolved to a higher level of thinking where they have somehow realized the moon is going to collide with Earth and they have to find a way to stop it. I’m honestly more interested in this plot than the fact that he wants the game to be an MMO, or what visual effects the water will have.
Coming out the gate and saying that you want to aim for a game similar to EVE Online wasn’t the best choice of action, and Annunziata realizes this now. He realizes that this MMO idea is the big BIG game that can gradually build with Little Blue and Big Blue being the first steps.
I for one do hope his plans pan out, because the man definitely has some extraordinary ideas that I learned of after reading the full interview. So what do you think, readers? Should this game get made, or should it sink back to where it came from?
[Source: EuroGamer]
YES! All the way…. ONLY allowing SEGA to give Annunziata the rights to make it under SEGA. Sega certainly has some marketing up thier sleeve for this year. I WANT ANOTHER ECCO THE DOLPHIN REALLY BAD! The game was Amazing. if they make another CONSOLE HD release, people will buy it! The marketing creativity behind ecco is brilliantly amazing! I cannot wait for a new Ecco, however it cannot be like endless ocean, it has to be a GAME and meant to be a Ecco Game! I want to see Ecco in Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing Transformed in his very own water filled bubble racing Pod!
attention SEGA …….you better start thinking like the Dreamcast and re-create you classics that made you Sega in the Genesis Era. Revisit your classic IP’s from thier glory bringing them to HD light….. just like the good ol days (Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse) I cant wait! and to see a Quackshot by Sega will be incredible!
Sega has SO SO SO much oppurtunity! GRAB IT
Also, and when you do see the vison Sega, …. start letting your partnered developers animate the Sega logo in HD at the begining of the game just like the good ol days! Marketing at its gaming glory best!
However, SEGA, I want another Ecco from Annunziata, he knows what he is doing and he is a original.
I totally see where you’re coming from, DCBrotha. The first Ecco was actually re-released on XBLA with some insanely difficult achievements.
But yeah, if Sega just kept re-releasing HD versions of their classic games I would be a happy camper.
Unique creativity like his definitely deserves to be supported. I wish him success on the project!
Ditto, as I said in the article. The man has some awesome ideas, but just needs the funding. I think the community is there already.