Splatoon

When Splatoon was announced at E3 2014, the game seemed to have been met with warm reception. Though there were some concerns over how online play would be handled, the game represented a refreshing new idea from Nintendo, and seemed like it would be an ideal killer app for the struggling Wii U. Now, nearly a year and a half after release, it's clear that Splatoon was quite a success, and it's almost certain that Nintendo will be following it up in the future.

Nintendo of Europe recently published part 2 of an interview with Hisashi Nogami and Katsuya Eguchi – producers for Splatoon – where they discuss the origins and reception of the new project. Nogami was most surprised by the game's continued success, remarking that he didn't expect so many players to continue playing it consistently for this long:

What I'm most surprised by is the number of people who are still playing the game. We envisioned that a great variety of players could enjoy playing Splatoon, and we were very confident we'd made a game that you could really immerse yourself into. Through the consecutive updates, we added new content and new stages, and at the same time, we adjusted the balance of the game very carefully. We strove to create very even match-ups, and an environment where you could team up and make use of your skills. We took a lot of time to optimise that aspect of the game, and we're really, really happy to see so many people still playing Splatoon.

He went on to say that he believes the popularity stems from how new of an experience the game is. Though third person shooters certainly aren't anything new, one would be hard pressed to find anything else that plays quite like Splatoon:

I think, for a lot of people, Splatoon is a type of game that they haven't had much experience with. It's a third-person shooter, but you don't just defeat your opponent – what wins or loses matches is how much of the ground your team has covered. I also think the fact that you co-operate online as a team of four is an idea that a lot of people find refreshing, and maybe that's why they were attracted to this game.

For the full interview, check it out here; it makes for a fascinating read.

What do you think? Are you still playing Splatoon often? What would you like to see out of its inevitable sequel? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

[source nintendo.co.uk]