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Oni: Difference between revisions
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--> This award is given to games exhibited at that year's E3, which are usually still in development and expected to release soon. | --> This award is given to games exhibited at that year's E3, which are usually still in development and expected to release soon. | ||
There was an initial onslaught of advertising which saw Konoko appear on many gaming magazine covers, but when it became clear that Oni's development was missing internal deadlines (as discussed below), Bungie suspended the advertising of the game so as not to expend their marketing budget before Oni was even released.<!-- | |||
-->{{ref|name="advert"|note=[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4570 Oni Central Forum, "Re: Matt- could you address this?", Aug. 29, 2000].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|name="advert"|note=[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4570 Oni Central Forum, "Re: Matt- could you address this?", Aug. 29, 2000].}}<!-- | ||
--> At the same time, Bungie's main office in Chicago had their own game under development; previously known only by its code name "Blam!", in 1999 it came to be known as "Halo" and slowly drew attention away from the oft-delayed Oni as images and trailers for it began to appear. | --> At the same time, Bungie's main office in Chicago had their own game under development; previously known only by its code name "Blam!", in 1999 it came to be known as "Halo" and slowly drew attention away from the oft-delayed Oni as images and trailers for it began to appear. | ||
''Further reading:'' [[Trailers]], [[ | ''Further reading:'' [[Trailers]], [[:Category:Promotional art|Promotional art]], [http://oni.bungie.org/special/ Oni Central interview with Bungie West]. | ||
==Troubles== | ==Troubles== | ||
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Oni was originally expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 1999,{{ref|name="advert"}} but as that time approached, the release date was pushed back to Q1 2000.{{ref|group=note|note=[[:Image:Info sheet.jpg|This info sheet]], while it's not clear where it was used, shows that Bungie thought the game was right around the corner. The date on the original document is Sep. 29, 1999, giving them no more than six months to finish the game….}} This occurred repeatedly, until finally the rumored release date was as late as March 2001.<!-- | Oni was originally expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 1999,{{ref|name="advert"}} but as that time approached, the release date was pushed back to Q1 2000.{{ref|group=note|note=[[:Image:Info sheet.jpg|This info sheet]], while it's not clear where it was used, shows that Bungie thought the game was right around the corner. The date on the original document is Sep. 29, 1999, giving them no more than six months to finish the game….}} This occurred repeatedly, until finally the rumored release date was as late as March 2001.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|group=note|note=Discussions on Oni Central Forum of: a [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=2533 fall 1999] release date, a [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=1129 summer 2000] release date, a [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4084 fall 2000] release date, and finally a [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4699 spring 2001] release date. These "release dates" were generally rumors, ephemeral dates used by online stores for pre-orders, or vague estimates by Bungie PR, not official statements. Nevertheless, it was clear that Oni was taking longer than planned to finish, which was a cause of some concern among Bungie fans.}}<!-- | -->{{ref|group=note|note=Discussions on Oni Central Forum of: a [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=2533 fall 1999] release date, a [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=1129 summer 2000] release date, a [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4084 fall 2000] release date, and finally a [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4699 spring 2001] release date. These "release dates" were generally rumors, ephemeral dates used by online stores for pre-orders, or vague estimates by Bungie PR, not official statements. Nevertheless, it was clear that Oni was taking longer than planned to finish, which was a cause of some concern among Bungie fans.}}<!-- | ||
--> Some of the uncertainty came from Bungie's typical reluctance to announce or adhere to fixed release dates; additional confusion came from the multitude of other parties involved in Oni's release: Take-Two, Gathering of Developers and Rockstar. | --> Some of the uncertainty came from Bungie's typical reluctance to announce or adhere to fixed release dates; additional confusion came from the multitude of other parties that eventually became involved in Oni's release: Take-Two, Gathering of Developers and Rockstar. | ||
However, unbeknownst to the public, development of Oni was troubled from the start. The team was young and inexperienced, and development suffered from a lack of direction. A great deal of code had been written and assets created without producing a story that was playable from start to finish. Transferring data from the professional software used for level modeling and animation into Oni wasn't even possible until the very end of 1997.<!-- | However, unbeknownst to the public, development of Oni was troubled from the start. The team was young and inexperienced, and development suffered from a lack of direction. A great deal of code had been written and assets created without producing a story that was playable from start to finish. Transferring data from the professional software used for level modeling and animation into Oni wasn't even possible until the very end of 1997.<!-- | ||
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--> contained [[CHAPTER_01_._TRIAL_RUN|Chapter 1]] and [[CHAPTER 04 . TIGER BY THE TAIL|Chapter 4]]. A second demo was released in late December with Chapter 1 and [[CHAPTER 02 . ENGINES OF EVIL|Chapter 2]] instead. The Mac demo, released a few days after the original Windows demo,{{ref|name="Mac GM"}} only ever contained Chapters 1 and 4. | --> contained [[CHAPTER_01_._TRIAL_RUN|Chapter 1]] and [[CHAPTER 04 . TIGER BY THE TAIL|Chapter 4]]. A second demo was released in late December with Chapter 1 and [[CHAPTER 02 . ENGINES OF EVIL|Chapter 2]] instead. The Mac demo, released a few days after the original Windows demo,{{ref|name="Mac GM"}} only ever contained Chapters 1 and 4. | ||
As Oni finally neared completion, | As Oni finally neared completion, Take-Two began their own advertising campaign, as they were in the process of taking over the Oni [[wp:Intellectual property|IP]] (see {{SectionLink||Buyout}}). Promotional artwork was produced by Lorraine McLees as well as artists commissioned by Take-Two, and a four-issue comic book was produced under Take-Two's supervision and published by Dark Horse. Take-Two's advertising efforts, however, seem to have been focused on the PlayStation 2 version of the game. | ||
''Further reading:'' | ''Further reading:'' [[Dark Horse comics|Dark Horse's ''Oni'' comic]], [[:Category:Advertisements and magazine covers|Advertisements and magazine covers]]. | ||
==Release== | ==Release== | ||
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Oni was finally released, much later than originally expected, on January 29, 2001 in the United States.<!-- | Oni was finally released, much later than originally expected, on January 29, 2001 in the United States.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|note=[http://oni.bungie.org/newsarchives/2001/jan01.html Oni Central News Archive, Jan. 2001].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|note=[http://oni.bungie.org/newsarchives/2001/jan01.html Oni Central News Archive, Jan. 2001].}}<!-- | ||
--> The | --> The versions for Macintosh and Windows retailed in the U.S. for $39.95 and the PlayStation 2 version retailed for $49.95.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|note=See [https://web.archive.org/web/20010205103400/http://store.bungie.com/info/80 Bungie Store: Oni Bundle] for prices on Mac/Win and PS2, and [https://web.archive.org/web/20010419103127/http://www.gamestop.com/product-detail.jsp?origin=genrPSX2-Fighting&sku=280086 GameStop.com: Oni] for proof that game stores were selling Oni for the PS2 at the $50 price point. The UK price seems to have been £30 per [https://web.archive.org/web/20010417161303/http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=6816 this review].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|note=See [https://web.archive.org/web/20010205103400/http://store.bungie.com/info/80 Bungie Store: Oni Bundle] for prices on Mac/Win and PS2, and [https://web.archive.org/web/20010419103127/http://www.gamestop.com/product-detail.jsp?origin=genrPSX2-Fighting&sku=280086 GameStop.com: Oni] for proof that game stores were selling Oni for the PS2 at the $50 price point. The UK price seems to have been £30 per [https://web.archive.org/web/20010417161303/http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=6816 this review].}}<!-- | ||
--> | --> The game was rated "T" for Teen by the [[wp:Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]].{{ref|name="GOD release"}} | ||
Oni was translated into other languages: Russian, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.<!-- | Oni was translated into other languages: Russian, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.<!-- | ||
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--> These localizations included re-dubbed dialogue, except for the Chinese localization which only translated the in-game text. The localizations were critical to building Oni's fan base, much of which is outside of primarily-English-speaking countries. Additional distributions of the game in smaller markets only translated the box and manual and did not change any of the data on the game disc. The European-language releases for Mac and PlayStation 2 were delayed until March 2001. The Japanese releases for Windows and Mac didn't come out until the fall of 2001. | --> These localizations included re-dubbed dialogue, except for the Chinese localization which only translated the in-game text. The localizations were critical to building Oni's fan base, much of which is outside of primarily-English-speaking countries. Additional distributions of the game in smaller markets only translated the box and manual and did not change any of the data on the game disc. The European-language releases for Mac and PlayStation 2 were delayed until March 2001. The Japanese releases for Windows and Mac didn't come out until the fall of 2001. | ||
Oni's storyline is fairly straightforward, although it has been called "understated". Because the story takes place over about a week and a half in the game's timeline, there is little room to develop the characters or setting, although large amounts of additional information | Oni's storyline is fairly straightforward, although it has been called "understated". Because the story takes place over about a week and a half in the game's timeline, there is little room to develop the characters or setting, although large amounts of additional information can be found in consoles scattered throughout the levels. | ||
The developers achieved a unique blend of gunplay and hand-to-hand combat, with fluid controls and a camera that ensures that the action is always visible. The guns are a mix of ordinary ballistic and unconventional sci-fi weaponry, and weapon handling places some emphasis on realism: Konoko only carries one weapon at a time, and a gun's ammo is tracked persistently whether it is being handled by the player or an enemy. Weapons and melee have some aim assist to compensate for the third-person camera making precise aim difficult. The melee component of the game is particularly complex, employing over 2000 animations, and is frequently the main element that fans point to when praising the uniqueness of the gameplay. | The developers achieved a unique blend of gunplay and hand-to-hand combat, with fluid controls and a camera that ensures that the action is always visible. The guns are a mix of ordinary ballistic and unconventional sci-fi weaponry, and weapon handling places some emphasis on realism: Konoko only carries one weapon at a time, and a gun's ammo is tracked persistently whether it is being handled by the player or an enemy. Weapons and melee have some aim assist to compensate for the third-person camera making precise aim difficult. The melee component of the game is particularly complex, employing over 2000 animations, and is frequently the main element that fans point to when praising the uniqueness of the gameplay. | ||
Oni uses an in-house graphics engine developed from scratch for this game | Oni uses an in-house graphics engine developed from scratch for this game and never used for any other game; it was optimized for handling levels with larger indoor environments than typical games of the time. The texturing in the game is minimalist, a style chosen to try to match the look of [[animé]]. The graphics are limited to basic texture mapping, pseudo-reflection mapping and pseudo-lightmaps (achieved through vertex shading). | ||
''Further reading:'' [[Localizations]], [[Releases]], [[Gameplay]], [[Chapters|Plot summary]]. | ''Further reading:'' [[Localizations]], [[Releases]], [[Gameplay]], [[Chapters|Plot summary]]. | ||
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Many fans who'd followed the game's development were let down that the game did not deliver on all of its promises. The most notable shortcoming was the absence of LAN multiplayer, which had been featured in playable demos at expo booths in 1999 and 2000. Previously hyped features were missing, such as the AI characters being able to run for help and work together. This was attributed to the turnover in the AI engineering position after the original programmer was not able to complete all the tasks in the timeframe that she stated she would.<!-- | Many fans who'd followed the game's development were let down that the game did not deliver on all of its promises. The most notable shortcoming was the absence of LAN multiplayer, which had been featured in playable demos at expo booths in 1999 and 2000. Previously hyped features were missing, such as the AI characters being able to run for help and work together. This was attributed to the turnover in the AI engineering position after the original programmer was not able to complete all the tasks in the timeframe that she stated she would.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|note=[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=19661 Oni Central Forum, "Re: More questions... (mainly for chef...)", Jul. 7, 2002].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|note=[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=19661 Oni Central Forum, "Re: More questions... (mainly for chef...)", Jul. 7, 2002].}}<!-- | ||
-->There was also disappointment at the cutting of some planned content, detailed under {{SectionLink||Troubles}}. | --> There was also disappointment at the cutting of some planned content, detailed under {{SectionLink||Troubles}}. | ||
Nevertheless many players enjoyed the core gameplay immensely and found the story's concepts intriguing. Much fan fiction was written, and a vibrant modding community was formed in the interest of polishing the game further, adding new content, and even recreating cut content that | Nevertheless many players enjoyed the core gameplay immensely and found the story's concepts intriguing. Much fan fiction was written, and a vibrant modding community was formed in the interest of polishing the game further, adding new content, and even recreating cut content that had been seen during development. | ||
''Further reading:'' [[Reviews]], [[:Category:Screenshots|Screenshots]]. | ''Further reading:'' [[Reviews]], [[:Category:Screenshots|Screenshots]]. | ||
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It is believed that Bungie began suffering from a shortage of cash around 1998 when the [[Myth#Uninstaller bug|Myth II uninstaller bug]] was discovered and cost them $800,000 to correct.<!-- | It is believed that Bungie began suffering from a shortage of cash around 1998 when the [[Myth#Uninstaller bug|Myth II uninstaller bug]] was discovered and cost them $800,000 to correct.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|note=[https://chicagoreader.com/news/monsters-in-a-box/ Chicago Reader, "Monsters in a Box", Mar. 23, 2000].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|note=[https://chicagoreader.com/news/monsters-in-a-box/ Chicago Reader, "Monsters in a Box", Mar. 23, 2000].}}<!-- | ||
--> This might have been difficult to absorb for a studio not accustomed to a disciplined release schedule. The next game to release after Myth II was to be Oni in 1999, but as Oni's release date began to slip further and further, it became clear that Bungie had underestimated the time required to finish the game by more than usual | --> This might have been difficult to absorb for a studio not accustomed to a disciplined release schedule. The next game to release after Myth II was to be Oni in 1999, but as Oni's release date began to slip further and further, it became clear that Bungie had underestimated the time required to finish the game by more than usual; in the meantime, Bungie was bankrolling two studios instead of one. Thus, the decision was made to partner with Take-Two Interactive; on August 12, 1999, it was announced that Take-Two would acquire 19.9% of Bungie in exchange for the publishing rights to Oni and Halo.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|note=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000118055725/http://pc.ign.com/news/9525.html IGN, "Take-Two Take Bungie", August 12, 1999].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|note=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000118055725/http://pc.ign.com/news/9525.html IGN, "Take-Two Take Bungie", August 12, 1999].}}<!-- | ||
--> Take-Two also began work on a port of Oni for the upcoming PlayStation 2 console. | --> Take-Two also began work on a port of Oni for the upcoming PlayStation 2 console. | ||
This deal didn't seem to change business much for Bungie, especially since another studio was | This deal didn't seem to change business much for Bungie, especially since another studio was assigned by Take-Two to perform the PlayStation 2 port (Rockstar Canada, now known as Rockstar Toronto). But considerably more shocking news was revealed on June 19, 2000, when Bungie announced its acquisition by Microsoft.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|note=[https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/20/microsoft-buys-bungie-take-two-buys-oni-ps2-situation-unchanged IGN, "Microsoft Buys Bungie, Take Two Buys Oni, PS2 Situation Unchanged", Jun. 19, 2000].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|note=[https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/20/microsoft-buys-bungie-take-two-buys-oni-ps2-situation-unchanged IGN, "Microsoft Buys Bungie, Take Two Buys Oni, PS2 Situation Unchanged", Jun. 19, 2000].}}<!-- | ||
--> It turned out that Bungie's monetary woes had not been solved by Take-Two's influx of cash, and so Peter Tamte, Bungie's executive vice president, had been tasked with finding a buyer for the company. Take-Two acquired (among other things) all rights to the Oni and Myth IPs in exchange for its stake in Bungie and its publishing rights for Halo. Take-Two valued the Oni IP at $2.8 million, and the Myth IP at $1.5 million.{{ref|name="SEC 2002"}}<!-- | --> It turned out that Bungie's monetary woes had not been solved by Take-Two's influx of cash, and so Peter Tamte, Bungie's executive vice president, had been tasked with finding a buyer for the company. Take-Two acquired (among other things) all rights to the Oni and Myth IPs in exchange for its stake in Bungie and its publishing rights for Halo. Take-Two valued the Oni IP at $2.8 million, and the Myth IP at $1.5 million.{{ref|name="SEC 2002"}}<!-- | ||
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==Sequel== | ==Sequel== | ||
[[Image:Oni 2 - Initial Attack.jpg|thumb|An uncompleted level from Oni 2.]] | [[Image:Oni 2 - Initial Attack.jpg|thumb|An uncompleted level from Oni 2.]] | ||
Clearly Take-Two expected big things from Oni (see their valuation of Oni above, as well as their promotional efforts under {{SectionLink||Hype}}). They | Clearly Take-Two expected big things from Oni (see their valuation of Oni above, as well as their promotional efforts under {{SectionLink||Hype}}). They seemed particularly enthusiastic about the version of the game which they were porting to the PlayStation 2; the console was set to release in North America in October 2000. (In the end, the port came to be regarded as an inferior version of the game due to technical limitations and control issues.) | ||
At first, Take-Two seemed intent on investing in Oni as a franchise. Shortly after Oni's release, a simple game billed as an Oni prequel (developed by Quantum Sheep) was released for [[wp:Wireless Application Protocol|WAP]]-enabled cell phones.<!-- | At first, Take-Two seemed intent on investing in Oni as a franchise. Shortly after Oni's release, a simple game billed as an Oni prequel (developed by Quantum Sheep) was released for [[wp:Wireless Application Protocol|WAP]]-enabled cell phones.<!-- | ||
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--> More significantly, it was rumored<!-- | --> More significantly, it was rumored<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|note=[http://oni.bungie.org/newsarchives/2001/apr01.html Oni Central News, Apr. 1, 2001].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|note=[http://oni.bungie.org/newsarchives/2001/apr01.html Oni Central News, Apr. 1, 2001].}}<!-- | ||
--> that Take-Two had put Oni 2 into production at Angel Studios; however, no sequel was ever officially announced. In 2016, an actual development build of the cancelled | --> that Take-Two had put Oni 2 into production at Angel Studios; however, no sequel was ever officially announced. In 2016, an actual development build of the cancelled sequel was leaked.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|note=Documented by the game preservation YouTube channel PtoPOnline [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZItobLIJJMY here].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|note=Documented by the game preservation YouTube channel PtoPOnline [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZItobLIJJMY here].}}<!-- | ||
--> Interviews with former employees of Angel Studios revealed that the game had been in development for about two years without a clear direction, and the troubled project was finally cancelled when the studio was acquired by Rockstar in 2002 and renamed Rockstar San Diego. | --> Interviews with former employees of Angel Studios revealed that the game had been in development for about two years without a clear direction, and the troubled project was finally cancelled when the studio was acquired by Rockstar in late 2002 and renamed Rockstar San Diego. | ||
''Further reading:'' [[Oni (PlayStation 2)]], [[Oni 2 (Angel Studios)]], [[:Category:Oni (WAP) game images|Oni (WAP version)]]. | ''Further reading:'' [[Oni (PlayStation 2)]], [[Oni 2 (Angel Studios)]], [[:Category:Oni (WAP) game images|Oni (WAP version)]]. | ||
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-->{{ref|note=[http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/trans/4players_hr_sk_interview.html 4players.de interviews Shane Kim and Harold Ryan, Oct. 5, 2007] (translated from [https://web.archive.org/web/20211031100011/https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/Allgemein/Special/1846/5870/0/Microsoft.html original]).}} | -->{{ref|note=[http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/trans/4players_hr_sk_interview.html 4players.de interviews Shane Kim and Harold Ryan, Oct. 5, 2007] (translated from [https://web.archive.org/web/20211031100011/https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/Allgemein/Special/1846/5870/0/Microsoft.html original]).}} | ||
One thing is certain: the current Bungie staff has little in common with the group that produced Oni (there is only one Oni developer still working at Bungie – Chris Butcher | One thing is certain: the current Bungie staff has little in common with the group that produced Oni (there is only one Oni developer still working at Bungie – Chris Butcher). There is probably little sentimental or monetary incentive for the studio to buy back the IP and produce a sequel. | ||
When Oni was released, Bungie did not hold to their usual practice of releasing level-building tools for their games, since professional and costly software was used to produce Oni's levels.<!-- | When Oni was released, Bungie did not hold to their usual practice of releasing level-building tools for their games, since professional and costly software was used to produce Oni's levels.<!-- | ||