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Oni: Difference between revisions
I realized that the Inspiration section was relating events in a confusing order, so I've fixed that and added some new details; added a reference to the newly fixed Info Sheet image which shows an interesting release date
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(I realized that the Inspiration section was relating events in a confusing order, so I've fixed that and added some new details; added a reference to the newly fixed Info Sheet image which shows an interesting release date) |
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==Inspiration== | ==Inspiration== | ||
[[Image:Early Konoko 1 color.jpg|thumb|250px|Early concept art by [[Alex Okita]]. Under Konoko's eyes are what we would now call "SLD markings", indicating her cyborg nature at the start of the game's development.]] | [[Image:Early Konoko 1 color.jpg|thumb|250px|Early concept art by [[Alex Okita]]. Under Konoko's eyes are what we would now call "SLD markings", indicating her cyborg nature at the start of the game's development.]] | ||
The concept for Oni was devised by Brent Pease, whose primary influence was the animé film ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]''.<!-- | |||
-->{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20010302193919/http://www.insidemacgames.com/previews/99/oni/oni2.shtml Inside Mac Games, "Sneak Preview: Oni", 1999].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20010302193919/http://www.insidemacgames.com/previews/99/oni/oni2.shtml Inside Mac Games, "Sneak Preview: Oni", 1999].}}<!-- | ||
--> It took one year of conversation with | --> Pease was working at Apple on the 3D engine [[wp:QuickDraw 3D|RAVE]], and was in contact with Bungie because he frequently provided support to developers. He began pitching his concept for an animé-styled game with a mix of gunplay and melee combat to Alexander Seropian and Jason Jones at Bungie. | ||
-->{{ref|name="OBO Brent interview"|[http://oni.bungie.org/special/part1/brent.html Bungie.org, "Interview with Brent Pease", 1999].}} | |||
An appealing component of Pease's pitch was apparently that his work would provide Bungie with a fully 3D engine for cross-platform (Macintosh and Windows) development, something that Bungie did not possess yet (previous "3D" games used what are now called 2.5D graphics). However a condition of Pease's pitch was that a new studio would be formed around him in California so that he didn't have to move to Bungie's hometown of Chicago. It took one year of conversation with Seropian before the project was greenlit.<!-- | |||
-->{{ref|name="OBO Brent interview"|[http://oni.bungie.org/special/part1/brent.html Bungie.org, "Interview with Brent Pease", 1999].}} | |||
Work on Oni finally began in April 1997 with the founding of Bungie West, with the initial employees being Brent Pease and Michael Evans, who had also been working on game-related technology at Apple. Pease's and Evan's first step was to begin programming Oni's engine while gradually hiring employees to produce concept art and game content. | |||
"Oni" was meant to be a development code name that referenced the game's inspiration – Pease considered ''oni'''s meaning to be "ghost".{{ref|name="OBO Brent interview"}}<!-- | |||
-->{{ref|group=note|However Hardy LeBel, the writer of the story, indicated [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read{{=}}19851 here] and [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read{{=}}18292 here] that he understood "oni" to mean "demon" and had written the final story with that in mind. The final story incorporates many elements of the mythical oni, as explored in {{SectionLink|Oni (myth)|Connections to the game}}.}}<!-- | -->{{ref|group=note|However Hardy LeBel, the writer of the story, indicated [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read{{=}}19851 here] and [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read{{=}}18292 here] that he understood "oni" to mean "demon" and had written the final story with that in mind. The final story incorporates many elements of the mythical oni, as explored in {{SectionLink|Oni (myth)|Connections to the game}}.}}<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|group=note|At one time during development, the name "Mnemonic Shadow" was considered according to the [https://marathon.bungie.org/story/newjan-feb01.html Marathon Story Page].}}<!-- | -->{{ref|group=note|At one time during development, the name "Mnemonic Shadow" was considered according to the [https://marathon.bungie.org/story/newjan-feb01.html Marathon Story Page].}}<!-- | ||
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==Troubles== | ==Troubles== | ||
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. 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|[[: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….}} This occurred repeatedly, until finally the rumored release date was as late as March 2001.<!-- | ||
-->{{ref|group=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|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. | --> Some of the uncertainty came from Bungie's typical reluctance to announce or adhere to fixed release dates. | ||