Hello, is everyone doing well? It’s Hideki Kamiya, the director of The Wonderful One-Oh-One. The game’s name might get a little long to write over and over so let’s just shorten it to “101” here…
As of now, Wonderful 101 has been released in Europe and Japan. It’s Saturday! If you’ve got the day off, I wonder if you’re heading off to the store right now. Or maybe you’ve already reserved a purchase online? Or you’re just going to download it?
As much as I’d love to sneak into a game store and take a peek at how the game’s doing, I’ve got to be in Akihabara’s Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo for a special release event. And even as I write this, I’m hanging out in Germany for Gamescom, one of the three largest gaming conventions in the world. After Germany there’s PAX in Seattle, then a good number of other 101 events that are probably going to keep me busy for awhile. The trip’s really been great so far. I’m happy to be able to meet so many of my fans in person.
You’re always a little nervous when presenting something you’ve worked on for years to the entire world, but 101 is a game with such unique gameplay and atmosphere, I’ve got to say I’m even a little more anxious than usual.
At first it looks complicated, then you try it out and realize it’s not so bad, then you think you’ve got the hang of it and you realize the gameplay was a lot deeper than you originally assumed… the more you play 101 the more I think you’ll understand yourself, that’s the kind of game it is. To anyone who buys the game, I want them to first take their time and figure out the feel of the game, then go about the game in a style that best suits them. The first playthrough should be approached with a lot of flexibility and trial and error. Within time I’m sure you’ll start to get the controls, and experience what 101 is really about.
If you’re here now, and have been keeping up with the blog, I’m sure there’s something about this new, mysterious title that’s caught your interest in some way. I hope that you’ll be able to trust that curiosity and try 101 out, and that the result will be getting just as much fun out of it as you wanted.
And for all of our fans in North America right now… I know there’s still a little more wait until the release over there. Sorry! If you feel like you can’t wait any longer, check out the response from people in Europe and Japan, or if you don’t want any spoilers, maybe turn your computer off for a few weeks… but please, look forward to the release.
Anyway, I’ll stop here before this gets too long. Everyone, enjoy the game!
-Hideki Kamiya