March 25, 2009

Project Manager Graham Markay Talks Reel Fishing: Angler's Dream
By Louis Bedigian

“The goal was to give the overall feeling of fishing with the motion controls without overdoing it.”

Is Wii the perfect console for fishing games? Ten years ago, Dreamcast looked like it was about to claim that crown, having the best fishing controller of any machine. Unfortunately, the controller didn't come packaged with the Dreamcast, forcing consumers buy it with Sega Bass Fishing or acquire it separately – an added expense most players weren't willing to endure at the time.

Wii, on the other hand, practically has a fishing controller built right into the Wii remote and Nunchuk combo. The motion functionality is just what developers needed to start producing new fishing games. Now it's up to those developers to make each title unique so that they stand out from the crowd. "The Reel Fishing franchise has always set itself apart from other fishing games by being a true-to-life fishing simulation," said Graham Markay, Vice President of Operations (Project Manager for Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream). "There is no countdown clock. There are no tournaments. There is just you on the bank of a picturesque lake surrounded by the sounds of nature as you go head-to-head with a fish that looks and behaves just like a real one. Now with Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream on the Nintendo Wii, you will also feel the thrill of the fight as you use the Wii remote and Nunchuk as your rod and reel."

Since the motion controls can make or break a Wii fishing game, what are some of the things the developers are doing to ensure the mechanics are as smooth as possible?

Graham Markay: The goal was to give the overall feeling of fishing with the motion controls without overdoing it. In addition, we wanted the controls to be flexible. For example, the player can use the Wii remote as the rod and the Nunchuk as the reel, or the player can just use the Wii remote for the rod and use the buttons to reel in. We wanted to have a variety of control options to ensure that everyone can play the game the way they want to.

Give us some control details.

GM: The Wii remote is the rod. Moving it right, left, up, and down controls the rod action. Depending on the player's style of play, they can either use the Nunchuk as the reel or reel with the buttons on the Wii remote – it is not mandatory to play with the Nunchuk attached. The controls are done is such a way that even a novice player can master them, but there's a lot of nuance there that offers depth and challenge for even the most hardcore fishing fans.

Every fishing game offers a variety of fish types, but Angler’s Dream will also feature "boss fish." Other than their presumed size, what makes them different from the rest?

GM: Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream does offer a great variety of fish! When the player has caught a good number of regular fish, the Legendary Fish, or "boss fish," will reveal themselves. These fish aren't just bigger – they're smart, fierce fighters who provide a truly epic struggle!

Players can house their favorite catches in an aquarium. Tell us about this.

GM: The Reel Fishing franchise has always been about the concept of “being with nature”. What better way to show that than by catching and raising the best catches the player has? The game offers three different types of aquariums in which players can feed, raise, and grow their fish. Players can also release the fish back into the wild to enjoy the challenge of catching them again.

Is there a limit to how many fish you can keep?

GM: There is a saltwater tank, a still water tank, and a running water tank. Each tank holds five fish.

What is the benefit of releasing fish back into the wild?

GM: If you care for and raise a fish it will grow in size. Releasing it back into the wild gives you the chance to catch it again! Needless to say, if you raised the fish up to a real whopper, it'll give you quite a fight the second time around!

Besides nurturing fish, what do you get for catching fish? What are your goals?

GM: Every location has specific goals for the player to accomplish. Some goals are based on size and other are based on quantity. Catching fish also unlocks new pieces of tackle.

Tell us about the different fishing environments and how they may change the gaming experience.

GM: There are a variety of fresh and saltwater locations ranging from tranquil lakes to tropical paradises. Each location has different fish, which demand different fishing techniques. Some locations are ideal for bait
fishing, some are best-suited to lure fishing, and some will put your fly fishing skills to the test! Some locations have small fish that you'll have to carefully coax into biting, and some locations have huge fish that will put your skills and tackle to the ultimate endurance test! There's really an incredible amount of variety to experience between the different fishing locations.

How are the environments presented? Can you access each area from the start of the game, or must you beat each environment first before progressing?

GM: Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream takes you on a fishing tour. As you complete the goals for one stage, the next becomes unlocked. Certain goals will also take you back to previously-visited locations to face exciting new challenges there. There's a lot of motivation to keep playing and unlocking new stages and challenges!

Reel Fishing is aiming for more of a real-world soundtrack with outdoor sounds. Were these recorded live while fishing produced in-house with computer-generated sound effects, taken from a sound library, or…?

GM: Reel Fishing offers soothing ambient music that supports the nature sounds around the player. Unfortunately, I am not sure where the nature sounds come from… I would like to think someone went to a lake and recorded them.

Thank you for your time.

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