Japan's Weekly Famitsu was promising a big Revolution scoop this week, and this appears to be it. The magazine is home to first details on Konami's first Revolution game, the all original Elebits. Shingo Mukaitouge, known for his work on the Guitar Freaks and Drum Mania series, is serving as producer.
The magazine was able to reveal only a few specifics on the new title. In Elebits, players move around a game world, attempting to find and collect Elebit creatures. Elebits are small and cute like Pikmin, but they actually serve as the energy source that makes the game's world move. The "Ele" in the name appears to stand for Electricity, with the "Bits" reflecting that the characters are tiny.
As you find Elebits, the game world will slowly evolve. The game will offer a feel of "hunting," suggesting that perhaps the Elebits won't just be sitting around waiting to get caught.
Specifics, including genre and gameplay systems, will have to wait until a future update, although Mukaitouge was able to add a few more details in an interview with the magazine.
The Elebits game design stems from three concepts, Mukaitouge revealed: letting the player feel like they're actually touching the inside of the screen; finding stuff by moving things; and Konami's creation of a new character, the Elebits themselves.
The first two areas are of particular interest due to their dependence on the Revolution's controller. Konami wanted to be sure and create something that could not be replicated on an existing controller. While not going into specifics on how exactly players will use the controller, Mukaitouge suggested the image of real time movements of on-screen objects based on movements of the controller.
With the cute Elebit characters, Elebits may seem like it targets casual users. The game will include some stages that can be played in under 10 minutes, but core gamers will also find lots of secret content. Network functionality is also being considered, although this is an area that will get Konami's attention only once the single player experience has been fully developed.
Further details on Elebits are expected at E3. The game is currently without a release date.
