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I posted about Baroque back when it was announced about a month ago, and promptly sent an interview off to Atlus to get more info. It's come back, with answers provided by four of the key figures in localizing the game. Toward the end there are also some general questions about Atlus's status as one of the more successful Wii third-party publishers, and what it takes to make Wii games sell.

To remind you of the details on Baroque if you can't be bothered to click the link above:

Baroque is a dungeon-crawling action RPG initially released for the Saturn in 1997 and developed by Sting, a smaller developer known for working with RPGs. Since then Baroque has been persistently ported, enhanced, and re-released for a variety of Japanese systems due to its enduring popularity.

Atlus is bringing the 2006 PS2 version of the game and a recently-announced Wii version into the US, with an announced date of February 2008. The Japanese Wii version is set for release on March 18th, 2008.

The interview begins behind the cut!

OMG Nintendo:How different are the Wii and PS2 versions of Baroque going to be? For example, can we look forward to Wii remote controls for shooting or swordfighting?

Rob Stone [QA Specialist & Customer Service]: There will be some slight differences between the two versions of the game. For instance, motion controls will be used in the Wii version of Baroque. We're pleased to say that the game's developer, Sting, has taken special care to implement motion controls in a subtle manner that won't be annoying or tiring to use. In addition, there will also be 16:9 widescreen and progressive scan support.

OMGN: Is there going to be any new or special content added to the US release of Baroque?

Clayton S. Chan [Editor]: There's going to be an English voice cast which is both new and special. While there is nothing specifically new for the US release, this version of the game does have new content in it that the Japanese PS2 version introduced.

OMGN: Which controllers will the Wii version of Baroque support?

Rob Stone: Baroque will support a combination of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck (also known as Nunchuck Style) as well as the Classic Controller (Classic Style). Please note that the developer Sting has been experimenting with different control schemes for the game and nothing is finalized at this point in time.

OMGN: Could you describe how the Wii version of Baroque came to be? Was it Atlus's idea?

Bill Alexander [Director of Production]: It was the developer's decision to make a Wii version, actually. When we were in talks with Sting for the PS2 version, they informed us that they also had a Wii version in the works. It made sense for us to license both versions, since there was little additional localization work for us. We're pretty excited about it, since it's our first multiplatform launch.

OMGN: Baroque has a very mature storyline, comparable to Atlus's Shin Megami Tensei series. Has this posed any difficulty in the localization process?

Clayton S. Chan: We have quite a bit of experience with localizing mature titles, so that aspect didn't really present any difficulties. It was Baroque's story that I had problems with, specifically because of the way the story is told. The game is very careful to give out as little information as possible so that you, the player, are unraveling the mystery of Baroque yourself. Typically, an editor will have to smooth some things out so the characters don't sound like they're making tangential references when they're actually supposed to be having a flowing conversation, for example. In Baroque, however, there are many things that are intentionally left vague or are deliberately worded unusually, so I couldn't touch them. In a sense, "not working" was the hardest thing for me, in terms of localization.

OMGN: Baroque is regarded as a "hardcore" game in terms of difficulty and gameplay, while the Wii is seen as more of a "casual" console. Does Baroque have anything to offer casual players on the Wii? Or is this something more like Metroid Prime 3, a game meant for hardcore players?

Aram Jabbari [Assistant Manager of Public Relations and Sales]: Even though more Wii owners are casual gamers when compared to owners of other next gen systems, the console does have its share of veteran gamers. Baroque presents the type of challenging experience we believe many of these players have been waiting for and which other Wii games fail to offer. Baroque is a pure hardcore RPG experience and doesn't apologize for being so. With its dark subject matter and eerie characters, it definitely offers a change of pace from the Wii's usual light fare. We certainly welcome casual gamers to step outside of their comfort zone and try it, but we will be content to provide hardcore gamers with an experience that they will truly appreciate.

OMGN: There's a perception in the industry that third parties and small publishers are having a hard time working with the Nintendo Wii, but Atlus's Trauma Center games for the Wii seem to be one of the big exceptions to this "rule". What do you think Atlus is getting right that other publishers aren't?

Clayton S. Chan: I'm glad that you made it a point to single out Atlus Japan's fine work, because I'm pretty proud of what the guys were able to accomplish. I think the aspects of Trauma Center that you're impressed with are probably a result of Atlus Japan's designers/producers being given enough creative control and knowing what to do with that control.

As I see it, there are three very general ways a title can turn out. A good designer with enough control will create something that is unique, fun and takes advantage of the system's strengths. A good designer with no control will design a game that plays to the system's strengths and meets upper management's demands. The result will be a solid, if vanilla, product. A bad designer with or without control will just copy another game on the market or make something uninteresting.

You're probably seeing the results of more than a few designers being at loggerheads with the new control scheme of the Wii. If they're good, they'll work it out, as the Trauma Center team did. The situation was similar when Trauma Center: Under the Knife came out on the DS and was well received.

Honestly, I think what the industry really needs is some (pun definitely intended) New Blood. An influx of good designers who are given more control would undoubtedly yield more unique titles that took better advantage of what the Wii offers.

OMGN: Does Atlus have any plans to support the Virtual Console? (For example, a localized Shin Megami Tensei 2 would make a lot of people happy...)

Bill Alexander: Weve considered the idea, but there are currently no concrete plans, since all of our teams and Nintendo's are working on other projects.

OMGN: Are you working on anything new for Wii or DS you can tell us about?

Aram Jabbari: We've got some surprises tucked away for next year, and while I will deftly avoid mentioning specific genres or platforms, I will offer that Atlus fans will have plenty of reason to celebrate in 2008 (hey, that rhymes).

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