First Person Flight Sim Dev Wants Call of Duty Success

[Greg Tito]

First Person Flight Sim Dev Wants Call of Duty Success

Ace Combat developer believes that his fast-paced military flight-sim can profit from the popularity of Call of Duty.

Published by Namco since 1995, the Ace Combat series spans over 13 titles which portray wars between fictional countries that are generally analogous to nations here on Earth. Similar to Western games like Wing Commander, a large over-arching story is hinted at while the arcade-ey combat features planes and other aircraft that are generally accurate to the real world, even if there's the occasional fictional super-weapon. The next installment in the series is called Ace Combat: Assault Horizon and designer Kazutoki Kono thinks that his game can offer a lot to fans of Call of Duty because of its fast-paced and first-person gameplay.

"We believe there have been a lot of FPS games coming out recently, the market has been a little saturated with them. We'd like to bring something new where you're shooting in a high-speed environment," Kono said.

"We didn't have direct influence from Call of Duty, but I do think it is a spectacular game and we would like to reach the same level of success."

While there's a big difference between a flight sim and an FPS, Kono is encouraged with the reaction that Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is getting. "A lot of people who aren't flight-sim players are telling us how it's really cool and they're interested. To hear that feedback is reassuring and we hope that we'll nail it."

I can't say that I've been a big fan of straight up flight sims, but I've missed the well-crafted dogfights I used to enjoy in games like X-Wing and Tie Fighter. If Ace Combat: Assault Horizon can offer anything similar than it might just be the awesome that I've been waiting for.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/288108/news/ace-combat-dev-wants-call-of-duty-success/]

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[vxicepickxv]

I want Call of Duty popularity, but I don't think that's going to happen if I limit my charity spending to Desert Bus.

Flight Sims, while done normally in the first person, are inherently different from the FPS itself.

 

[Worgen]

I doubt it will reach cod success but its stupid that cod has reached cod success, but the vids for it look pretty fucken awesome so Im getting it

 

[Tireseas_v1legacy]

I've played AC6 probably more times than is considered healthy, but this new game, if E3 trailers are any indication, is going to be very different from that. It sure as hell didn't look like a traditional flight sim like Ace Combat, X-Wing/TIE Fighter, or even TC HAWKs.

 

[mad825]

A little!?!? ffs, you are contributing to it Namco.

 

[teknoarcanist]

I've always felt like the weakness of the Ace Combat series is it can't decide whether it's a fighter-plane simulator (MS Flight Sim with missiles) or a plane-based action game (Crimson Skies) -- both of which are fine, but for fuck's sake, pick one and stick with it all throughout your design.

That said, I just googled gameplay for horizon...and good god-damn. You can definitely tell which parts are edited to make them look cooler, but with that in mind, it still looks pretty freakin slick.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

While it won't reach the level of success obtained by COD, I hope the game does well. If it comes out decent maybe I'll buy it. I really enjoyed HAWX (I haven't played the second) so I know I can get into a flight game. Well I played Rogue Squadron, but that was so long ago. Someone needs to fix that.

 

[Baresark]

I hate to point out the obvious but, EVERY developer wants CoD success... for every game!

Got that out of my system, so we're good.

I think the disconnect for players happens with the realization that you train and practice for hundreds, if not thousands of hours total to fly a plane. Where a normal FPS is pretty self explanatory. You can basically train a monkey to shoot a gun, maybe not well, but you can. It's easy to learn, and then it's easy to get practice with. So I think player ease into the FPS roll a lot more easily. It's easier for someone to imagine themselves as a soldier or fighter of some sort. Not so easy to imagine themselves as a pilot.

 

[HentMas]

I can't say that I've been a big fan of straight up flight sims, but I've missed the well-crafted dogfights I used to enjoy in games like X-Wing and Tie Fighter. If Ace Combat: Assault Horizon can offer anything similar than it might just be the awesome that I've been waiting for.

you have never played the "Ace Combat" series??

wow... i guess i should point you to my personal favorite "Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies", there are momments that your plane and those of the enemies perform a beautifull ballet trying to blow each other appart, i liked this one more than the others because its straight up battle, you and a hundred enemies, i mean yeah, you have more people flying "alongside" you, but not actually "with" you (they dont do anything helpfull... at all) and you dont have to really "care" about anyone else unless specified

i really felt proud when in the later lvls the enemies and your "friends" down below all say "WOW! its the blue ribbon!!" (thats how they get to call you)

and that "straight up flight sim" comment makes it sound as if it was "microsoft flight simulator" which it isnt, its as much as a simmulator as "Mario Kart" is a driving simulator

seriously check "Shattered Skies" if you see it, it is for the PS2, but i guess it might still be around.

 

[Antari]

The only way they will ever have a hope of doing this is by bringing this game to pc as well.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I love the Ace Combat series. So much so, that I tried H.A.W.X. 2. Yeah...that was a mistake. Moved past it though.

Dear Ace Combat Developers,

PLEASE include online story mode co-op for the game. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!! It was the one thing that I liked about H.A.W.X. 2.

Thank you.

 

[Eicha]

... And I'd love a solid gold toilet that dispenses shiny pokemon. Well mister game developer, if your multiplayer is as functioning as CoD, then I'd recommend buying a bigger wallet. But I suppose we'll find out soon.

 

[MR T3D]

-Sim
-Ace Combat
HAHAHAHAHA

Look at some other sites and see that you'll this game is nothing like TIE-fighter, beyond flying around.

Other than that: Developer want to makes lots of money.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Great, now I have to go play Tie Fighter again. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[RA92]

-Sim
-Ace Combat
HAHAHAHAHA

Look at some other sites and see that you'll this game is nothing like TIE-fighter, beyond flying around.

Ummm, to be fair, TIE-fighter is also called a space fighter sim, despite the fact it shits on the face of Newtonian physics (even more than Ace Combat). There should be an 'arcade' somewhere in both of their classifications.

I always enjoyed Ace Combats more than any arcade space fighter sims. The latter played like the former anyway, without the challenge of balancing maneuvers with stall speeds. But appealing to the masses? I'm already disliking the new setting, and it's seeming more and more like a HAWX clone. Will we be getting any new fictional prototypes in the real-world setting?

http://acecombatskies.com/uploads/gallery/1230764186/gallery_6407_42_375879.jpg

 

[Raptorace18]

The biggest problem that I have with this story is the fact that you're playing as the US fighting against an anti-gov insurgency in Africa and that the main bad guy is a Russian (though he has an sweat nickname. Who wouldn't like to be known as 'Akula'?).

Now I love the ace combat series but as it stands, Assault horizon just doesn't seem to be much of an Ace Combat game. To me its more like 'Hawx 2, the good edition.'

I know developers have a right to try new ideas, but what their trying with Assault horizon as far as the setting goes is anything but new.

Now if they were to remake AC3 with modern graphics and put in the full 52 missions, multiple paths and full story with cut scenes like the original PAL version should have had, that would be awesome.