2007's worst kept gaming secrets

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2007's worst kept gaming secrets

We knew they were happening. The industry said we were wrong. But we weren't.

Words: David Houghton, GamesRadar UK

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The Wii gets Okami

A concept so screamingly logical that if it hadn’t come true the universe would have imploded. Okami runs on PS2 hardware. Okami includes a paintbrush control mechanic. Okami is often compared to Zelda. The Wii can beat PS2 hardware. The Wii has motion control. Nintendo fans like Zelda. And thus gamers were crying out for a port before Nintendo’s console was even released.

The fan momentum around the idea steadily grew for several months until it inevitably provoked a reaction from the industry. In February IGN ran a report that a “reliable industry insider” had told them that Capcom was seriously considering the idea. The house of Ryu denied the project’s existence when questioned directly and cited the sad closure of Okami developer Clover as a reason the port was unlikely. Ports however, don’t necessarily need the original team to happen, and the rumours only grew in pace after the article was run.

In October Capcom eventually threw its hands up with a bashful blush and admitted that the Wii version of the game was happening and due for release in Spring 2008. It later explained that it felt that the game should have reached a wider audience than it got when it was originally released (It should have), that a slow-burning public and journalistic love for an unusual game had finally built the deserved fanbase (Ain’t that always the way?) and that the project had been in development since January (No shit). The Wii version of Okami is now in development by Ready At Dawn, a dev made up of ex-Naughty Dog and Blizzard staff and apparently full of Okami fans. Hurrah!