E3 2011: A Sneak Peek at Disney Universe

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Mase's picture
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E3 2011: A Sneak Peek at Disney Universe

This looks like a lot of fun! Click the link for pictures and videos.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/117/1170403p1.html

Quote:
Disney Universe is set to be one of the biggest gaming titles we'll see from Disney this year, and represents the first time multiple Disney properties, including the Pixar films, have been brought together in one game. I got a sneak peek at an early version of Disney Universe, and what I saw has me hopeful this will be a game that appeals to all ages, like Disney's classic films.

The gameplay in Disney Universe most closely resembles that of Traveller's Tales' LEGO games or even LittleBigPlanet, with a few notable additions. Up to four players can don costumes of their favorite Disney characters and battle to save the virtual world of Disney Universe. Platforming, puzzles, and collecting are all here, but the most interesting thing I saw was the enemies.

There's one thing all Disney villains have in common: cleverness. Though they're bested in the end, Disney bad guys always manage to toss the hero a few twists and turns. In Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent tricks Princess Aurora into touching a spindle; in the Little Mermaid, Ursula manipulates Ariel, convincing her to give up her voice in exchange for legs to walk on land; in Monsters Inc., Randall convinces Mike he wants to help Boo, but really schemes to kidnap her. Video game enemies rarely have the ability to trick us, but Disney is hoping to bring some of the mischievous qualities of its film villains into the enemies in Disney Universe.

They look like your standard cartoony bad guys, and they run up and attack you just like you'd expect, but they also try to make your life difficult in a number of other ways. These enemies actively build obstacles and set traps throughout the levels as you're playing. They'll track down items you need and attempt to hide them or destroy them. During my demo I saw one enemy break off from a larger pack to lay down a row of spikes in a tricky platforming area set amongst racing groups of doors from Monsters Inc.

But you've got plenty of tools in your arsenal to mess with them as well. Each costume you wear has a different main weapon that can be leveled up as you accomplish certain goals. You can also grab weapons from enemies, and pick up the enemies themselves and throw them off ledges or swing them around. In the Alice in Wonderland-themed level that I saw, the enemies were equipped with the flamingos that were used to play croquet in the film. It was fun to grab the flamingo and fling the enemy back and forth as he attempted to hang onto it.

Stitch and Nemo in Monsters Inc? Crazy!

Monsters Inc. and Alice in Wonderland were the only two settings I saw in my demo, but Disney Universe is set to launch with levels from six different properties, and more will be released via DLC afterward. Disney is approaching this game as ongoing world, making the DLC feel less like an add-on and more like an extension of the original retail release. Costumes in the game will include the aforementioned properties as well as Tron, Lilo & Stitch, and others Disney hasn't chosen to disclose yet.

Disney Universe is set to hit Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PC later this year.

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Ohhh sounds cool...this might be something we have to get and play together

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Mase's picture
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I know right? It looks awesome!

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yay

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yay!

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Oh great..another game I have to get. Especially since we haven't figured out Epic Mickey yet.

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Bella wrote:
Oh great..another game I have to get. Especially since we haven't figured out Epic Mickey yet.

I need to finish that game.....

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Mase wrote:
Bella wrote:
Oh great..another game I have to get. Especially since we haven't figured out Epic Mickey yet.

I need to finish that game.....

Yeah me too Mase. I played it once and it made me dizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy!.

Mase's picture
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mrhub wrote:
Mase wrote:
Bella wrote:
Oh great..another game I have to get. Especially since we haven't figured out Epic Mickey yet.

I need to finish that game.....

Yeah me too Mase. I played it once and it made me dizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy!.

The Wii is hooked upstairs for my son to play so its hard for me to get to it... about to hook it up downstairs... lol

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More information: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/117/1171605p1.html

Quote:
What's the Story?
Coming up with a story that would allow all of the characters to interact in each others' worlds was tricky work. In Disney Universe, players are Beta testers in a large Disney-themed virtual world. An evil hacker breaks into the world, causing massive havok, and players must put an end to it. You do this by donning a costume of your favorite Disney character and battling through the levels.

What's the Deal with the Costumes?
The costumes are actually a clever workaround to avoid a licensing nightmare. Most of the character creators would never allow their characters to appear outside their own worlds. Playing as a random avatar wearing a costume of a character eliminates that problem because it's not actually the character doing the actions.

Which Disney Franchises Are Included?
Below is the list of franchises that have been confirmed to be either levels or costumes. We'll update this list as we learn more.

Monsters Inc.
Alice in Wonderland (the Tim Burton version)
Lilo & Stitch
Tron
Finding Nemo
The Lion King

What's the Gameplay Like?
Disney Universe is a third-person action game in the vein of the LEGO games or LittleBigPlanet. Up to four players can play cooperatively through levels that feature lots of smashing, collecting, and platforming. One unique feature is that the enemies actively try to hinder your progress by setting up traps or hiding key items.

Is There Multiplayer?
Disney Universe will feature four-player local multiplayer. No online play is planned at this time.

DLC Is Already in the Plans
The story in Disney Universe won't necessarily end once you complete the game. Disney plans to release additional levels as well as costumes on a regular basis following release.

How's It Looking?
We've seen two levels in very different environments. The Monsters, Inc. level was fast-paced and full of tricky platforming. The Alice in Wonderland level was slower-paced with more emphasis placed on simple puzzle solving. Disney says it plans to have each level feel very unique not only in how it looks, but also in how it plays.

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E3 is going on right this second. For those that dont know what E3 is... its a convention that all of the games come out at and sometimes new tech and such. Well.... you also get more information about games that are coming out... like... DISNEY UNIVERSE!

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1174665p1.html

Quote:
Disney is pushing its forthcoming Disney Universe hard at this year's E3, with ads and posters all over the convention center. Close attention to these posters has pretty much confirmed a number of the costumes that will be available in the game. Here's a list of what we saw:

Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
Mike (Monsters Inc.)
Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)
Tron Suit (Tron)
Nemo (Finding Nemo)
Pumbaa (The Lion King)
Sully (Monsters Inc.)
Randall (Monsters Inc.)
Celia Mae (Monsters Inc.)
The Sushi Chef (Monsters Inc.)
The Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland)
The White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland)
The Red Queen (Alice in Wonderland)
The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)

We now know that Alice in Wonderland is in the game!

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