View Full Version : Minigames during loading screens
zmweasel
04-30-2005, 03:00 PM
The April 2005 issue of Game Developer has a fascinating interview with a producer at EA's Team Fusion, who discusses the challenges of PSP development--but the most interesting exchange in the piece had nothing to do with the PSP.
Game Developer Dude: Do you foresee anything like minigames during loading screens?
Team Fusion Dude: Minigames during loading screens is actually patented by Namco, so they're doing it!
So, my question to all y'all: can you think of any non-Namco titles with minigames during loading screens?
-- Z.
The test drive for the playstation 2 has pong for during loading screens. I guess you would considerate it a minigame even though you can play to a full game first to 10.
robotriot
04-30-2005, 03:43 PM
Super Skidmarks on Amiga had a pong game as well, that was back in 1995.
Mayhem
04-30-2005, 03:56 PM
Companies were doing games to play whilst the main game loads on the C64 during the mid 80s. I think Interceptor were the first to do it, way back in 84 or 85.
fergojisan
04-30-2005, 04:02 PM
Major Havoc!
You could play Breakout while the ship was being readied, or something like that. I guess that's not really a loading screen though. But I like Major Havoc. :-P
Ed Oscuro
04-30-2005, 04:12 PM
I suppose Phantasy Star Online's little interactive jobber shouldn't count, but I'd argue it does - you move stuff, though there's no score.
davidbrit2
04-30-2005, 04:12 PM
Major Havoc!
You could play Breakout while the ship was being readied, or something like that. I guess that's not really a loading screen though. But I like Major Havoc. :-P
I think that might have even had some kind of effect on the actual game, though I'm not 100% certain. I haven't played the game as much as I should have.
dan2357
04-30-2005, 08:07 PM
The Advenutes of Willy Beamish on the SegaCD had the cool 3D DNA like strand that you could play with.
Although I seam to remember doing that more then actual game play. So I guess you could consider the actual game the mini game and the DNA strand the main.
Dam I lkied that game but never finished it. I tried to play it again recently but the load times were killing me, I gave up.
Needle
04-30-2005, 08:18 PM
I'm kind of interested in the actual patent. I wonder what is actually considered a "mini-game" in the actual context of the patent? Fr instance, in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, you can mess with the "Now Loading" text by pressing the digital pad. I think most of us can agree that this isn't a mini-game, but I wonder if that falls under the definition as Namco sees it.
You'd think Namco would try to make it as all-emcompassing as possible. For instance, "Any interactive option during a loading sequence". Hmmm.
Push Upstairs
04-30-2005, 10:12 PM
I have a PSX game, i think TYCO R/C, and on the loading screen you have to move your chicken (the developers mascot) out of the way of some randomly driving cars or else it will get squashed.
Barkley Shut Up and Jam on the Jag has a game of Pong you play with a basketball and two backboards while the game decompresses.