Announced on Monday via the Rockman Unity Twitter account, an interesting and unusual development with the franchise is about to unfold...
Details about this product are very scarce right now but we can tell you that Rockman x Programming is a tool/software that will help you to learn basic coding while making Rockman games or Rockman-like games.
The project is developed by Artec, a manufacturer specializing in educational materials for arts and crafts. Rockman x Programming will be available to pre-order next Monday at 11:00 JST on Makuake, a Japanese-based crowdfunding website. It remains to be seen if it will be distributed outside of Japan.
So that's all we know about this right now, and many questions linger. Why is this going up on a crowdfunding website? What is the significance of the tool in Rockman's hand? Is this for PC or consoles?
Also, the original Rockman Unity tweet mentions a "robot-kit" as part of this project and Artec does distribute a "ArtecRobo 2.0 Mecha". How does that tie in with this project?
You're probably just as confused and intrigued as us. We should know more soon, though.
What do you think?
Wow! Never would've expected this.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Capcom and Artec are doing their own take on Mega Man Maker, so-to-speak. I look forward to someone running with this and making a fan sequel or spin-off to Magical Doropie, though!
ReplyDelete(No, I don't count TheSkipper1995's Mahou Warrior as a fan sequel, as much fun as that game is.)
I am just getting interested in game programing, so this is interesting news for me.
ReplyDeleteYou may also want to look into "RPG Maker", "Mega Man Maker" and consider downloading Unity. For your phone, try PocketCoder.
DeleteThere's any number of cool tools already out there.
I wonder if this is the in-development game Capcom was talking about. Until I hear otherwise, I'm convinced that it is.
ReplyDeleteThis looks intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI could program a game where bosses include Marketing Man, Bad Art Man, App man and Cartoon Man where you ultimately have to fight a zombie Keiji Inafune. Good times.
Here's to hoping they allow everyone else to have access to it, not just Japan.
From what I can guess and what Protodude said on Twitter its not in any way a "Mega Man Maker".
DeleteI'm guessing it will be a duck hunting like game, using IR sensors and automated scripts. Not much more than something along those lines. -_-
You will learn more game coding just getting a copy of RPG maker VX or the like and studying the script codes.
I wouldn't have expected this but I will say this, as someone who has a mild interest in learning coding beyond very basic webpage design, this is a fascinating idea and would possibly be a great tool to even adults that want to learn. I wonder if it'll come stateside. Probably not but one can hope.
ReplyDeleteEven if it's limited, it looks like a great baby's first programming lesson.
Looks interesting. Never heard about Artec before, but their stuff reminds me of Lego Technic. I wonder... Besides making NES Mega Man games, will we be able to make our own Robot Master!? (Or at least, like the Mega Man picture, a faux Mega Buster that makes game sounds?)
ReplyDeleteI'm already expecting a sort of cheap engine, but this still looks interesting!
ReplyDeleteRetaliation. :(
ReplyDeleteI think it would be amazing if Capcom took the best bosses and level designs made by fans and every year compiled them into an official Mega Man game. It would be low risk and huge reward for Capcom since development costs would be almost non-existent and they could sell it as an official game in the series. By the end of the decade we could all be playing Mega Man 20.
ReplyDeleteAs a lifelong Mega Man fan who wants to learn coding, this is right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteI kinda doubt there'll be an english release though.
This will be interesting...
ReplyDeleteOh... this got my HYPE. I can't play it if it's on PC, though. RIP.
ReplyDeleteHang on, pre-order? So people are going to be *paying* for what, by the looks of it, is basically a rebranded Scratch 3.0?
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to feel about that.
I mean.... I've been wanting to make my own Mega Man game for years, but yet I don't have the time or patience to do this apparently, even with enough programming knowledge and software to make one right now. But this sounds just as interesting.
ReplyDeleteAlthough since we have little to no information, as it sounds like its being focused in Japan. We don't know if it's even coming to the west yet. I wouldn't get any high hopes just yet, as it's too early to tell. But it seems likely it's only in the Japanese department at the moment.
Considering its going to be coding based, I wonder how it will affect games like Mega Man Maker.
I am currently a self-learning game developer using Unity 3D, Godot and GameMaker.
ReplyDeleteSome people have used the Mega Engine and the Super Mega Engine (a fork of the original Mega Engine), while I got curious with the Godot Mega Man (using Godot instead of GameMaker).
I think that looking into the code repos and learning to make levels or make your own Mega Man variation with these repos would help brush up game programming a bit better (if you're into making your own 2D sidescrollng game).
But looking at that original tweet on "Make Rockman" (that's a direct translation of the hashtag in that Rockman Unity post), I get the feeling that it is more towards automation-programming akin to assembling the hobby robot in the English "Real Robots" magazine, Cybot, or Lego Boost. How the Mega Man/Rockman aspect come into play, is going to be a curious wonder.
The title appears to be "Make Rockman: The World's Greatest Programming" (as a play on Rockman 6's subtitle, The World's Greatest Robots).
ReplyDelete