Nintendo speaking at GDC 2018 about ARMS and Splatoon 2 development

This year’s Game Development Conference will feature speakers from Nintendo who will discuss the development of both ARMS and Splatoon 2. Hisashi Nogami, producer on the original Splatoon and its sequel, has a talk titled “Splatoon and Splatoon 2: How to Invent a Stylish Franchise with Global Appeal“.

The official GDC website states that Nogami hopes to answer many questions about development of the franchise, including: “What were the brainstorming sessions like, and what kinds of review processes determined the game’s final ideas? How do you make a sequel better while releasing it on a brand-new platform with unique features? And how do you land on a quirky concept like ‘squid creatures fighting turf battles with water pistols’ in the first place?”

Meanwhile, Mario Kart 7 and 8 director Kosuke Yabuki will give a talk entitled “‘ARMS’: Building Mario Kart 8 Insights into a Showcase Nintendo Switch Fighter“, going into detail about his time as producer on ARMS and how design decisions made during development of Mario Kart fed into the spaghetti fighter.

Expect to find out things like: “What lessons can a kart-racer offer a brawler that has players throwing corkscrew punches like tennis players volleying missiles? How do you ensure function follows form, using the Nintendo Switch system’s motion controls in ways that feel as natural and responsive as tapping buttons?”

GDC 2018 will take place between 19th – 23th March and you can find a full schedule (so far) on the official website.