I WAS JUST DREAMING: MULTIPLAYER, MARACAS COMING TO NOBY NOBY BOY?
… or is BOY just fleein’ reality, as I know he’s liable to do?
I’ve been extremely neglectful in my Noby Noby Boy duties ever since Keita Takahashi’s game fell into my patiently awaiting PS3. It’s not that I don’t have a lot to say, it’s that I don’t quite yet have the words to say it. Believe me, though, when I say that with some 130,000 meters under my belt so far, I’ve been putting a lot of time into Noby’s world.
But let me break that silence quickly for this: if you haven’t been following the daily progress happening at official game site o–o.jp, you’ve been missing out. Not only do we have the daily Today’s GIRL updates, but lately Noby BOY has started to dream.
In these dreams, other multi-colored BOYs have come to play, even though Noby BOY was offline.. in a manner (and hue) precisely like my video of Noby Noby‘s original GameCity debut. In other dreams… the sounds of castanets, maracas, triangle, and guiter [sic] have been making their way into his thoughts..
Surely it’s just a matter of when (when GIRL reaches Mars? An arbitrary GIRL length?), and I’m as happy for it to be a surprise, that continual sense of wonder (every time you travel to a new map) being one of Noby‘s most pronounced joys.
And, honestly, even if the dreams were just that, I’d almost be as satisfied just having that drawing of BOY praying for his wishes, which slays me every. single. time.
official o–o home [Namco]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Only on Offworld: your first look at Panic's Noby Noby Boy T …
Ask a stupid question: Takahashi finally 'explains' Noby Noby Boy …
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
ONLY ON OFFWORLD: YOUR FIRST LOOK AT PANIC’S NOBY NOBY BOY T-SHIRTS
It shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, but I was still thrilled to see it. You may have spotted this earlier via Takahashi’s secret entry on the official o–o.com site (“concealed in tomato of a lower right ‘green pepper’ area”), but now it’s official: Portland software company Panic (the studio behind Mac FTP program Transmit and web dev tool Coda) have scored the exclusive license to sell T-shirts based on Keita Takahashi’s just-released PlayStation 3 downloadable Noby Noby Boy, just as they did for Katamari Damacy. And they’re perfect.
What made Panic’s Katamari shirts special was Takahashi’s directive that they explicitly not look like typical ‘game’ wares. Instead, he created a series of images that to the knowing fan were instantly recognizable, but to the rest of the world just looked like good design. Elephants, ostriches, dripping Prince heads and the all-caps ‘FEELING’ (ignore the later Monogram editions), all were a sly wink from one fan of the game to another.
Takahashi has gone in a similar direction, though less diverse, for now, with the Noby shirts. It’s the only direction he could’ve gone really: just longer and longer.
The shirts will come in four different “lengths” — that is, BOY stretched to 12, 48 and eventually the 144 inch tangle that’s little more than a dust-bunny squiggle with feet and that trademark hapless little •.• face. The 24 inch shirt is the only of the bunch that features GIRL, patterned with her signature static hearts.
Though the shirts aren’t yet back from the printer, Panic has just officially opened up its doors on this Noby launch day to take pre-orders, which will begin to ship sometime in the neighborhood of mid-March. Best of all, the site to order the shirts will be accessible at the ridiculous visual-punny URL Takahashi revealed today: www.o–T–o.com (www.o–T–o.com/jp/ for overseas orders).
o–T–o [Panic, official o–o home. Thanks for the heads-up, Cabel!]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Ask a stupid question: Takahashi finally ‘explains’ Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – OffworldNoby Noby Eve: a longer look at Noby's digital playground – Offworld
A slapstick Noby Day celebration – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
A SLAPSTICK NOBY DAY CELEBRATION
It’s a matter of hours now, for the statesiders, at least, until Keita Takahashi’s Noby Noby Boy hits the PlayStation Network. We should have more exciting Noby related news later this afternoon, but for now, celebrate with Namco’s expertly timed slapstick comedy.
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Ask a stupid question: Takahashi finally ‘explains’ Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – OffworldNoby Noby Eve: a longer look at Noby's digital playground – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
NOBY NOBY EVE: A LONGER LOOK AT NOBY’S DIGITAL PLAYGROUND
So they did have a master plan after all, and it’s all been leading up to this, hasn’t it? A day before Noby Noby Boy‘s long-awaited PlayStation Network release, Namco have taken a sharp turn and — rather than give us sparse, 30 second single-camera blips of the game — lead us instead on a three minute montage tour through its universe.
Not to say that there’s anything particularly revealing or surprising that we haven’t seen before (apart from the giant flailing Noby and the brilliant square-wheeled carrot car), but what strikes me more than anything, especially as the Boy knots himself through that lattice structure at 1:55, is how consistently the game fits in with what designer Keita Takahashi has been dreaming of all along.
As I mentioned in my first attempt at explaining the game, since first finding his audience with Katamari Damacy Takahashi has famously been saying that while making games has been a fun ride, his heart has got more ‘physical’ designs, particularly constructing playgrounds for children.
Like he told Edge magazine in 2007 as he toured the Nottingham, UK site that has been cordoned off for him to do just that: “I just want to make a park where a child will feel like taking off his shoes and start to run.”
Everything we’ve seen of Noby Noby Boy looks like a universe constructed to do just that, and I can honestly say there hasn’t been a world I’ve been so excited to ditch my sneakers and just play in in quite some time.
o–o [Namco]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Ask a stupid question: Takahashi finally ‘explains’ Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
Another new look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
76 Trombones: this morning's Noby parade – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
NOBY’S WAKEY-WAKEY: YOU HAVE TO BREAK THE MUSHROOM
‘Y’ is right. The wait until Thursday is going to be excruciating.
o–o [Namco]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Ask a stupid question: Takahashi finally ‘explains’ Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
Another new look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Noby Noby Boy stretches further into February – Offworld
It don't mean a thing: another last look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Why can't I stop: Noby in the sky with stripes – Offworld
Today’s drip-fed Noby dose: Noby tastes the rainbow – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
ASK A STUPID QUESTION: TAKAHASHI FINALLY ‘EXPLAINS’ NOBY NOBY BOY
So, you’ve seen the now daily feed of inexplicably captivating but unapologetically surreal Noby Noby Boy videos, you’ve read my best attempt to unravel the mysteries behind the game, and now you want the explanation direct from Keita Takahashi’s mouth.
Right, good luck: Sony’s PlayStation blog has hunted him down to ask why he made the game, and his response, an unwavering, “Seriously, I don’t know.”
But know, at least, that your baffled attempts to explain its appeal and its play are right in order with his wishes:
I wanted to make a game that cannot be expressed by words in the first place. By making an undefined and ambitious game, I want the player’s reaction to be something like, “I don’t know why, but it’s somehow interesting. I can’t stop playing.” In that way, I would feel I have succeeded at creating what I wanted, that is, creating something that’s not easily describable.
I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for a game’s eventual public reaction than the game itself (what’s the sound of a million gamers simultaneously scritching their heads in confusion?), but this is coming dangerously close.
Noby Noby Boy is… [PlayStation.Blog, o–o]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
Another new look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Noby Noby Boy stretches further into February – Offworld
It don't mean a thing: another last look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Why can't I stop: Noby in the sky with stripes – Offworld
Today's drip-fed Noby dose: Noby tastes the rainbow – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
TODAY’S DRIP-FED NOBY DOSE: NOBY TASTES THE RAINBOW
Somewhere in my ideal alternate universe, I’ve got an alarm clock that rouses me out of sleep with a new 30 second clip just like this every single day.
As for what’s happening in this one: I won’t say it if you won’t say it, but we are all thinking it, aren’t we.
o–o [Namco]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Another new look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Noby Noby Boy stretches further into February – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
It don't mean a thing: another last look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Why can't I stop: Noby in the sky with stripes – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
WHY CAN’T I STOP: NOBY IN THE SKY WITH STRIPES
Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in: I honestly thought last time would be the last Noby Noby Boy post until its official release next week, but I should’ve guessed that the ‘1’ in o–1–o would signify a series, and so it did.
This one’s even more stark than the last, but I can’t help but be continually utterly transfixed.
o–o [Namco]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Another new look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Noby Noby Boy stretches further into February – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
It don't mean a thing: another last look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
IT DON’T MEAN A THING: ANOTHER LAST LOOK AT NOBY NOBY BOY
Namco’s official YouTube channel has updated with a last look at Keita Takahashi’s PS3 downloadable Noby Noby Boy — finally due for a release next week — and it’s as brilliantly opaque as ever. No hints at why there’s a swingy-thing, or where it came from, or why we want to be wrapped around it.
That said, one of the things I’m most excited about following its release is a flood of YouTube videos (with the game’s integrated recording and uploading) just as quietly meaningless and inexplicably amusing as this.
It’s equally amusing that the game’s official website (already in its 3rd or 4th iteration) has now switched to a checkerboard display of tomatos, green peppers, and corn on the cob. It’s full of surprises.
o–o [Namco, via Siliconera]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Another new look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Noby Noby Boy stretches further into February – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW: ELAINE BRADFORD UNINTENTIONALLY PROTOTYPES NOBY TOYS
Currently on display at Houston gallery Art League Houston, Elaine Bradford‘s ‘Museum of UnNatural History’ exhibit, which makes as good a case for eventual Noby Noby Boy toys as anything: take note, Namco!
Fiber Arts: Freaks of Nurture [Lime & Violet, via .tiff!]
Previously:
It's a stretch: Explaining Katamari creator's new Noby Noby Boy …
Noby Noby Boy stretches further into February – Offworld
Another new look at Noby Noby Boy – Offworld
Happy Holidays from Offworld (feat. Keita Takahashi) – Offworld
See more posts about: Noby Noby Boy, Offworld Originals
