E3, Day One (14)

He nudged his companion with an elbow. "Material transition."

His companion nodded and quickly jotted it down in his notebook. "An incredibly clever art direction. Jupiter's current 3D capabilities would make realistic human skin look stiff, but they were practically tailor-made for rendering the highly reflective plastic texture of toys. The polygon count isn't high, yet the lighting effects bring out that plastic feel to perfection."

The presentation on the screen continued.

For the gameplay showcase, the development team fully captured the oppressive feeling of a miniature perspective.

Buzz Lightyear had to collect AA batteries scattered throughout the room to activate the laser on his arm and the flight wings on his back.

He slid along the edge of a desk, using a remote-controlled race car as a vehicle to charge through the hallway.

Then the camera shifted, and the scene moved to the backyard.

A huge vicious dog was barking furiously, the length of its chain marking the boundary between safety and danger.

Woody and Buzz Lightyear used Slinky Dog's body as a bridge, struggling forward under the cover of the grass.

This design, which turned everyday objects into level obstacles, caught the attention of the media below the stage.

"This kind of interaction fits the everyday setting and logic of toys perfectly. It's very interesting," a GamePro editor commented. "The perspective shifts are smooth, and the feedback from the physics collisions looks solid. Look at the rebound trajectory when that remote-controlled car hits the table leg—the underlying physics engine is beautifully done."

"That's Yuji Naka," someone beside him reminded him. "The father of Sonic. Handling physics collisions during high-speed movement is what he does best."

In the latter half of the trailer, the editing pace quickened.

Woody rode a wind-up frog over puddles, while Buzz Lightyear used the