Editing Rez (video game) (section)

===Game design===
[[File:Trance vibrator.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Trance Vibrator in protective pouch. The controller was developed by United Game Artists for ''Rez'' to increase the player's sensory immersion.<ref name="PlayTrance"/><ref name="GIBZmizuguchi"/>]]
The first concept for the gameplay of ''Rez'' was that when the player shot something down, it would create a sound in synch with the background music, coupled with a vibration through the controller.<ref name="1UPinterview"/> Mizuguchi wanted the game to be a "full body" experience, paying homage to arcade titles he had worked on early in his career at Sega including ''[[Sega Rally]]''.<ref name="gdc2"/> The overall design drew from several different sources of inspiration, including [[rave]] culture as exemplified in events such as Street Parade, and a video from Africa he saw online where a man started clapping and people either swayed and stamped to the beat or joined in.<ref name="DengInterview"/><ref name="GSrez2007"/> Figuring that the capacity for music and sights to draw in a crowd would be the essential element to his envisioned game, Mizuguchi began exploring how to programmatically recreate this effect.<ref name="GCDrez"/> Much of Mizuguchi's time during development was listening to music to inspire his designs.<ref name="SegaRezInterview"/>

Mizuguchi particularly wanted to create a non-violent shooter appealing to many people.<ref name="NGrez"/> A key element was allowing for mistakes and fluffs from the player—penalised in other titles within the genre—to be incorporated into the score of ''Rez''.<ref name="DengInterview"/> The musical gameplay was developed following a [[Call and response (music)|call and response]] approach (the audience responds to something from a singer or performer), similar to that of what a [[disc jockey]] would do to get reaction from the crowd.<ref name="GamaKazdal"/><ref name="GCDrez"/> In parallel with the development of the game's narrative and aesthetic, the team developed its mechanic of [[Quantization (music)|quantizing]] the notes, so that regardless of the player's imprecision that they would play out on the beat, which they "felt like magic" to players of any skill level.<ref name="gdc2"/> The decision to use a rail shooter template for gameplay originated from the number of staff who were veterans of both ''Sega Rally'' and the ''Panzer Dragoon'' series.{{sfn|Infinite|2017|p=18-27}}

The game's software was developed entirely from scratch, causing issues for the team, particularly due to the PS2 release.<ref name="RezComments"/><ref name="GamaKazdal"/> The game went through several prototypes, with different variations on the theme of a musical rail shooter.<ref name="GamaKazdal"/><ref name="GCDrez"/> Its earliest concepts were described by artist Jake Kazdel as "wild", with creations ranging from character action inspired by ''[[Space Harrier]]'' to abstract characters and enemies designed like musical props. These early stages were difficult for anyone to understand, and eventually it settled down into having a more traditional player character and enemies.<ref name="GamaKazdal"/> The first working prototype featured a figure running through a cyberspace environment, while a later build used a fighter jet.<ref name="GCDrez"/> Although designed to emphasize music, Mizuguchi has stated that he did not intend the game to be considered a music or rhythm game. The idea that musical skill would be a prerequisite for full appreciation of the game was something that both Mizuguchi and Kobayashi were anxious to avoid. Instead, the team adopted a quantization mechanic for the gameplay that allowed even players without natural rhythm to interact musically with the game through a process of "locking on" to enemies. This mechanic formed a core theme along which the gameplay developed.{{sfn|Infinite|2017|p=18-27}}

The vibration feedback made use of the Dreamcast vibration pack, the [[DualShock#DualShock 2|DualShock 2 controller]] for PS2, and a custom controller created by Mizuguchi's team for the game dubbed the Trance Vibrator that could be used with the PS2 version.<ref name="RezVibrations"/><ref name="FamitsuDreamcast"/> The Trance Vibrator was Mizuguchi's idea, starting as a joke to enhance the visual mechanics of the game.<ref name="PlayTrance"/><ref name="GIBZmizuguchi"/> The concept was born alongside the original plan for ''Rez'' when Mizuguchi visited Europe.<ref name="PlayTrance"/> While the standard controllers gave good vibration feedback, it only fed into the hands. Mizuguchi's aim with the Trance Vibrator was to allow a player to place it somewhere else in contact with their skin and feel the vibrations from there.<ref name="GIBZmizuguchi"/> He admitted that this lent itself to situations where it could be used for sexual stimulation.<ref name="GCDrez"/><ref name="GIBZmizuguchi"/>