EBA: OK, for starters, please give us a brief overview on The Legend of Katha. What’s it all about?

AG: Legend of Katha is an isometric 2D game where you can complete quests in a typical RPG setting, like older games such as Diablo. You have the opportunity to earn gold and upgrade items by killing NPCs, doing PvsP combat or by playing mini-games. Completing quests unlocks new levels and characters and we’re working hard to implement class specific attacks which will allow the game-play to become more co-operative. The game requires no downloads and runs directly off your browser. As far as the story goes; The Game is set in the lush world of Trikoot. The player enters the land in a time of strife. The evil Rambalas have spread chaos over the land and finding the four scrolls of Katha can relinquish the land from the scourge of these evil beings.

EBA: In terms of story and setting, what makes the game unique and interesting?

AG:Since this is India’s first ever MMORPG the story has elements of Indian mythologies. The design of the architecture and the characters and setting gives it a very Indian feel and we hope it sets it apart from other far eastern and western MMOs. The game’s story is based around a tree, called the Katha. This tree once stood strong uniting the land as one. The tree was destroyed by the evil Rambalas who wanted to take over the land. At present, everyone is on quest searching for the four scrolls that can bring that tree back to life and rid the land of the Rambalas.

EBA: Let’s talk gameplay, what types of things are there to do in The Legend of Katha?

AG: Players can combat with each other using long range and close range weapons. They can band together to fight the Rambalas, kill NPCs and go on Single player quests where they can use arcade like game-play to defeat their enemies. In addition, there are mini-games to play and exploring the large open ended world reveals many surprising events. The game has two single-player quests at the moment. Completion of each quest unlocks a new level and weapons in the game. We are adding about two quests a month and hope to have a fairly procedural multi-player questing system up and running soon as well.

EBA: What different types of characters will players have access to?

AG: We launched with four different character classes when we started. The players can choose to play as a monk, magician, merchant or warrior with class specific attacks such as invisibility for magicians. By the end of this month a new Thief class will be launched. We are also developing class specific weapons. This will help define each class further, for example a magician will have the ability to become invisible while the thief class will have the ability to steal gold from your inventory. We are busy in polishing and balancing the game-play so that people can have fun playing against different classes.

EBA: Please tell us how the multi-player component works in the game.

AG: Players can log-in to fight with each other in PvsP combat and band together to take on NPCs in the free roaming world. Each player can see other players in their part of the world and can seamlessly teleport across the world using the Navigator. We plan to add trade, buddy lists and vehicle combat in the multi-player world soon. In the meantime, players can log-in for instant action in the Tantali Coast area.

EBA:Game-play wise, which titles did you draw inspiration from?

AG: We’re big fans of old role-playing books that Ian Livingstone used about 20 years back and a lot of the dev. team still plays Diablo 2, Sudden Strike and AOE. We wanted to give a bit of the classic old school feel to our game where the graphics have a nice hand painted feel and to that end we actually model them in 3D but finally trace them in Flash.

EBA: Who have you designated as the target audience for this game?

AG: We are targeting a teen casual audience who want to play 30 minute pick up and play game sessions without too much time investment into a complex rules based game. Working people also can take a break with this game and enjoy short sessions of game-play. There is a clear path for levels and abilities getting unlocked as you play, so hands on management is minimal with the game automatically unlocking and popping up new milestones and goals as you play along. We still haven’t perfected the ease-of-use and balance but are confident that we will have a fun and playable casual MMORPG in the coming months.

EBA: The browser-based gaming market is pretty intriguing, but please tell us why you chose to develop content in this sector as opposed to retail or digitally distributed games.

AG: I think the Free to Play model allows developers the twin advantages of getting a large audience which is willing to give your game a shot and lets you iterate it quickly even after the launch. It goes live immediately and the low barrier for entry ensures that you reach a large audience pretty fast. The feedback you get from a large initial audience is critical for level designers to tune the game and thats another big advantage. Currently we have 7000+ beta players and we’re busy ripping up large chunks of code, UI to make it more fun and playable.

EBA: What do you think sets this title apart from other browser-based games?

AG: Arcade type game-play within an MMORPG setting. It requires some skill to accurately shoot fast moving aggressive targets and a certain amount of strategy to beat off waves of incoming enemies. We hope to employ more fun arcade type game-play mechanisms as we develop future quests and boss creatures.

EBA: How many people do you have working on the title?

AG: We have around 15 to 16 people working on the game.

EBA: Give us a little idea of what’s happening on the back end. What type of software are you utilizing on the project?

AG: We’re using a custom brew of Flash, our own game engine, Smartfox server to handle the socket server tasks and a lot of PHP/Java/AS3 code for server management tasks. We have a LAMP architecture for the back end and the entire server and back end runs on Amazon’s Cloud service so we can spawn multiple virtual servers to handle load. Interested readers can see the tech specs here- www.legendofkatha.com/kathaSaaS

EBA: What key elements in the game do you think will keep people coming back for more?

AG:Arcade type game-play with a clear path to more content each month. The fact that the game is constantly developing new quests/creatures and game-play modes should get us on the replay ability list.

EBA: What stage is the game in now and when are you targeting an official launch?

AG: We’re in open beta now and hope to do an official launch worldwide by end of September with proper press releases et all. India is our focus for the next month and we are doing a co-promotion with Tata, a large broadband provider to get the game out in India by month’s end.

EBA: Where can interested readers go to learn more?

AG: www.legendofkatha.com has a forum and they can sign up to play the open beta immediately. Registeration is 100% free so they can actually jump in and start playing the game right away. We also have a Facebook and Twitter page that is updated regularly.

EBA: Alright, sounds fun! Thanks for your time and your insight. Best of luck with the project!

We know, that’s a lot of ground to cover…Good thing Aaron likes to chat;)

Aaron Greenberg (image courtesy of dasgamer.com)

EBA: First off, thanks for taking the time to chat! Let’s start off by revisiting the recent GDC in San Fran. What’s your take on the show’s hottest topic -  OnLive?

AG: There’s no doubt that digital distribution is changing the landscape of video game entertainment, and it’s a category Xbox is in many ways responsible for creating and leading in the industry for years. Not enough is known about OnLive’s technology, with no product in the market and no consumers using the service, it is really premature to comment at this point.

EBA: Since digital distribution is such a hot topic these days, how would you summarize its role in Microsoft’s long-term vision? Is it fair to say that ALL consoles, including Microsoft’s, will eventually deal in digital distribution only?

AG: Future technologies, our growth online and digital distribution are major pillars for the future growth of Xbox 360. From day one, we’ve been focused on evolving the Xbox 360 into an entertainment platform that gives consumers more choices and more entertainment, and digital distribution is a huge pivotal part of that vision.  Personally, I love the convenience of being able to download a movie or a game and not have to mess with the discs, but I also realize that some consumers are, believe it or not, still buying music on CDs and driving to their video stores to rent movies.  So it is hard to say when exactly we really move to an entirely all digital model, but having the ability to choose digital is a great convenience for consumers like me.

EBA: Speaking of GDC, what’s Microsoft’s official take on the whole “Blizzard talking to MS about the next Xbox” thing?

AG: We’ve been pretty open about the fact that we believe the Xbox 360 is only somewhere around halfway through its lifecycle. Our official take on the “Blizzard talking to MS about the next Xbox” is that its total rumor and speculation. 

EBA: No matter which console, it’s pretty clear that MS has made a hefty commitment to community games through XNA and the XBLA Community Games channel. Recent reports indicate that while happy with the opportunity, some developers aren’t completely satisfied with revenue share, level of exposure, promotion, and more. What are the plans to see Community Games become a bigger success for everyone involved?

AG: Sales and expectations vary from developer to developer. Although this is still a very early snapshot of the Community Games sales potential, we’re finding that several of our top sellers will be taking home almost as much income from four months of sales as the average U.S. citizen earns in a full year. We at Xbox are very proud of offering a direct distribution channel to developers. This has never been done before on any console. Since we started the program, the response has been overwhelming with more than 200 community developed games already on the service.

EBA:Adding user-generated scores or other feedback in addition to making Community Games easier to find on the dashboard have been kicked around as possible quick fixes. Any plans to implement these or other changes?

AG: We’re confident that this business will only continue to grow as more and more Xbox 360 owners explore the channel and discover all it has to offer. We’re always looking for ways to improve the consumer experience, but we don’t have anything new to announce at this time.

EBA: Sony recently announced the price cut for the PS2. In your opinion, does this have any bearing on current gen console sales whatsoever and could you talk about what factors are in play when deciding to drop the price on a console? Do you think Sony will drop the price of PlayStation 3 this year?

AG: We don’t think the price drop of the PS2 will have significant bearing on the current gen console sales. This move from Sony at the end of the PS2’s life cycle is not unexpected. The future lies in the growth of current generation consoles and for us in driving those PS2 owners to continue to buy Xbox 360 over a PS3.

As far as the PS3 price drop rumors, to be honest we fully expect a PS3 price drop to happen by E3 at the latest.  If you look at the market fundamentals they have no choice but to do so with continuing year over year sales declines over the last 5 months, significant loss of market share and public response from consumers, retailers and publishers.  It is also a very difficult time economically to try and sell a product at twice the price of your competition.

We’ve always managed our business focused on deliver a great value and maintaining a price advantage over the PS3 was part of the original Xbox 360 strategy from the beginning. In many ways, we feel that dropping the price to $199 last fall has helped us fare better given the current economy but it is really just one component that adds up to Xbox being an overall better entertainment value for consumers. Xbox 360 simply gives you more for your money with double the games library of PS3, the highest rated games in the industry by a large margin and twenty times the number of movies and TV shows. Then you add things like our exclusive Netflix content and access to Xbox LIVE, the leading online community and I think you can see why consumers month and after month are voting with their wallets and selecting Xbox 360 as their console of choice.

EBA: Your recent comments about GTA:The Lost and Damned “outselling Killzone 2″ were widely reported and talked about all over the net (including EBA). Was it fair to compare the two considering their varied time at retail, difference in price points, etc? For the record, what are the exact numbers on how many units of the Lost & Damned DLC were purchased?

AG: Good question, the reason for my comment was to really try to covey our excitement around how well The Lost and Damned was doing and that this major part of the story was not being told simply because this content was not sold at retail.  The response from our owners was overwhelming as The Lost and Damned broke first week revenue records on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.  If I could share more specific figures I would, but probably better to ask Rockstar that type of information.

EBA: There’s been talk of Microsoft streamlining the ability for MMOs to appear on the 360, specifically titles like Lord of the Rings Online being kicked around. Knowing what titles like WoW are capable of, how interested in Microsoft in tapping into this market from the home console perspective?

AG: We’re already tapping into the robust Xbox LIVE community of more than 17 million members to create memorable massively multiplayer experiences on Xbox 360. In fact, we already have MMOs on the console, including “Final Fantasy XI” and “Phantasy Star Universe,” and even more on the way with “Age of Conan.” We’re even introducing the first a whole new type of massively multiplayer online game later this year with “1 vs. 100,” a dynamic, interactive game that lets the LIVE community  play along in front of an audience of thousands and an actual host for a chance to win real prizes.

While MMO games are primarily played today on the PC, we also recognize that they great potential for the future on the console, and I think Xbox 360 is uniquely positioned with the rich online capabilities and leading online community to deliver those kinds of innovative experiences in the living room.

EBA: Some analysts and insiders on the retail level are reporting that the Nintendo Wii craze is just about over; that the supply and demand have leveled off. Do you think Wii sales are slowing because of market penetration or simply the greater economic situation? How can Microsoft capitalize on this situation and increase the install base of 360’s among casual gamers?

AG: Those are probably better questions for Nintendo to answer. But what I do think is clear is that we’re seeing consumers now more than ever seeking out more entertainment value for their money. While the Wii has clearly experienced strong console sales to date, it is really a defined experience, delivering a very particular type of game and not offering the variety of richness you get in the same price range with an Xbox 360.  I believe that long term we are in a better position competitively as we built a multi-purpose system that delivers high definition games, access to a massive library of movies and TV shows and the industry’s leading online community.  Not to mention that we designed the console for continuous innovation, and in fact I would challenge you to compare the consoles we all launched in the market a few years ago with what is available today.  I think it is pretty clear that Xbox 360 is innovating at a much more rapid pace than anyone else in this space and with the resources we have dedicated, I fully expect that to continue for many years to come.

EBA: Alright, we’ll leave it at that for now, but before we go, care to share any teasers about what gamers can expect out of this year’s E3 from Microsoft?

AG: Nothing I can share at this point except to let you know that we have big plans for the show and we’re looking forward to finally sharing our news with the world come June.

EBA: Thanks for your time Aaron!

AG: Sure thing, look forward to sharing more with you and your readers at E3.

EBA: First off, thanks for taking the time to chat with us Bill! How are you liking your new role at Cryptic thus far?

BR: I’m having a great time both at Cryptic Studios and working on Champions Online. I’m also enjoying being able to contribute as required on looking at everything else happening here and being able to be elbow-deep in the design process again.

EBA: Your role at Cryptic requires you to guide the overall vision for Champions Online. What is that vision?

BR: The core goals are to allow players to have a four-color comic experience within an MMO. This means offering as much customization as possible so players can create characters that come as close to their ideas as possible. This means not only how they look, but also what powers they can use, their origin, and then how they enhance their hero over time as they grow in experience. The combat system should feel exciting and action-oriented to bring that feeling of over-the-top superhero battles to life. Finally, we want players to do things outside of combat that support their superheroic endeavors – from scientific experimentation to building exotic devices to crafting arcane elements to investigating evidence and clues, and much more. If it makes the player feel heroic, we want to do it.

EBA: Coming into this project, what lessons did you learn from Hellgate and other prior experiences that you wanted to apply to Champions?

BR: While successes teach us many things, there are so many more lessons to be learned from our failures. Every week something comes up where I can draw upon both what has and has not worked in the past. Perhaps the biggest thing is maintaining a focus on what’s vital to the game. With Hellgate: London we simply tried to do too much and spread ourselves and our ability to properly test and balance the game too thin. Also making sure to have a solid base of social and community features is vital – as is constantly staying in contact with our players.

EBA: When considering the competition from the likes of DC Universe Online, what do you think the unique character customization aspects of Champions Online bring to the table?

BR: The core essence of the Champions game mechanic and universe is customization. Being able to create the hero that you envision is more than using our amazing costume creator. Players can take customization to the next level by being able to build their heroes by using and combining all of the powers in the game as opposed to being locked down to a class or theme. They can even choose the emanation point of the power! Force bolts don’t just have to come from their hero’s hands. They could come from the eyes, or chest, for example. All of this is designed to allow players to truly create the hero they envision.

Also, Champions has been around since 1981. We literally have decades of the world, characters, and game mechanics that have been played and refined by hundreds of thousands of players at our disposal. The Champions universe is every bit as rich and detailed as any you’d see from traditional comics, with the added advantage of it being a game from the very beginning.

EBA: MMOs tend to attract both casual and hardcore gamers…depending on the overall content and required level of interaction. Where would you say your game ranks on the “Casual/Hardcore” scale? Have you attempted to facilitate both???

BR: I think we strike a great balance between getting players that are new into MMOs easily while also ensuring that our hardcore players have some real challenges and long-term goals in front of them. From the very beginning of the Champions Online experience, we push to this goal, for example. Players can easily select a super-heroic power set – such as Fire, Electricity, Gadgeteering, or Telekinesis – and then quickly move to the costume creator. For players that are far more nuts and bolts oriented, they can start a custom framework, allowing them to hand-pick every single power their hero gets over the course of their careers from any of the power sets in the game. If a hero wants to be a lone wolf and fight crime on their own, they can do so. But advanced players that want the ultimate challenges will join teams and form super groups to assault villain hideouts and lairs that are designed for groups of five heroes.

EBA: There’s lots of minor differences from MMO to MMO, but in your opinion, what makes Champions TRULY UNIQUE within the space?

BR: Apart from the numerous smaller nuances, I think there are three huge differences, especially when looking at other superhero MMOs, in what we offer our players.

Breaking Free of the City

While heroes commonly have their roots in major cities, they also go to the ends of the Earth to fight for justice. From the frozen tundra of Canada to the wilds of Monster Island to the irradiated wastes of the Desert to the undersea kingdom of Lemuria, heroes can explore and fight in more varied locations than ever before. And, of course, they can always return to the biggest, brightest, and most dangerous metropolis in the world – Millennium City.

Customization

From the look of your hero to what powers and how they function are all up to you. This is an amazing leap beyond what players are able to do in City of Heroes / Villains and is designed to bring four-color comics to life. Whatever hero you envision, we work to make real in the Champions universe.

Nemesis

Just as you can make the hero of your imagination, you can also create their arch-enemy – their Nemesis. Using the same in-depth tools, the ultimate villain can be crafted by the player. And this isn’t just the costume and thematic power set, but also the personality and minions of your Nemesis. The ultimate challenge is the one you make for yourself.

EBA: What specific challenges face a cross-platform MMO like Champions Online (Xbox 360/PC)?

BR: Every platform has its own unique challenges, but obviously the biggest issue between PC and console is the control scheme. We have always had Champions working with a controller, but our focus for the past few months has been on building and refining the PC experience since that is where our largest player base currently exists and we have control over all aspects of the release. We’re looking forward to pushing our console development once the business side of things is sorted out.

EBA: Have you confirmed whether or not console and PC players will be on the same servers in CO?

BR: There is no technical reason that PC and console players couldn’t be on the same servers, so this will eventually be a combined design (how do the two versions play together) and business decision.

EBA: What about the pricing structure? Has anything been confirmed as of this article?

BR: We have not yet released our final pricing structure, but it will be competitive with other MMOs. We’re also discussing options that give players breaks for multi-month subscriptions and so on. And beyond financial breaks, we also want our players to get something cool for coming along for the ride.

EBA: The MMO space is obviously very competitive…How do you plan to attract gamers to your product and is there an internal benchmark (in terms of subscribers) that you would consider “success”?

BR: We’re hoping to get as many people as possible to build the hero of their dreams and come help us save the world. Obviously we have internal goals that we’d like to hit, but my personal goal is to have the game be engaging and fun for anyone who loves MMOs or super heroes. I’d consider Champions Online a success if we have a great community of happy gamers playing with us every night of the week.

EBA: OK, let’s talk gameplay for a minute…Considering how frequent we’d expect the combat to be, how are you attempting to keep it fun and fresh throughout?

BR: Combat is designed to be very action-packed, as you’d expect to see in a four-color comic. We want our heroes to battle through groups of thugs and henchmen, fighting their way through and up the ranks of villain organizations, eventually squaring off one-on-one against master and super villains – or having to band to gather to fight villains of a cosmic scale. When you’re out in the world battling evil, expect combat to be fast and furious with definite tactical considerations.

EBA: Can you tell us about the game worlds and how the environments will impact the overall experience?

BR: We’re breaking heroes out of the confines of the city, and letting them really save the world in Champions Online. Areas such as the undersea kingdom of Lemuria offer a dramatically different experience as heroes have to be more cognizant of what is above and below them. The wilds of Monster Island have gigantic threats to face. Millennium City is a huge metropolis with secrets above and below the city. And it goes on and on in every global zone in the game. There are numerous neighborhoods within every locale to explore and defend.

EBA: In terms of the game’s ever-changing story, how will players feel the impact of their actions?

BR: There are numerous areas where the actions of heroes will not only change how people in the world interact with them, but also how the world looks. There’s nothing like not only saving the world, but seeing the results of your work, and then having everyone recognize your deeds and shout your praises.

EBA: We know character customization is key to Champions Online…has the marketing team come up with a number for about how many possible combinations there are???

BR: I think we’d have to have the programmers do that since their used to working with massive and complex numbers. It’s just so much more than the hundreds of different costume pieces, as well. Every piece can have customized colors, and many (such as gloves, boots, arm bands, etc.) can be used on either the right, left or both sides of a character. You can also change the hue of your powers, as well as where they emanate from – so the combinations available to make your hero unique are truly immense.

EBA: So, the game is slated for a release this June, correct? Where is it at now in development?

BR: We haven’t set an official release date other than sometime this Spring. We’re in closed beta and have just passed our content lock. This means we’ve completed all the main systems in the game and we’re in the bug fix / polish stages. We’re still putting some missions and systems live, so there are whole areas that our beta players haven’t even seen yet. We’re doing a lot of internal testing right now, and have a schedule to push more and more content – as well as get a lot more players into the beta – in the very near future.

EBA: Alright Bill, we at EpicBattleAxe like to give our audience a shot at asking questions too! If you would be so kind, please use your super hero powers to answer the following:)

BR: Let’s do it!

USER SUBMITTED QUESTIONS:

SuperMansDoctor: How is the trading system going to work? How will you make it believable in the gaming world?

BR: Heroes can trade many of the upgrades they find in the world, although these are not always what would be considered physical items as you would see in a fantasy MMO. While there are a large number of pieces of armor or amulets, weapons or mystic blades, have a LOT of “intangible” upgrades in the world. These would be things like martial arts stances, magical spells, irradiated mutagens, or super-science serums. We want players to be able to stay true to the concept of their character while still being able to play the “item” game.

SuperMansDoctor: In terms of the nemesis system, will they (your nemesis) pretty much show up at random times while playing or are they fixed to certain points in the plot arc?

BR: Both, actually. There are ambushes that can occur anywhere in the world, and also missions that take place in specific, story-driven locales. These showdown locations are pretty incredible and are really fun to fight through as you face down your greatest enemy.

N2TrAnC3: All MMOs have some sort of user/ability/item/unit/weapon/spell etc creation system. In Champions we will all be wielding our super powers, but how unique will the user be able to make them and are there any systems in place to avoid user duplication?

BR: There is both a full-fledged crafting system in the game with three “schools” to allow for the creation of gadgets and devices and upgrades. Players also have the ability to give their powers advantages that make them distinct from other powers of the same set. Players can also change the hue of their powers, so even though we may both be using force bolts, they may look different and have slightly secondary different abilities or damage output.

N2TrAnC3: Will the games full character level/ability cap be accessible from launch?

BR: We won’t be putting any artificial caps on our content at launch, if that’s what you’re asking. We do intend to create content in ongoing updates that will allow us to raise the level cap as time goes on. The beauty of an MMO is that is it an organic and growing world in every way, and we definitely want to take advantage of that flexibility.

N2TrAnC3: The long term sucess of any MMOs usually depends on three things addiction, fun, and UPDATES. How often should we expect updated or expanded content?

BR: We’re very dedicated to having a steady diet of both updates and greatly expanded content. I would like us to do this on staggered schedules so that there is always something we can be talking about right around the corner. We want the Champions universe to just keep getting bigger and better and more fun, and we’ll be sure to let our players know what we’re working on and when they can expect it just as soon as we know. Our first priority, of course, it to get the game launched with the first two points you mentioned – fun that you want to come back and keep playing!

N2TrAnC3: Last but not least. What sort of life cycle do you expect out of Champions. In terms of updated content, and support from the studio?

BR: We expect Champions to have a long and healthy life. The universe is SO deep and rich, we could keep coming up with new ideas and places and types of game play for years and years. It’s the benefit of working with a license and game system that has been in constant play since 1981.

EBA: Alright, thanks for you time Bill! Best of luck on the project. We’ll see you online!

BR: I’m looking forward to seeing everyone saving the world in the Champions universe!

For more on Champions Online, head on over to the game’s official website.

Well, we recently caught up with Cryptic’s Craig Zinkievich, Executive Producer on Star Trek Online, to find out all about the highly-anticipated title and deliver some exclusive new in-game images (which you can click to enlarge).

EBA: First off, thanks for taking the time to chat with us Craig! So, what type of feedback have you been getting on Star Trek Online thus far?

CZ: We’ve been blown away by the amount of interest from fans, the community and the press. There is a lot of enthusiasm for Star Trek Online!

Inside Cryptic, we’ve been playing the game as much as we can. A few months ago, the team propped up an external server so that everyone in the company can play, and we’ve been getting great feedback from that. Space combat is awesome!

EBA: As Executive Producer, what do you consider the core goals of STO?

CZ: It’s easy for us to get caught up in the details, but I’d say that the core goal of STO is to provide a genuine Star Trek experience.

Starting with our first conversations about the project on, we’ve been thinking about what a Star Trek game needs to be, instead of what a standard MMO has and then how to skin it with Starfleet and Klingons.

We’ve actually scrapped some really cool ideas because they didn’t feel like Star Trek, but that has let us go in directions that we might not have considered for any other game.

EBA: The folks behind the upcoming Star Wars MMO tout an enormous story (and the ability to interact with it) as a major selling point for the game. What is the major selling point for STO?

CZ: I think that the selling point would line up with our core goal. We want to provide a Star Trek experience.

In addition to that are Cryptic’s unprecedented commitment to customization, content that is story-driven and takes you to space, on planets and inside space stations and starships, exploring a galaxy, tactical starship combat ….

Maybe I’m too close to the project to give you only one reason why I want to play the game. : )

EBA: Obviously, the MMO space is a pretty competitive one…What do you think it is about a Star Trek-themed game that will attract new users and perhaps cause some cross over from other MMOs?

CZ: We have the Star Trek Universe, which means we have more than 40 years of amazing stories to use as a base for our content. I think that gives us an edge right there.

Star Trek is a cultural icon. Almost everyone is at least familiar with it. And honestly – who hasn’t imagined what it would be like to be the captain of a starship at least once?

But STO is more than that. We have exploration, adventure, crafting, an economy … the list just goes on and on!

So take all of that and remember that Cryptic has a proven track record of making fun, successful games. I think that should give users enough of a reason to consider STO.

EBA: Considering the fact that you’re pulling from such rich source material, will there be specific nods to Trekkies in terms of the game’s story arch or instances from the shows/films we’ll experience in the game?

CZ: Definitely! We’re making the content in such a way that someone who has never seen an episode of Trek will be able to follow along easily and enjoy the story, but if you are a fan you’ll see a huge number of references to the races, characters, events and locations you know and love.

EBA: Alright, let’s talk about the game itself;) How have you balanced the ground and space experiences in the game? Have you been doing a lot of tweaking in these areas throughout development and are you concerned that one might be perceived as being a richer experience than the other?

CZ: Our goal is to have players spending about half their time flying their starships and the other half as their avatar on planets or in interior settings.

During our initial development, we spent a lot of our time working on space combat – it was something we at Cryptic hadn’t done before. It was also a little risky for us; because we wanted strategic play that depending on positioning and tactics. That’s a tall order to fill.

Now that we’ve got space combat working and fun, we’re turning our attention to ground play, which is faster and more action-oriented, and tuning it so that it’s fun and challenging.

Our goal is to make them different experiences, but they both should be as “rich”.

EBA: What new details do you have pertaining to customization options for both characters and ships?

CZ: You will be able to customize your ship, your Bridge Crew and your character.

Options for ships and Bridge Crew will be both cosmetic and functional. You will be able to add equipment to your ship that will enhance its performance in combat and gameplay, and also train your crew to expand their abilities over time. This lets players create exactly the ship and crew they want.

As far as character customization goes, you can either choose from a selection of canon races (and then customize your avatar’s appearance – not all Vulcans look the same) or create your own with our Alien Creator. There are an astounding number of options available, and our team keeps adding more every day. It’s staggering.

EBA: Are there plans to continually update the STO universe with new areas to explore and interact with?

CZ: MMOs are never really “finished” – you’re always developing. And MMOs give developers the rare opportunity to react to what players want – we can direct development based on audience feedback and desires. That’s where the fun is really at!

Cryptic believes that ongoing development is an essential part of the MMO equation. It’s so important to us that our development teams don’t change size after launch. We’ll have as many people working to expand our games as we have working to create them.

So we’re definitely building STO with the idea of free updates and other expansions in mind. The Star Trek Universe is so immense that there will be an incredible amount of space, races and storylines just waiting for us to get to them. The biggest challenge may be trying to pick what great idea we want to do next!

EBA: How will Star Trek-specific things like Holodecks be implemented into the game world?

CZ: Holodecks are tricky. They’re so powerful that everyone on the team has their own ideas of what they want to cram into them.

So we will have holodecks – they’re too much a part of Trek to leave out – but we’re not sure what they’ll be used for yet. Maybe you’ll be able to play Champions Online in a holodeck!

EBA: How will the player’s choice of career path impact their overall experience? How many different career paths will there be? Will you be adding new career paths over time?

CZ: You start by picking a career path, such as tactical, science or engineering. You can either stay in that path throughout your career, or cross-train in different paths.

The skills you choose, the equipment you outfit your ship with and how you train and develop your Bridge Crew affect what gameplay options you have and how you play the game.

These choices also affect your role on teams. A player who wants to take a support role will choose different skills and equipment than one who wants to be on the frontlines.

EBA: What about the economy in the game? How is that being handled?

CZ: We’re still iterating with our economy implementation, so I’m wary to talk in details.

But we’re looking to develop an economy that is deep but very much in the Trek genre. Gathering resources, inventing technology and understanding alien technology – and then trading those items and knowledge – will be the basis of the economy.

EBA: What new details can you tell us about the ground/space combat in the game and how will it be different/better than other MMOs?

CZ: Space combat is very measured and strategic. Positioning is extremely important, and you have time to take actions such as re-routing power to shields or weapons, or weakening an opponent’s aft shields and then maneuvering to take advantage of that. We want it to feel as much like Star Trek combat as possible, and we’re taking inspirations from some of the great fights such as Khan and Kirk in the Mutara Nebula and the battles of the Dominion War.

On the ground, choosing the right members of your crew for your away team is very important. The make-up of your team helps define how you play and what options you have. And when you’re playing in a team, your skills and equipment choices will be a major factor that affects your role in the mission.

EBA: Have there been any updated announcement in terms of pricing structure as of this interview?

CZ: No pricing decisions have been made at this time.

EBA: Where is the game at in development right now and what is the target release date?

CZ: We’re really happy with the game right now. All of our core systems are in and working, although we’re still iterating on some of them. We have dozens of hours of content in the game and the team is cranking out content at a good pace. As I mentioned earlier, we have an external server hooked up so everyone at Cryptic Studios can play from home. The development team is treating it like we’re in a live environment.

We haven’t announced any official beta or release dates yet, but when we do, you’ll hear it first on www.StarTrekOnline.com.

EBA: Alright, we like to open the floor to our viewers at EpicBattleAxe.com as well. Would you be so kind as to answer the following user-submitted questions?

USER SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

SupermansDoctor:

-How big is the universe? (Kinda came out a bit existential). What i mean is, initially will it just be the part of space that starfleet operate in or will you be able to take the ‘longer than your lifetime’ trip to get to the Delta Quadrant? Will they be expanding space in future expansions?

CZ: We’re making a game, not a space simulation. It won’t take days to get to Vulcan from Earth.

Space is BIG though – we want to make sure that the player gets that sense, but that content is always right around the corner. There will be ways such as transwarp conduits to move quickly from area to area, but sometimes players may just want to travel through a sector and see what is out there.

We’re very excited about our exploration content – there’s a lot out there just waiting for players to find it!

We’ll definitely be expanding explorable space in future updates.

SuperMansDoctor

-Also, I like the idea of creating your own race, but in terms of the overall story, will we be seeing any new races down the line?

CZ: Yes. Although the main players in the stories are races that fans of the Trek Universe know and love, you’ll see new alien races when you explore.

EBA: OK, thanks for your time Craig. We’re totally stoked to see the final game. Best of luck!!!

CZ: Thanks. We’re really excited about being able to develop this game. The team is really proud of what we’ve done so far and we can’t wait to start showing it off.

Image courtesy of WIREDEBA: Hey man, thanks for taking the time to chat. So, it’s a new year…let’s start off by finding out if you made any resolutions. What can you tell us?

Tycho: I make resolutions and then fail to live up them all year round!  I don’t concentrate all the failure in January alone.

EBA: Obviously, the game has got a lot of people talking, and more importantly playing. How is the project going overall for you guys now that the initial launch is out of the way?

Tycho: I’ve had a lot of fun writing them, and now that the second episode is out on all five platforms we’re figuring out how to refine what we’ve got.  Gabe and I are looking over the design document for the third episode now.

EBA: You’ve chosen digital distribution as your preferred method of delivery for PA Adventures. Do you think digital distribution will eventually replace the disc format all together in the world of gaming? If so, when do you estimate that would happen?

Tycho: We chose it because it meant more return each time we sold a game, and more control over our destiny.  We thought of it as a kind of magical conduit before, and I think we’ve got a more realistic idea of it now. Digital Distribution isn’t going to really take the wheel until the console platform holders become the defacto storefronts for their systems.  They’re all experimenting with it now, with content custom created for the services to skirt a touchy retail situation, but I’m talking about real products delivered day and date with their shelved counterparts.  It’s true that a lot of games are sold digitally on the PC, but my guess would be that PopCap sold more product than Steam. The PlayStation 3 is probably in the best position to take advantage of this in the near term, just because every system has a baseline of storage.

EBA: PAX has, as the kids say, “blown up”. Are there ANY signs of this thing slowing down and what can you tell us about the East Coast PAX that we don’t already know???

Tycho: Next week, we’re going out to look at the venue and try to imagine what the show looks like inside it.  I’ll probably know more next week, but in general I think the show we’ve got over here in Seattle works well.  We’ll try to retain as much of its strange energy as we can.

EBA: PAX brings out all types of gamers. What is the best part about hosting and interacting with such an eclectic group?

Tycho: I think you may have just said it there, yourself.  My favorite moments of the last show were probably stumbling around the tabletop hall at something like two in the morning, striking up conversations.

EBA: We’re pretty sure that some fanboys sneak into PAX along with every other gaming event they can get into. Do you guys have an opinion on fanboys???

Tycho: We actually have fanboy detectors installed that keep that sort of riff-raff out.

EBA: Alright, we know you guys are true gamers like us so let’s challenge you a bit and have some fun…We hope you have some opinions of your own on the following “fanboyish” topics…We’re going to make a statement on some random topics and you tell us what you think…

EBA: The Uncharted franchise doesn’t get the credit it’s due.

Tycho: One game isn’t a franchise.

EBA: Gaming is “recession proof”.

Tycho: Gaming might be, but developers aren’t.

EBA:  Innovation in gaming is dead…Rehashed ideas and countless clones are all we’re left with.

Tycho: There’s plenty of safe bets, certainly – they want to make their money back.  But even EA is plowing their Madden money into new ideas.

EBA: Sony’s Home was a bad idea.

Tycho: I thought these were going to be controversial.

EBA: The Wii is overrated.

Tycho: The Wii is what it is – at least, for enthusiast gamers like ourselves.  A nice second system.

EBA: Star Wars: The Old Republic will actually challenge WoW.

Tycho: I doubt very seriously that this is their aim.

EBA: And finally, a few more industry-wide topics we’d love your take on:

How do you feel about the move towards casual gaming and, given the current economic situation, do you think its necessary for the industry to go after casual gamers in order to remain profitable?

Tycho:Well, companies need profit to exist, so we have to tolerate some kinds of mercenary behavior.  In general, though, games cost more to make than ever, so selling to the same group of people is a losing proposition.  There’s two things going on:  there’s the casual shift you mention, in that many more people are playing games, though they’re not the kinds of games you or I would probably play.  But there’s also an attempt to make games more approachable in general. That’s something that the hardcore revolts against, just on principle, but I think publishers have their backs to the wall.

EBA: Given the horrible reputation for movie-tie-in games and the not much better results seen from games that have been turned into films, do you think Hollywood and the game industry should stop seeing each other?

Tycho: My guess would be that the percentage of bad games in general and bad games based on movie licenses tracks pretty closely.  (smiley face)

EBA: Alright, thanks for your time. All the best in the year ahead and good luck with EP3, PAX, and everything else.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or bricked 360), you know that you can check out the Gabe and Tycho’s work (and great blog) over at Penny-Arcade.com.

EBA: First off, thanks for taking the time to chat with EpicBattleAxe. What’s the atmosphere like around the studio these days?

HH: We are just about finished and eagerly anticipating the public reception of our hard work. Things are good and relatively laid back again after that big crunch to get everything just right. People are taking some time to unwind now, look what happened in the rest of the company or in the world out there for that matter. So I hear you guys elected Obama?

EBA: Obviously, you’ve poured over this game for the last few years, so tell us what it’s like to finally get it out the door.

HH: It’s fantastic to see that original vision come to life, it’s been a long journey where confidence rises with every small success. We’re supremely confident now   Honestly though, there is sense of relief and pride mixed with some anxiety. Even after all the playtesting, bugfixing, and polishing, we’re still eagerly anticipating the public reception.

EBA: The FPS genre is pretty flooded of course. What do you think Killzone 2 brings to the table that is truly different?

HH: I think after playing it you will recognize a lot of things you’re missing out on. Not just the production values, but also quite fundamental things that we’ve done to make shooting rewarding with things like the hit responses, where characters react realistically to your every shot. Also the sense of immersion, it’s quite a rollercoaster ride, but you always feel part of the world, with everything in first person and some real weight to your movement and the animations.

EBA: Considering the benchmark set by the controversial 2005 trailer, how has the team dealt with the expectations surrounding this game?

HH: Initially scary But we got a lot of motivation after reading the responses to the trailer, we had certainly struck a nerve. It wasn’t just the visual quality but also the sheer intensity and immersion that people picked up on. We knew we had to deliver now, and that response really got us going. I guess we love a challenge here at Guerrilla.

EBA: As a platform exclusive, Killzone 2 has the opportunity to showcase the advantages of the PlayStation 3. From a development standpoint, how difficult was it to tap into the capabilities of the console and how much do you think there is left to discover?

HH: It’s still early days for the PlayStation 3, look at the later titles on PlayStation 2. We’re happy to have all this power, and I think we pushed quite a bit, but there is room left. We’re doing so many things at once, and the machine just shrugs. When we had some of our early benchmarks running we discovered that by doing things a little different we could get so much more mileage. These tricks you learn by doing it more often.

EBA: Die-hard Sony fans are banking on K2 to help solidify the PS3 as the ultimate gaming machine of this generation. What do you think about that? Oh, and can we get your honest opinion on fanboys?

HH: Haha, fanboys are great. We’ve got a very loyal fanbase, and try and listen to them as much as possible. However, nowadays you really have to protect yourself and not take everything at face value. The internet can be a wild and scary place. Ultimately we have to make sure we reach our goals by making a game we think is great and delivers as much as possible on peoples’ expectations, however unrealistic they are

EBA: How has the development of K2 impacted Guerrilla as a studio overall? What key lessons have you learned throughout the title’s development?

HH: We went through some growing pains with the team size increasing to cope with the increase in detail we could put into the game. Looking back there are always things to do differently, at the same it did get us to this result so we must have done something right. I think we have grown a lot as a studio, in all areas.

EBA: What were the team’s goals when it came to multiplayer in K2?

HH: We wanted something easily accessible, something that you could play just the way you like and get really good at. And it had to look as good as single player, so not break the overall experience. Nothing too ambitious then

EBA: What key components of the multiplayer will really keep people coming back for more?

HH: Initially the player progression with unlocking new abilities and badges will get people going. But as you learn what works for your playstyle and you get better the game really opens up with anything from betting clan valor on your clan matches to checking the leaderboards and making sure you get all the ribbons, medals and more importantly the honor ranks. The honor ranks are for instance awarded to the week’s no. 1 player so you got to keep up the fight to get these much wanted ranks.

EBA: What went into creating the specific online character classes that players can choose?

HH: A *lot* of testing and balancing. Cloaked sniper for the win (only to be shot by the sneaky saboteur or a strategic rocket to the face)!

EBA: On a scale of 1-100, how bad-ass is the cloaked sniper?

HH: 110

EBA: How does Guerrilla plan to support the K2 multiplayer community post launch?

HH: Killzone.com plays a major part in that. That really is the go-to place for all things killzone. You can check backstories, set up your own page, participate on the forums, but we go a lot further. All the in-game functionality for organizing clans, clan matches, tournaments is all available on killzone.com as well. Set up your clan page, check the leaderboards with over 100 stats to see who’s good at what and hope they are in your clan Also, we’ve got this cool feature called round history where you can playback games with a great tactical overview and see where your tactics failed. It’s a cause of a great many debates about who wasn’t doing their job

EBA: What about downloadable content? When can we expect the first DLC out of Killzone 2?

HH: There will certainly be downloadable content, but we like to keep the details to ourselves for now.

EBA: The PlayStation Network has evolved quite a bit since its initial launch. How do you feel about the structure of the service as a whole, especially when it comes to facilitating the type of online experience you wanted to create for Killzone 2?

HH: It’s great to see the online evolving so quickly. PSN has really grown and the potential to grow some more is great. It allowed us to do some innovative things with for instance the integration killzone.com or Home.

EBA: What type of Killzone 2 content can we expect to see in Home?

HH: We’re not quite talking about that just yet. But we’ve got some nice things cooking.

EBA: Killzone 2 does a lot of things very, very well, but in your opinion, what makes the game innovative?

HH: I think it’s for the first time that so many things are done so well. It’s finding that right combination of things that really complement each other. It’s different every time and you get these wonderful moments where something completely unexpected or just plain cool happens. If I had to pick a single feature I’d say it’s the hit responses for single player and the clan valor for multiplayer.

EBA: Stepping back off of K2 a bit, do you think there’s still room to innovate within the FPS genre and if so, what would you like to see?

HH: I think the genre is already diversifying quite a bit, subgenres within the FPS genre. There is room for crossovers with other genres or some more variety within the span of the game.

EBA: Staying on topic, do you believe new innovations will require new technology or is there still plenty of room to innovate within the hardware currently afforded to game designers?

HH: There is a lot left to explore with the current hardware. People are still making new and fantastic music on the piano.

EBA: OK, back to Killzone 2;) What can you tell us about the single player campaign’s “Epic” moments? Come on, toss us a bone…

HH: Would not want to spoil things too much. People loved working on them and that shows.

EBA: What about the EXO, or exoskeleton suite players will experience in the game? Where did that concept come from and what can we expect?

HH: The EXO was originally in Liberation and we thought it would be great to give the player control over these. It worked surprisingly well and turned to be a great machine for payback.

EBA: As a whole, would you say that Killzone 2 is the most technologically advanced and most cinematic FPS released thus far?

HH: We’re proud and happy with what we’ve made, but there’s always more we can do.

EBA: So, what’s up next for Guerrilla?

HH: A long and well deserved break!

EBA: Alright, that’s all for now. Thanks for chatting with us Hermen and best of luck with the launch!

Killzone 2 is set to blow up on the PlayStation 3 February 27, 2009.

The original Skate revolutionized skateboarding games with the flick of a stick, literally, featuring the most realistic and bold skating gameplay since Tony Hawk learned to manual.  With Skate 2 in stores this week, and having spent hours with Skate 2 ourselves (see our full written To The Point review here), we tapped Black Box producer Chris “Cuz” Parry to join us for a special edition of Choice Cuts to gab about the new tricks and features, to grill him about our gripes, and talk about fascinating Skate minutia like setting dumpsters on stairs, girl-on-girl taser action and even excusive DLC details you won’t find anywhere else. Think you know everything about Skate 2? Take of bite of this Choice Cut and find out even more.

EBA: Why remake San Vanelona versus taking the game to a new city?

CP: Really, we wanted to tell a bit of a story. Your character in skate 2 is the same character from skate, which is actually an innovation of sorts because these kinds of games don’t usually do that. In order to do that, we decided to keep it in San Vanelona. Having said that; it’s an almost totally new San Vanelona, because nobody wants to buy the same place twice, right? There are spots that return but it’s mostly new.

EBA: Speaking of returning spots, we noticed some areas like Matrix Plaza, return from the first game, but others don’t, like the Community Center, which was one of our favorite spots from the first game. How did you decide what to bring back and what to cut, and was it tough knowing you can’t please everyone?

CP: Everybody has their own favorite spots, but it was a team consensus what to include, but we knew it would be impossible to please everyone. One thing about the Community Center, ironically it was the very first place we ever built as a team and the first one out seems to be the one that everyone liked. We just feared that people had spent so much time between the demo and starting the game there, and now that it’s not included in skate 2, we keep hearing that it was people’s favorite place. And you know that’s not to say these places are permanently gone. Without giving away too much on the DLC front, think what the possibilities could be.

EBA: Oh, we have. More on that in a second. So, in skate when you’re playing a game of S.K.A.T.E., you could pretty much burn any pro with a 540 spin trick. This time around, we were surprised to see Mark Appleyard pulled a 540 double heelflip on his second trick. Did you recognize the 540 spin exploit and work to make the pro’s tougher to beat?

CP: Absolutely. We did not catch it initially with the original. You know, you try to catch everything, and with a skateboarding game that’s hard, there’s so much to “break”. You try to catch everything, but you miss stuff.

EBA: Just so you know, the new 540 spin is the triple heelflip, you can beat any pro with the triple.

CP: Yeah, I guess we missed that too.

EBA: For the record, it took us a long time to figure that out during some difficult challenges, like the Mike Carol/ Eric Koston challenge, which about killed us.

CP: Oh, the Carol/Koston challenge is extremely difficult, that has most of the guys on the team just sweating.

EBA: The controls and move set is still very much grounded in standard moves. How come there’s still no high level freestyle skating ala Rodney Mullen? It seems like your franchise more than any other before it is perfectly suited for more exotic freestyle tricks like primo slides, pogos and truckstands.

CP: We’re trying to nail down what we call the 1st circle of tricks. If you play Skate 2 and you think about what we did, we added the logical connecters to complete the circle, meaning, “if I take my foot off, it should have this reaction, can I take it off in the air, etc.” Really our main focus was on that, we wanted to try and get it right and try and adjust to peoples desires. Having said that, in the world of skateboarding, freestyle is fairly small, just to be honest. It became bigger with Rodney and the Tony Hawks, but we just wanted to do what was right for Skate. In the future, if catching the board becomes a thing we need to do, then there it is.

EBA: Money in the first game only bought you more stuff for your skater, but now you can purchase new locations to skate, which is rad. We just bought the Fun Track extension to Danny Way’s park.

CP: We wanted to expand the economy so now you can buy property like the Fun Track as well as pay for services. You can drain pools, there’s betting, you can hire Big Black if you’re tired of security in Career mode and watch a comedy of errors ensue as they try to get you.

EBA: Speaking of Big and security, we love the tasers.

CP: [Laughs] I had one experience that was so gnarly, two of the school girl chicks tasered each other.

EBA: What?!

CP: Yeah, I was trying to get on a roof to set up a Create-A-Spot near two of the schoolgirls, and I moved an object and I think I hit one but she just got mad at the other one. They drew on each other and one got tasered. I went after to talk to the Living World designer and asked him, “Could this happen?” He said theoretically yes but that he’d never seen it. So yeah, don’t piss off the school girls. They’re quick draws.

EBA: How did you come up with the off-board controls and why can’t you climb up some ledges that are easily ollied up?

CP: A lot of games do off-board, we just took an amalgamation of what’s out there and wanted to make sure we could get up stairs, which was a major gripe from the first one, and rightfully so. As far as the ledges, it was really just a function, it wasn’t to be mean. Some of the idea was [that we should] limit what people can climb up on, which of course is defeated because players can just drag a ramp over and then ollie over things.

EBA: The object physics seem a bit touchy at times. We had a lot of trouble “righting” rails we accidentally knocked over, or we’d flip over what appeared to be a 100 lb. table with just a little nudge.

CP: It was hard, it was a challenge, there’s so many things going on with the physics. My suggestion:  every time you get something in the place where you like it, save it to your session marker.

EBA: What DLC is planned for the future?

CP: We’ll have details shortly but there is DLC coming. There’s different kinds of DLC, but if you use your imagination, think what’s probably one of the biggest things skaters want to do with a skateboard game? More places to skate. That’s a real possibility.

EBA: Community Center?

CP: Well, [Laughs, pauses..] Let’s say that’s a real possibility too, that’s a super hint.

EBA: In our humble opinion, Black Box has perfected skating in gaming, period. Any plans to try your hand at snowboarding or BMX?

CP: Thanks but we don’t think we’ve perfected skating. Until we do that, we’re going to make sure we get it right. We hear pros or fans say, “Way to go you didn’t f*** it up,” that’s the highest compliment. That’s our goal, to not f*** it up.

- Casey Lynch

Skate 2 hit stores this week on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms.  For more on the game and the company, just head on over to skate.ea.com.

Now, with multiple studios, tons of experience, and several key titles in the works (Star Wars: The Old Republic is kind of a big deal…), Bioware looks to once again innovate within a genre while staying true to its story-driven roots with Dragon Age: Origins. But what makes DA: Origins unique? Well, we’ve heard of games with multiple endings, but this is one RPG that’s actually offering different beginnings. We at the ‘Axe recently got the chance to hit up the game’s Executive Producer and Project Director Dan Tudge to find out more about the Origin stories and how the spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate hopes to deliver the biggest and most ambitious title yet for the company.

EBA: First off, where did the concept of “Origin stories” come from?

DT: Creating a deep and emotionally compelling Story has always been a key design pillar of any BioWare game, and we wanted to find a way to take that even further with Dragon Age: Origins. A lot of our games have multiple endings, but Dragon Age: Origins will be the first to offer multiple beginnings — different ways for you to actually play out and experience the things that make your character the way they are, and the unique motivations they have to pursue their adventure. We’ve taken the traditional concept of character creation and added a new layer that not only determines where you start the game, but how you play it, how you perceive the world, and how the world and other characters perceive you.

EBA: What challenges did you face in implementing this concept considering its depth and variety?

DT: We faced a lot of challenges, especially since we’ve never tried something like this before. It’s tricky enough to design several different storylines, each with their own dialogue and plot branches, but we also had to figure out how they all eventually tie back into the main core storyline. This is especially challenging when the decisions the player makes during their Origin Story do have consequences on the rest of the main story. Luckily, we have a team of world class writers and designers who’ve done a great job of making sure everything flows smoothly and fits naturally.

EBA: What types of creative concepts pertaining to the game’s Origin stories did you eventually have to cut out for one reason or another? What were the reasons?

DT: Dragon Age: Origins is certainly the most ambitious game BioWare has ever undertaken, and I wish we could’ve fit in everything we wanted to, but ultimately origin stories became a delicate balancing act between quantity, variety and quality. In the end, we feel that the six origin stories we have included offer a wide variety of choice and quality that BioWare fans have come to expect.

EBA: How do the Origin stories help paint an overall picture of the Dragon Age universe?

DT: Each Origin Story culminates with you being recruited into the Grey Wardens by Duncan, who will be your mentor and ally in the game. But who you are, how you meet Duncan, and how he recruits you into the Grey Wardens are all completely different between the Origin Stories. Your choices and experiences within your Origin Story set up the adventure to follow, and influence everything from dialogue choices to story branches to how people react to you. You could play Dragon Age: Origins over and over again, and get a completely unique experience and story every single time.

EBA: How do players go about actually choosing their Origin story?

DT: Before you begin your adventure, you will create your hero. You will have a wide variety of options in which to truly customize your hero. The character creation tool itself is also very robust. I think fans will be pretty amazed at how many aspects of their character they can customize.

EBA: We know the impact of the Origin story is weaved throughout the entire Dragon Age experience, but will it actually impact in the game’s ending?

DT: Absolutely! Your choice of Origin Story influences everything throughout the game, including your own unique ending.

EBA: Considering how powerful a voiced lead character was to enhancing the cinematic nature of Mass Effect, please discuss the design decision to make the player character voiceless in Dragon Age.

DT: The Mass Effect story was about Commander Shepard, so it worked quite well to have Shepard fully voiced. In Dragon Age: Origins, the hero is you, and we didn’t want to take you out of that by assigning a pre-determined voice. We wanted the hero’s voice to be that of the player’s, and we’ve found it helps tremendously in immersing the player even deeper into their character, much as it was for Baldur’s Gate.

EBA: Obviously, the concept of Origin stories will greatly impact the replay value of the game. How different would you say the experience can be from one play through to another depending on the Origin story the player chooses?

DT: We’ve released videos that show how differently NPCs can treat you, depending on what Origin Story you’ve chosen, including different dialogue options and story branches. At a gameplay level, there’s a lot of those kinds of elements that will make you want to replay the game just to see how differently the world and its people react to you. At an emotional level, you’ll want to try all the different Origin Stories just to see what happens to your character to make them take up the fight against the darkspawn. It’s amazing how personally you can start to take things that happen later on in the game, just because of what happened to you during your Origin Story!

EBA: Lastly, how difficult was it to script the game based on the different Origin stories and about how many lines of dialogue can we expect?

DT: This is definitely the best script BioWare’s created to date, and anyone who enjoys a great story with interesting characters and fantastic settings will want to play Dragon Age: Origins.

As for how many lines of dialogue to expect, that’s an interesting question because there’s a HUGE amount of dialogue in the entire game, but you’ll actually only experience a very small fraction of it during one single playthrough. You have to remember that the dialogue you hear will depend on so many things like your Origin Story, your gender, your race, and your gameplay choices, to name just a few factors. And that’s just for the characters you actually meet and decide to talk to!

When I say Dragon Age: Origins is the biggest and most ambitious game of BioWare’s to date, I’m not kidding.

Dragon Age: Origins on the PC is slated for release in Spring 2009. It’s console counterpart is scheduled for Holiday 2009. For more on the game and the company, just head on over to Bioware.com.

EBA: First off, Happy Holidays to you and the team at Insomniac! You guys are known for having a cool working environment? Any special plans for the Holidays?

TP: Beyond the usual “enjoy-the-break-with-one’s-family-and-eat-too-much”, we’re having a very cool Insomniac holiday party. Carrie Dieterle, our HR director has rented out a mansion in Hollywood. Drinks, food, dancing and lots of party-ish activities to keep the night rolling.

EBA: Obviously, Resistance 2 is one of the biggest titles of the year. Now that it’s out, what do you think the company learned most from the game’s development?

TP: We learned some valuable lessons in terms of scope. This was by far the largest game we’ve made (given the single player, co-op and competitive multiplayer modes) and it stretched us to our limits.

EBA: What are the long-term goals for the Resistance franchise? These days, it seems you have to have a comic, action figures, and a script bouncing around Hollywood to be considered “big time”. Are there hopes of branching out or are you just focused on cultivating the franchise to deliver the best gaming experience possible?

TP: We’re definitely branching out with the franchise in that you’ll be seeing a Resistance novel, a Resistance comic series, and a line of Resistance action figures. I think ancillary products like these help flesh out the Resistance universe well beyond what the game can do. Unfortunately in any game there’s very limited time to tell a complex story. So we’re excited about having additional products with which we can tell more of the Resistance tale.

EBA: How closely have you been working with the team at Sony Bend on the development of Resistance: Retribution for the PSP? How is that project coming along?

TP: We worked closely with Sony Bend at the very beginning of the Resistance: Retribution preproduction. But that was only to ensure that the storyline worked with what we were planning for Resistance 2. They’re an incredibly strong team and from what we’ve seen have done a fantastic job with the game. I can’t wait to play the final version.

EBA: The Ratchet & Clank franchise has become a mainstay in the industry. How do you hope to continually evolve R&C while staying true to the core concepts of the franchise?

TP: Many people here at Insomniac have been working on the Ratchet games for a long time. Ratchet has become part of our DNA so most of us know inherently what is and what isn’t “Ratchet”. The challenge of course is to push each Ratchet game enough to create a fresh experience without making it alien to Ratchet fans. In some cases we’ve (arguably) pushed a little too far – Deadlocked for instance. But we had to push too far to learn what it took to get the balance right. And I think Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was the result. In my opinion it stayed very true to Ratchet’s roots while moving the franchise forward with lots of cool new additions.

EBA: You’ve hinted at RCF:TOD 3. What can you tell us about that game at this time?

TP: Heh. Nothing. Sorry.

EBA: The PlayStation 3 is widely regarded as being a “beast” to program for. What did you learn about the hardware between the development of RCF:TOD/R1 and R2 to help you maximize your usage of the platform?

TP: I think our programmers are better suited to answer that than I am. But R2 showcased a lot of improved tech features – better lighting, new water, overhauled effects, better handling of large numbers of enemies, etc. As we did with RCF:TOD we continued to push more and more of our processes onto the PS3’s SPUs to get more performance out of the platform.

EBA: Sounds like a good time to tell our audience about The Nocturnal Initiative. What is it exactly, what are its goals, and where did the concept come from?

TP: Briefly, it’s our attempt to share techniques and code with the rest of development community. You can check it out here. We also have a page on our website dedicated to sharing our processes with anyone who’d like to know more about how we make games. The concept came from our tools team, more specifically Geoff Evans and Andy Burke. They were interested in releasing some of our code as open source not only to help others but to get comments on how we could make it better.

EBA: While we’re on an industry-wide topic, I’m sure our audience would love to get your thoughts on digital distribution. Do you think DD is an inevitability for the game industry or will we be popping Blu-rays in our trays 10+ years from now?

TP: Great question. When it comes to the “big” platform games – those that have to ship on Bluray because of their size, I believe it partially depends on whether or not high-speed broadband will become more ubiquitous and speedier. Downloading a 20 gigabyte game would take a looooong time. And you’d need a pretty big hard drive to store all of your games.

On the other hand, there’s new tech popping up all the time to facilitate more efficient game downloads. For example, I believe there’s tech out now that allows you to play some games without downloading the full game. It makes sense to me that in a few years for some big console games you’d first download the executable and then simply stream data as you move to new levels. I guess we’ll see…

EBA: As Insomniac continues to grow and evolve, what can you tell us about the new North Carolina-based studio?

TP: Right now there are about 10 folks in the studio and it’s a great group of guys and girls. Our goal is to eventually grow the studio to around 30 team members and we’ll have more news to share on the studio’s plans down the road.

EBA: Why did you choose Raleigh, NC for the new studio location?

TP: It was Chad Dezern’s (studio director) and Shaun McCabe’s (production director) choice. They were both interested in starting the studio on the East Coast. And the research triangle in NC was a very attractive place because it has a thriving game development community. It’s very nice to be nestled among peers.

EBA: Do you plan to take on Epic in NC-based soccer league or anything…;)? Locusts VS. Chimera would PWN!

TP: Absolutely… Maybe bowling first.

EBA: Insomniac has always tried to be candid with its community. What are the core goals behind internally developed projects like your podcast, The Full Moon show?

TP: Well, you hit the nail on the head – it’s to connect with our community. We want to keep them informed and entertained outside of our games. Through the podcasts and our forums we also get to answer their questions and address issues that they tell us are most important to them.

EBA: You probably get this question a lot, but considering Insomniac has made the top 10 list of best small/medium companies in America to work for, what do you think it is that makes working at Insomniac so special? Are the break room cookies THAT good???

TP: Maybe it is indeed the cookies. Actually I think it has more to do with the importance we place on a very collaborative development culture. From the beginning we’ve wanted everyone here to feel comfortable about contributing creatively to our games. Therefore we actively solicit input from every team member on what we should include in our games. And the team speaks up in a big way – not just in the initial phases of design but throughout production. As a result the ideas in our games come from all corners of the company – they’re not exclusively generated by a lead designer or a creative director.

The same thing applies to how the company is run. If people are pissed off about something or have solutions for making Insomniac better they aren’t shy about sharing. And it’s my job along with the department heads to ensure that we address the problems and implement the solutions that everyone puts forth. This makes Insomniac a place where anyone can have an influence on where we’re headed, what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.

EBA: Thanks so much for you time. You guys keep churnin’ out the hits, so keep up the good work and all the best in the year ahead!

TP: My pleasure. Thanks for the opportunity!

For more on Insomniac head on over to www.insomniacgames.com.

One of the first to utilize this newfound “YouTube” of gaming, is Nathan Fouts, a gaming industry veteran turned independent developer who is launching his own game studio (Mommy’s Best Games) with an innovative 2-D side scroller titled “Weapon of Choice.” The title, which combines old school action with an innovative art style, recently won 3rd place overall at Microsoft’s 2008 Dream, Build, Play challenge, beating out hundreds of entries and earning top honors amongst all US-developed games.

EpicBattleAxe recently got the chance to chat with Nathan about the studio, the game, and the state of independent development.

EBA: What’s up Nathan? First off, congratulations on your recent success in the Dream-Build-Play contest! What was that experience like for you?

NF: We were really excited to win 3rd place in the Dream Build Play Challenge 2008, and we are very proud to be the top US developer.

How am I doing besides stressed and exhilarated?  First off, the week before we submitted the game, we lost our internet connection.   Who knew Hurricane Ike would send 80 mile an hour winds to the Midwest.  To test an XNA game on the 360, you have to be signed into Xbox Live. Not knowing when the internet would be back up, we packed up and invaded my sister’s house, about 100 miles north of us.  Monitor, PC, Wacom tablet, keyboard, 360, controllers, power strips, (Wife, baby)–THE WORKS. We were there for about five days to finish up the levels, sounds and bug testing. I think we danced a little jig when our submission was finished.

From a developer’s stand-point, you always want more time to add this or fix that. The deadline was Tuesday, September 23rd.  We looked at our entry from a producer’s point-of-view and decided to stop adding content on Friday and test until Sunday.  This built in a cushion in case we found a big crash or something else unforeseeable (like losing our internet connection). We submitted Sunday at 4PM, several days before the contest close.

Weapon of Choice. 2D. Side scrollin’. Ass kickin!

EBA: Alright, let’s get down to basics. Can you brief our readers on your development background? How did you get started? Who did you work for and what projects did you have a hand in?

NF: Unofficially, I have been making games as soon as I learned it was possible to make games (prior to that I just knew they grew them somehow in Japan). My wife recently found drawings of another side-scroller that I made in high school.  I even sent letters to all the big game companies, trying to convince them they needed to buy my ideas. (Want to see my Taito rejection letter from 1992?)

In college, I was not very excited about my computer science class until I realized that this gave me the skills I needed to develop games, not just draw them. I majored in Physics, and minored in Computer Science, Art and Math.

After school I sent out my resume to about 50 game developers, I got only 4 letters back, 3 were rejections. Running With Scissors in Tucson, Arizona, developers of the Postal franchise, took a chance on me.  They’re a really amazing, tightly-knit group of maniacs that have a blast making games. I designed and programmed the AI, weapons, liquid physics and fire (all the FUN things!) for Postal 2, P2: Share the Pain, & P2: Apocalypse Weekend.

When I had the opportunity in 2004 to make a ‘next gen’ game, I could not turn it down. I moved to LA to work for Insomniac Games before the big Playstation 3 launch.  I was the weapons designer and programmer on Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3), and boss programmer on Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction.  I also managed to get my slimy tentacles on Ratchet: Deadlock (PS2) and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2).

And now there’s my baby, Weapon of Choice.

Plenty of colorful (and deadly) creatures await you in WoC.

EBA: What inspired you to leave a huge developer like Insomniac and start your own company, Mommy’s Best Games? To a lot of people (not us!), it must have seemed like a crazy idea;)

NF: Autonomy.  I feel fortunate that RWS and Insomniac gave me freedom to work as a designer, however, I was ready to make my own games.  Looking at what was happening on XBLA, I realized the time was right for small developers.  By the time we had enough money to go it alone, Community Games was announced. From there, we just made sure we’d have our game ready in time for launch.

EBA: Be honest now, how difficult was it to make that decision? What convinced you it was the right thing to do?

NF: Sure, there is a comfort level and security you feel working on titles that sell millions with an established, successful company who treats their employees sublimely, with a giant break-room, basketball court, weekly massages…  hmmmm, where was I going with that?

Right! You have to pursue your dream.  My wife and I knew we would not live in LA forever, so while we were there, we saved up some bucks for the day we could start our own company.  With services like XBLA, Playstation Store and WiiWare coming on the scene (at the time in 2006), it definitely felt right.

EBA: What role does your wife Amy play in the company?

NF: Amy likes to call herself VP of Everything and Mommy’s 2nd Best.  We are a two-person team.  Amy keeps it in order. She plays the role of producer, business manager, marketing director, finance, public relations, cheerleader and muse- just not for the monsters.

Game development is a family affair for Nathan and Amy Fouts.

EBA: Tell us about Mommy’s Best Games. What are the core objectives of the company? What do you hope to achieve over the long haul? What about the name??? Where did it come from?

NF: The origin of “mommy’s best” is an old inside joke with a friend; he liked to say that his Mom loves him the best out of all of her children. We decided to use it as a company name because we liked the disarming quality it has in relation to the often aggressive feel a lot of game company’s names. We also thought it would be an entertaining contrast to our own aggressive sounding game titles.

I love games! I want to play games! But as a husband, father, productive member of society, etc., I don’t have the time I used to have to dedicate to playing games. And I know I am not alone in this.  Mommy’s Best Games’ objective is to make games for gamers like me.  We like to call them “Prodigal Gamers.”  Our games maximize the skills that Hardcore Gamers have honed over years of gaming, but can be played in brief, yet satisfyingly complete chunks. But without compromising integrity, I also factor the ability for gamers of varying skill sets to enjoy the immediate satisfaction of the finely-tailored gameplay.

EBA: Now, let’s talk shop. How did you come up with the idea for Weapon of Choice (WoC)?

NF: I am a huge fan of 2D action, I love outrageous monsters that make you stand back and say, “holy crap, what is that,” and who doesn’t love over-the-top firearms. All of the gameplay mechanics like Vengeance Missile and Spiderpack, are features that slowly drifted into my mind from playing other games, and eventually formed themselves whole.  Who hasn’t played a fast, action game and when they lost a life thought, “if only everything slowed down a little, I could have gotten out of the way.”

EBA: What do you think helps this title stand out?

NF: It’s sort of like a combo-deal. Picturesque environments, unique guns, bizarre air maneuvers, humongous aliens, in-game decision making, multiple endings, and a soft drink, all for the low price of 400 MS points!

EBA: Can you talk a little about the tech and art side of this game? What unique characteristics do you think it possesses in these departments and what has been involved in developing them.

NF: I like to call the art style Colored Penxil, as it comes from using pencil and pixels.  The method starts with an image; a rock, tree, or monster, is drawn with pencil and paper. The paper is then scanned and loaded on the computer where layers of shadowing and rich color are added in Photoshop. It is intentional that the pencil work is present, lending a hand-made quality to every single object in the game, from the environments to the menus and, of course, the monsters and human characters. Especially for Weapon of Choice I enjoy making it gritty looking. That will probably change some for later games.

The images are then brought to life with an advanced method of sprite manipulation that matches the techniques used in high-end 3-D technology. Characters and objects can animate more smoothly and complexly than possible in older sprite-based games and interaction with the environmental objects is more readily available to the player.

“Colored Penxil” at its best.

EBA: What type of gamer did you keep in mind when developing WoC?

NF: Me.  When we first started this, there was no idea who was going to pick it up, how it would be available to the public.  I figured, no-holds-barred; let’s make a game I would play.  Again, I think I am like many gamers out there.  We grew up playing games, and in the mean time, we grew up. We want to keep playing, but we need games that don’t pander to our intelligence or skill set, that don’t have tedious tutorials and don’t require hours of gameplay before you get anywhere, do anything or fight anything awesome.  Weapon of Choice let’s you get-in, kick-ass, and get-out quick, and then it brings you back for more!

NOOBS beware!

EBA: Now, on a broader scale, what do you think about the state of independently developed games?

NF: I think it is very exciting. To look at the other games entered into DBP and the games that are on Creators Club, it’s pretty clear they would get passed over by big game studios but will be loved and appreciated by the gaming community. A lot of the games on there are just too risky for companies to put money into, but definitely have an audience of gamers. I’ve already play-tested several games on the system and am surprised at how fun they are—and I plan to buy several at launch!

EBA: Lastly, what advice do you have for aspiring developers out there?

NF: If you spend time on something every day, your experience will definitely build in a satisfying way over time. Take lots and lots of notes. Keep record of everything you do, including who’s working with you/for you, what they did, and how their performance was.

EBA: Nathan, thanks so much for your time and best of luck with Weapon of Choice, the studio and all future projects! When and how can our readers get their grubby little hands on the game?!?!?!?

NF: November 19th was the launch date!  Log on to The New Xbox Experience, Community Games channel for all our Weapon of Choice goodness.

For more on Weapon of Choice and the pioneer of the Colored Penxil art style, head on over to mommysbestgames.com

EBA: Hey Jason! Thanks for taking the time to chat with EpicBattleAxe.com. So, how are you feeling about the overwhelming success of Dead Space so far?  Did you have a gut feeling that this game was going to be such a hit? Be honest!

JG: I’ve always known that Dead Space was a really unique game, even from the first walkthroughs I did two years ago.  We tried to make as cinematic an experience as possible for the players, but it’s hard to be objective when you work so closely to something for so long.  It feels really good to read all the positive comments on the atmosphere and immersive quality of the game – the entire audio team worked really, really hard tweaking the sound to deliver the most thrilling experience possible.

I was a fan of the game since I first started working on it – I just hoped that the final version would live up to my personal expectations.  I always felt like I was working on something special, something that would give me the chance to try something different.   Obviously, I had hoped it would be a hit, but some of the feedback I’ve read has been overwhelmingly positive.  I’m glad the game has turned out to be as scary as we had hoped – that was one of my main concerns.  Like I said before, objectivity can be a hard thing to come by, especially when you’re trying to make the scariest game the world has ever played.

EBA: Now, down to business…At what point in the development process of Dead Space did you become involved and what type of materials did you have to work from (script, concept art, early game renders) when you started scoring?

JG: The concept behind the development of Dead Space was to spend a bulk of the time focusing on a small amount of gameplay.  As a result, I was brought in about six months into the production timeline, which is extremely early to start thinking about music.  By the end of the first year we had a complete, playable “level” of the game with everything properly implemented, including the music.

Once we had the green light for that level, we “went wide” and began working on the rest of the game.  That would normally be the earliest a composer gets involved, but I had already been in the loop and working right alongside everyone else at EA to perfect the Dead Space experience for more than a year.  Instead of having to play catch up and try to get an idea about the kind of music that would be appropriate, I was able to jump right into music production and start delivering final tracks for game implementation.

I can honestly say a two year production cycle for music is extremely rare, but without it Dead Space wouldn’t have the final score that it does.  From the beginning, EA provided as much artwork, storyboards and walkthroughs as I needed.  I also spent a lot of time on EA’s campus playing through the game as it developed, which allowed me to become very familiar with the gameplay and also learn how the game’s audio engine was adapting my music.  The more I played Dead Space, the more I was able to tweak the score to provide the most cinematic, real-time, emotional feedback to the game, musically speaking.

EBA: Dead Space could be described as a very atmospheric game, quiet and subtle when it needs to be and then in a heartbeat, it’s roaring in your face.  The music seems to follows a similar philosophy: what was your approach to designing such a dynamic score?  Can you talk a little about the multi-layered music system in the game and how that impacted your role specifically?

JG: Essentially, most pieces I composed consisted of four separate layers of music.  Layer one was very ambient and spooky, perfect for exploring the ship.  Layer two added more tension and fear.  Layer three had a combat/survival sound and layer four was the frenzied “someone is eating your face” music.  Each of these layers were composed to work in concert with each other but also stand on their own if needed.  All four layers are constantly playing during the game – it’s the engine that decides which layer plays, how loud it is in relation to the other layers, etc.  This is all handled in real-time based on what’s happening on-screen.

There are two things to be aware of when composing dynamic music: how the score is composed and how the score is implemented.  The first one is fairly obvious, but the second one can get neglected or even missed altogether by the composer.  Even the best score in the world will not work if improperly implemented!  Fortunately, EA already had an excellent, proprietary engine for music implementation – I just had to maximize its potential and make sure I composed the score to take full advantage of it.

Composer Jason Graves

The one thing I always had in mind when I was working was the idea of extremes – highs and lows, quiet and loud, tension and release, dissonance and harmony.  How could I create a single piece of music that would cover all the basses and deliver maximum impact?  I needed the score to play whisper-quiet in the background and also reach out and grab you by the throat at a moment’s notice.

There are many different ways to ratchet up the tension in a piece of music – make it faster, make it higher, make it busier, etc.  Fortunately, I had an incredible variety of sounds and textures at my disposal and was given the freedom to experiment and try different combinations of anything I could dream up for the live orchestra to perform.

As a result, the music can react very quickly and provide an extremely cinematic soundtrack experience to the game.  I think that’s an important element of the Dead Space score – it REACTS to the gameplay, it doesn’t predict it or give away a surprise.  I wish I could claim that was due entirely to my compositions, but it’s mostly dependent on the way the music is implemented.

What I was able to contribute is HOW the score was composed, not only from a composition standpoint but also a sound design one.  Since I was trying to evoke the scariest atmosphere possible, I composed as much “foreign-sounding,” non-musical material as I could.  I figured the less the music actually sounded like music the more potential it had to sound scary.

The whole “music as sound design” concept also lent itself to a dynamic score very well.  Since I didn’t have specific melody, harmony or chord progression restrictions in place there was a lot more freedom to move around and let the music do different things, even in the same four layered piece.  I could have each layer play at different speeds, so that as the intensity increases the music builds on itself and not only gets faster, but more cacophonous and out of control.  I could also compose each layer in different keys (pitch) to the same effect.

Normally, this kind of idea would just sound plain wrong, like the game had made a mistake and there was more than one piece of music playing.  For Dead Space it was absolutely perfect – the confusion and chaos caused by different tempos or keys playing simultaneously only increased the tension and confusion the player experienced.  AND it made for some beautifully interactive pieces of music!

EBA: It seems that the score draws upon some really excellent cinematic inspirations (The Alien series, Event Horizon, 2001). What were some of your musical influences as you began composing?

JG: In its infant stages, the score had references from film soundtracks, specifically “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” and “The Grudge.”  There were some psychologically tense pieces that conveyed the emotions EA was looking for in the original score to Dead Space.  It was a good jumping-off point because their ideas immediately narrowed my musical focus and allowed me to spend more time fine-tuning.  It was also clear from the beginning EA was much more concerned about the emotion the music conveyed – there wasn’t a lot of emphasis placed on specific instruments or composition techniques.

A lot of people have compared the Dead Space score to past “outer space” film scores but the fact that Dead Space takes place on a spaceship didn’t influence the score.  It could have been underground and I would have composed the exact same thing.  My focus was on fear and sheer terror – I just wanted to scare everybody to death!

I studied with Jerry Goldsmith and Chris Young, so I can see how some comparisons were made, especially to Goldsmith’s masterful score for Alien.  However, most of the musical influence for the score came from 20th century concert works.  Composers like Varese, Bartok, Stravinsky, and Ligeti who pioneered avant-garde techniques and experimental textures with the orchestra.  I was drawn to their music because it had such an unfamiliar quality to it – it was more like sound design than melodic phrases and chord progressions.

It was that musical unfamiliarity that intrigued me.  I figured the stranger I could make the orchestra sound, the scarier the experience would be for the player.  A good example of this type of approach was used in some of the music to Kubrick’s film adaptation to “The Shining.”

EBA: Considering how driven this project was from the outset, how did you try to “raise the bar” when compared to your previous works or from music in this genre in general?

JG: The entire score to Dead Space was a giant, two year-long experiment, from the concept of “non-musical music,” to the methods I used for composing and recording the orchestras (of which Dead Space had two recording sessions a year apart from each other), to the final implementation of the music into the game.

I always look at each job as an opportunity to learn something new and try to better myself as a composer.  In that sense, Dead Space was a master-class in 20th century techniques and interactive composition.  Every aspect of the score was “bigger and better” than anything I had worked on before.  I would have made it that way for myself anyway, but it was the game itself that dictated such an immense scope.

I spent months researching contemporary music and honing my ideas to razor-sharp points before the recording sessions – usually I have a few days to get my ideas together before I have to begin composing.  The average game score is around an hour long – Dead Space was three hours, and that’s a conservative estimate.  Most game music has a three or four month production cycle – Dead Space was two years.  You can expect to record between four and six minutes of music per hour at a live orchestra session – I averaged forty minutes an hour with Dead Space.

The sheer amount of music and work that went into the score makes Dead Space both the most difficult and most rewarding project I’ve ever worked on.  The only goal I had in mind was to create the scariest, most original-sounding “transparent” horror score possible.  I wanted the music to spook players so much that by the time a creature jumped out and attacks, it could be a fluffy white bunny and they would still jump out of their seat.  On top of that, I didn’t really want the players thinking, “Wow, this music is really scary.”  I wanted an immediate, almost sub-conscience reaction to the situation they’re in.  If the score does anything to “raise the bar” in the general horror music genre, or if people enjoy listening to it on its own, that’s just the icing on the cake for me.

EBA: In addition to your music, the sound design in Dead Space is very haunting and the two working in concert do an amazing job of immersing the player in the game experience. Are there any special considerations you had to take into account in order to keep these two elements from competing in the mix?

JG: From the beginning, I knew the music would be much more effective on a psychological level if it didn’t draw a lot of attention to itself and say, “Ta-da!  Here’s the music score for the game – ooh, aren’t you scared now?”  I also knew I wanted to get under the player’s skin and really creep them out.  If they didn’t realize the music was playing, it was even better.  So I had a “music as sound design” kind of approach in mind before I went onto either of the scoring stages with the orchestras.

The fact that so much of the score is essentially non-musical, from a traditional standpoint, allows it to blend almost seamlessly into the background.  I knew there were going to be lots and lots of creature sounds.  I also knew they were some of the biggest, baddest and scariest sounds I’ve heard in a game.  I composed the music thinking about the space that would be needed for those sounds to be heard properly and sonically “carved away” at the score so they would have room to breathe.

As a result, a lot of the score is either a series of evolving ambient textures or harsh, shrill stabs and shrieks that pulse and grind against each other.  Those kinds of textures seemed to blend the best with the other-worldly, animalistic sounds from the creatures.  Another benefit of the more ambient music was that it was already so non-musical – it seemed to naturally blend into the ambient sound to create a wonderfully creepy atmosphere.

EBA: How did you go about selecting the specific instruments for the Dead Space score?

JG: EA always wanted a huge orchestra to be the base of the score.  We experimented with different combinations of orchestral instruments and electronic textures.  In the end I scrapped the electronic sounds in favor of the more unconventional, naturally-occurring textures that I knew the orchestra could produce.  The electronics seemed to make the gameplay more heroic and “let’s go kill some Necromorphs!”  Once I pulled them out and made the orchestra the focus of the barbaric, animalistic ideas I had, the game suddenly took on a feeling of dread, like you were convinced you were about to die at any moment.  That’s exactly the kind of emotion I wanted to add!

There were trumpets on the first recording session, but it was decided they sounded too heroic and “Hollywood,” so I used them sparingly in the final score.  The same rule applies to high woodwinds like flutes, oboes and clarinets.  Flutes were just too darn pretty!  I did use the really pinched, high, shrill woodwind textures – there were also some great low, bending clusters I got the wind instruments to play that ended up being the basis for several of the ambient cues.

The instruments I placed special emphasis on were the low ones, especially those that had potential to sound as ugly and scary as possible.  I joked to the players at both sessions that I wanted the most non-musical sounds they could possibly produce, even if they were just playing single notes.  I used a lot of low woodwinds, brass and strings as well as men and woman’s chorus, but again with very low voices.  Most of the women could sing even lower than I could!

EBA: What type of new “20th Century Orchestral Music” techniques did you implement?

JG: Every one I could find!  And then I made hours and hours of new ones that I thought would work within the Dead Space universe.  The beauty of avant-garde music is it’s all experimental – there almost isn’t any such thing as a wrong note.  I had players tapping their instruments, playing all kinds of fast, random notes, over-blowing for shrill shrieks and hisses, improvising different rhythms all at the same time, tapping their music stands – the list goes on and on.  Another excellent technique I discovered was getting each instrument to play well out of its comfortable range, either by playing extremely high or extremely low.  Quite often the results were very disturbing and unrecognizable.  A lot of them had folks on the sound stage holding their ears as we recorded – they were just downright nasty, evil, piercing sounds.  In other words, perfect for Dead Space!

I also implemented a lot of chance elements into the score, which is another big part of avant-garde music.  For example, I would have all 48 string players sustain a random note on their highest string, which produces this amazingly wonderful, rich, 48-note chord.  It really sounds more like a synthesizer than an orchestra, but is so much more flexible and emotional, especially since the chord sounds completely different each time it’s played.

EBA: How does it feel to know your music is helping scare the crap out of grown men?

JG: It feels pretty good!  I’ve watched some people as they’ve been playing and it’s very entertaining to see them jump out of their seats at the least little thing that happens.  Like I mentioned before, objectivity was a tricky thing to come by in Dead Space.  I became totally desensitized by all the scary music I was composing day in and day out.  I was constantly thinking, “Is this scary at all?”  Everything seemed liked it needed to be more dissonant and “bigger.”  That is, until I had some time away from the music and heard it in the game.  THEN it was plenty scary!  I think the final result of sound and picture combined together is really amazing.

EBA: When is the Dead Space soundtrack going to be available and where can people get it?

JG: The official soundtrack will be on sale November 11th.  I personally produced the album, selecting my favorite music from more than three hours of score.  The result is hopefully an accurate representation of the score as it exists in the game.  It will be available on iTunes, Amazon Digital and EA’s own music site, eatrax.com.

EBA: Thanks for your time Jason! Excellent work on Dead Space. We hope to hear more from you soon!!!

For more on Jason Graves, head on over to his official website.