Games Fusion interviews Jaid Mindang, Project Director for Hip Interactive's forth coming stealth themed game, Stolen.

Q. Can you tell us about the storyline for the game and where you got your inspiration for it?

A. Anya, the main character's background is that she grew up on the streets of Forge City, running with street gangs and stealing to survive. In partnership with Louie Palmer, who creates the top-of-the-line gadgets and tools of her trade, she has become an excellent thief. Initially she’s hired by an enigmatic client, but it later transpires that she’s being set up to take a fall in a dirty mayoral election campaign. The stakes are high and the players are ruthless
The Hollywood properties that served as inspiration for the game are movies like The Thomas Crown Affair, Mission: Impossible, Entrapment, Batman Returns and Blade Runner.

Q. What makes Stolen stand above the rest when it comes to similar stealth titles, such as Splinter Cell?

A. We’ve worked on broadening the whole spectrum of stealth and subterfuge to make it much more proactive than merely hiding behind a cupboard for a guard to pass

To add, we believe also that Stolen distinguishes itself by the absence of lethality in dealing with the enemies. You can destroy the drones, but you can’t kill any guards, only incapacitate them or knock them out temporarily. A large portion of the player’s abilities are geared around avoiding detection and actively evading capture

Q. Can you tell us about the main characters within the game and the different characteristics and features they will have?

A. Anya, being a professional thief has many attributes that you would associate with her profession and all that goes with it. Anya has a myriad of moves and actions and some as standard include the ability to choke guards and render them unconscious, stun them with a taser, or punch and knock them out but consider the fact also that they will eventually regain consciousness!

She’s backed up by Louie Palmer, as previously stated, who designs and builds the many high tech gadgets at her disposal.

Anay will come up against many foes in many forms all having their own traits and abilities and we don’t really want to spoil it by giving this away!

Q. What uniquely identifiable features will the graphics in the game provide?

A. As your readers will see from the screenshots, graphically the game is looking cool.

A great deal of time and effort has been spent on the real-time lighting since it has a direct affect on the game-play rather than just trying to make the game look good, but we hope we’ve done that too. As well as effects like specular surfaces, which creates a good sense of the difference between matt and shiny, lights can be shot out to create shadows where none existed and the visual acuity of enemies is directly affected by the light levels in the environments.

Games Fusion interviews James Schmalz, founder and creative director of Digital Extremes on their forth coming First Person Shooter title, Pariah.

Q. For those who don’t know can you start by telling us a little bit about the storyline of the game and introducing the characters?

A. In Pariah, you play Jack Mason, a military doctor in the year 2520. You are a brilliant doctor, but are currently at a bit of a low point in your career and have been demoted several times. You have been called upon to perform a routine sick prisoner transport on earth. The lowest of the low jobs for Mason. But, of course, things are not as they appear and as you are transporting your prisoner off planet, there is an explosion and your ship goes crashing to earth. You and your prisoner, Karina, survive only to be confronted with new challenges and mysteries as the story unfolds.

Q. Why did you decide to make the main character a doctor? And what benefits will this bring to the player throughout the course of the game?

A. He is a doctor specifically for story reasons. We wanted someone who wasn’t your typical muscle bound hero that we see in every game. We also found it more interesting that a doctor would be placed in a situation such as Jack’s where he must fight and kill for survival.

Q. How much cooperation will there be between DR. Jack Mason and Karina during the game? Can we expect to see them working together as a team?

A. Both Jack and Karina are central to the story and key storytelling elements. They work together in the game in some instances, but for the most part they are storytelling tools.

Q. What will the levels be like in Pariah? And can we expect to see a predominantly indoor game, outdoor game or a good mix between the two?

A. There will be a combination of indoor and outdoor areas. The game takes you from areas of deep dark forest, to full on desert to desert canyons. From a futuristic train to an ominous place called the Anvil. Lots of variety and hopefully environments you have never seen before.

Q. The depth of field blur and water reflection effects, which have been featured in various still images portray some of the most beautiful visuals of the game seen so far. What other visually exciting effects will there be?

A. We are very pleased with many of the technology additions we have made to the engine, both in terms of performance, physics, memory and visuals. We added in the Havok Physics engine to give us great physics. We added in bump mapping on many of the objects in the world, including vehicles and weapons. We have added post effects like bloom and distortion as well as a great deal of performance increases such as a super fast decal system, fast per polygon collision and more. Overall we are really trying to take advantage of the hardware in every way possible.

Q. What weapons will be available in the game? And what special characteristics will they have?

A. We have a wicked new weapon system that affects single player and multiplayer play by allowing the player to customize their weapons and upgrade them as they play. So as you play through the game you can select which weapons you want to upgrade and improve. As they upgrade they gain different features and powers. It’s very cool and makes combat in multiplayer very unique. So we have a core set of traditional weapons such as an assault rifle and a rocket launcher, etc. and then we have some really unique and new weapons.

Games Fusion interviews Jerome Sicart, European Brand Manager and Brice Davin, Senior Producer of Hip Interactive on their forth coming title, CT Special Forces.

Q: Can you start by telling us about the idea behind the game and what you hope it will bring to the PC, Xbox and PS2 platforms?

The CT Special Forces license was created 3 years ago on Game Boy Advance and received immediate success and plaudits when released. The idea was to build a very strong brand within an enthralling universe. Based on the world of counter-terrorism, the ‘property’ proposes 100% action content, with everything being created and designed to have immediate fun.

CT Special Forces Fire for Effect sticks to the original success of the series and takes the best action facets but is in 3D for the first time! CT Special Forces Fire For Effect is, above all, an action game that pumps up the adrenaline level during wild, full action, combat sequences.

We believe CT Special Forces Fire For Effect will further extend the brand whilst also offering a number of new and inventive ideas that have been created by the development team Asobo, which I will explain further on in the interview.

Q. What type of missions can we expect to see in the game and how much diversity will there be between each level?

There is a wealth of diversity and challenges within each of the missions. As a CT Special Forces operative you have to go beyond enemy lines and accomplish highly risky tasks, such as destroying an anti-aircraft position. By doing so, you will allow the regular forces to enter the zone and take out all remaining enemies. By combining your HALO (High Altitude Low Opening), stealth and high tech weaponry capabilities you are able to put the enemy forces in an extremely difficult situation.

Q. How have you developed the artificial intelligence to ensure the game remains exiting for the player, whilst still maintaining a sense of realism?

Asobo has worked extensively on the enemy AI in order to get results that are dependent on the tactics the players will adopt. Getting the right balance between ensuring the game plays in a plausible way and also that it offers a real challenge is the final goal for the team but we are sure it will be nigh on perfect. The team has also spent time on researching the way terrorists undertake tasks and missions but the end result must always be perfect gameplay. We believe we have the perfect blend of realism, together with real excitement.

Q. What engine has the game been developed on and what sets it apart from other games within its class?

Once again the team has created their own engine and has a wealth of experience and expertise in this area. What sets it apart from others is a tough question to answer and it is really the many small components that go to making up the final look and feel of the game. Be assured though that the game’s AI, physics, and presentation with be top notch.

I will quantify one aspect in that the engine also permits visual effects never seen before. In fact, when first working on CT Special Forces, 3D adaptation, our main wish concerned the special visual effects; we wanted the player to be plunged into cinematographic dynamic motion. Asobo has worked and improved explosions in order to recreate this realistic vision. Now, we can say, ‘Are you ready to feel the power and the shock wave of explosions as in real life?’

Asobo has also created its own proprietary physics engine which is giving some incredible results.

Q. Will the game feature any multiplayer modes? And if so will there be a CO-OP mode?

There will be no online mode. We are looking at doing a co-op mode indeed and will keep you posted if it happens.

Q. Can you tell us about the different gadgets and weapons that will be available to the player? And how have you developed them around current military technological advancements?

Asobo did intense research on military high-technology weaponry, so everything you will see in the game is either part of the current equipment of Special Forces or is at prototype stage and will be part of their gear in a few years.

We are especially proud of some never-seen before weapons such as the electro-mag grenades, for instance, which can attract all the enemy weapons and take them from them. There will plenty more of that kind!

You will also experience the new research in proteins which can enhance your character for a limited period of time (sight, etc.); believe it or not the Army is currently working on this for real!

You will also be able to use an electromag gun, sonar coupled to armour piercing machine gun, angle-fire rifles, etc. There will be many surprises in store.

Fusion NET interviews Jeff Danna, composer of the score to Sony Entertainment’s ‘Resident Evil: Apocalypse’ film. Resident Evil: Apocalypse is the sequel to the 2002 released Resident Evil movie, and is based on the popular franchise of Resident Evil games for the Playstation and PS2 consoles. This interview looks at how Jeff Danna merged orchestral and electronic symphonic music to produce a truly unique sound for the film.

First of all thank you for taking the time to do this interview with Fusion NET.

Q. Many of the previous films you have worked on, including The Gospel of John and Green Dragon, are significantly different in style compared to the score of Resident Evil: Apocalypse. What ambitions did you have when you walked into this project? And what challenges were you confronted with?

A. Obviously for a score like Resident Evil, there’s the demand for music that’s not as thematic or melodic as the other two scores. But the music still has to be interesting and dramatic and exciting. Besides the normal challenges of having to write a lot of music in a fairly truncated amount of time, there was the challenge of satisfying the creative needs of the filmmakers and there was a pretty big creative team on Resident Evil: Apocalypse so there were a lot of people to interact with. A sci-fi / horror film like Resident Evil: Apocalypse creates this alternate reality which in this case is Raccoon City, and so the music plays a large part in creating such a fantasy world.

Q. What was your original concept for the score to the movie? And what ideas did you and film writer, Paul Anderson discuss?

A. When I got on the film, the filmmakers told me they wanted the score to have some of the electronic textures that the first film had and also wanted me to bring a more orchestral element to the score because the scope of the film was more epic. The different ways in which brought those two worlds together: the orchestral world and the electronic world in ways were hopefully original.

Q. Where did you get your inspiration for the score to the film? And what research did you have to do to ensure you achieved the uniquely identifiable sound that has accompanied the film so well?

A. I got inspiration from the film itself. As a film composer, my job is to musically represent the story being played out on the screen. It’s just a matter of coming up with some of the elements for the electronic realm of the score. To that end, I made recordings of many unusual instruments, sounds, and voices. Once I recorded them, I took the audio sources and kind of messed them all up in the digital realm. From there, it was a just a matter of figuring out a way to make those textures and sounds work in combination with the orchestra.

Q. You were into playing guitar and piano at a very young age, but had to stop your professional career in performance due to an injury. Had you not had the injury could you have seen yourself continuing your professional career in performance or do you think you would have eventually turned toward composing films?

A. I probably would have stayed in the performance world for as long as I could have but ultimately I’m happy to be here in film because I think the career span is considerably longer.

Q. It is becoming a common trend in the movie industry to create films based on games. Do you think at some level a line should be drawn between making films out of just any game, especially those which lack an original concept? Alien’s Vs. Predator comes to mind. And did you have any apprehensions about going into this project?

A. I think one of the largest factors in driving the decision to make or not make any film is a film’s commercial prospect. Video game movies seem to generate great business so I think that would be the deciding factor right there from a movie studios point of view.

No, I didn’t have any apprehensions going into this project. It’s always tricky to do a sequel, but right from the get-go they said that they were looking for me to contribute as musically original as possible so I was excited about that.

Q. The score to the original Resident Evil movie was done using the combining talents of Marco Beltrami and Marilyn Manson. What did you think of the score to that movie? And did you have any apprehensions about continuing on from such a unique score?

A. I liked the score to the original Resident Evil; I thought it was very effective. I didn’t have any apprehensions about continuing from the original; I looked forward to being able to make some type of contribution to the second film.

Games Fusion talks to Lead Designer Toby Ragaini about Monolith's & Warner Bros. forth coming MMOG, The Matrix Online.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the game and what you are aiming to achieve with this title?

A. The Matrix Online (MxO) is a massively multi-player role playing game that takes place immediately following Matrix Revolutions. In the game, you are a newly awoken red pill who has just been rescued from the body pods.

One of the main goals of MxO is allow players an opportunity to participate in the ongoing saga of the Matrix. The creators of the movies, the Wachowski Brothers, have created a story that will unfold in periodic episodes. It is our intent to allow players a chance to interact in a changing world where they can help shape the outcome.

To this end, individual players must choose who they wish to support.

The humans of Zion have been granted the opportunity to free people in the pods, provided they are ready to leave. But if too many people leave the pods, the Machines risk a power crisis; something that they may be forced to prevent. Added to this tense situation is the Merovingian; an Exiled program who wishes to preserve the Matrix for his own selfish reasons and will attempt to exert control wherever possible.

Players being powerful operatives in the Matrix will be recruited by each of the main sides. Perhaps they choose to remain loyal to Zion and attempt to free the rest of humanity. The machines, however, can make a compelling case that humans have historically been very untrustworthy. And of course, the Merovingian will remind you that in the Matrix, you can live like a god among men.

Q. What is the main storyline of the game and at what degree will the storyline fit in with the Matrix movies?

A. Essentially, you can think of MxO as the fourth Matrix movie. Neo has apparently sacrificed himself in order to secure a truce between man and machine. But it’s a very delicate situation.

In many ways, the Matrix is similar to the Cold War. The all-out fighting has stopped, but none of the sides trust each other. Some may even occasionally attempt to test the bounds of the truce.

The theme of the story for the first year is Peace, and the things people do to wreck it.

Q. Can you tell us something about the physics of the game engine? What unique characteristics will it have and at what degree will the player be able to interact with the environment?

A. We had to solve a lot of challenging problems in order to create a dense, seamless modern city. In MxO, you can Hyper-Jump from rooftop to rooftop while traffic rushes underneath you. From the rooftop, you can enter a building, run down the stairs, look out a window at the city, and come out into an alley, all without encountering a single load-zone.

Q. There must be a lot of anticipation surrounding a game which is based on a popular movie franchise. How hard is it to deliver a game which manages to please a majority of its audience, particularly the Matrix fan base?

A. We identified what we thought were four key goals in meeting the expectations of Matrix fans. The first was creating a rich, urban environment. The second was capturing the trademark Matrix sense of fashion and style. Thirdly, we had to depict the smooth, choreographed wire-fu combat. And finally, we had to wrap all of this up in a story that was so compelling that people would want to stick around to find out what happens next.

Meeting these goals was challenging, but I believe that fans will be pleased with what they find.

Q. How have you adapted the in-game effects to closely depict those of the effects seen in the Matrix movies, specifically the bullet-time effects?

A. We worked directly with the film studio and their special effects house in order to insure that the Matrix visual and sound effects are as true to the movies as possible.

Bullet time was of course something that we simply had to accommodate. The problem was that we couldn’t slow down the whole game world, simply because one person was in bullet time.

The solution was to slightly speed up the character’s animations that were being played on the client, and then dramatically slow them down for bullet time. By speeding up and then slowing down, the individual player can experience bullet time, without other people having their game interrupted.

Games Fusion talks with Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software, about their forth coming World War II themed First Person Shooter title, Brothers in Arms.

Q. Can you tell us about the story you are trying to tell with the game and at what period of the war it is set in?

Randy Pitchford: Brothers in Arms is based on a true story.

It is the story of a paratrooper who never wanted to be squad leader, but is thrust into a position leadership during the largest amphibious invasion in the history of the world. His name is Sgt. Matt Baker and he’s leader of 3d Squad, 3d Platoon, Fox Company, 502 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne.

In Brothers in Arms you become Baker and you must learn to lead your men. Baker discovers the meaning of brotherhood between soldiers and he has to deal with decisions about putting his men in harm’s way in order to get the job done.

Q. Certain games, specifically games which have a story to tell, are increasingly starting to look like films. Whether it may be an animated feature or SCI-Fi film, such as Shrek or The Matrix, the gap between the gaming and film industry appears to be closing as computer technology improves. How long do you anticipate it will be before the distinguishing nature of the two media reaches a point where gamers are essentially playing in an interactive film? And do you feel this is a target many want to pursue?

Randy Pitchford: From a story and plot point of view, we are on the cusp of true interactive fiction. In the case of Brothers in Arms, it feels a lot more like interactive non-fiction.

Visual fidelity will likely continue to create trade-offs between pre-rendered, passive scenes and real time interactivity. But, with recent advances Gearbox has been making in simulated intelligence and character emotion and articulation, we’re getting very close to the point where the virtual people we spend time with in our interactive games are as real and potentially more dynamic than the people we often interact with in real life.

This convergence is exciting – it’s why Gearbox is investing so heavily in story telling and virtual character development. It’s why Gearbox is making a game that is as much about the most important military engagement of modern history as it is about a personal connection between people – the brotherhood between soldiers.

Q. Games featuring a historic era often put pressure on developers to produce an environment which realistically depicts what it was actually like. What sort of research have you had to do to achieve this and do you think you have managed to succeed in your ambitions?

Randy Pitchford: If there has been any pressure for action games set in historical settings to produce realistic and authentic environments, that pressure must have not have fallen on the developers of those games because there has only occasionally been a vague impression of the real places and the real battlefields in games prior to Brothers in Arms. Most of these games are simply corridor shooter games with lots of canned, scripted events and art that is thematically similar to the subject matter as remembered by movie goers or watchers of television.

That may sound like a cheap shot, but I agree that any title offering to let you simulate what it was like to be a soldier better actually provide that experience or it’s a half-empty promise. Sure, I love the shooter game play of one or two of the games that have already been set in WW2, but not for one minute have I ever believed that what was taking place in the game is what happened historically.

So, when creating Brothers in Arms, the team at Gearbox spent an absurd amount of time and money to study the material and learn about what actually happened, what everything looked like and how everything and everyone behaved.

The team has walked the battlefields in Normandy, France, surveying everything along the way.

The team has done extensive research at the US National Archives collecting thousands of US Army Signal Corps photos, Aerial Reconnaissance Images, Military Maps and After Action Reports. The images, maps and reports have allowed the team to authentically recreate the actual battlefields.

One veteran who was in Normandy and served in the very unit the game is about upon seeing Brothers in Arms said that it was like going back in time for him. Veteran’s stories and eyewitness accounts have helped the team get the feel of the place and the action as authentic as possible.

If I listed all of the physical resources that have been used to create the authentic experience including the people, places, photos, artefacts, military records and other materials that the Gearbox team has examined, explored, met, digitized or studied, I would be left with a novel sized document.

One of the greatest resources Gearbox has had was the help of Col. John Antal (US Army, Ret). Col. Antal is author of many books about combat tactics and leadership, his is an historian who has been featured on the history channel and he is a soldier, an Airborne Ranger, the real deal. Col. Antal spent his first year with us as a consultant, teaching the team in the classroom and in the field what being a soldier is all about. In the second year with us, Col. Antal joined Gearbox Software full time helping to ensure that Brothers in Arms is the most authentic, realistic and accurate portrayal of the subject ever presented in interactive form.

Ultimately, though, the authenticity is for the team to feel as if it’s handled this matter properly. After you’ve met these men and you’ve heard their stories and you’ve considered what it must be like to die for the man next to you… Well, you couldn’t proceed without an immense amount of care to keep the true stories in tact.

Adam Foat, European Product PR Manager for NVIDIA, takes some time out to talk to Games Fusion about their latest addition to the GeForce franchise, the GeForce 6.

Q. At the release period of the GeForce FX, NVIDIA had claimed that their card would be the fasted thing to hit the gaming market, instead ATI managed to produce a very close competition with their Radeon 9800, in what is otherwise an older generation chipset. It seems clearly apparent that the terms “fastest” and “highest performing” are terms, which can easily be unjustified in the graphics card industry. What measures have you taken to ensure that the GeForce 6 series really is the ‘fastest’ card on the market? And do you anticipate that ATI’s forth coming next-generation card will outperform the GeForce 6?

A. GeForce 6800 Ultra is the largest generation-to-generation performance leap in company history. We have so far seen twice the performance over the previous generation with early BETA drivers. We expect to see more with more mature driver releases. The reviews will speak for themselves. As for our main competitor, we will have to see if the special edition product comes to market in volume.

Q. Why have you decided to keep with the GeForce franchise name? Isn’t it time to move off the name and produce a new identity?

A. Why change something that works? GeForce is an internationally recognised brand that consumers have come to associate with quality, reliability and stability. When they see that name on the box of our partner’s graphics cards, they are guaranteed a great user experience.

Q. What effect will Microsoft’s DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 technology have on titles, such as Doom 3, which is heavily reliant on shadows to create the atmosphere in the game?

A. Doom3 is OpenGL, not DirectX. But SM 3.0 titles will appear very quickly, unlike previous games using newer shader models. SM 3.0 can be added to an existing SM 2.0 game very easily. In fact you can now get a patch to enable a game to use the new features. The developers of Far Cry will make a patch available in the next few weeks demonstrating exactly that. We are expecting many other titles to follow suit, Painkiller and Tiger Woods to name two.

Q. The GeForce 6 6800 Ultra comes with Dual DVI connections, an otherwise excellent edition for those users using two LCD monitors. What challenges did you have to confront to bring this feature to the card? And will there be an alternate version, featuring Analogue connection, for those who do not sport a screen with a DVI connection?

A. We have always supported dual DVI since GeForce4 days. It is down to our individual partners as to whether they include dual DVI, dual VGA or VGA/DVI on their boards.

Q. The PCI Express interface is a technology, which will bring improved bandwidth capabilities to graphics cards, such as the GeForce 6. However, the PCI Express interface is yet to make an impression upon PC users. How long do you anticipate it will be before the technology kicks off? And how much of a performance advantage will it truly mean?

A. We are already sampling PCI Express cards to our key partners. We enjoy a close working relationship with Intel and our schedules are perfectly aligned with them. We will have PCI Express graphics cards available as soon as they launch. Current date for that is Mid Q2. Performance will vary depending on what application is being used. The software will have to make use of the extra bandwidth.

Games Fusion talks with John Whitmore, Director of Development at 2015, on the forth coming Vietnam War themed title, Men of Valor.

Q. There appears to be a recent trend in bringing out games, which are based on the Vietnam War. This can be seen in titles, such as Battlefield: Vietnam, Vietcong, Shell Shock NAM 67 and now Men of Valor. What do you think has initiated this trend? And do you think we can expect to see even more titles appear in the near future?

A. Historical, military themed shooters are very hot right now, and you can only make so many WWII games, so it was inevitable that some developers would eventually turn to Vietnam for source material. In our case, we felt that the technology available had advanced sufficiently to allow us to portray the densely foliated natural environments and hectic jungle combat of Vietnam, so we thought we’d set our next game there. Because of the technical difficulties of portraying the environments, and the creative difficulties in designing gameplay and creating a story that really captures the atmosphere of this controversial war, I think only top developers are likely to be successful with Vietnam themed games – the trend will peter out because of this. It’s much easier for the developer and much less risky for the publisher to stick with World War 2.

Q. At present there is a lot of competition out there between games which are based on the Vietnam War. What sets Men of Valor aside from the competition? And what unique features will you be implementing to ensure that the title stands out from the rest?

A. Men of Valor presents a mature and serious depiction of combat in Vietnam, supported by intensive research, high production values, and gameplay systems designed from the ground up to represent the feel of combat in the environments of Vietnam. The game presents the war at its highest level with documentary style introductions featuring war footage from then National Archives; at a personal level through the letters the player writes home that serve as mission briefings; and within gameplay with tons of dramatic in-game events, licensed music from the period, and a dynamic Battle Chatter system that helps recreate the intense soundscape of a firefight. Overall, Men of Valor provides a complete player experience that captures the atmosphere of the conflict in a way we haven’t seen from any of the competition.

Q. Entertainment based on real-life events, whether it may be film or games, has played a big part in the film and gaming industry. Why do you think products, such as films and games, based on real-life events are so popular? Is it because people thirst for realism, similarly to how reality TV is so popular in the US?

A. History is accessible and can be easily related to by the consumer. When you mention Vietnam, you conjure up images and associations in a gamer, a set of expectations that give you a target to meet with your product. Mention a Vietnam game to a publisher, and they’ll understand how a game set there could be marketed and sold. Historical games, if done correctly, can leverage all the power of a popular license, without the expense of licensing fees.

Q. Games featuring real-life events no doubt come with some criticism and controversy. It is obvious that the notion of a film based on 9/11 and the war on terrorism would attract quite a compelling and moving storyline, which would no doubt make a lot of money. How long do you think it is safe to wait before bringing out a game or movie based on such a controversial and harrowing event?

A. Creatively, I don’t think there’s a reason to wait at all – if you have a story to tell or a message to deliver, and it can be done more powerfully close to the event it references, then why not take a shot? But commercially, of course, that’s not viable. You’d have to gauge the market to see how sensitive the topic is to the public. There were definitely some concerns about making a Vietnam game when we started, but with all the other titles that have been announced, the idea has become quite accepted.

Q. At what degree is the depiction of the real Vietnam War highlighted in the storyline of the game? Obviously there was no real winner of the Vietnam War (some may argue this), but there were a lot of casualties on both sides, many believe the Viet Cong had an advantage due to their knowledge of the open jungle. How will this show in the gameplay?

A. The storyline follows a young Marine from the beginning of major combat operations in 1965 through the height of the Tet offensive in 1968. During this time, the player will experience the kind of events that defined the conflict – booby traps and roadside bombs, the difficulty of telling friend from foe, the dissolution of battle plans due to bad luck or incompetence, the arrogance of some parts of the military in the dealing with the Vietnamese, and the way in which politically motivated rules of engagement affected the progress of the war. The storyline, missions, and characters in the game are all derived from battle reports and first person accounts of the war.

Games Fusion talks to Zuxxez Entertainment's Dirk P. Hassinger (VP of Zuxxez Entertainment and Executive producer of Earth 2160), on their forth coming Real Time Strategy game, Earth 2160.

Q. The Earth series appears to follow a storyline, which evolved from the first Earth game, 2140. At the end of Earth 2150 the storyline concluded with the humans escaping from the blue planet. Now that the game is no long based on planet Earth, why choose to keep the name?

A. The brand "Earth 21XX" is very well known and that is the main reason why we have kept the title. In 2160, the humans who were able to escape from Earth started to build up their civilizations on Mars and would later conquer new planets within and outside the solar system. So the title is not that wrong even if mother Earth bites the dust in 2150.

Q. In terms of realism, have you done any research into astronomy and planet locations or have you kept strictly to a sci-fi theme?

A. Mirek, the team leader is very much addicted to astronomy and a lot of research about venues in 2160 was made. Of course, to make the game attractive, interesting and playable, but there is not much more realism than there is in any Sci-Fi movie. There is a scientific background, but a lot of fiction – as everybody expects from such a title.

Q. In Earth 2150 the main goal of the game was to stay alive and escape from Earth. What will be the main goal of 2160?

A. To stay alive and to find your paradise.

Q. The Earth series has always been heavily built around research and there are a lot of strategy titles that include this aspect. What sets Earth 2160’s research apart from other strategy games?

A. The way units are constructed is a strong improvement of the beloved method in 2150. Because of the modular construction, an uncountable number of combinations will surprise and please the gamers. The research possibilities are really very far-reaching and as good as free. To allow the player a better overview, he can patent each new invention and hire "Virtual Agents" to help.

Q. What artwork and documentation have you used for inspiration to create some of the futuristic visual aspects of the game?

A. Movies, Sci-Fi stories, 20 years of experience in creating science fiction games and a lot of fantasy.

Q. What additional features will set Earth 2160 apart from existing RTS games?

A. As I have already mentioned, "Virtual Agents", which have inter-character relationships, character development, skills and personality, bringing a breath of fresh air into the genre. A new type of AI calculation will make the game more challenging than all other RTS titles on the market. There are multiplayer options to save MP matches any time, and that allow players to join running matches. This alone will attract a huge MP community. The bio- and physics engines give increased realistic behavior to all objects and places, more than has ever been seen in any RTS game. And besides all this, the overall optical appearance will certainly make the game outstanding.

Q. Have you focused heavily on storyline in Earth 2160 to create a more gripping single player game?

A. Yes. How can I put this … the story will be surprising, riveting and enthralling … but we do not want to reveal too much yet.

Q. How have you optimized the A.I. to produce a more intelligent gaming experience?

A. The A.I. is calculated with a combination of linear back framing and conventional scripts. We have developed our own unique script language compiler for this. The player will have to compete with very tricky and clever AI opponents.

Games Fusion talks to DICE Studios about their forth coming first person shooter title and sequel, Battlefield 2. Various people at DICE took the opportunity to answer our questions, including Sean Decker (Exec. Producer), Lars Gustavsson (Producer), Linus Josephson (Assoc. Producer), Torbjorn Laedre and Torbjorn Soderman (Lead Rendering Programmers). The interview takes an in-depth look at some of the features of Battlefield 2, as well as looks at how the genre will develop in the future.

Q. What will the new game engine bring to Battlefield 2? And what features have you implemented to bring the game up to date with other competing titles?

A. To achieve our goals and expectations for Battlefield 2 we had to raise the bar for visual quality several notches from our previous titles. The new rendering engine, developed from scratch for BF2, is completely shader driven, and is written to utilize the full potential of next-generation graphics hardware. One of the major improvements over the first Battlefield installment is that in the new rendering engine, every pixel you see on screen is dynamically lit and shadowed from multiple light sources. To make lighting in the world of Battlefield both compelling and convincing to the player, and still retain the frame rate required to enjoy the playing experience, we've had to develop several new techniques to compose the end result you see on screen. We've developed techniques that allow us to combine global illumination and hemispherical lighting with per-pixel normal mapping, and we further expanded this by using a new, more realistic looking approach to applying normal maps. Lighting and shadowing such an expansive and dynamical world as Battlefield also meant that we had to come up with new hybrid shadowing techniques which realistically integrate the players into the world. All of these new features allow artists and designers alike to put an enormous amount of detail into the game world, both in terms of per-pixel visual detail, and dynamic, interactive game environments. In the end, this makes for a rich and visually pleasing environment for the players to interact with.

Q. What research have you had to do to deliver realistic depictions of modern day weaponry in the game? Have you involved the US military at all in the development of the game?

A. We have made extensive research in modern weapons systems, vehicles, uniforms and other available, equipment of today’s fighting forces. Not only the US military. Many of us have served in the army and we even have an ex US-army captain employed on the project. But, mind you, this is an action game. We want to deliver a game that looks extremely real but is easy to learn and fun to play. We will carefully retain the “feeling” of Battlefield when we take the step into the 21st century. The biggest challenge when making the transition to modern war is to also retain the skill element in every weapon. Many modern weapons are all about being far, far away from you enemy, and letting the weapon itself do all the work. We will not allow for this, but carefully make sure there is skill involved in every kill.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about the weaponry available in the game? Can we expect to see futuristic weaponry, such as the OICW Assault Rifle?

A. Our approach is to use equipment that are actually fielded, or just about to become fielded by armies.. You can expect to see many common weapons used today such as M16’s, M249 machineguns, Kalashnikovs, Miniguns, .50 calibre machineguns and so on. And then you can expect to see some of the next generation hardware. I will leave what they will be as a surprise, but if you watch something like the Discovery Channel, you will get an idea of what I’m talking about.

Q. Can you name a few of the vehicles that will be available in the game? What planes, helicopters, boats and tanks will be at the disposal of the player?

A. You can expect both current and near-future vehicles, found in use today in the US Marine Corps, Chinese and modern Middle-Eastern Armies. Battlefield has always being about Land, Sea and Air and we will continue to provide a fun experience in all of the those areas.

Q. Will the flight physics remain similar to Battlefield: Vietnam or will you be making dramatic changes to provide a more realistic experience to the player?

A. Well, the “style” that was set in BF1942 will be retained. That style was carried over to Vietnam, and will be carried over to Modern Warfare. What will happen though is that we develop the style adding new features that fit with modern day flying. For instance, our jets will have afterburner that you can use to get a speed burst for a short time. Very useful when you need to get out of trouble. And our aircraft will have functioning head-up displays that tell you about your flying and about your targets. I also want to say that dog-fighting in Modern Warfare will not be about selecting radar blips on a screen and watch them go out. This will be more like the dog-fighting sequences in Top Gun, where you try to get a lock on your enemy and deploy counter measures to avoid incoming heat seeking missiles.

Games Fusion's Adam Unsworth asks Armando "Aj" Marini of Digital Illusions what all the fuss is about.

1) What new features can we expect from Battlefield Vietnam?

Well, you will not see "1942" in the title. The games with Battlefield 1942 in the title are all WW2 based. They also all use the same technology throughout.

Battlefield Vietnam is a completely new experience. We kept the foundation of the engine, but the visuals and game play have been altered significantly. The new graphics engine gives the game an unmistakably updated look and the infantry experience has been massively revamped to help immerse the player even more.

Expect to be completely immersed in the game. Expect to forget that it's the 21st century. When you play Battlefield Vietnam, you will think you're in Southeast Asia.

2) Vietnam is a tricky war to handle when it comes to games from a graphics point-of-view... what have you done to make the jungle style game more realistic than previous attempts by other designers?

We have some extremely talented programmers with very bright ideas. The vegetation was the most obvious hurtle that had to be overcome in order to really transport the player to Vietnam of the 1960's. The lead programmer came up with a method to generate vegetation at comparatively little cost. From there, the artists did their part. For the most part, the boundaries were set by the design team in determining which levels would have the densest vegetation and what types of vegetation there would be. If I could put a finger on any on single thing that separates BFV from BF1942, it's the vegetation. It's just so cool to run through thick patches of jungle, or to fly overhead in a helicopter and scan the forest for enemies.

3) Will we see any noticeable improvements in A.I?

Yes, definitely. Because of the open nature of Battlefield, the A.I. is challenging to implement. By introducing all the tress and the more organic layouts of the maps, this challenge became even greater. We identified this early on and set out to make improvement to the A.I. At the same time, we saw behaviors that allowed player to easily differentiate between the bots and human players. We wanted the players to be indistinguishable from the bots, and I feel we've come a long way in achieving that. They are far more lifelike than they were.

4) Will there be new weapons/vehicles?

Every weapon and vehicle in the game is new. We have over 20 vehicles and over 30 weapons, and each of them is new to the Battlefield franchise. We haven't carried over any of the content of the original game or expansion packs. Everything the player will experience is new.

5) Multiplayer?

Battlefield's core aspect is the multiplayer component. The game is designed primarily for human competition unlike most other first person games. Most games place the human player in a world populated by A.I. and the multiplayer components need to make concessions for this. With Battlefield, we design the game in the opposite way. The multiplayer component comes first and the single player is adapted to it. It is a more challenging approach to take, but well worth it considering the quality of the final experience for the player.

6) Is Vietnam just more of the same or are we going to be truly amazed?

BFV is definitely not more of the same. Amazed is a good word. We've been working on the project for the better part of a year and we still are eager to get involved in a game. We're all professionals, yet still we find it hard to remember that this is just a game. The illusion is very strong, very immersive.

7) Any plans for any more expansions packs?

Battlefield is a very popular franchise and based on our own experience with the game play, we feel it's an enduring one. We plan to keep the interest in the game as high as we can and we are committed to maintaining our fan base. I can't speak much about the future since there are many options on what we could do. I can say that it is likely that if BFV is successful, we would consider doing more.

8) As is stands are you going to meet your Q1 2004 deadline?

Everything is on track and there are no obstacles preventing us from shipping the game on time.

Konami's Hideo Kojima, head developer of Metal Gear Solid 3, gives a live audience interview at this year’s Playstation Experience (2003). Hideo Kojima takes questions from the presenter of the show as well as from the live audience. The interview can be seen on some rather shaky cam video footage. You can also view the trans script of the interview bellow:

Q. When did you start to think about creating MGS 3 and what have you found to be a difficult factor in the making of the sequel?

A. I started working on or thinking about MGS 3 right before I was about to finish MGS 2 and right after MGS 2 I was working on MGS 2 substance, which is like a spin off and I spent like a year and a half. Creating MGS 3 is really difficult because of the jungle, trying to create a realistically looking jungle is very difficult.

Q. Is that was what most time consuming and the most pain full for him trying to put this together?

A. In order to create a realistic jungle we have to redo the game engine from scratch, that is what’s really taking a lot of time.

Q. Do you play as big boss in the third game?

A. My answer will be the same I will leave it up to your imagination.

Q. How many hours of gameplay will be in the game?

A. Honestly speaking I don’t know but if you get lost in the jungle you could really live there!

Q. Do you play radeon in the third game or snake?

A. Radeon is not going to be in MGS 3.

Q. Will the ninja’s be in the game?

A. No. The same ninja’s you are talking about will not be in the game but there will be other guys similar.

Q. How many new characters will there be in Metal Gear Solid 3?

A. I cannot give you a concrete number, like an answer, but there will be more characters than you have seen in MGS 1 or 2.

Games Fusion interviews Kenn Hoekstra project administrator of the upcoming FPS based title named Soldier of Fortune 2 by Raven software. The interview covers various topics to do with the development of SOF 2 as well as some off topic questions to do with games development in general.

GF: Unreal 2 Alpha recently shown at E3 was leaked and placed on the Internet available for download, is this a big worry for games developers and how much money do you think is lost through the availability of pirate software on the Internet?

Game leaks and warez in general is a huge concern for developers. I would guess in some cases, piracy could cut sales of a product or software package by 1/3 to 2/3. There’s a lot more piracy going on out there than most people realize and it’s costing companies a fortune.

GF: It seems these day’s people are finding ways to counter-act any security methods you add to the game. As a game developer what are you doing to minimize Warez on the Internet? And do you think you will ever find an unbreakable way of protecting a CD?

If I told you what we were doing, I’d just be giving l337 warez monkeys a head start now wouldn’t I? J I can’t imagine any security or copy protection that’s ever un-crackable or 100% fool proof. I think that the online and phone registration used in Windows and Office XP might be a big step in the right direction. I know it’s unpopular right now, but consumers will get used to it eventually.

GF: In my own personal opinion Soldier of Fortune 1 multiplayer was very different from the single player game in terms of speed; it was more like playing a game of Quake 3 Arena. Have you slowed things down for SOF 2 and made it more Counter-Terrorism like?

Soldier of Fortune was very fast…one of the fastest games I’ve ever played. That was intentional, too; a throwback to DooM speed. For Soldier of Fortune 2, however, the speed of the character has been toned down. We did this for both realism and gameplay reasons. It’s difficult to balance a game and get the most out of it when you have a character that can run like the FLASH. This was a big game balance issue we started working out from very early on in development.

GF: Will you be able to ride on Land and Air Vehicles for multiplayer games?

We have single player missions that take place with John Mullins riding as a gunner on a helicopter and on the back of a truck, but we don’t have vehicles in multiplayer.

GF: What modes of play will be in single player and multiplayer? And do you have any plans to input new modes of play though the release of patches or updates?

We have the full single player game, the single player random mission generator, multiplayer deathmatch, multiplayer team deathmatch and possibly multiplayer Capture The Flag. If multiplayer CTF doesn’t make it in for some reason, the Q3 CTF code remains and mod makers would have little trouble finishing it up. Plans for future releases are unknown at this time. We’ll have to wait and see.

GF: How have you pushed the limits of the Quake III: Team Arena Engine for this title and is there still room for improvement or have you gone right up to the boundary with this one?

We’ve added a lot to the Quake III engine, including the GHOUL2 modeling and animation system, the ICARUS2 scripting language, the ARIOCHE (formerly TORR) terrain system, dynamic lighting, the random mission generator, ConfuseEd, a from scratch mod-able weapon system, shattering glass and a new AI system.

I don’t think the engine has boundaries, really. If you work with it long enough, you can always find something new technology to add to it or enhance it. It’s got a lot of life left in it. Quite honestly, I still think you could make a fine game with the Quake II engine. It’s that versatile.

GF: In SOF 1 the dismemberment was very unrealistic, the fact that you could blow off someone’s leg with a Desert Eagle Pistol just doesn’t happen in real life. With the upgrade of 36 Damage Zones per Character Model how have you made the game more realistic? Can you expect to see little pieces being blown off rather than whole limbs?

Soldier of Fortune II’s damage modeling system is more realistic this time around. It’s going to take a lot more damage (mainly from high explosives) to take limbs off than it did in the original game. You’ll likely be able to take limbs off with some of the weapons, but it won’t be every single time you fire it like it was in SOF. It is a game, after all.

GF: What kind of maps can we expect to see in single player and multiplayer? Will it mainly be large maps and areas due to the implementation of the ARIOCHE Terrain System?

There’s a wide variety of maps in Soldier of Fortune II ranging from jungles, to snowy mountains to city streets with different looks from all over the world. Only a few maps use ARIOCHE in single player, but we’ve put the Team Arena code to good use as well with some rather large outdoor environments. ARIOCHE’s main function is as part of the Random Mission Generator.

GF: I have to admit that the AI in SOF 1 wasn’t all that good, how have you improved the AI for Soldier of Fortune 2?

The A.I. in Soldier of Fortune was a hot topic of discussion amongst our fans. We listened to their suggestions and decided to write a brand new A.I. system for Soldier of Fortune II. We’ve got two programmers (Ben Geisler and Chris Reed) working full time on the LICH Artificial Intelligence toolbox to make SOF2’s AI as challenging and solid as possible. The AI in SOF2 far surpasses the AI seen in the original in every conceivable way. The fans won’t be disappointed.

GF: With the extremely detailed character and weapon models, say for example 2500 - 3000 Polygon Enemies (vs. 400 in original SoF) and 1500 Polygon In-View Weapons (vs. 500 in original SoF). What kind of system specifications are we looking at here? In your FAQ you state P4 - 1.5GHZ for high end. But we have seen countless times gaming magazines argue against the stated system specifications. Are you and other games developers being true to your word?

Our system requirements aren’t really 100% finalized yet. This past month has seen a lot of performance enhancements coming from our technology programmers and there are more on the way. As such, we haven’t really nailed down final specs yet.

I think Raven has always been honest about the final system requirements printed on the box, but I can’t really speak for other developers.

GF: Soldier of Fortune 2 is said to use some pretty impressive graphics including photo realistic textures. If computer technology allows us (which I’m sure it will) where can we expect to see games like this go before they come away from the computer screen and hit the VR world?

I think we have a ways to go before computer games and VR cross paths. PC technology continues to grow in leaps and bounds with faster processors, bigger hard drives, DVD technology, cheap RAM and any number of other enhancements. Games in their current form will certainly get better, larger and prettier in the coming years, but I think it’s going to take someone inventing the Next Big Thing™ before games diverge into something radically different than their current form. sponsors

GF: Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview with us!

Developer: GSC Game World | ETA: Q3 2002

GF: Thank you for doing this interview with Games Fusion. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your involvement with this project?

I'm Oleg Yavorsky, PR Manager here at GSC Game World.

GF: Please tell us a little bit about the background of GSC Game World?

We are a Kiev-based game development studio and we¡¦ve been in the market for seven years now. Our portfolio of released games includes Cossacks: European Wars, Cossacks: The Art of War and Codename: Outbreak. At the moment we are working on several new projects, including two 3D-shooters, two real-time strategies, a turn-based strategy and a racing game we are going to talk about today.

GF: Can you tell us a little bit about the concept of the game and what the game is about?

The game throws you into a realm of futuristic combat racing, where hyper speeds intertwine with vehement gun fighting. Players drive their weapon-slotted hovercraft at enormous speed (up to 500 km/hour) picking up bonuses on their way and smashing their opponents through 4 game tournaments. Enemies wasted and level destruction caused yields you a good money bonus, which in combination with money gained for place in race enables you to purchase cool hovercraft equipment and weapons.

GF: Where did you get most of your ideas and inspiration for this title?

Probably the inspiration came from real life, where you frequently have to stick to the limitation of 60 km/hour when driving in the city. I think every driver has at least once dreamed of driving at breakneck speed and smashing other drivers on the way. Besides, we had been missing a combat racing game of up-to-date possibilities.

GF: In some respects the game appears similar to the console smash hit, Wipeout. Have you taken any ideas from the Wipeout series?

Yes, we remember Wipeout games very well. We thought it a good idea to have a game which would be a mix between Star Wars: Racer, Wipeout and Deathtrack games. HoveRace has a powerful engine, which offers stunning visual effects, along with realistic physics, smart AI players etc.

GF: Can you give us an idea of how many different types of vehicles and levels you will be able to race in?

The game provides you with a wide range of hovercraft to drive. There are five basic profiles (including bike, police, sports and two more), with each of them having 3 different modifications ¡V light, medium and heavy. Each of the vehicle profiles and modifications possesses its own parameters and characteristics, some of them are faster to accelerate, but harder to keep on track when driving at full throttle, others are, in contrast, more stable on track, but slower to speed up and so on. Vehicles also differ in number of weapon slots, armour thickness etc. The game will offer 16 basic levels joined into four championships. Every tournament is devoted to some theme, so there are four of them, including wastelands, icebergs and two more. There will also be two hidden levels in the game.

GF: What features have you implemented into this game that cannot be found in any other racing title of this nature?

What sets HoveRace apart is dynamic gameplay combining both racing and action (about 60% and 40% respectively), vast open arenas with total freedom of movement, destructible and interactive objects, a variety of hovercraft, bonuses, weapons and equipment, smart AI and the engine based on use of cutting-edge technologies.

GF: Please state your Names and Postions in the Gettysburg:The Last Breath Team.

ForKmaN: Leader and Webdesigner and I do a few Map Textures here and there

JKnight: Public Relations / Sound Artist

GF: How long has Gettysburg been under devolpment?

JKnight: We have been under development for nearly 2 years.

GF: And how much longer do you think it will take, is the mod close to a release?

JKnight: We are expecting to release our first Beta in January 2002.

GF: Please give us an outline of the story of Gettysburg.

JKnight: Our Mod is based on the American Civil War fought from 1861 to 1865. We will feature historically accurate battlefields such as Fredericksburg and Antietam. Through creating the most realistic game possible, we hope to put the player in the shoes of a soldier during the bloodiest event to take place on US soil.

GF: Will there be any major changes to the Half-Life Engine?

ForKmaN: With this mod, there are MANY nice features we have coded. Some of them are things that have been seen before like GL Fog. But we have our own home made things like the Morale System, Damage System (written by the J man here) and a newly thought up Morphing and Body stay system. And Lens Flares in the maps. We also have a nice Hit System with differrent spots that will make it fun with each spot having a different character animation.

GF: You said a Morphing System, what does this entail?

ForKmaN: The Morphing System is still in early stages, but we are working on getting the dead bodys (that stay) to slowely fade into a skeleton or corpse. So there will be half skeleton like bodys on the field like they are decomposing, which inturn, allows for the more relistic battle field effect.

GF: What about the Morale System?

ForKmaN: The Morale System is another fancy feature which allows for a more TEAMPLAY game. We have coded it so basically if you run away as a lone wolf thinking you king of the world and gonna shoot everyone, it just wont work becasue you will end up 'routing' and wont be able to fire weapons, meaning you sh*t your pants with fear.

GF: Does the Mod have much of a fan community?

JKnight: We have a forum base of about 400 members.

ForKmaN: The Mod has a giant Community! The forums were blosseming untill we had the great forum crash of 2001 and also we receive at least 3000 hits a day at the GB site.

GF:For those inspired to download this mod after its released how large would you say would the download be?

JKnight: We are expecting a 40 MB download. This could change slightly in time depending on the details we add to the game before its release.

GF: Will the Mod Community be supported to make custom maps etc. for the mod once its released?

JKnight: Our mappers are currently creating the most historically accurate and realistic maps possible. There will be plenty of excellent maps with the release. If players don't mind the lesser degree of realism in gameplay, we encourage them to create maps on their own.

GF: Where could a fan find out more information on the alterations to the Half-Life Engine?

ForKmaN: More info on all these special features can be found on our site .. www.gettysburg-mod.net

GF: Thankyou ForKmaN and JKnight for the interview it was greatly appreciated.