The Chronicles of Riddock XBox
producer Interview
Reported By Mark OConnell
1/30/2004 8:43:13 PM
Here
is an interview with Lars Johansson, who is the Producer of the
forthcoming movie adaption 'The Chronicles of Riddock'. The game is
being developed by Starbreeze, and is currently scheduled to be an XBox
exclusive. Full credit goes to www.Game-Reviews.net for the interview.
Enjoy!
Please describe your game in 100 words:
Riddick is a
first person action/stealth/adventure hybrid that
serves as a prequel to both Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick.
The game is about the criminal anti-hero Riddick and his escape from
Butcher Bay - where you'll learn how he got his eyes shined by the
mysterious Pope Joe - and you'll meet characters that go on to appear
both in Pitch Black and in The Chronicles of Riddick. At the same time,
Riddick will feature some of the most advanced console technology to
date, including powerful use of Normal-Mapping and Per-Pixel
Shading/Dynamic Lighting.
What has the team worked on before?
Its pretty much the same team
that worked on Enclave. Some of the
team members also worked on our first game Outforce, which was for the
PC.
What were your influences in the
production of the game?
I'm
the Producer on the Development side. From the beginning of the
project, my priority has been to make sure that Riddick is an amazing
game and that it comes out on time! I manage the team here at
Starbreeze and deal with all the Publisher communications with VUG. I
make sure that Starbreeze and VUG are in the same loop at all times. I
also deal with many of the minor tasks that support the team.
How long has the game been in development?
Almost two years.
What new gameplay concepts or technology features does the game offer?
In terms of gameplay, Riddick offers a hybrid of
several genres. We
have fast paced action, stealth, adventure/exploration, and we've
created a very unique first-person melee fighting mechanic. In terms of
technology, Riddick will be using some of the most advanced console
technology to date. The game will utilize an amazing amount of
Normal-Mapping, Ragdoll, Per-Pixel Shading/Dynamic Lighting and many of
the other features that are making Doom 3, Halo 2, and Half-Life 2,
such anticipated games.
Were there any features that you had wanted to include but hadn't been
able to?
As a Game Developer there are always things that
you'd like to put
in the game, but time and money has the upper hand here. At the same
time, adding more and more features can affect the game in a negative
way, where the game looses its focus and players gets confused instead
of entertained.
How do you plan to recreate the atmosphere of the movie in the game?
Riddick ties heavily into the growing Pitch
Black/Chronicles of
Riddick universe. Actors from both films are lending their talents for
the game. And the game itself is told as a prequel to both films -
diving deep into the back story of Riddick himself. We tell the story
of Riddick before Pitch Black and before The Chronicles of Riddick. We
explore things like how Riddick got his eyes shined and his
relationship with the Bounty Hunter Johns.
What's been the most difficult factor in the game's production?
It's a challenge to make a movie game because there
are so many
people involved in the process. Story, script, likeness, models,
design, and pretty much everything needs to go through several channels
and this can be very time consuming. It takes a lot of coordination to
keep things on track. But players will definitely enjoy the pay-off!
From a technical standpoint, we started to develop the new technology
as production on the game started. This meant that the content we
produced early in the project had to be re-built later on. We weren't
able to focus on final content from day one, which meant lots of
throw-away time. Also, when dealing with R&D, there are things on
paper that don't always work out the way you hoped in implementation.
Trial and error is something that should always be accounted for.
Who do you expect the game to appeal to?
Anyone who wants to experience the most innovative
game on the
Xbox! Riddick is going to offer a lot of interesting gameplay, great
Production values, and bleeding-edge technology. It'll be fun for
anyone. Action and Stealth fans especially should really enjoy it. At
the same time, no one has to see the movies to play the game - it's a
self-contained story, and a good one too!
The Chronicles of Riddick is the prequel to Pitch Black, for those
that may not be familiar with the series please can you explain a
little of the plot.
The game beings with Riddick's arrival at Butcher
Bay - the most
notorious prison in the Galaxy. Butcher Bay is a Triple-Max
correctional facility, and Riddick is sent there for a reason
unexplained. The prison itself is divided into three different security
ratings. On the surface we have the Max facilities, under ground is the
Double Max, and finally, the "Tower" has the highest security rating in
the whole universe - the Triple Max classification. Riddick's one goal
is to bust out and escape from this hell hole. It's all about getting
out. And players will find that Riddick is not only a talented escape
artist - but simply the best at what he does.
Why do you think there was no game made of Pitch Black and why did you
decided to start with Riddick instead?
It took 20 years for someone to make a game based on
The Thing.
It's hard to know why some movies become games and some don't. But the
Pitch Black/Chronicles of Riddick universe is epic and exciting, and
the decision to make a game based on that universe was an easy one. The
question only had to be asked.
How do you think this movie license will benefit gamers?
The Production team at VUG would tell you that this
is the most
heavily integrated project that they have ever done. Vin Diesel's
involvement has been phenomenal, and the cooperation and support of the
Film Studio has been just as spectacular. The benefit that the license
has brought is that it's allowed us to create more than just a game,
but a piece of a larger puzzle - and a piece of a mythology that we're
very excited about. We believe people will really love The Chronicles
of Riddick, and we're very happy to be a part of that universe.
How closely does the game follow the movie? Are there many aspects
that have been expanded upon, omitted or are completely unique to the
game?
Given that Riddick is a prequel, it doesn't follow
the films as much as it prefaces them.
How closely have you worked alongside the movie makers?
Making sure that the Riddick game fit properly into
the over-all
universe was extremely important, and the film-makers were heavily
involved in making sure that all the details and storytelling matched
up. We were very happy to collaborate on this process, because we got
to make sure that the game would contribute intelligently to a larger
story. And of course, Vin Diesel's close and personal involvement made
sure that the game would have the right impact.
What special abilities does Riddick have and how do these affect
gameplay?
Riddick's #1 trait is his eyeshine, which allows him
to see in the
pitch black. This affects gameplay in many ways. For instance, if
players enter an area where there are several guards and it's really
well lit, he can shoot out the lights and use his eyeshine to stalk
them in the dark. Then it's just a matter of distractions, snapping
necks, and enjoying your Riddick bloodlust.
Please can you describe a typical mission?
Get to the Mainframe! Riddick has to break out of a
heavily guarded
prison area, in order to get to a DNA Sampler machine that will allow
him to use the prison assault rifles, which are DNA encoded - and shock
anyone who isn't in the system. This will involve fighting and
brutalizing other inmates, trading money for prison weapons, killing
guards for access codes, sneaking through monitored areas, and eventual
firefights with legions of prison guards that sadly don't know they're
already dead!
What makes Riddick stand out from the rest of the first-person
action/adventure crowd?
How amazingly gorgeous the game looks will initially
get everyone's
attention. But then when people experience the gameplay, they're going
to be very happy! It's a very unique hybrid - and the First-Person
Fighting and the way we've implemented it, is unlike anything else on
the Xbox.
What aspect of the game are you most proud of?
I have to say the visuals. Its just amazing what the
super talented
artists have done with the technology that our ass kicking programmers
have put together.
Lastly, can you tell us a secret you've never told anyone else?
Im out of secretes at the moment.
Thanks very much for
your time.
You're welcome.
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