Getting hold of Tim Laning proved to be more difficult than we anticipated. The Grendel Games offices are a huge tower block, the floors of which are full of traps and prone to rotating without warning…

CG: How did Diamond Dan first come about?

Tim Laning:One of our employees made a 2d version of Diamond Dan years ago in Flash. The concept appealed to everyone at the company and we decided to add some gameplay elements to it. It became a full- fledged 3D game.

CG: Did you plan to make the game as difficult as it turned out to be?

TL:The first game was even harder where the player lasted only for a couple of seconds, perhaps a minute tops. At Grendel we like challenging games, and draw a lot of inspiration from older arcade games that we all played and loved. Nowadays most games are a walk in the park compared to the older games that asked for perseverance, but rewarded the player for that perseverance. With Diamond Dan we wanted to make a challenging and addictive game that doesn’t punish the player really hard, and gives him/her a continued sense of progress. One of the game mechanics that fuels this sense is the appliance of risk. The further you get when making your way down the tower, the more risk you have to take to get score. We really tried to push the balance of getting points versus risk taking in later stages of a level.

CG: We described Diamond Dan as ‘a hardcore game in casual clothing’. Was this the intention?

TL:We tried to bridge the gap between arcade games and casual games. Casual games that are available now are extremely easy and addictive. As stated before, we like the addictive part but are put off by the lack of difficulty. At the same time, a game should be easy to pick-up, but hard to master. Older arcade games mastered that theory. And also had a “casual” –look to them (by today’s standards). Some were really difficult, like for instance New Zealand Story, Rainbow Islands etcetera. Some games nowadays also have that vibe to them, like for instance Super Meatboy. We wanted that casual appeal, but also make a game that caters to the need of a hardcore gamer. We feel that playing Diamond Dan on easy-mode is quite casual.

CG: Were you inspired by any other games during the production process? If so, which games and how

TL:We liked Spelunky, which also featured random generated levels and a similar theme. Old school arcade game Nebulus had a similar tower-structure in its level design, as had Lemmings 3D. In terms of theme we tapped into the old adventure movies-genre, such as the Indiana Jones movies obviously.

CG: Was there anything you wanted to add to the game that you were not able to?

Tim Laning:We wanted co-operative play in the game, but decided against it early in the design process. We first wanted to nail the single player concept. We also wanted more treasures in the game, perhaps more variations on treasures.

CG: Will Diamond Dan be coming to PSN, XBLA or WiiWare?

TL:We are interested in bringing Diamond Dan to other platforms, but it depends on sales. If we can make it work financially, we’d love to bring Dan and Ann to consoles.

CG: What has the reaction from the press and gamers been like?

TL:As a company, we’ve very happy with how Diamond Dan has been received so far. Scores are generally positive, ranging from 7’s to 8.4’s. We noticed that some people think the game is too hard, which is something we’ll definitely take under advisement for our next project.

The best thing is reading that people think the game is an original take on the platform-genre, and think that the game is fun to play, and best of all, addictive. That’s what we strive for as a developer. To make games that people enjoy. We’re also glad that they notice that we’ve taken an effort to deliver a game that is polished in terms of presentation.

CG: What next for Grendel Games and Diamond Dan?

TL:We keep supporting Diamond Dan, maybe expand it in the near future with possible updates to the game. Our company is currently in pre-production phase for our next title. We can’t divulge a lot about it, but one thing is for sure: It’s going to be an exciting game for arcade game lovers!

Don’t have Diamond Dan already? Then enter our giveaway where you could win a free code! Hurry, closing date Friday 10^th December!

Er, maybe.

CG: When and how did you come up with the idea to base a movie in the Half Life universe?

Brian Curtin: Well, I’ve played Half-Life and all the expansions, but the idea wasn’t sparked until shortly after playing HL2. The original games had amazing stories and gameplay, but HL2 had a cinematic feel to it. I can’t explain it, but maybe it was a result of the Source engine making everything so beautiful. I think a lot of people around that time started to think, “man, Half-Life should be a movie”. Making short action films has always been a hobby and making a Half-Life movie was the ultimate goal. 2 years ago, a few good friends and I finally accumulated the resources to attempt to make a short HL film. That’s when it started, and little did we know what we were getting ourselves into.

CG: Tell us a bit more about Adrian Shephard and his band of resistance fighters.

BC: Adrian Shephard finds himself once again fighting for his life and this time he’s no longer outfitted in his gas mask and camo. Much like teaming up with the scienists at Black Mesa to survive, he’s joined the resistance to preserve what little remains of the world they once knew. His comrades are brave and help him follow through with his objective to send out a warning transmission.

CG: As a fan yourself, you must be aware of the anger messing with established plot points could bring…

BC: Definitely, we knew that when we started this project. This film is not HL,HL2 or Opposing Forces. It’s a short fan film inpired by HL and takes place in that world. Also, as a completely independent film, we wanted to have a creative voice in the movie and make it a movie that we would enjoy shooting. We took artistic freedoms and liberties and unfortunately most of those decisions were determined by our limited resources. For instance, most people notice that the zombies in the trailer don’t have headcrabs. Trust me, I really wish we were able to make them work, but they weren’t possible for us. Our options were good looking zombies or stupid looking headcrabs. We figured we’d rather have people say “where are the headcrabs?” rather than “uh, those headcrabs look like crap”.

I hope that explains that our intentions were not to change or disrespect the original storyline. We simply had to modify some things to make the movie possible. It’s very hard to completely and accurately play out the Half-Life story with 6 friends and no budget. That’s where we had to get creative and tried to play to our strengths.

CG: What has the reaction from the Half Life community been like? Any word from the developers or publishers?

BC: I like to think that the majority of the community really likes it. Of course, some will love it and others will hate it. Regardless, I enjoy the feedback. As for Valve, I figured I would never be able to get in touch with them. They seem as mysterious and untouchable as G-man. I imagine you have to be that way with such a large fan base. Luckily, we did get a response and we’re sending them the full short film this week.

CG: How long have you been working on Beyond Black Mesa and how much did it cost?

BC: It’s probably been 2 years since we firsted started thinking about it. That’s a long time for a short film, but remember that we’ve been putting this all together in between full time jobs. The film cost around $1,200. That includes all the gear, costumes, smoke grenades, lights and music. Not including the camera or software.

CG: How long does the movie last? Any plans for a sequel?

BC: The full short is about 12 mins. There will not be a follow up movie unless we have funding. As of right now, I think our next project will be an original story.

CG: What are your most memorable moments from the game series?

BC: I fell in love with the game the minute the Sh*t hit the fan in the test chamber. There’s really too many to choose. I do remember spending way too much time running around with the super gravity gun picking up combine and tossing them into anything I could find.

CG: What direction would you like to see Episode 3 take?

BC: I’m not too picky. I know Valve will come up with some crazy twists and send us off to some awesomely dangerous environments. Though I’m hoping we’ll see some new weapons and possibly learn more about the Borealis. Also, for some odd reason I don’t believe that Eli Vance is dead, I think the Vorts are going to bring him back! Most of all, maybe Adrian Shephard will show up to do some damage?

CG: Will you make any more movies in the Half Life universe, perhaps closer to the resonance cascade, or will you be moving on to other projects?

BC: Most likely we’ll be moving on to other projects.

Intrigued? Of course you are! So head over to the official Beyond Black Mesa website right now. Go on, you won’t catch headcrabs.

What would be in your perfect world? In ours Dubya would never have decided to “help” Iraq (where nobody would ever have heard of Saddam Hussein), it would rain chocolate peanuts, and Ant & Dec would have followed through on a suicide pact many years ago.

None of which Perfect World Entertainment can help us with, sadly; but their Director of Marketing Jonathan Belliss was at least able to answer our questions about their MMOs.

CG: How did Forsaken World first come about?

Jonathan Belliss: Forsaken World is Perfect World’s longest game in development and we wanted to raise the ante in what it means to be a free-to-play MMO. While most of Perfect World’s games are developed within a year, Forsaken World has taken three years to develop. Specifically developed with the western audience in mind, Forsaken World combines the best elements of eastern and western MMOs.

CG: Why make this a free to play MMO? With microtransactions, does this make the title more profitable in the
long term?

Jonathan Belliss: Not all players are able to pay for a subscription to try a game. At Perfect World Entertainment, we strive to create high quality free-to-play MMOs to reach an international audience. In all our games, players will not have to purchase items to progress through the levels, but the microtransaction items give players an opportunity to customize their character and enhance their in-game experience.

CG: How do you strike a balance between a rich story and player – led gameplay?

Jonathan Belliss: Since we wanted the story to reflect in every aspect of the game and give players a heightened sense of ownership of their in-game experience, we created the Unique Server Progression system, which will allow players to develop the world they live in.

CG: With humans, elves, dwarves and so on running around in a fantasy setting, what measures are taken to avoid an overfamiliar and derivative experience?

Jonathan Belliss: In Forsaken World, the different races and classes allow players to customize their experience according to each individual’s play style. A human warrior versus an elf warrior will not only look different, but will also possess unique skills and talents. Even classes such as Warrior and Bard that are available across races will have slightly different skills accordingly. The dwarves in Forsaken World also stray away from traditional dwarves. We’ve given the dwarves in Forsaken World a steam punk feel and created the female dwarves with a cute appearance.

CG: How many MMOs are Perfect World currently managing? What are the advantages and disadvantages of
managing several at once?

Jonathan Belliss: As of today, Perfect World Entertainment has published eight titles, including Perfect World International and Battle of the Immortals. Forsaken World will become our ninth title and we are proud to have a hardworking and dedicated staff at Perfect World that enables us to manage several titles at once. Our Product Managers and Community Mangers are working daily to hear our players’ feedback and ensure that our games are running smoothly.

CG: What does an MMO need to do in order to survive in the overcrowded market?

Jonathan Belliss: Looking at the past few years, we have seen a significant growth in both size and quality of free-to-play games. There is still a negative stigma attached to the term free-to-play, however this has started to change with many of the big MMOs that were previously subscription based turning to the free-to-play model. At Perfect World, we are constantly open to players’ feedback in order to create new gaming experiences and raise the bar of what players should expect in free-to-play and MMORPGs.

CG: What is your most popular title, and why do you think this is?

Jonathan Belliss: Our most popular title is probably Perfect World International. Within the past two years, Perfect World International has become an international phenomenon expanding from two to seven servers to support over 50 million players from around the world.

CG: Why have you yet to move into console gaming?

Jonathan Belliss: We currently do not have any plans to move into console gaming, but perhaps in the future. We are always thinking of new ideas to grow our company.

CG: What are Perfect World’s plans for the future?

Jonathan Belliss:We are currently gearing up to release Legend of Martial Arts into closed beta in North America and we are always looking for new ways to improve as well as expand our games based on players’ feedback.

For more information on MMOs at the perfect price (i.e. free) visit http://www.perfectworld.com/

“Please make sure you mention that you solicited these responses. I’m tired of your idiot fans complaining that I spouted off once more.”

If you still feel that the situation is plagued by a sense of ambiguity, please e mail admin (AT) criticalgamer.co.uk for further information.
This is a question we asked Michael Pachter, in the hope of soliciting a response: What are your thoughs on Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association? As a lawyer, do you think the First Amendment means the state of California is trying to pass an unconstitutional law?

This is a solicited response; that is, we asked Michael Pachter a question and this is the answer he gave us: I think that the California law is too broad, and is an impairment of free speech. The law attempts to prohibit the sale of any game with violent content to minors, and the definition of violence includes assaults against police officers or soldiers. By defining “violence” so broadly, all games where the main character is a law enforcement officer (including arguably games like Iron Man or Spider-Man) will be deemed violent, even if they have what is typically classified as “comic mischief”. The state’s attempt to classify something as violent before it has been created triggers a concept in the law called “prior restraint”, and by doing so, has a chilling effect on game development, leading to a restriction on free speech. I don’t think that the law has a prayer of being upheld by the Supreme Court, but I never thought states could successfully outlaw abortion or gay marriage, either, so you never know . . .

This is a question we asked Michael Pachter, in the hope of soliciting a response: What impact, if any, do you expect the new release date of January 2011 to have on sales of LittleBigPlanet 2?

This is a solicited response; that is, we asked Michael Pachter a question and this is the answer he gave us: I don’t think that the delay of LBP 2 is fatal, but it would have definitely benefited from a holiday release. Over the very long run, it won’t impact sales that much, but it will probably cost 200,000 – 400,000 units this holiday.

This is a question we asked Michael Pachter, in the hope of soliciting a response: Can the 3DS exceed the popularity of the DS? Would you say that the games revealed to be in development (Mario Kart, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, etc) indicate that it will be marketed as a ‘hardcore’ handheld?

This is a solicited response; that is, we asked Michael Pachter a question and this is the answer he gave us: I think that the 3DS is truly revolutionary, and expect it to be exceedingly popular. With that said, price will be an issue for most people, so its popularity will be limited by price. If the 3DS is offered at a $129 price point, I think it has the potential to rival the DS, but I don’t think we’ll see that price point any time in the next three years, if ever. As far as more “hardcore”, I think that is their plan, and at the likely high price point, the early adopters will most likely be the most hardcore Nintendo fanboys. I think that there is a great opportunity for the device, but to be as successful as the DS, they will have to appeal to the mass market as well.

This is a question we asked Michael Pachter, in the hope of soliciting a response: Why has Microsoft still not entered the handheld console market? Do you think they will ever do so?

This is a solicited response; that is, we asked Michael Pachter a question and this is the answer he gave us: I think Microsoft has stumbled so badly with Zune (if you don’t know what that is, look it up) that they won’t try to move into handheld gaming.
This is a question we asked Michael Pachter, in the hope of soliciting a response: After the mass exodus of staff from Infinity Ward, how important will the commercial and critical reception for Black Ops (developed by Treyarch) be for the future of the Call of Duty franchise?

This is a solicited response; that is, we asked Michael Pachter a question and this is the answer he gave us: The mass exodus of Infinity Ward staff is not as important for the Call of Duty brand as the quality of Black Ops. If Black Ops is critically acclaimed, I expect the next Infinity Ward game to do quite well. If not, the brand could be damaged. I’d be willing to bet that Black Ops does just fine . . .

This is a question we asked Michael Pachter, in the hope of soliciting a response: A few weeks ago at PAX, you talked about covering the industry on a more personal level, focusing on the people behind the scenes making the games. You definitely seemed passionate about the topic, care to elaborate on it?

This is a solicited response; that is, we asked Michael Pachter a question and this is the answer he gave us: I think that the greatest thing about this industry is the anonymity of the creatives, and their passion. Until the last decade, hardly anybody got wealthy making video games, and the “old school” guys (now in their 40s) all made games because of their love of the medium. I suppose that the crazy numbers being paid out will attract a new breed of developer that is interested only in money, but that is certainly not the case for the Bungie guys, the ex-Infinity Ward guys, the Epic guys, the id guys, the Bethesda guys, the Irrational guys, the Media Molecule guys, the Insomniac guys and countless others. I love that there are amazingly talented people out there with absolutely no egos, and love that they work ridiculous hours to perfect their art, with zero expectation of anything other than a sense of accomplishment. It’s a unique industry, and I am lucky to be in the middle as an observer. So are you . . .

This is a question we asked Michael Pachter, in the hope of soliciting a response: What do you think of Microsoft’s announcement of several Kinect games at TGS? Is it the hardcore shot in the arm the peripheral needed?

This is a solicited response; that is, we asked Michael Pachter a question and this is the answer he gave us: The games announced at TGS are a start, and I think that Microsoft will have more announcements going forward. Most gamers seemed to me to be skeptical about Kinect, as it was difficult to appreciate why they needed to spend $150 to retrofit their 360s with it. As there are more games that take advantage of Kinect, the peripheral will be more successful.

Still recovering after seeing a Pokémon movie trailer that featured torture, a car bomb and the best ever usage of the cartoon series’ cheesy catch phrases, Kial Natale assures us that everything is okay and explains what kind of mind it takes to dream that kind of thing up.

CG: Where did the idea for a Pokemon live action trailer come from?

Kial Natale: I distinctly remember playing GTA3, and thinking ‘this would be way more fun if there were pokémon in this game.’ Everyone must have thought that though, right? Then quite a few years later, Nick started talking about dark reboots, and I started talking about what Pokémon would look like as a crime drama.

CG: Pokemon cartoons and games are very much for kids with very little violence or blood, but the live action trailer is very gritty and violent. Why did you choose to do it like this?

Kial Natale: I love the idea of taking something out of its original context or shifting the stylistic presentation of a work in a way that reveals its core ideas or characteristics in a new light. American McGee’s Alice is a great example of an adaptation that somehow feels faithful to the books, but also builds and develops on the idea of madness and irrationality in the source material.

CG: What has been Nintendo’s reaction, if any, to the trailer?

Kial Natale: Absolute silence; I’m sure if I hear anything it will be a cease and desist, so I guess no news is good news.

CG: What has been the reaction from the Pokemon community?

Kial Natale: The trailer has been very polarizing: some people love it, and some people claim that the film has violated their childhood (although proof has yet to surface, and I deny the allegation). I never expected to see such intense discussion about pokémon!

CG: How much did it cost to produce?

Kial Natale: My receipts show 500 dollars: 170 in gear rentals, 250 in props and 80 or so in food, although if you throw in the cost of C4D, my computer and the 5d Mark 2 that Cedric Yu brought along, then the budget is in the thousands! Thing is, you don’t need any of that to make a good film: I’d watch cellphone video if it had a gripping story or message.

CG: How has the trailer benefitted you?

Kial Natale: My subscriber base on youtube went up 2500%. I’m worried I won’t be able to keep all the viewers entertained!

Kial Natale dream date

CG: Will you turn this into a full movie? Please say yes!

Kial Natale: I can’t in good conscience make the feature: Pokémon is a beloved part of many children’s lives, and I wouldn’t want my dark sense of humor to tarnish their experience. If the feature was made, kids would see it. I don’t own the rights to Pokémon, and I feel as though our feature would shift the series canon and inevitably be monetized.

CG: If you could date a pokemon of your choice, which one would it be and why?

Kial Natale: I think this is the hardest question I have ever been asked in my life, because no matter what I answer I lose. I’m tempted to say my favorite Jigglypuff but I also don’t really get along well with prima-donnas, so I’m just going to have to say mudkip.

CG: Do you have plans to do any more video game live action trailers?

Kial Natale: I personally want to work on something completely original, but everyone else in my group wants to do another video game adaptation. I can see the appeal: starting with a blank page is very difficult, whereas with adaptation there is whole world of characters and ideas to spark your imagination. Regardless of what we choose, I am going to work hard to keep bringing out films that I would like to see.

Fresh from her roasting in the Dragon’s Den, a scorched looking Jessica Ratcliffe stumbled into the CG offices to answer some questions. After the interview, we compared game collections.

Got, got, need, got, need, doubles…

CG: Why set up GaBoom rather than any other business?

Jessica: GaBoom is something I have wanted to start since I was 15, so when I had the opportunity to start GaBoom this year, I knew it was what I should be doing and there was no doubt in my mind that this was the business for me. I’ve also played video games since I can remember and I wanted to start something I would use myself.

CG: What does GaBoom offer that other online game swapping services do not?

Jessica: GaBoom offers gamers a simple, quick and safe process through which to swap their video games with their fellow gamers. Members simply list the video games they want, the video games they have to swap or sell and GaBoom matches them with the people they can swap with. We then offer members three postage options, two of which are completely secure. These are called the GaBoom Escrow and Secure Swap and both make swapping your video games online safe and easy!

CG: How many members do you currently have, and how close are you to operating outside of the UK?

Jessica: We currently have 3,500 members and I’m hoping for a big boost next week…fingers crossed! I wouldn’t say we are super close, but it is my aim to be operating outside of the UK within 12 months.

CG: Why include the option to sell as well as swap?

Jessica: I wanted to include the option to sell as well as swap to give members a choice, as I completely understand that not all gamers might want to swap their games for more. Some might prefer to just sell some of the games they have collected over the years if their cupboards are getting a little full.
CG: When buying a game at GaBoom, how does the payment process work? What guarantees does the buyer have?

Jessica: We currently use PayPal as the payment process for buying and selling games on GaBoom. Once a sale has taken place, members can leave the other member feedback and let others know how the sale went. We are currently working on some great new features which will make buying/selling games on GaBoom super secure and will match our secure and insured swapping options.

CG: How closely do you monitor user activity? We spotted one person selling free download Halo Zero for £15 and a pre-order for Call of Duty: Black Ops for a suspiciously low £20…

Jessica: Yes…unfortunately, they managed to slip through a crack there but we have since added a feature to stop that from being possible because it just isn’t right. Aside from that, we monitor user activity very closely, to ensure that members are having the best possible experience on GaBoom. I also try to make my email ([email protected] ) as prominent in the FAQ’s as possible, so that if anyone has any feedback or have had a bad experience with another member, they can let me know.

CG: Publishers have always been vocal about their dislike for the second hand market. Has this caused you any problems, or can you see it causing any in the future?

Jessica: I completely understand Publishers’ position and feelings on the second hand games market; however, there is a great want for second hand games, as brand new games are expensive and not all gamers can afford the games that they want when they are brand new. We haven’t experienced any problems to date and although I am not sure whether it will cause any problems for us in the future, I hope to one day see the brand new and second hand game market working hand in hand.

CG: There are three methods to swap on GaBoom; the third, ‘Forum Exchange’, sounds rather risky. Can you explain this option, and why you decided to offer it?

Jessica Ratcliffe: When using the Forum Exchange method, both users contact each other directly to arrange the swap. This option is free to use, however, by choosing this option members agree that GaBoom accepts no liability for the transactions outcome. We chose to offer this method for the members who might want to use GaBoom and swap their games but might not want to pay £2.00 or £4.40 to ensure a safe swap.

CG: Reading between the lines, it seems that GaBoom plans to eventually become a gamecentric rival to ebay. Is that a fair statement?

Jessica: It’s not my goal to make GaBoom a gamecentric eBay in such words. Simply because although like eBay we provide members with a platform where they can sell and/or buy second hand games, we are largely focussed on expanding our core offering of user-to-user swapping. But I would definitely love for GaBoom to be as successful as eBay!!

CG: What was it like to appear on Dragon’s Den and did they like the idea for GaBoom?

Jessica: It was a brilliant experience and one that I will never forget! I had a great time during the filming of the show and I received some great advice and positive comments from the Dragons even though they didn’t invest. I completely understood their concerns about the postal logistics and potential trouble of checking each game’s condition but I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve for the future.

To see what all the fuss is about, take your carrier bag full of games over to http://www.gaboom.co.uk/.

CG: Why make Global Agenda an MMO, rather than a traditional shooter?

Todd Harris: We were inspired by the great team shooter mechanics of games like Tribes and Team Fortress 2, but wanted to offer much deeper character progression, gear variation thru loot and crafting, and a grand scale end game to control territory. So we decided to make an MMO but one with shooter based combat.

CG: What did you set out to achieve when you first started work on Global Agenda?

Todd Harris: We wanted to deliver very intense and balanced combat – really to set a new standard for MMOs as compared to the typical point and click, tab-targeting style combat that is so prevalent. Beyond that we hoped to see the game community grow post-launch. And, fortunately we have seen that growth thanks to very positive user reviews.

CG: The character designs are much more striking than the aesthetics of the world itself, which results in the characters being the stand out visual element. Was this intentional?

Todd Harris: That was very intentional. Our game-play is very fast paced and as a player you have to process a lot of information very rapidly. Where are my team-mates? Where are the enemies and what classes are they? Which buffs and debufs are active? And at the same time you are freely aiming the reticule and having to hit your target while he maneuvers using a jetpack across an expansive 3D environment. It is that challenging blend of FPS and RPG combat mechanics that our players find refreshing and addictive. But to support that frenetic pace we made some very deliberate and important visual decisions – characters are designed to be easily seen compared to the environment which lays more in the background, each class has a specific silhouette so it can be quickly recognized, and friends and enemies are color-coded so they can be easily differentiated.

CG: Why drop the optional subscription fee, and why do so when you did?

Todd Harris: In a set of surveys to our existing players and prospective buyers we asked what payment model they thought was most appropriate for Global Agenda and the responses overwhelmingly asked for the Buy To Play model. So, we dropped any subscription requirement for the AvA end game. Players who buy the game have access to all existing content with no monthly fees required. Future expansion content will be charged for separately.

CG: Have you seen sales of the game increase noticeably since you dropped the subscription?

Todd Harris: We launched the game digitally back in February and we’ve been fortunate to remain Steam’s top selling MMO even now seven months later. I think the announcement of no monthly fees certainly helped maintain sales as did overall strong word of mouth.

CG: Why such a gap between the digital and retail releases in the UK? Why release an MMO at retail at all?

Todd Harris: The retail release includes six months of post-launch content that has been packaged in a first, very signficant free expansion called Sandstorm. With the addition of these Sandstorm features and content, Iceberg Interactive saw great potential for Global Agenda at retail. So, we’re pleased to now have a box version of Global Agenda available to retailers across the United Kingdom, with plans to continue to grow our European player community.

CG: How many MMOs do you think the market can comfortably support at one time, and why do you think Global Agenda will succeed?

Todd Harris: The market clearly can’t support too many clones of World of Warcraft. But there IS room for non-fantasy MMOs as well as MMOs with different combat styles and game mechanics. If you are a fan of both shooters and MMOs Global Agenda is really worth taking a look at because in a single package you get your character progression along with a chance to blow stuff up and use your jetpack!

Our alternate payment model also helps Global Agenda succeed in a crowded marketplace. We have many players for which Global Agenda is their secondary MMO. The mission structure allows players to level up by playing 15 minute PvP or PvE missions on their own schedule. So they enjoy the game in smaller doses, but also without having to pay a subscription, and everyone wins.

CG: How much of a role does player feedback have in the fixes, patches, and updates that you develop?

Todd Harris: Player feedback is incredibly important to us. At the same time we are careful to not overvalue any single source of feedback. So we take a look at forum posts, survey responses, and metrics from the game itself to see what users are actually doing. Then when we get clear, consistent feedback in an area we are very quick to respond. Our pricing model and much of the Sandstorm feature list and content was a direct result of player feedback. And we continue to monitor player feedback in setting development priorities

CG: Are you considering any console versions?

Todd Harris: Not at the current time. I think our combat would be great fun on a console. However, we pride ourselves on being quick to deliver updates based on all that valuable player feedback. Unfortunately at the current time a console version would be severely restricted in terms of how quickly we could respond via patches because of the console certification process and some technical constraints. For now we’re all about enhancing the PC-based Global Agenda experience for our players.

The UK retail release hits shelves today. For digital purchases, or more information on the game, visit http://www.globalagendagame.com/.

The news all PS3 owners have been waiting for since EA acquired Bioware has finally happened. Mass Effect 2 will be coming to PlayStation 3 in January 2011. The PlayStation 3 edition will include the full Mass Effect 2 game and hours of bonus content.

The only problem for PS3 owners is – where is Mass Effect 1? The series is set to be a trilogy and PS3 owners without a 360 or beefy PC may have to skip straight to the second chapter, leaving many gaps in the story. And then there’s the much boasted effect that your decisions in the first game have on what happens in the second.

Let’s hope EA and Bioware make sure PS3 fans aren’t left scratching their heads when Mass Effect 2 lands on their system early next year.

We thought that there weren’t nearly enough podcasts on the internet, so we’ve started our own. Hurrah! In this, our very first podcast:

• Shake your fists! As you agree or disagree with the Modern Warfare 2 vs Bad Company 2 opinions within.
• Nod your head sagely! As three of us have our say on the prospect of PlayStation Move and Natal.
• Get Excited! As we discuss LittleBigPlanet 2.
• Scratch your head in confusion! As you hear how the British will overthrow their government via the sale of biscuits.

Critical Talk is hosted, edited, and produced by Steven (who also wrote the music). He is joined here by Michael and Anthony.

To secure this interview, we needed to slay all manner of beasts with our trusty swords to prove our worth. Well, that is to say, we had to peel 10kg of potatoes for the developer with our potato peelers. They were very vicious potatoes though…

CG: Why release Gothic 4 on consoles?

Andre Beccu: In the past years full scale RPGs became very famous on consoles. We have had plans for bringing the Gothic brand on consoles in the past, but with ArcaniA we’ve finally gone through with it. We are very happy with the results and think console players with little or no experience of PC RPGs will hugely enjoy the unique Gothic experience. Additionally, we see more and more players owning both a PC and a latest-generation console – and we’re giving them the choice of which system to play on. We are now happy to deliver a new Gothic game to their beloved consoles as well.

CG: How have you struck a balance between catering for existing Gothic fans, and those who are new to the series?

Andre Beccu: That was actually the most difficult part of the development! The core game mechanic is still like in the good old Gothic games, but we’ve implemented tons of features that make ArcaniA an even more intricate, detail-rich experience for everybody. The game’s tutorial is turning out to be a great way for new players to step into the rich world of ArcaniA: It will introduce important characters, describe mechanics like crafting, cover the basics of combat, all to give the player a glimpse of the kind of gameplay that awaits them later on! Besides, we’ve implemented optional interface elements which you can switch on or off at any time, as well as different difficulty levels, allowing for more of “the old Gothic” experience.

CG: This is your first game in the series; have you felt pressure from fans, skeptical of how a new developer will handle things?

Andre Beccu: It’s not just the pressure of the fans, it’s also the pressure we place on ourselves! We’re all huge Gothic fans and naturally want this game to be great, the best RPG game ever even. The new developer has done a great job and already convinced the fans that they are worthy of carrying on the gothic series. They’ve helped to evolve the Gothic franchise to “ArcaniA”, and positively contributed to the growth of the genre.

CG: What makes a good RPG… and a bad one?

Andre Beccu: We believe that an RPG needs a strong, compelling story set in a living world to be really great, but it also needs a solid fundament to construct these on, such as a thought-out character development system … and of course a combat system that motivates you and makes you hungry for more fights. These really are the pillars we’ve built the ArcaniA experience on.

Another important difference between good and mediocre games is in its pacing and fun level: It simply needs to be fun all the time. Any gameplay element that players dislike must be carefully tweaked away – much more so today than in the early days of gaming. The typical gamer is no longer just the stereotypical male teenager with his breadbox hooked up to the TV, who doesn’t mind having to search for one quest item for four hours, or having to deal with clunky controls – Gamers nowadays cover a wide range of age groups, and they’re typically very discerning and well-informed, looking for a game that’s easy to pick up and learn, a game that delivers fast-paced action so you can prove your skills, and a captivating story that will keep them playing – and we deliver all of these with ArcaniA!

CG: In what little footage has been seen of the game, fire and especially rain seem to feature prominently. Will these elements have any effect on gameplay or quests?

Andre Beccu: We’ve spent a lot of effort on rain and all the various weather conditions especially to support the atmosphere and dramatic moments of the game. The weather changes over time, quite randomly. At specific moments, we do use weather effects to create truly cinematic experiences. Fire can be used to attack enemies, in the form of magic spells, and it does massive damage to a single foe or, if you cast the area-effect version, to a whole group of them. With our intuitive magic combat system it’s totally up to you!

CG: How will combat work?

Andre Beccu: We’ve made the combat a bit faster and a lot more action-oriented than in previous Gothic games. Based on your combat skill level (which consists of three skill categories and the usual character attributes), you can do a certain number of sword strikes. The challenge here is that you have to do more than just press the attack button. You’ll need to time your button presses to do Combos, which allow you to inflict massive damage, but you’ll also need to watch what the enemy is doing and avoid incoming attacks. There is also a powerful strike that stops enemies from blocking your normal attacks. And that’s just for melee combat! There is also ranged combat using bows and crossbows… and magic users have a whole arsenal of devastation at their fingertips.

CG: Will there be much upgrading, grinding etc?

Andre Beccu: It’s not really about upgrading existing weapons but more about learning to craft new unique weapons with better stats. You will be able to find various recipes for crafting new equipment!

CG: How big is the world map? What options will be open to the player to cross it quickly?

Andre Beccu: The game world of ArcaniA consists of two islands. The main island is huge, about two thirds of the size of the main landmass in Gothic 3. We decided to focus on a more compact and action-oriented world, with intricate details and loving design.

Now some RPG series like to present a mind-bogglingly huge world … only soon you notice that much of it is empty, and the rest is basically all the same, with a small random factor to make each settlement, shop and randomly generated quest almost, but not quite entirely, identical to every other village, shop and “fetch the item” quest in the game.

Gothic veterans know that this kind of size isn’t what Gothic is all about – each quest, each NPC, each settlement is hand-crafted, so we may not have the sprawling world size of many other games, but every area in ArcaniA is relevant or interesting in some way. We want quality, not quantity: Rather than adding vast empty deserts (like Gothic 3 had) or duplicating islands and villages, we decided to focus on a compelling story, action-laden combat and fast-paced excitement, and having to travel a dozen miles to the next relevant location would be detrimental to these goals. We’ve even added a way to travel much more quickly: The character can learn to sprint, and to use teleport stones in key locations which, once activated, offer the chance to jump from one stone to another.

CG: Does Gothic 4 focus on combat, or non-violent activities and quests?

Andre Beccu: Both are true – even if the answer sounds strange! The story is a key element, but so is fighting! Some quests can be solved without fighting, but some cannot. Like in real life, players will have to stand their ground in some situations, even if their hero is more the bookish type and doesn’t even own a sword. We love to put players in unexpected situations and we make sure that players, no matter how combat-oriented their playstyle, have a way to survive these little surprises.

CG: Why should we be looking forward to this game?

Andre Beccu: Because ArcaniA is set in a rich and deep fantasy atmosphere with a unique and involving storyline, the world is open and full of interesting characters. We have fantastic cinematics and strong, unique characters. ArcaniA invites you into a massive universe, full of violence, adventures, friends and foes. The entire world is hand-made and rich in details. Did we already mention that the graphics look awesome? No? They do