1UP: Okay, so everyone knows about the E3 2005 target video by now. Are you relieved that you were finally able to show something at TGS that looked pretty close to what that video promised?
Pete Smith: From day one we knew that hitting the standard of the target video was going to be a challenge, however we created the movie as a representation of what we expected the final game to be. We´re delighted we´re delivering that, but we´re not surprised. The movie delivered an intense piece of brutal racing, but it was non-interactive. Now you can actually pick up the pad and be a part of the action -- it reaches another level. We estimate the TGS demo is around 80% complete. The game has already progressed quite a bit since then.
1UP: Was there a certain moment in development when you realized, "Okay, we´re on to something good with these graphics here?"
PS: Yes, I think there was, and it was around about E3 ´06 time. Every game has that moment when everything just clicks. One day we got a new disc of MotorStorm, showed it to people around the office and the response was simply "Wow!" We had hardened, cynical Sony producers literally queuing out the door to play it. We´ve got a great team in Evolution Studios working on the game and the Rally games they have done for us have always been ahead of the curve in the graphics department, but that was PS2. When we realized just what the PS3 was capable of in the right hands we started to realize we had something very special.
1UP: When the game is 100% finished, how close do you think the visuals will be to that target video?
PS: I think we will be very close and in many places we´ll surpass it. But to me it´s about more than just the visuals the movie showed; it´s the intensity of the action. You guys played the TGS demo so you know the action is already totally full-on. We´re in the polishing and balancing phase now. This is always where the gameplay makes huge progress and that is definitely the case here. A game like MotorStorm with the variety of routes and vehicles needs this time to deliver an experience to match the visuals. The final game will definitely blow people away in terms of both visuals and gameplay.
1UP: Along those same lines, how close do you see the visuals in the TGS version matching up to those in the final game?
PS: We received a great response to the visuals at TGS, but we know there are improvements to come. The framerate was not what we wanted, but we´ve already addressed that, and that makes a massive difference not just to the visuals but to the whole game. We´re working on improving particles, damage and cameras at the moment; all are critical to the brutal racing experience we want to show.
One thing I like in particular is the hi-def image quality MotorStorm has on the PS3. This doesn´t look like some regurgitated PC game shoe-horned onto a console. We have warm textures, clean lines, and super-realistic models that look truly next-generation.
1UP: What do you think is the most impressive visual effect in the game? Anything that´s been particularly challenging to overcome?
PS: The most challenging aspect has been the sheer amount of individual things we´re trying to do with the game. With so many different vehicles in race, all spiting out particles, deforming the track and all throwing out junkyards worth of debris when hit, it´s been a hell of a challenge even on PS3! But we knew we simply could not compromise in these key areas.
1UP: The game is known so much for its graphics at this point -- what would you say are the main gameplay features you want to get across that make MotorStorm a next-gen game as well?
PS: Our focus for MotorStorm was "brutal off-road racing in a chaotic environment." To deliver this we knew we needed loads of features -- great damage, physics, particles, tracks with many choices of route, and a big difference in handling for each vehicle, to name a few. However the key area was always going to be the Artificial Intelligence of the opponents.
We wanted to make the opponents feel real, and we weren´t going to achieve this if they simply went off the best racing line and ignored you. The AI has been created to maximize the action happening around you and each driver knows what route he should take based on his vehicle. Importantly they also know what route drivers in different vehicles want to avoid and will try and knock you onto those routes at any opportunity. Bikes are agile and fast, but they want to avoid the muddy areas (where the Mud Pluggers thrive) at all costs. If you´re a Bike, the other drivers will know you want to stay on the high ground and will do all they can to stop you getting there.
Each vehicle type knows how to respond to other vehicles. For example Big Rigs will try and take out Bikes and ATVs but won´t be as aggressive towards Racing Trucks. In addition we also have many different race configurations per track. So in one race you might ride a Bike but stick to the high ground to avoid getting crushed by the big rigs in the mud below. Then if you play the same track again in a different configuration that only includes Bikes and more manageable ATV opponents, you will feel safer to get down and dirty.
On top of all this we are adding unique gameplay features such as taunts that can be used to create rivalries with other drivers. We´re also offering different surface types and changing track conditions such as ripping a track into a muddy mess or taking out a bridge, and tracks will be strewn with debris from previous crashes. This all adds up to a hugely complex AI process. Fortunately as the player all you see is a hugely entertaining race where you are constantly kept in the thick of the action.
1UP: How big of a difference would you say playing in first-person makes? Is it like Project Gotham 3 where it´s basically a necessity?
PS: As with all racing games first-person view gives the greatest sense of speed, but we´re finding that everyone is choosing the third-person view. A race in MotorStorm is a battle from beginning to end; you need to be aware of everything going on around you if you´re going to take the opportunities that arise to take out other drivers and avoid being taken out yourself. We left the first-person view in there for the nutters, but I know what view I´ll be using when I race them online.
1UP: The TGS version of the game felt a bit slower than we expected it to. Is this part of your approach, or just the result of an incomplete TGS demo version?
PS: This is simply due to the demo being incomplete. We want every vehicle to feel fast and since TGS we have made improvements to framerate and tweaked the cameras and handling and already the game is much faster. I don´t expect anyone to find the final game slow.
1UP: What kind of features can we look forward to with the game´s online play?
PS: Online we´re targeting somewhere between eight and 16 players, offering single races and various tournaments. We´re also working on some cool modes, but we haven´t locked them yet, so I can´t give details. Obviously we´ll have in game chat, lobbies, buddies, etc. Imagine a full-on multiplayer MotorStorm experience with you screaming at your mates to get out of the way and ramming rivals into a rock face and you´ll get the idea.
1UP: [There have been conflicting reports on the use of the tilt controller.] Do you have plans to use the PS3´s tilt controller as an option for steering in the game?
PS: The TGS demo actually works with the tilt pad as the primary control, [but] we´ve not yet decided whether to include this in the final game. Some people like it, but it´s pretty tricky to stay in control when you´re flying ´round the track at full speed. At the moment we´re looking at in-air control with the tilt pad and a few other cool little surprises.
