Interviews

Das Interview: Is Left 4 Dead The Straight-To-DVD Counter-Strike?

Shhh. Be still for a second.

Wait, what’s that moving around in the shadows? A flood of rotting, lifeless bodies sprinting out of a towering office complex, looking utterly devoid of reason and desperate to gnaw on your lower intestine? And their BFF, a graying, morbidly obese chap covered in blisters and waddling about like he just stuffed his belly full of Krystal corn pups? Sweet—it’s just another day in lower Manhattan! Or, perhaps, a round of frantic trigger-masher Left 4 Dead, the ultimate co-op zombie apocalypse, dropping today for PC and Xbox 360.

Designed by Valve, purveyors of fine wares like Half-Life, Team Fortress, Counter-Strike and Portal (and overlords of digital distribution juggernaut Steam), the long-awaited blaster promises to take team-based gunplay to an entirely new level. Especially, that is, when one considers the ability for up to eight to jump right in and enjoy a little B-movie-style bloodshed online as hapless human survivors or members of the “Infected,” a horde of shambling cadavers and their mutant monster pals. Never mind the presence of the title’s hyper-aware artificial intelligence, or AI Director either, which assumes the role of virtual Wes Craven, monitoring your progress and adding or subtracting threats as needed on the fly to ratchet up tension.

Recently, we caught up with writer Chet Faliszek and VP of marketing Doug Lombardi to find out whether shooter and survival horror memes can really mix. Trick or treat? Who gives a severed head or shorn scrotum – either way, the game promises to be bloody good fun. Consider yourself warned: This one’s for mature audiences—and Fangoria-loving teens—only…
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Tags: Chet Faliszek, Doug Lombardi, Interviews, Left 4 Dead, Valve | 1 Comment »

Interviews | James Bond 007 Quantum of Solace

Das Interview: Quantum of Solace Producer Stuart Roch

Most movie critics pissed on the selection of Daniel Craig before he debuted as the new James Bond. Now console jockeys get a chance to do the same thing to the video game version of Craig with the launch of James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace from Activision. Unlike other first-person shooters on the market, Quantum of Solace has two hurdles to overcome, a track record of sub-par Bond games and the same stigma any licensed game has to shoulder.

Craig silenced all the doubters with a performance that brought a new level of violent reality to what had become almost a fantasy role (Pierce Brosnan couldn’t pull off parkour much less choke a terrorist to death in a stairwell). But the new Bond can’t do any of the heavy lifting when it comes to silencing the video game critics. While Craig threw in a few tips regarding dialogue and gameplay, the guys at Treyarch and Activision have to bring the 007 gaming franchise back from licensed game hell. I caught up with Stuart Roch, executive producer of Quantum of Solace at Activision, to talk about the new title, Daniel Craig’s Guitar Hero habit and his plans to turn the franchise around.
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Tags: Activision, Interviews, James Bond 007 Quantum of Solace, Quantum Of Solace, Stuart Roch, Treyarch | 1 Comment »

Interviews | Legendary

Das Interview: Legendary’s John Garcia-Shelton

Once upon a time, blasting the pixelated viscera out of Hell’s legions was a simple task: See demon, aim chain gun between the horns; spot Jack Thompson, go hand-to-hand (why not enjoy it a little?). Nowadays, thanks to what scientists refer to as an “assload of shovelware” and big-budget sequels, picking the right finger-blisterer is slightly less straightforward. Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty: World at War, Crysis: Warhead, and Fallout 3 represent a murderer’s row of FPS titles this holiday. But Spark Unlimited producer and creator of Legendary, John Garcia-Shelton thinks his title will stand out in the crowded and bullet-riddled field.
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Tags: Gamecock, Interviews, John Garcia-Shelton, Legendary, Southpeak Games | No Comments »

Interviews | LittleBigPlanet

LittleBigPlanet Producer Eric Fong Takes A Shot At Defining Sackboy

According to developer Media Molecule, you can make of PlayStation 3 exclusive LittleBigPlanet what you will. It’s a pop-up storybook-style platform-hopper. It’s a freeform level design suite. It’s a chance to stage your own recreation of the infamous 9/11 attacks. There’s no denying Sackboy’s ability as an equal opportunity offender. The title characters’ name alone conjures memories of a college buddy who knew only one party trick that involved “hanging brain” and never really ended all that well.

With LBP’s potential to be so many things to so many people, it’s difficult to define it in an intro paragraph. Which is why I decided to pass the buck to producer Eric Fong, and let him to distill LittleBigPlanet down to its most compelling elements. Turns out, he can’t do it either. Hit the jump to see how Fong defines LBP, knowing that the longevity of LBP could be bad for business and possibly offending the gaming world before gamers ever opened the box.
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Tags: Eric Fong, Interviews, LittleBigPlanet, sony exclusivity yurt | No Comments »

Interviews | Blitz The League II

Blitz II Producer Jacob Beucler: “Caliendo Is A Beast”

Odds are that up to now no one has ever described comedian Frank Caliendo as “a beast.” But in this second and final interview segment with Blitz The League II producer Jacob Beucler covering the celebrity talent behind Blitz II the phrase gets tossed into the mix. While Lawrence Taylor gets top billing, comedians Jay Mohr and Caliendo lent their voices to characters in the game. Peter Eagan, the writer behind ESPN’s controversial Playmakers series, handled the script. Then there’s the nameless crew crew of stunt men that spent a week knocking each other into oblivion so the victims writhe in pain in exactly the right way on screen.

Hit the jump to read what Beucler had to say about dodging an Adult Only rating, getting Caliendo to use his John Madden voice to stick it to EA and stunt men losing all sensation in their feet. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Blitz The League II, Interviews, Jacob Beucler, Midway | No Comments »

Interviews | SOCOM US Navy SEALs Confrontation

SOCOM’s SEAL In Residence, Rob Roy, On The Finer Points Of Confrontation

If you have picked up a copy of SOCOM over the past couple of years, odds are you’ve come face to face with Rob Roy (pictured at left). As a former Navy SEAL with 25 years in the Teams, Roy has appeared on nearly every SOCOM cover to date. And, besides training current operators in close quarters combat, Roy also serves as Sony’s main consultant on the SOCOM franchise.

The latest title in the series, US Navy SEALs: Confrontation, landed on shelves this week. And Roy was on hand throughout development to insure every reference to the Navy SEALs are spot on. Hit the jump to read what Roy had to say about stalking the SOCOM Confrontation dev squad from Slant Six, snipers using games to perfect their craft and, of course, his opinion on Charlie Sheen’s ability to accurately portray a Navy SEAL.

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Tags: Interviews, Rob Roy, Slant Six, SOCOM US Navy SEALs Confrontation, Sony | No Comments »