Next up we have Chris Marlow, Lead Programmer at Rare talking about the exciting new Xbox Live support for Conker: Live & Reloaded and the challenges in recreating the fun found in the N64 original.
Hi thanks so much for sitting down and talking with us. Can you first tell us your name and a little bit about Conker: Live & Reloaded?
My name is Chris Marlow, and I am the Lead Programmer on Conker: Live & Reloaded. Conker is split in to two games: a team based online multiplayer and an offline single player. The multiplayer game is set over two time zones--WWII and the future--and covers the battle between the evil Tediz and the good Squirrels. The single player is one day in the life of Conker, from waking up with a hangover, to becoming the King of all the land. In between you get to experience the strangest day of his life, filled with emotionally disturbed characters.
What are some of the key features of Conker: Live & Reloaded?
Conker: L&R is above all fun to play. It was our key objective. On top of that it is visually stunning, the audio is incredible (crank it up in surround sound to fully appreciate it) and it is great to play.
It is two full games for the price of one, both different styles. There are many movie parodies sprinkled through both parts of the game. There is also extensive bot support for those without Live, so you can still enjoy the multiplayer experience, either on your own or via split screen with a friend.
It seems like most people are talking about the Xbox Live support, can you tell us what the multiplayer will include?
You have 6 character classes to choose from, each with their own unique weapons, vehicles, items and abilities. There are two time zones to play through, WWII and Future. The game is designed to make you play as a team, with the correct balance of characters being key to beating the opposition. There are many different styles of play, including flag capture, push/pull objectives and defend the base. We also have extensive stats and leaderboards, progression within them giving you higher rank and the opportunity to earn medals. These medals in turn give you extra advantages over your enemies (more shots, extra grenades, longer time on your abilities). We wanted the game to be easy to pick up and instantly fun to play, but with enough features to give the hard core gamers a lot to get their teeth in to, and keep them interested in the long term.
Being a big fan of the original, I was also informed that you can also play Conker's Bad Fur Day, originally for the N64 in this game. How much of this game is going to be included in Live & Reloaded, and will it be tweaked in any way?
The entire original single player game from the N64 Conker's Bad Fur Day is included, with totally revamped sound, graphics and animations. We have tweaked the game play, making some things easier, and extending other sections with extra gameplay. The multiplayer is the main thrust, so we wanted the single player to be fun. The original was tough, right from the start, so many people did not get to the last parts of the game, which many people said were the best bits. This time round we want everyone to get through the whole game, and have fun playing it. We want people to be having a party, and say "Hey, you've gotta play this section from Conker, it's "wild!"
From what we have seen so far, the visuals in the game look great, can you tell us some of the things you guys did in order to make this game from the N64 to the Xbox?
Every single asset in the game had to be recreated from scratch. It was as much work as creating a game from scratch. We have some very talented artists, who worked extremely hard pushing the boundaries of what the Xbox could do graphically. We also spent a lot of time developing key technologies to ground the characters in the level, including the fur shaders, self shadowing, projected shadow maps on to the characters and an advanced lighting model which allowed limitless numbers of lights to contribute subtly to the overall effect. Many of the methods on their own seemed to make little difference, but when they were removed the characters just didn't look 'right'. It is this level of detail which makes the difference between Conker and other games.
What we haven't heard much about is the aural aspects of the game. What sort of things can we expect to hear in the game?
Robin Beanland has been lead musician on this project, as he was for the BAFTA award-winning audio on Conker's Bad Fur Day on the N64. We have always pushed the boundaries of sound in games, considering it just as important as visuals. This game is no exception. All the original voice samples have been re-mastered to a really high quality. All the tunes have been re-scored and orchestrally expanded. All effects and some of the tunes are in full 5.1 surround sound. If you have the set up, it is incredible to feel the boom of the explosions in the multiplayer, or the sound of an operatic poo swinging around your head as you play Sloprano!
Sound like quite a treat for the senses. Might we also ask about your favorite part of Live and Reloaded, and why?
Being the voice of the Great Might Poo, I have a soft spot for that level. However I do enjoy the Medical Mayhem shoot-em up section. It is visually fantastic and great fun to blast through.
What do you think was the toughest part of developing this game?
As this was the Rare's first online game, it was a rather steep learning curve to implement Live. Microsoft has done a great job on their Live support, and with their help I believe we have created a solid Live-enabled game.
And finally when is the game going to release and why should our readers run out and purchase this game?
Conker: Live & Reloaded hits the shelves on June 21st. Anyone should enjoy playing this game, from the casual player who likes platformers to the hard core live nut, it has something for everyone. Buy it, play it, have FUN!
Click for more info on Conker: Live & Reloaded.
