Continuing on our extensive coverage of Transformers for the PlayStation 2, we have Mark Morrison, the Design Producer at Atari Melbourne House to give the inside info on this hugely anticipated title.
Who are Melbourne House Atari Melbourne House is Australia’s leading developer of video games for personal computers and game consoles. Atari Melbourne House became part of the Atari Group during 1999. Previously, as Melbourne House and as Beam Software, the company developed more than 160 video game titles, making it one of the most prolific
game development companies in the world. With over 24 years' experience in the game industry, Atari Melbourne House is one of the world’s oldest video game software developers and publishers. Media We have a total of 15 screens for this game.
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Our pleasure - thanks for asking us!
First may I ask you to give us a brief introduction about yourself, and your role on Transformers?
I'm Mark Morrison, and I'm the Design Producer at Melbourne House. I love all robots.
The series was at its peak in the 80s. Why the decision to develop a Transformers game now?
Transformers has never really gone away. With the launch of the Armada series and a new generation of toys in the stores, I guess that Hasbro were looking for new opportunities to get Transformers out there once again.
The game is based on the 'Armada' series, right? Why was this subtitled dropped?
As we got late into development, we collectively realized that this was the first true Transformers game for next generation consoles, and as such it did not need to be branded specifically as "Armada" - in fact, the previous name was Transformers Armada: Prelude to Energon, which sandwiched us between two animated series. Everyone at Atari felt that the game was strong enough to be its own entity, so we boiled it down to just Transformers.
How long has Transformers been in development?
We started designing and sketching in Feburary 2003, and finished at the end of March 2004 - so, just 14 months, which is almost unheard of for a game of this scale. I guess we were inspired!
What are the challenges faced in the handling a huge license as the Transformers?
The biggest challenge was taking it from its current incarnation in the forms of toys and animation series, and giving it a look appropriate for a modern PS2 game. We did not want to make the game something for children, so we definitely wanted to give the game a harder edge; we wanted to make the Autobots heavier, more realistic, more battleworn. To do this, we had to convince Hasbro to let us take their creations forward a little. In terms of actual game design, the license was an absolute boon - there were tons of game ideas just waiting to happen, such as the natural combination of a player character who can drive as easily as he can run and shoot.
Please describe a typical mission that players can expect in Transformers?
It's hard to summarise, as the game does not feature singular missions - it's a constant, flowing, free-roaming experience. It goes something like this…
Each of the levels represents a drop zone where Mini-Con signals have been detected; Mini-Cons are smaller Transformers who were lost when they crash-landed on Earth millions of years ago. The sites have already been over-run by the Decepticlone forces of Megatron, ruler of the Decepticons, who wants the Mini-Cons for his own ends. As you arrive in the drop zone you'll receive a general briefing about the situation, and a suggestion as to which direction you should head in; after that, it's up to you. Mini-Cons can be seen in the environment, they have a striking glow, but are not always immediately accessible, as they might be heavily guarded, or in an area you can't reach yet. You can move through the environment at speed as a vehicle, or as a robot with guns blazing, or you can drop into Recon Mode (first person movement) and take the stealth approach.
As you rescue Mini-Cons, each transforms into equipment that you can use immediately, such as a homing missile launcher, or an Energon shield, or a dash pack. In collecting them, you increase the capabilities of your player character. As you get deeper into the level, HQ will form a better picture of what the Decepticons are up to, and tell you what you need to do to stop them.
At the end of the level you'll most likely encounter one of the Decepticon leaders for a metal-to-the-wall boss battle; defeating them may give you a clue to the location of the next drop zone. But, there still may be Mini-Cons to recover in your current area, which you can do now, or return to later in the game. We've used frequent autosaves and provided warpgates for constant travel between levels to make the playing experience constant and seamless; if you die at any point (or, rather, go into stasis lock), you simply emerge from the last warp gate you used, and you can keep right on playing.
Licensed properties more often than not produce mediocre games, such as the legendary E.T. franchise, Superman for the N64 and Enter The Matrix. Why do you think that this title would be any different?
We can't speak for other development houses, but we definitely approached this title as a quality PS2 action game first and foremost - the license was an adjunct to that. We studied the best PS2 games, and the best shooters on all platforms, added the elements that are unique to Transformers (like driving and Mini-Cons), and got to work on making something that we would want to play (and, in fact, still are playing). We haven't just pushed something out with a brand name on the box. Unlike some licensed games where most of the money seems to go into acquiring the property, we had the budget and the backing we needed to make a quality game. We had a huge team - 70 developers in total, and all of them particularly enthused and dedicated about working with giant robots; this is one of those dream projects where it really all came together.
What is your favorite aspect of Transformers?
Probably the freedom; we have large and gorgeous levels, and players can go anywhere within them. HQ Comms keep you aware of the next key objective, but if you want to go off and explore for yourself, you can. Freedom is also expressed in the incredible variety of ways you can tackle the game - with three playable characters and 40 equippable Mini-Cons, there are literally thousands of different ways to approach any situation. You can go in via stealth, or guns blazing, or high speed, or outflank, you can transform at any time - no two players ever play it the same way. Late in development we would still be swapping tips, and we're looking forward to seeing the new combos that players discover that we hadn't even thought of.
A lot of games these days are often criticized for either being too easy, or impossibly hard. How do you balance this factor in the game?
We had two months to really tune the game to our satisfaction. The game provides three difficulty settings, and each gives a profoundly different playing experience. Everyone should start on Recruit, that's the mode we have tune for most players. If you feel confident with that, try Veteran, which is similar but has increased enemy placements, and some tweaks to the AI, hit points and Mini-Con effects. Once you've finished the game on one of those modes, you're ready for Commander, which is intentionally hardcore - the enemies are diabolical, you really need to take a think first, shoot later approach or you will get swamped. All the Mini-Con placements are switched around on Commander, so it plays differently, and there are some additional Data-Con unlockables which not available in other modes. So, by providing these different experiences, we hope that players can find one that's right for them; and also give them a fresh challenge when they come to replay the game.
Who do you expect this game to appeal to fans of the new Armada series, or the classics?
Honestly, we think it will appeal to all PS2 gamers who are hanging out for a non-stop science-fiction action game! As for Transformers fans, it should appeal to anyone who genuinely likes Optimus Prime, irrespective of which exact series they prefer. Whether or not the robots are your exact favorite versions or not, everyone is recognizing that the game is a solid Transformers experience.
Graphically how do you think Transformer's compares to other titles of its genre?
We believe that we have a world-first in the extent and detail of the levels we are displaying on PS2, and our robots are also modelled to a high level. Our CG was completed by Buildup in Japan, who did the award-winning intro to Soul Calibur 2. The general response to the game has been one of astonishment that the game looks as good as it does; people seem to downgrade their expectations when a license is involved, so it's been our pleasure to prove them wrong!
OK, I have to ask: out of the three Autobots, which is your favorite?
They're all a well balanced team - Hot Shot for speed, Optimus for muscle, and Red Alert for defence. If I was left with just one of them, I'd probably take Red Alert personally; I like the way his SUV handles on all terrain, it's fast but steady driving. As a robot, he's a bit special ops, has some wicked martial arts moves, and just seems the natural choice for sniper action. His added Energon reserves keep him going, especially in boss fights. Most of all I dig the characterization that voice actor Darran Norris brought to him, it really sets his personality as the team's dead-set science expert.
If you could change one thing about Transformers, what would it be, and why?
It would have been nice to let the players have access to the Decepticon bosses as secret characters; unfortunately, there simply wasn't time to do anything along those lines, as the models are rigged and animated differently to the Autobot models. Ah well.
Can you please give us one distinct reason on why we should go out and purchase this title?
Tidal Wave. Biggest boss in videogame history. He's 300 meters tall, and he will kick your ass.
Awesome! And for the befit of all our readers, are there any plans to release Transformers on other consoles?
Not at present. It's a PS2 exclusive.
