EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Luxoflux Makers of ROTF the Game
Sunday, April 12th, 2009 11:27AM CDT
Categories: Movie Related News, Site Articles, Game News, Digital Media News, InterviewsPosted by: First Gen Views: 66,661
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Hello Seibertronians. Once again Seibertron.com is bringing you exclusive content. This time, we got a chance to chat with the developers of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen the Game!
Being brought to a game console near you, game producers Luxoflux were very generous in offering us some insight to the development of the sequel game and some good things to look forward to in the second installment of the Transformers Live Action franchise. Questions for the interview were answered by game developer Joby Otero.
So without further ado.....
First Gen: Mr. Otero, first and foremost thank you for taking time out to share some inside info on the upcoming game with the Seibertron.com community. I'm sure the first question most Seibertronians will have is that Luxoflux is new to the Transformers franchise. Can you tell us who you are and what you are bringing to the new Revenge of the Fallen game?
Joby Otero: Luxoflux has a long and very successful history of making games -- including the ultra-ambitious open-world, driving, fighting and shooting of True Crime and the tightly polished fantasy-action-platform-brawling of Kung Fu Panda. Many of us grew up with and daydreamed about making a Transformers game, so this is a thrilling opportunity. It's also a chance to fully use our skill at finding the heart of a pre-existing world, and expanding on it to develop a game that feels authentic, yet stands on its own. We hope fans feel the love – especially when they get their chance to blow the doors off each other with their favorite characters online!
F G: Transformers the Game (2007) was a huge treat for fans and allowed players to follow the storyline of the first movie without completely copying the movie script itself. Can we expect the same thing from the second installment?
JRO: Our game begins and ends in the same places as the film and there are key events where we synchronize with the film. However, the film tells a story from a human perspective and ours is told from the perspective of the Transformers. Players can also expect to play sections that expand on the film and bring in additional characters.
F G: Something us Transformers fans absolutely love is giant Robot action! One of the best kickers to the 2007 game was the ability to "Choose your side". Will Revenge of the Fallen give the same capabilities?
JRO: Most definitely. There's an Autobot campaign and a Decepticon campaign and they can be played in either order.
F G: How closely did the developers get to work with the producers of the movie ROTF for the game?
JRO: We communicated a lot with them up front and met with Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg. We've since had many ongoing emails and meetings with Paramount and Hasbro. Our team is as hardcore about Transformers as anyone, so the opportunity to work with those folks has been thrilling and it can be hard not to geek out a bit.
F G: Michael Bay, huh? Guess we can expect alot of explosions. Moving on, in the first game, we got the pleasure of certain voice actors voicing roles for the game, will any of them be reprising their roles for the sequel game?
JRO: Hell yeah! We can't divulge much right now, but fans will find plenty of recognizable voices in the game since we have a huge roster of talent from the new film and the previous game.
F G: What platforms will be able to play Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?
JRO: Luxoflux is developing the game for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Beenox is developing the PC port. Vicarious Visions, Krome Studios and Savage Entertainment (respectively) are developing unique designs for the DS, Wii & PS2 and PSP.
F G: So if you own more than one platform, essentially you can get a different game like with the first release. Sweet. A big question most gamers have is will Revenge of the Fallen feature online gaming capabilities?
JRO: Yes, and we're particularly excited about our multiplayer. For the first time in a Transformers game, players can take their favorite characters online in intense matches where the game's mix of driving, flying, shooting, melee and acrobatic transformation, results in something not quite like any other online experience. It's fast and intuitive, yet difficult to master and we hope players will agree that it's an addictive, full-on, ‘Transformers' experience!
F G: Mario Kart eat your heart out. Transformers the Game also features "side missions" that unlocked certain bonus materials such as movie trailers and photos, will ROTF feature anything of the sort?
JRO: We're proud to say that Hasbro has really opened up their vaults to a lot of cool content for us. Our game has lots of bonus material, but the system is different this time. Extra content is unlocked by completing a variety of objectives, some of which are in story missions, some are in non-story missions and others are elsewhere. We'll have to leave it at that – all secret and stuff.
F G: Fair enough. What were the developers trying to accomplish with the sequel game?
JRO: We've had a lot of goals, but among our biggest were to deliver: 1) The feeling of being a big f'ing Transformer – a living, alien machine that acrobatically changes form on a whim – allowing players to effortlessly blend shooting, driving, climbing, flying and melee whenever & wherever; 2) Deliver epic Autobot and Decepticon campaigns that give players plenty of freedom, lots of replay value, and highlight the personality and different strengths and weaknesses of the characters; 3) Multiplayer! J
F G: You had me at big f'ing robot. With all the coolness of the first game one of the biggest gripes that came from it was "uneven" gameplay. It seemed that some missions or objectives were thought to be harder than others at awkward times. Was it difficult addressing this issue?
JRO: Getting the difficulty right is always a very challenging thing, especially for a game that needs to be accessible to a very broad range of players. We started play-testing as early as possible to tune single-player and multiplayer. Luxoflux didn't create the first game, so we were comfortable trying a different approach. For one, our game has multiple layers. Casual gamers can focus on the first layer early on and ease into things. Advanced players can use a combination of skills and take advantage of high-level features earlier and tackle bonus objectives.
F G: So with that being said, what was the most challenging aspect of the making of ROTF?
JRO: With 25 years of Transformers out there as inspiration, and so many ideas from the fans, it was very difficult to decide what to include. One great thing about that is that there are so many ideas and so many cool things we can expand on in the future.
F G: Yet another cool bonus in the first game was that it featured characters that were not in the first film, and as far as we can tell, have not been slated for an appearance in the second film. Can we expect bonus characters from ROTF?
JRO: There will definitely be surprises. We have familiar characters as well as variations that I can't say much about yet. We also worked closely with Hasbro and reference from the two movies to create many new characters that are uniquely designed for the game. There's a little something for everyone – Autobot or Decepticon.
Well Joby, thank you very much for your time and we can't wait to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on the store shelves!
Seibertron.com would also like to give special thanks to Luxoflux and Neil Wood for allowing us to conduct the interview. Luxoflux.com.
More details on the game coming soon so keep your optics locked right here at Seibertron.com!
Being brought to a game console near you, game producers Luxoflux were very generous in offering us some insight to the development of the sequel game and some good things to look forward to in the second installment of the Transformers Live Action franchise. Questions for the interview were answered by game developer Joby Otero.
So without further ado.....
First Gen: Mr. Otero, first and foremost thank you for taking time out to share some inside info on the upcoming game with the Seibertron.com community. I'm sure the first question most Seibertronians will have is that Luxoflux is new to the Transformers franchise. Can you tell us who you are and what you are bringing to the new Revenge of the Fallen game?
Joby Otero: Luxoflux has a long and very successful history of making games -- including the ultra-ambitious open-world, driving, fighting and shooting of True Crime and the tightly polished fantasy-action-platform-brawling of Kung Fu Panda. Many of us grew up with and daydreamed about making a Transformers game, so this is a thrilling opportunity. It's also a chance to fully use our skill at finding the heart of a pre-existing world, and expanding on it to develop a game that feels authentic, yet stands on its own. We hope fans feel the love – especially when they get their chance to blow the doors off each other with their favorite characters online!
F G: Transformers the Game (2007) was a huge treat for fans and allowed players to follow the storyline of the first movie without completely copying the movie script itself. Can we expect the same thing from the second installment?
JRO: Our game begins and ends in the same places as the film and there are key events where we synchronize with the film. However, the film tells a story from a human perspective and ours is told from the perspective of the Transformers. Players can also expect to play sections that expand on the film and bring in additional characters.
F G: Something us Transformers fans absolutely love is giant Robot action! One of the best kickers to the 2007 game was the ability to "Choose your side". Will Revenge of the Fallen give the same capabilities?
JRO: Most definitely. There's an Autobot campaign and a Decepticon campaign and they can be played in either order.
F G: How closely did the developers get to work with the producers of the movie ROTF for the game?
JRO: We communicated a lot with them up front and met with Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg. We've since had many ongoing emails and meetings with Paramount and Hasbro. Our team is as hardcore about Transformers as anyone, so the opportunity to work with those folks has been thrilling and it can be hard not to geek out a bit.
F G: Michael Bay, huh? Guess we can expect alot of explosions. Moving on, in the first game, we got the pleasure of certain voice actors voicing roles for the game, will any of them be reprising their roles for the sequel game?
JRO: Hell yeah! We can't divulge much right now, but fans will find plenty of recognizable voices in the game since we have a huge roster of talent from the new film and the previous game.
F G: What platforms will be able to play Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?
JRO: Luxoflux is developing the game for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Beenox is developing the PC port. Vicarious Visions, Krome Studios and Savage Entertainment (respectively) are developing unique designs for the DS, Wii & PS2 and PSP.
F G: So if you own more than one platform, essentially you can get a different game like with the first release. Sweet. A big question most gamers have is will Revenge of the Fallen feature online gaming capabilities?
JRO: Yes, and we're particularly excited about our multiplayer. For the first time in a Transformers game, players can take their favorite characters online in intense matches where the game's mix of driving, flying, shooting, melee and acrobatic transformation, results in something not quite like any other online experience. It's fast and intuitive, yet difficult to master and we hope players will agree that it's an addictive, full-on, ‘Transformers' experience!
F G: Mario Kart eat your heart out. Transformers the Game also features "side missions" that unlocked certain bonus materials such as movie trailers and photos, will ROTF feature anything of the sort?
JRO: We're proud to say that Hasbro has really opened up their vaults to a lot of cool content for us. Our game has lots of bonus material, but the system is different this time. Extra content is unlocked by completing a variety of objectives, some of which are in story missions, some are in non-story missions and others are elsewhere. We'll have to leave it at that – all secret and stuff.
F G: Fair enough. What were the developers trying to accomplish with the sequel game?
JRO: We've had a lot of goals, but among our biggest were to deliver: 1) The feeling of being a big f'ing Transformer – a living, alien machine that acrobatically changes form on a whim – allowing players to effortlessly blend shooting, driving, climbing, flying and melee whenever & wherever; 2) Deliver epic Autobot and Decepticon campaigns that give players plenty of freedom, lots of replay value, and highlight the personality and different strengths and weaknesses of the characters; 3) Multiplayer! J
F G: You had me at big f'ing robot. With all the coolness of the first game one of the biggest gripes that came from it was "uneven" gameplay. It seemed that some missions or objectives were thought to be harder than others at awkward times. Was it difficult addressing this issue?
JRO: Getting the difficulty right is always a very challenging thing, especially for a game that needs to be accessible to a very broad range of players. We started play-testing as early as possible to tune single-player and multiplayer. Luxoflux didn't create the first game, so we were comfortable trying a different approach. For one, our game has multiple layers. Casual gamers can focus on the first layer early on and ease into things. Advanced players can use a combination of skills and take advantage of high-level features earlier and tackle bonus objectives.
F G: So with that being said, what was the most challenging aspect of the making of ROTF?
JRO: With 25 years of Transformers out there as inspiration, and so many ideas from the fans, it was very difficult to decide what to include. One great thing about that is that there are so many ideas and so many cool things we can expand on in the future.
F G: Yet another cool bonus in the first game was that it featured characters that were not in the first film, and as far as we can tell, have not been slated for an appearance in the second film. Can we expect bonus characters from ROTF?
JRO: There will definitely be surprises. We have familiar characters as well as variations that I can't say much about yet. We also worked closely with Hasbro and reference from the two movies to create many new characters that are uniquely designed for the game. There's a little something for everyone – Autobot or Decepticon.
Well Joby, thank you very much for your time and we can't wait to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on the store shelves!
Seibertron.com would also like to give special thanks to Luxoflux and Neil Wood for allowing us to conduct the interview. Luxoflux.com.
More details on the game coming soon so keep your optics locked right here at Seibertron.com!
Credit(s): Activision, Luxoflux
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Re: EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Luxoflux Makers of ROTF the Game (909588)
Posted by D-340 on April 13th, 2009 @ 12:10am CDT
I was thinking the same thinking the same thing. But this whole interview seems like a wasted opportunity.
The uneven gameplay wasn't due to the difficulty, it was do to the driving mechanics being to loose, the bot mode mechanics too stiff. What about the whole "action zone" locations in the missions, are they coming back? That was the worste part of the last game for me. And what about your blaster? Except for the smallest drones, it was useless. The game was basically a button mashing melee fest.
Being able to "Choose your Side" is cool, but can you play as all the bots from ROTF any time you choose. Or are characters going to be mission specific again, with some left out like the last game?
And why did they decide to go the GTA styled route with the movie game as opposed to using the far superior PS Armada game as a model? It seemed like the last game was done as your typical fast cash-in movie game.
For me, my expectations are set pretty low. The online multi-player sounds interesting, and I'm sure the game will look pretty like the last one, especially on 360. But I want more substance, not just style.
Like I said, a bit of a wasted interview opportunity.
Posted by D-340 on April 13th, 2009 @ 12:10am CDT
Cliffjumper Prime wrote:"Transformers the Game (2007) was a huge treat for fans"
it was? I have a high tolerance for bad games, but that game was just BAD... the only reason I haven't traded it in is because I'm such a big transformers fan.
this new one looks good though... hopefully it will be the game we all expected the first time
I was thinking the same thinking the same thing. But this whole interview seems like a wasted opportunity.
The uneven gameplay wasn't due to the difficulty, it was do to the driving mechanics being to loose, the bot mode mechanics too stiff. What about the whole "action zone" locations in the missions, are they coming back? That was the worste part of the last game for me. And what about your blaster? Except for the smallest drones, it was useless. The game was basically a button mashing melee fest.
Being able to "Choose your Side" is cool, but can you play as all the bots from ROTF any time you choose. Or are characters going to be mission specific again, with some left out like the last game?
And why did they decide to go the GTA styled route with the movie game as opposed to using the far superior PS Armada game as a model? It seemed like the last game was done as your typical fast cash-in movie game.
For me, my expectations are set pretty low. The online multi-player sounds interesting, and I'm sure the game will look pretty like the last one, especially on 360. But I want more substance, not just style.
Like I said, a bit of a wasted interview opportunity.
Re: EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Luxoflux Makers of ROTF the Game (910156)
Posted by SJ21 on April 14th, 2009 @ 9:48am CDT
Posted by SJ21 on April 14th, 2009 @ 9:48am CDT
I thought the first game was terrible. The characters were hard to control in both modes, the weapons were too weak, the difficulty on some missions was way too high, and them issions were not very exciting. I got so irritated trying to unlock the extra content that I never finished the whole game. I guess licensed games will suck regardless of content.
I will certainly be renting the second game before I buy it this time around.
I will certainly be renting the second game before I buy it this time around.
Re: EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Luxoflux Makers of ROTF the Game (910491)
Posted by D-340 on April 14th, 2009 @ 11:19pm CDT
The thing is, the new TF game doesn't to suck like the last one. Go play TF: Armada on PS2, that's how a TF video game should be done.
Seconded on the renting of this one before I buy it, wish I would've done that with the first game.
Posted by D-340 on April 14th, 2009 @ 11:19pm CDT
SJ21 wrote:I thought the first game was terrible. The characters were hard to control in both modes, the weapons were too weak, the difficulty on some missions was way too high, and them issions were not very exciting. I got so irritated trying to unlock the extra content that I never finished the whole game. I guess licensed games will suck regardless of content.
I will certainly be renting the second game before I buy it this time around.
The thing is, the new TF game doesn't to suck like the last one. Go play TF: Armada on PS2, that's how a TF video game should be done.
Seconded on the renting of this one before I buy it, wish I would've done that with the first game.
Re: EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Luxoflux Makers of ROTF the Game (911022)
Posted by Marcdachamp on April 16th, 2009 @ 11:13am CDT
Posted by Marcdachamp on April 16th, 2009 @ 11:13am CDT
I just hope they fix the camera from the first Wii game.
Re: EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Luxoflux Makers of ROTF the Game (911308)
Posted by Prime Riblet on April 17th, 2009 @ 12:37am CDT
That was pretty bad, wasn't it. To make it even worse, I just got done playing through Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, so I basicly went from playing a game with superb dynamics to a game with absolutely no dynamics. that kinda sucked.
Posted by Prime Riblet on April 17th, 2009 @ 12:37am CDT
Marcdachamp wrote:I just hope they fix the camera from the first Wii game.
That was pretty bad, wasn't it. To make it even worse, I just got done playing through Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, so I basicly went from playing a game with superb dynamics to a game with absolutely no dynamics. that kinda sucked.
