Kelly Scott Rickards
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2000
- Messages
- 225
Sean posted this in another thread, but I think it deserves its own post:
Recently we had a chance to ask a few questions of Peter Wong, the Program Manager/Producer for RalliSport Challenge. A veteran in the gaming and graphics industry, Peter Wong gives us the inside scoop on this upcoming racer for the Xbox. Be sure to take a look at a couple exclusive screenshots from RalliSport Challenge as well, and see just how talented the team behind the game really is.
Please tell us your position with the RalliSport group and your history in the gaming industry.
Peter W: My name is Peter Wong and I'm the Program Manager/Producer for RalliSport Challenge. My entrée into the production side of the gaming industry came recently with the launch of the Xbox but I've been involved in realtime 3D graphics for almost 14 years as both developer and 3D artist so game development has been an easy transition for me.
Tell us a bit about the style of the game, is it a sim based racer or more of an arcade style racer?
Peter W: RalliSport Challenge strikes a great balance between highly realistic vehicle physics and exciting on-track driving action that anyone can pick up and play. We talked to racing game enthusiasts who wanted a rally game with more action and more variety and we've delivered on that with great crashes and multicar action on a variety of courses. We've conducted extensive playtesting throughout the development process to fine tune the balance between sim and arcade. Try it, you'll like it.
RalliSport Challenge features over 25 fully licensed cars, will players be able to tweak and build up their cars for better performance?
Peter W: In talking to gamers, they wanted to spend more time driving and less time tweaking. Players will be able to tweak items like gear ratios, brake balance, suspension, and such, but we've designed the default settings for each car to be easy to handle and yet drive fast. We provide this option for the advanced user to fine tune their cars but this game is not about tweaking the cars, it's about how well you can control a car you've just pitched around a hairpin corner just inches from falling off the mountain road.
Many racing games ignore the environments around the tracks, can you tell us how RalliSport has taken advantage of the Xbox's power to include details on and off the tracks themselves?
Peter W: Digital Illusions, the developers of RalliSport Challenge, have a very high bar for game content and a very talented team of artists there. The environments in the game really show off their skill at creating breathtaking landscapes. We have tracks located in 8 different regions of the world and each is highly realistic. But it goes far beyond just the static backdrops of games up until now. Our trees and grass sway in the wind, clouds drift across the sky, 3D animated people wave and cheer as you pass, animated birds and animals are on many tracks, weather effects like rain, fog and snow, realistic particles from all different surfaces, breakable and movable objects, and much more. All these features help make the environments come alive and immerse you in these worlds very effectively.
What are the various types of events gamers will be able to participate in during the game?
Peter W: RalliSport Challenge features 4 different game modes and 4 different rally sports. The main mode of the game is the Career mode which takes racers through 4 levels (Pro, Expert, Classic and Unlimited) and culminates in some surprise events for the most skilled who finish the Career Mode. We also feature a Single Race mode which pits you against 3 other AI drivers, a Time Attack mode to race against the clock, and a 4 player split-screen multiplayer mode to race against your friends.
For those of us not familiar with the infamous Group "B" class of cars, can you explain what they are and what their role is in RalliSport?
Peter W: The Group B cars are legendary because these powerful cars were banned in 1986 after several deaths (both drivers and spectators). It takes a lot of skill to drive these high horsepower, lightweight cars. If you can master them, you'll dominate the courses. RalliSport includes several examples of Group B cars such as the Audi Quattro S1, Peugeot 205 T16, Lancia Delta S4, Ford RS200, Renault 5 Turbo, and others.
How involved is the career mode? How much time will players have to put into the game to reach the final goal?
Peter W: Well, this all depends now doesn't it? There are 17 main events spread across 4 classes. Each event consists of several races that take place all over the world. Some are staged events while others offer wheel-to-wheel action. The game also has two difficulty levels. But I also mentioned that even after you finish Career Mode, there's more. So it all comes down to how good of a rally driver you are. Have you mastered car control? Have you learned which cars perform best for each type of racing?
RalliSport will feature in-game damage to cars, how will this affect the performance of the cars if at all?
Peter W: All the cars can be damaged to varying extents. The performance of the cars will degrade gradually and you'll notice this both in how the car drives and how it sounds. If you smack the front end and had the unfortunately luck to have the wheels turned at the time, you're car will pull in one direction and it'll be tough to drive in a straight line. But you cannot damage a car to the point that it's undrivable. We've playtested this and most people still want to be able to finish the race.
What will the audio of RalliSport be like? Will each car sound unique? Can we expect 5.1 surround support?
Peter W: We've gone to great lengths to locate and record as many of the real life cars as possible. We portray audio cues from not only the engine, but suspension, transmissions, turbochargers, surface noises, particle noises, collision sounds, animals and crowds, and much more. We do also support 5.1 so you'll hear your opponents come up from behind you. We've focused both the graphics and the audio to fully immerse users into the game environment.
If I have a few music tracks I'd love to crank while playing, will I be able to write them to the hard drive for playback during the game?
Peter W: Of course! The Xbox dashboard allows you to rip songs off your CDs and our playlist editor can add your own music into the game's playlist so you can have your favorite tunes on while you drive.
Will the game support 16:9 HDTV mode?
Peter W: We do indeed support 16x9 widescreen.
What multiplayer features will be a part of RalliSport Challenge?
Peter W: We support up to 4 player split screen.
Are there any secrets that haven't be revealed as of yet that we can look forward to from RalliSport Challenge?
Peter W: I can't say anything about any secrets...
What sets RalliSport Challenge off from the stacks of racers we have seen before? In just a few sentences, tell our viewers why they should run out and buy RalliSport Challenge.
Peter W: RalliSport makes rally racing fun. We're not focused on just the traditional long staged events where you're out there alone. We're not focused just on the wild multicar action of an arcade racer. We offer a wide variety of gameplay modes and locations, a broad selection of famous rally and offroad cars from various decades, and bundle it together with some of the most amazing environments of any console racer to date. In one game, you can race through the desert, risk your car and your reputation hanging the tail out up a mountain switchback, slide your car side by side with a fierce opponent over a frozen lakebed, and compete on wildly fun multi-lap rallycross events, trying to see the car ahead of you through the dust. Massive fun!
RalliSport Challenge is a great looking game, and we would like to thank Peter Wong for giving us the opportunity to ask a few questions. We will be looking forward to the game's release shortly.
