Seite 2: Interview mit Renegade Kid zu The Ward

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The readers of PlanetDS.de had a chance to ask Jools Watsham, Owner and Creative Director and Gregg Hargrove, Owner and Art Director at Renegade Kid a ton of questions regarding their upcoming game "The Ward". So we gathered the best questions and here you will find the answers.

PlanetDS.de: First of all can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Renegade Kid, who is behind the development of “The Ward” and what other projects did you do till now?

Jools: Hello PlanetDS readers, my name is Jools Watsham, I am the Owner and Creative Director at Renegade Kid. My role(s) on The Ward include Game Director, Producer, and Audio Designer/Composer. Renegade Kid’s Art Director and co-owner is Gregg Hargrove, and The Ward’s Technical Director is Bob Ives. We also have a gang of contractors who produce art, audio and programming assets for the game. Gregg and I have been developing games together for over 13 years. Some of the projects that we have worked on include The Red Star, Stubbs the Zombie, Area 51, and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil.

PlanetDS.de: What is your personal goal as a developer?

Jools: Renegade Kid’s ultimate goal as a developer is to produce a brand new catalogue of high-quality original games. We don’t necessarily want to reinvent the wheel or purposely go against the grain just to express our inner artists or anything like that. We want to stay in the business of making great games, and to do that we must always walk the line of providing enough innovation in our games to entertain the player, while also including a healthy dose of the familiar so it still feels comfortable.

PlanetDS.de: Why do you think it possible at all to create a dark and mystic horror survival for the Nintendo DS?

Jools: Well, at first I wasn’t sure if it was possible to create a 3D horror title with a dark atmosphere on the Nintendo DS, because no one else had attempted to do it. The Nintendo DS version of Resident Evil uses pre-rendered environments, so it does not rely on the Nintendo DS hardware to create a real-time atmosphere, and Metroid Hunters features brightly lit environments. Our initial tests with The Ward were very successful, although it required much iteration, and proved to me that The Ward could become a reality on the Nintendo DS. On another note, it struck me as strange that there weren’t more mature-themed titles on the Nintendo DS considering the large install base of adult Nintendo DS players.

PlanetDS.de: How many people are involved into the project and when did you start the development?

Jools: There are three full-time people, and five contractors working on The Ward. We started the development of The Ward in December 2006.

PlanetDS.de: Can you tell us a little more about the story and the main character?

Jools: All I can tell you, without ruining the game for everyone, is that you wake up in a strange hospital on a dark and stormy night. The rest you must figure out for yourself.

PlanetDS.de: In how far is "The Ward" influenced by other games, books, TV-shows, movies or media? What are your personal favourites in each sector?

Jools: The Ward is influenced by Silent Hill’s creepy nature, and Doom 3’s run and gun action gameplay. I am also a big fan of horror and thriller movies, such as Dawn of the Dead (2004), Alien, and Scream, and they have certainly influenced The Ward in ways too.

PlanetDS.de: How many weapons and items will there be in total? Will there be weapon modifications or a RPG-like upgrade system?

Jools: There are eight weapons, which include a flashlight, nightstick, shotgun, and electric bone-saw. There are also many items that the player will use to progress through the game, such as a notepad and floor plans.

PlanetDS.de: In how far will one be able to interact with the surroundings of the game? (Move objects and use as protection, etc.)

Jools: This is one area of interaction I decided not to concentrate on for The Ward. Perhaps the sequel will. :)

PlanetDS.de: A lot of people are concerned about the setting of the game. Why did you choose a hospital and will there be more settings aside the sanatorium?

Jools: I chose a hospital setting because it is a naturally chilling environment. It also lends itself well to efficient 3D construction, which is one of the ways we maximize on the Nintendo DS hardware. There are other areas aside from the interior of the hospital, and they include the rooftop, and outside courtyard.

PlanetDS.de: Will the state of health effect the movement and sight capabilities of the main character?

Jools: Your state of health does not affect your movement or sight capabilities, but one of your weapons does improve your sight capability.

PlanetDS.de: How will you manage to implement the Nintendo DS specific features, like dual screen, touch screen and microphone?

Jools: The upper screen is used as your view-port, while the lower touch-screen is used to look/aim and access menu items. We are not planning on using the microphone feature.

PlanetDS.de: How long will an average gamer need to play to beat the game and what elements let them keep on playing after beating the game? (special features, unlockables, etc.)

Jools: The game will take between 7 – 8 hours to complete. We have a few nifty replay features that will provide players with some repeat-play value, but the details are a secret right now. We also have some “unlockable” items, but more on those at a later date.

PlanetDS.de: Are there any features of the game that you are extremely proud of and why?

Jools: I am proud of the atmosphere and visual quality in The Ward, because it exceeds my initial expectations of what we could achieve on the Nintendo DS. This is thanks to both Gregg and Bob pushing the limits of the hardware.

PlanetDS.de: What makes the Ward different from other games in this sector?

Jools: Almost everything. :) There isn’t a game like The Ward on the Nintendo DS, due to the fact that it is a mature-themed survival-horror first-person experience. There are other games in the DS library that share similar aspects to The Ward, but no game combines them as we have.

PlanetDS.de: How good is the support from Nintendo, did you have everything you needed for the development or is there still room for improvement?

Jools: Working with Nintendo is great, and I’m not just saying that to get on their good side. Nintendo truly understands how important the developer relationship is and as such treat all authorized developers with respect. I have had no problems working with Nintendo and I look forward to continue working with them in the future.
PlanetDS.de: Are you planning to use the Nintendo WiFi Connection for online features? What other Multiplayer options will be available?

Jools: The Ward supports local Wi-Fi multiplayer gameplay; offering a variety of different multiplayer experiences including, Death-match, Survival and Claim the Brain game modes. Support for on-line is not yet decided.

PlanetDS.de: DS lite and DS have different illumination levels. Will there be graphic options in the game that consider there aspects?

Jools: Yes, the player will be able to choose different Brightness settings to suit their DS.

PlanetDS.de: Can you tell us anything about your future plans? Do you have games for other systems in development?

Jools: Renegade Kid is focusing all of its efforts on The Ward at this time, and would like to continue developing games for the Nintendo DS. Whether our next game is a sequel to The Ward or an original title, we haven’t decided yet. I am also very excited about the Wii, and will certainly be looking into Wii development in the near future.

PlanetDS.de: How do you think will the handheld gaming marked evolve in the next coming years?

Jools: I think it will evolve into a strictly segmented market. On one side you’ll have “multi-media” handheld platforms such as Microsoft’s Origami and the successor to the PSP, which will allow users to listen to music, surf the web, watch movies, make phone calls, and play games – a catch-all platform for modern life. On the other side of the handheld market you’ll have pure-gaming platforms, like the Nintendo DS and its’ successor, which will focus on a gaming experience and feature new methods of interaction and control. The reason it will be segmented is due to the cost of manufacturing the devices, and subsequently the cost of the handheld platform for the end user. A multi-media handheld platform will be much more expensive than a gaming platform due to the many capabilities and compatibilities it must support. A gaming handheld platform can focus on a smaller set of features and therefore stay within a certain price-range, allowing it to appeal as a single feature product.

PlanetDS.de: Is there anything you would like to tell our readers?

Jools: I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to read this interview, or at least this last answer. :) If The Ward is the type of game that appeals to you, please show your support by visiting my developer blog on 1up.com, here: http://www.renegadekid.1up.com/, and let me know your thoughts. Renegade Kid is working day and night to produce a great game, and we hope you enjoy The Ward when it is released. Thanks PlanetDS.

The interview was held by Kevin Jensen and various additional questions from the readers of PlanetDS.

Thanks to Jools Watsham for his kind support.