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Interview | High Voltage Talks The Conduit (Wii)
on 08.05.2009 at 10:14
Posted by Jorge (jb) 
Comments: 13 
Reads: 2833
Tags:
High Voltage, SEGA, Wii, The Conduit, First Person Shooter, FPS
Posted by Jorge (jb) Comments: 13 Reads: 2833 Tags:
High Voltage, SEGA, Wii, The Conduit, First Person Shooter, FPS Related Stories
The Wii has a surprising gap when it comes to first person shooters. Some developers get it, most haven't quite stepped up and delivered. The most important issue is control, especially with the less traditional Wii remote and nunchuck approach. High Voltage has decided to try and set the bar for shooters on the machine with The Conduit. Customisable controls, impressive visuals and a large online campaign are just part of the plan, and Cubed3 recently had a chat with David Pellas from High Voltage to answer your questions.
Please note that this interview was conducted before our single / multiplayer hands-on preview.
Please note that this interview was conducted before our single / multiplayer hands-on preview.
High Voltage's David Pellas: Well, we don't want to give out too much background on Ford, as we want players to be able to put themselves into that role. However, like most true heroes, Ford finds himself being the 'right man in the right place at the wrong time'. He didn't ask or go looking for this adventure, it found him. When our story begins, Ford is recruited from the Secret Service into a shadowy organization known only as 'The Trust'. Being that he was in the Secret Service, Ford enjoys a vast knowledge of firearms, tactics, and government protocols. After his induction into The Trust, the players learn the rest of his story along the way.
JB: What made you decide to bring this to Wii rather than other formats?
DP: Why not? We are core gamers and we are Nintendo Wii gamers. We firmly believe that there are other Wii gamers who have been waiting for a game built for them since the Wii was announced. We have all been disappointed with a Wii game or two that did not live up to expectations. That is why we worked very closely with the gamers out there in order to understand what they wanted and to provide that gaming experience.
JB:Not many 'mature' titles are released on Wii; do you think it is a risk to aim for a minority market on the system?
DP: We prefer to think of our title as being accessible to all types of gamers and not geared to a specific slice of the audience. We made our defaults easy for new players to have fun with, but we included a vastly customisable game experience so that our hardcore fans can tweak to match their personal style. And our ESRB rating is actual 'Teen', not 'Mature', so we think the risk is reduced.
JB:Very few FPS titles have 'nailed' Wii remote controls. How do you think controls for The Conduit compare to those of other games on the system? Will there be an option to play using traditional control?
DP: One of the game pillars of The Conduit has always been to set the standard for FPS games on the Wii. In order to do that we had to examine every other FPS on the market; from Halo to Medal of Honor Heroes 2, we played everything on every platform that we could find. Once we had learned how others did it, it became apparent that no one had been able to make every gamer happy. So we asked ourselves, "How can we do that?" The answer is our customisable controls.
As for the traditional controls, we feel that the term "traditional controls" doesn't mean good controls. We wanted to let players play their way, not some way that the hardware manufacturer or designer thinks is the best. There is simply no other game that is going to allow you to customise your experience like The Conduit.
JB: Demonstrations for the game have shown a fantastic number of customisation features. Can you give us some insight into these user-options?
DP: We realized early on that players on the Wii like different things so we developed a system that allows players to adjust nearly everything they can think of. We allow you to remap your controller layout, adjust the sensitivity of your Wii Remote, tweak the dead zone/bounding box, and even let you rearrange the placement of your HUD elements. The Conduit is the only game on the Wii set up to be adaptive to your personal play-style.
JB: The game looks fantastic! How has the Wii's hardware helped or limited the design and art direction? What made you go with a futuristic, sci-fi design?
DP: Thank you, we are extremely proud of what our Advanced Technology Group and the development team have been able to accomplish. Since very early on, they have impressed us with their dedication to high graphic fidelity without forcing us to sacrifice gameplay.
As to the setting, we wanted to have the game take place in the near future but we wanted high powered weaponry that would showcase our technology. We also had a very solid story that was filled with conspiracies and government cover-ups. All of this and more were what led us to choose the sci-fi setting and we hope that when gamers have the chance to play the game that they will appreciate how we tied everything together.
JB: What sorts of environments can players explore? Will there be a large array of multiplayer maps? What about a map editor?
DP: We have eleven different environments in our Single Player campaign, allowing people to explore landmarks like the White House, the Library of Congress, and even the Pentagon. We also have seven different multiplayer maps.
As for the map editor, this was a feature that we would have loved to include but simply couldn't.
JB: Online play seems to be a huge draw for the game, and with a majority of shooters having comprehensive online play in the last four or five years how have you approached taking the game online?
DP: We've been working closely with Nintendo to maximise their process in our online offering, creating such advantages as exchanging Friend Codes while in the lobby of Friend games and making use of the Wii Speak peripheral. We also have worked to provide some unique Conduit-style gameplay in the more traditional game types. In the end, we think that our multiplayer will give legs to The Conduit for years to come.
JB: Aside from competitive play, will there be co-operative, tournament modes, and leaderboards, etc., since these are the basics of a modern shooter on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3?
DP: These are all features we wanted for The Conduit but just didn't have time for. We worked very hard to provide the best multiplayer game experience possible. When the time came to polish or add new features, we decided to polish and place these features on the 'future game' list. We never remove features from the list of things to do, so there is no telling what may happen in the future.
JB: Other shooters have allowed for additional maps, modes and equipment to be downloaded. Will this be included in The Conduit?
DP: Unfortunately, DLC will not be a part of The Conduit. We agree that the feature is a great one and we certainly appreciate Nintendo giving it to us, but the technology just came out too late for us to take advantage of it. I do want to say that we really like the feature and look forward to playing around with it in the future.
JB: How restrictive / relaxed have Nintendo been in online design? For example, can friends from public matches be added to friend lists without much hassle?
DP: Nintendo has been willing to work with us in a lot of ways and while they haven't always let us do what we would like, they have been very supportive overall. Their current guidelines do not allow for exchanging Friend Codes in public matches; however, if you join a Friends game and there are players in that you do not have codes for, we have been allowed to allow these 'friends of friends' to exchange codes right there during the lobby. It's a good solution and one that we are very happy to have included in the game.
JB: How will Wii Speak be used? Will there be public voice/text chat available, or will it be limited to friend play only?
DP: Wii Speak is only used for multiplayer play. During Free for All games, players can hear the closest other players around them. In team-based game types, they can hear their entire team. Wii Speak usage is restricted to Friend games, but you'll be able to hear non-friends as long as you are all friends of the host.
JB: The game has had an overwhelming response from gamers around the globe - are you concerned people are getting a bit too excited about it?
DP: We are honoured by the response the game has received. Truly, thank you to all those that have supported us throughout the development of this game. With any game with a high hype level, there are concerns of living up to the hype. To mitigate that though, we tried very hard to show off the game to gamers as often as possible. We then gathered their feedback, implement their feedback, and then went and showed it off again. This non-traditional method of developing has allowed us to share a very special relationship with the gaming community and one that we hope to continue well into the future.
JB: If The Conduit becomes popular enough, the obvious question has to be will there be further Wii editions? It would be a huge waste to leave such a quality-looking engine! Would it be tempting to squeeze more sales out by porting to other formats eventually?
DP: Trick questions! Seriously, though, we love working on the Wii and we are very proud of The Conduit. However, we are just getting started. Already, we have some amazing new technology and we are looking to exploit that tech in our next round of original games. Right now though, we just want to concentrate on getting our game into the hands of the gamers.
As to porting the game to the other platforms, I wouldn't say it would be impossible but it would be very difficult. We built our Quantum3 technology and gameplay around the Wii hardware. Graphics aside, there are things that the Wii can do that the other consoles simply can't. So I won't say no to a port, but I will say that it would not be as simple as you may think. We are a very diverse company and our technology never sits idle...who knows what the future will bring.
JB: How about the Nintendo DS? Do you think your team could viably create a version of The Conduit onto the portable, making good use of the touch-screen controls?
DP: I won't deny that is something being discussed, but we have no plans for a DS version of The Conduit at this time.
JB: So all in all, what do you feel makes The Conduit different from the numerous other first person shooters out there?
DP: There is so much. First and foremost, it is on the Wii and it is not a World War II shooter. The intuitive, precise control system utilizes the Wii's motion sensing capability instead of the boring dual analogue solution found in many other FPS games. The insane amount of customisation is of a level that has never been seen on a console game before. The ASE (All-Seeing-Eye) allows us to break up the run-and-gun play with puzzle elements not often seen in FPS games. I could go on, but there have to be some surprises, right?
JB: Thanks for your time, and best of luck with the game's release and future projects!
* * *
A huge thanks to the folks at SEGA, High Voltage and C3's Mike Mason for arranging the interview.
Excited about The Conduit?
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Disaster: Day of Crisis is terrible...
1088
L53 Yoshi
I don't want to sound mean, but we already knew most of those things!
Previously on cubed3...
2228
L72 Samus
Great interview! 
This is currently my most wanted Wii game. The online exchanging of friend codes sounds the same as Mario Kart Wiis.
Xbox Gamertag = WPstartX2 - PSN ID = IfritXVII WiiCode = 8356 8529 3800 6481
This is currently my most wanted Wii game. The online exchanging of friend codes sounds the same as Mario Kart Wiis.
Xbox Gamertag = WPstartX2 - PSN ID = IfritXVII WiiCode = 8356 8529 3800 6481
feeling Fragile.
2038L72 Samus
Really nice interview.
I'm getting this game for sure. Even if it isnt very good, they clearly have the right attitude and are respectfull of their audience.
They could become a VERY strong developer as their skill increase and they refine their assets. (the biggest of which is their Wii engine....probably the best engine on the Wii at the moment).
"There is so much. First and foremost, it is on the Wii and it is not a World War II shooter"
Darkflames Favorate Games! - Darkflames Favorate Films! - Darkflames Favorate Foods?!
Dissagree with me?
Make your own reviews at;
www.rateoholic.co.uk : Reviews for anything, by anyone.
I'm getting this game for sure. Even if it isnt very good, they clearly have the right attitude and are respectfull of their audience.
They could become a VERY strong developer as their skill increase and they refine their assets. (the biggest of which is their Wii engine....probably the best engine on the Wii at the moment).
"There is so much. First and foremost, it is on the Wii and it is not a World War II shooter"
Dissagree with me?
Make your own reviews at;
www.rateoholic.co.uk : Reviews for anything, by anyone.
473
L34 Keese
U ignored my questions. Fair enough but these questions have been asked over and over to be honest. its like reiteration city.
Little king's story = awesome!
324
L27 Akuma
JB: So all in all, what do you feel makes The Conduit different from the numerous other first person shooters out there?
DP: There is so much. First and foremost, it is on the Wii and it is not a World War II shooter.
DP: There is so much. First and foremost, it is on the Wii and it is not a World War II shooter.
Endless Ocean 2 Adventures of the Deep - review now live!
12187
News Editor
JB: How about the Nintendo DS? Do you think your team could viably create a version of The Conduit onto the portable, making good use of the touch-screen controls?
DP: I won't deny that is something being discussed, but we have no plans for a DS version of The Conduit at this time.
DP: I won't deny that is something being discussed, but we have no plans for a DS version of The Conduit at this time.
That was one of my Qs
Had a feeling they'd be tempted to go the DS route considering the market's wide open in that genre...
Star system fixed - sorry about that - thanks guys! J
14623L100 C3 Master
True there were a few questions missed out, and a majority of it has been said before - but good to know it's shaping up well, and good to hear from another member of the team also.
Looking forward to it, especially the online side of things!
Looking forward to it, especially the online side of things!
Thinking vinyl kicks ass
215
L21 Shy Guy
Am I the only one with a man-crush on this guy after reading this interview? 
Your drill is the drill that will pierce through the heavens!! 347
2277L72 Samus
Good interview, I hope the game lives up to the hype, I mean if it was rated on Hype alone I think it'll get 10/10(or near enough). I hope it turns out to be a 9/10 game, the last time I saw this much hype for a game (on the Wii) was SSBB, but atleast this time, I don't think we know everything that's in the game yet, so that's a good thing, I don't think it'll be over-hyped that way.
feeling Fragile.
2038L72 Samus
I\'m actualy expecting a 8/10.
I think 9/10 is optimistic...its a new developer doing a massive project above and beyond what much bigger developers are on the system.
But for me a 8/10 from a developer trying their hardest is better then a 9/10 from someone thats clearly not. (Reason: Because the 8/10 developer will get better and better, then ones not trying will never get better even if they start of better).
( Edited 10.05.2009 00:19 by Darkflame )Darkflames Favorate Games! - Darkflames Favorate Films! - Darkflames Favorate Foods?!
Dissagree with me? Make your own reviews at;
www.rateoholic.co.uk : Reviews for anything, by anyone.
I think 9/10 is optimistic...its a new developer doing a massive project above and beyond what much bigger developers are on the system.
But for me a 8/10 from a developer trying their hardest is better then a 9/10 from someone thats clearly not. (Reason: Because the 8/10 developer will get better and better, then ones not trying will never get better even if they start of better).
( Edited 10.05.2009 00:19 by Darkflame )
Dissagree with me?
Make your own reviews at;
www.rateoholic.co.uk : Reviews for anything, by anyone.
Pube Sack - The testicle pokemon, it will stiffen it's sack when frightened
951
L51 Knuckles
I predict a 7.8246246835643236432464/10
^^Click for a wallpaper version^^
^^Click for a wallpaper version^^
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