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The Next "Next Tetris"
An Interview With Don McClure from Digital Element
Source: nuon-dome.com
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A new, improved "Next Tetris"
is on the way.
[NUON-Dome] - Today we're happy to have the opportunity to talk with Don
McClure, President of Digital Element, Inc and producer of both the OEM and
upcoming versions of The Next Tetris for NUON. Thanks for joining us today,
Don.
[Don McClure] - Thanks for having me, Kevin. It's a pleasure to be here.
[N-D] - Let us know a little about yourself - how you got involved with
video games and what other projects you've had a hand in.
[DM] - Well, Kevin, I've actually been lucky in that I've done a little bit of
everything. I started as a tester at SSI working on the old Dungeons and
Dragons -Gold Box- Games - Pool of Radiance for the Mac, Curse of the Azure
Bonds for the PC and C64. I ended up being mentored by some of the industry
greats like Mike Mancuso and Graeme Bayless.
I then worked as an interactive writer/ designer for the Darksun Series. I
actually got a chance to lead the first year of design for one of the first
Massively Multiplayer RPG's - Darksun On-line.
I went to Dynamix and worked on Red Baron 2, MissionForce : Cyberstorm, A10
Silent Thunder and a host of Sierra games as an Associate Producer / Designer.
My first Director/Producer role was for Uprising for the PC. It is a Quake/RTS
hybrid product by Cyclone Studios.
Daniel Lucas from Blue Planet Software approached me with the offer of
producing Tetris and other family games. I was very interested in making games
that crossed gender and age boundaries, so I jumped at the chance.
When I founded Digital Element last year, it was a natural that I kept doing
Tetris titles for VM Labs, as I already had some experience developing for the
system and had been working with Tetris for years.
"...you'll also see much improved
graphics, which get away from a
[direct port from] the PSX..."
[N-D] - What are the goals of Digital Element on the NUON platform? How did you
become involved with NUON development?
[DM] - Digital Element wants to make games that really take advantage of the
DVD-game hybrid. We're considering a section for Tetris, which is very similar
to the additional features you might find on a movie DVD.
[N-D] - The general consensus on the OEM version of 'The Next Tetris' (the one
you get for free with the Toshiba SD2300) is that it's visually disappointing
and could make better use of the NUON processor. What are your thoughts on this
and can you provide any insight into what developing this version of TNT was
like?
[DM] - I came into The Next Tetris in the middle of the project. It was clear
we needed several months to redevelop the game. Those were several months we
just didn't have. We learned a lot over the course of making that product and
I'm glad we're discussing getting the chance to incorporate what we now know
into a new version of Tetris.
To VM Labs' credit, people like Scott Hunter really went the extra mile to
get us up to speed on how to use the processors correctly. They personally
went in and looked at AnimaTek's code - which helped a lot. Blue Planet
Software was providing the design and the management, and AnimaTek
International the programming.
[N-D] - We know there's a retail version of The Next Tetris in the works. Will
it be improved over the OEM version and what, if any, improvements will be made
to gameplay, graphics and sound? What about the sorely missed 2-player option ?
[DM] - When the framerate bumps up, you'll see gameplay improve dramatically. I
think you will also see much improved graphics, which get away from a [direct
port from] the PSX and really make forays into the kind of high-end CG you
expect to see on a DVD player. With sound, we are still working with VM Labs to
secure music that fully utilizes what the Nuon is capable of. There will be
2-player.
[N-D] - Any plans for Internet-play in TNT or other future projects on NUON?
What about memory card support?
[DM] - We would love to support memory cards and look into Internet play. I
think with this version we will choose our battles and make sure we make
a beautiful product the implementation of which fits into a real schedule.
"We are designing an original title for
the system that is uniquely Nuon."
[N-D] - What do you think of NUON? What has it been like producing a game on
this hardware?
[DM] - The system itself is the most logical set-top box in the world. It
integrates perfectly into a home entertainment system and is very easy for
new users to get into. Just taking a look at some of the racing games as
well as Tempest ; you can see the kind of power you are working with. I think
developers are just scratching the surface both in terms of making an immersive
game and making original titles that work for the Nuon that would not work for
other platforms. Those games are out there and all we need to do is figure them
out.
[N-D] - Do you plan on having anything on display at E3 this year?
[DM] - Unfortunately, no. It's premature to be showing our labor of love off
just yet.
[N-D] - Looking past the retail version of TNT, what are Digital Element's
future plans for NUON?
[DM] - We are designing an original title for the system that is uniquely Nuon.
For us, that means highlighting the fact that it's a DVD player, the fact that
many of our users are brand new to computer gaming, and that fully utilizes the
immersive sound and video possibilities. I am keeping the curtain closed as to
what that title might look like.
[N-D] - Anything you'd like to say to NUON-Dome readers, in closing?
[DM] - Well, I'd like to thank anyone that has made it this far through the
interview for their attention. We're happy to be working with VM Labs to try to
bring a newer version of Tetris to the Nuon.
[N-D] - I'd like to just say thanks again for taking time to answer some
questions and letting us have some insight into TNT and NUON development.
[DM] - Thank you, Kevin. I look forward in providing an update once there's
more to say.
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