Here the PlayStation Web site talks to the people who designed and built Medievil...
Katie Lea - Level Mapper[]
- Education: Art Foundation & Art at Cardiff University
- Joined Millennium/Sony: 1993
- Favourite Drink: Ribena
- Previous Jobs: Mapper for Vectordean
- Favourite Task: Texturing
LEVEL MAPPING[]
What is a Level Mapper?
It's quite a vague title but it means that I position all the enemies, energy pickups, money pickups etc. I also set up quite a lot of the spy cameras, chase cameras. . . various different types of cameras. I also place collision perimeters which govern where the player is allowed to walk and also keeps enemies out of places they're not supposed to go. . .
So it kind of moulds the level together?
Yes, the artist's actually responsible for building the level models and I place the things that go in it, under guidance from Jason who actually designed the individual levels. I get input from everyone in the team about where characters and items in the game should actually go.
How do you physically place them?
We have a big graphical interface. I use a Silicon Graphics machine to do mapping and use an in-house mapping tool that's called 'Mappy'. I load in the model and then I've got little markers to position them. I've got a little zombie model for example and I change any extra settings that need calibrating like doors to cells which might have certain requirements to open. . . that kind of thing.
So it's a re-usable software tool?
Yeah. It was used on Frogger as well and on Beast Wars. It's the basic interface, but it's got different kinds of plug-ins for different projects. It exploits things differently for different projects and I think it's being used by some of SCEE London's in-house teams as well.
Did you find it was hard to be the only mapper in between teams of artists and teams of programmers?
I'm actually part of both teams. I have to do a lot of work with the artists because I do some model texturing. I also have to work closely with the programmers when I position the entities they have programmed. So I've kind of been the bridge between the two.
ARTIST OR PROGRAMMER?[]
So what is your background? Artist? Programmer? Marketing?
Well, actually I have an artistic background. It started off at school where art was my strongest, then I went on to do an art foundation course and I started off doing an art degree at Cardiff but left halfway through. And then I just kind of fell into the games industry.
I was friends with Chris [Sorrell, Producer of MediEvil] and one evening I was just sitting around waiting for Chris to finish, I'd played all of the games in the office, so he suggested I had a go at level mapping and off I went. This was at Vectordean. I started on a 3-month contract working on James Pond 3 doing the level mapping.
What did you work on first?
Well, first of all I started working from home doing scripting for a few projects and then I moved in-house and I worked on Deadline, Silverload and Scroll.
Mapping?
For Scroll I was event scripting. This was an RPG and very screen based. I did a very basic kind of programming: 'the player goes here and this happens'. My job title at this time was 'development assistant' which meant I got to do quite a lot of different things. On Deadline I was setting up, on Silverload I was helping one of the programmers, Gary Richards, with a lot of the basic setting up of things. This was using C, but I didn't know it very well. . . it was just cutting and pasting, setting up animations and rooms in the game.
DOWN ON THE FARM[]
What do you do when you aren't level mapping?
Play games. At the moment I'm playing Alundra. I can't wait for the next one. Another favourite is Castlevania.
What's the first one you really got into?
I first started getting into games when my brother got an Amiga. I think the game was Rodland or something like that. I really liked it. It was just funny little fairies going round.
Did you fight each other to get on the machine?
We used to have a lot of 2-player games so it wasn't too bad. My brothers were younger then me so it wasn't too bad! I didn't get into games as early as a lot of other people seem to have done though.
So, if you stopped level mapping what would you do for a job?
Maybe something on the Internet, web page stuff, I like that. I like things that have got a slightly artistic bent but have also got quite a lot of technical knowledge as well, so you can combine the two. This is why games are perfect for me. Anything else has got to be something that is quite changeable so I'm not doing the same thing over and over again. When I was little I used to want to be a farmer.
Did you look at someone on a tractor and think 'that could be me'?
No, I think it was that I used to like cows. . .
Are you a country girl?
I was brought up in Chesterfield in England which is an industrial town but we used to go on holiday to farms - where my parents would rent out a cottage.
MEDIEVIL[]
So it's pretty good then?
I've done so many little bits and pieces so on the whole I'm really quite proud of the game. One of my favourite parts of the game is actually the last level coz I think we've got some really cool looking enemies and it's really fun to play and funny too. . . it's really, really funny.
Which bit was the worst - the one that you had to keep re-doing to get right?
Probably setting up the cameras. You can never make everybody happy so you do one version and that's cool until someone turns round and says 'oh I don't like that'. So I guess I go round in a circle a lot of the time trying to keep everyone happy and not keeping everyone happy.
They don't give you too much stick then?
Oh, I get lots of stick. People are always coming up to me going 'Oh Katie can you do this, can you do that'. My monitor's normally covered in Post-it notes.
Do you give some back?
Only when it's late at night and I'm dead tired and want to go home.
How long does it take to map a level in MediEvil?
Initially it takes about a week just to set up the camera, build the collision and initial placement of enemies but it gets re-made so many times, it's difficult to say.
So you're still working on it?
Oh yeah, fixing various things, we are changing things all the time.
Do you work on different levels every day, simultaneously?
Yeah. So it's quite hectic. For the artists it's more clear-cut when a task is complete, but for the programmers and me, it's less specific.
It's got to be worth it though.
The feedback has been good. We just hope the reviewers like it. You never can tell, they either love things or hate them.
CROSS-DRESSING[]
Somebody was telling us about Matt doing weird stuff?
You mean the cross dressing? He only does it for a laugh - he doesn't do it every time he goes out somewhere.
What is it, a stockings thing?
Well he's got striped stockings, he's got various skirts and dresses. He recently bought a long silver dress. You can imagine how he looks with his hair as he's not a petite boy is he?
PINHEAD[]
What's your favourite genre?
I like a lot of different types of games - probably some kind of action game, but I like platform-type things and puzzle games. My favourite game of late has been Resident Evil 2. Really cool. I am a big horror fan.
So you like horror films as well?
Oh yeah. I love horror films. Hellraiser is my all-time favourite film.
I've never seen that.
It's about a magic puzzle box. It's gory. It's had quite a lot of sequels but the first one is the best; Cenovites and Pinhead. I'd love to play a puzzle game head to head against Pinhead.
Jason Riley - FMV Artist[]
- Education: Art at Farnmouth College, UK
- Joined Sony/Millennium: 1993
- Born: Hinkley, Leicestershire, UK
- Previous Jobs: Digger (Amiga Game), Creatures, Silverload
CAMEL NIGHTS[]
What did you do before working here?
I was a book illustrator, I had just finished college in Farnmouth and I was just trying to make a living but couldn't, because there are so many illustrators out there. So I tried computers. At Farnmouth we did technical drawing and life science - taking animals apart, drawing the insides, looking at butterflies.
Ripping their insides out? Are you the one that takes the team's cuddly toy camel apart? I heard that someone cut the tail off at a Christmas party.
That's right. They dismembered Calvin the Camel. People have done all sorts to him. He survived it though. I've taken him on holiday. He had a good time.
Where did you take him?
I've taken him to Madeira and Greece. He's been to South Africa. Camels are meant to travel.
Not meant to sit there and have it's tail pulled off?
Yeah. It's got big floppy feet. They're there for a reason.
What's this story about the monkey?
That was the programmers. I've got nothing to do with that. I called it Chunky the Monkey and it just stuck.
DRAWING[]
How did you get to work here?
I just turned up here. I arrived with my portfolio - I had no computer experience whatsoever, and I came here entirely on the strength of my portfolio. And the management here said, "Right, you've got two weeks to learn D Paint". I had never touched a computer before. We had Apple Macs in college. But we hated them.
You thought that using computers wasn't doing 'proper' drawing?
Yeah. But I realised that computers were the way forward. They were taking over the easiest jobs. That's why we didn't like them. But now we know why - it's a production thing and it works incredibly fast. It's cheaper. So I had to join in.
So you had to put the paint down?
Yeah, I haven't put paint to canvas in two to three years.
So you haven't got this creative urge to. . .
All the creative juices get taken out during the day.
Do you rush around being a dramatic artist or are you down to earth?
I'm pretty down to earth. If I get uptight I take it out during kickboxing.
Have you always drawn?
Yes, almost since the age of six. I did not fit any standard. The teachers said "oh, Jason, his mind wanders in the classroom." But, I am an artist, I am different. I did not think I was going to work on games or these kind of animations. But I fell in love with the animation. It allows me to really see my images move while before they remained static. They become something else, it gives them life. I wanted to illustrate children's books, but now I just want to stay where I am. I am much happier as well.
MEDIEVIL[]
Has MediEvil got a lot of FMV?
It's got about fifteen minutes of it. And there are a couple of scenes that I would have liked to put in but as a last minute decision we decided not to because they didn't quite link in with the story. So we took them out. But it doesn't matter as the story is told better. The FMV is throughout the whole game. There's is a two-and-a-half minute intro that tells you what happens at the beginning. And within the next four to five levels there are about fifteen seconds of animation each. Then the story builds and the timeline of the FMV gets longer and longer and longer telling you more and more of the storyline and getting more exciting.
So there's a bit at the end, as well?
Yes, there's an outro as a reward that goes on for about two minutes. You don't get any FMV's if Dan dies. If he completes the game, there is the reward outro.
Which is your favourite bit of the game?
I like the ghost ship. I have always liked galleons and ships and stuff like that.
Coming from Leicestershire in the centre of the UK!
Yeah. Something you don't get to see very often where I come from. That's my favourite one. The galleon. The ghost ship. This bit happens almost at the end. It's a ship in the clouds and you also get to play it in the game as well.
Did you ever feel constrained working in a creative team?
It's good to get other people's opinions. I don't mind that at all. Sometimes it can be frustrating, but at the end of the day, we are all moving towards the same goal. If you only have your opinion it just doesn't work. There are probably a whole lot of people who disagree.
GAMES[]
So do you play games as an artist or a gamer?
Both really. I kinda like Crash Bandicoot 2. I like a lot of racing games, I like a fast game. I like the look of Command and Conquer, but my mind span just can't hack a computer game that lasts longer than fifteen minutes. It has to end in fifteen minutes.
Do you find that because you are a creative person , you can't just get on and enjoy playing them because you are always looking at them with a creative eye?
Precisely, I just look for the inspiration from films, books, comics. I do like to look at a wide variety of visual material.
TOOLS[]
What tools do you use for graphics?
Alias and Matador. I've got about three years knowledge of Alias. I would like to try some more software packages out, but Alias seems to be the main thing to use for development suites and stuff like that.
Have you not used Softimage?
I would love to have a go, because it has a better rendering engine. I am pretty impressed by the other tools on Softimage like the ray tracing. This means that you can have a suitable amount of reflections and refractions. And you can also have motion blur. Whereas in Alias, you can't get motion blur from ray tracer. You have to go into a ray caster, which is a cheaper rendering system.
BRANDY[]
What else do you do besides taking camels on holiday?
I do Thai boxing and circuit training. The circuit training I've only done over the past two years. When I first started, I didn't do any exercise and I thought "my body's losing it". So I decided to do some exercising. It clears my mind a little bit. And then I can come back and work better.
So you are Mr Healthy?
No. I still eat dodgy food, drink coffee but I don't smoke or drink too much. I only drink on special occasions. Every now and then. I drink shorts mostly. Brandy. No ice. Straight.
What kind of Brandy? Metaxa?
I drank a lot in Greece. It's like a medicine. I don't care about the brand, as long as it's pure Brandy. My father brought me cheap Spanish Brandy and I didn't like it.
Matt Johnson - Programmer[]
- Lives: Cambridge, UK (born Manchester)
- Education: Computer Science at Leeds University
- Joined MediEvil Team: February 1996
- Previous Jobs: Technology team at Millennium Interactive
- Nickname: Vileda Boy
VILEDA BOY[]
Is your hair real?
No, they're false hair extensions
How long have you had them?
Three months, but my real hair is only a few inches shorter. It looks really rocky 'cause it breaks really easy. Unless I kind of do something with it, it ends up being a bouffant.
Does it hurt?
Having this done? Yeah, they have to put it in really tight.
What did everyone else say when you came in with it like that?
I'd been threatening to do it for a while because I had wanted to do something with it for ages. They were all saying "Matty, don't do it. Don't do it" But in the end it just happened, so when I eventually came in with it. . . I got called 'Vileda'!
Is she a character in MediEvil?
No. Vileda is a brand name for a kind of cleaning mop. You know, the ones that 'get in all the corners' - there's loads of adverts for them. So I get called 'Vileda Boy' all the time.
CARNAGE[]
Why are you working in the Games Industry?
Because I've always loved games since I was a kid. The first game I ever played properly was Manic Miner on the Spectrum in the 80's. Ever since then I've been into games.
So you've been making games at home?
Yeah. And at university, I helped on a few projects on the Amiga that some other people were working on.
Did they really want your help?
Yes. I was writing stuff at home but of course, being a student, I did not have time to do something really serious. The first time, one of my friends made a cheap title called Carnage on an Amiga and learned that he had only two weeks to finish it, or "otherwise ...". He panicked and asked me "help me, I will not get there, it will not be finished, HELP ME". So we put two computers in his room and we finished the game. This is the first thing I was paid for and it was nice.
GIS A JOB[]
How did you end up working here?
When I finished college, I did a few bits of work at home for a while until my parents got in financial trouble and I needed a proper job.
"Get thee out of t'house and get thee down t'mine?"
That was exactly it. I didn't think that having a computer science degree would be enough to get me a decent position, so I spent a lot of time at home building up my portfolio. . . and it worked. I had a lot of offers. I must have gone to ten interviews and received five offers.
Who did you turn down?
One place near Birmingham which was like a ghost-town in the wild west; tumbleweed rolling down the streets. The atmosphere was like "GET ME OUTTA HERE."
Why do you like working in Games?
I like it because it's like really free and really challenging. You either love it or you hate it. I don't want to leave the games industry at the moment as it's really my scene.
GET SLASHED UP[]
What's your favourite game on PlayStation.
I really like Tempest X, it's an old arcade game.
No one's ever said they like that one before. Everyone says GT.
It's a terrible crime, but because I've been so busy at work, I haven't played it.
You've never even seen the game? THE racing game?
I've seen it. I've actually been given it by the company. I just haven't had the chance to play it yet. So it's just been sat there. It seems alright, but I'm not really into driving games.
What kind of game do you like?
I love shoot 'em ups, so all the arcade shoot 'em up / slash 'em ups.
Has any of that shoot 'em up violent streak gone into Medievil?
I always get accused of making my enemies too hard, so, maybe.
MEDIEVIL[]
Which bit of the game do you think about and say: "Yes, I'm really glad we put that in there. That's really made it worthwhile."?
Definitely being able to kill the rats.
. . .and the bit you sweated the most blood over?
Probably a level we call "the ghost ship". I did the original version of the level and James finished it off when he came in to the second pass. It's really unusual because it's got lots of original bits included that were quite tough to write because of technical problems. It's been quite a headache.
HYGIENE[]
So do you sleep in the office?
Yeah
It's you. I knew somebody had.
Yeah. It's me
What do you do about having a shower? Or do you not bother?
I get a wash. We have got fairly big sinks. I really dream about having showers here though. It would be really good.
I think that all games developers should have showers because everyone ends up sleeping at work.
When it comes to deadlines, with all the good intentions in the world, there's always one more thing that you end up wanting to put in before the deadline isn't there? It's just impossible to ever really do that on a schedule. You get to your deadline and you think "Oh my God, I should have done this", or people just keep having new ideas all the time. And you really want to make the best of what you're doing. You can't say "oh, well" and go home instead.
STIMULANTS[]
So, how do you keep awake?
I have a habit for being able to do that. When I go out clubbing on an all-nighter I can stay awake for ages without any artificial enhancement. Although, yesterday, as soon as we completed an urgent demo, I completely passed out.
Did you have to be carried home? I heard someone had to order a cab for you.
Yeah, that was me. The thing is they all left me. I woke up, and I was talking about what went right and what went wrong with the demo and it got more and more fantastic, until in the end I realised I was in a complete dreamland. And then I woke up, and a couple of hours had passed and all the screens were off and the office was deserted. . .
TAKE-AWAYS[]
Your favourite take-aways are?
I detest take-aways so much. It's got to the stage now where we are just desperately trying to find unusual things to eat. I went through a stage of deliberately not having any curries because I just couldn't stand them anymore. I've just about started to be able to eat them again. Pizzas are just like bread to me. Thai's kind of alright. Chinese isn't that bad at the moment, because we don't get Chinese all that much.
REST[]
What's your average working day?
It's a bit weird, 'cause there are up and down times. I went through times that were like really, really busy. At the beginning of projects and when we go through big upheavals, we can usually work from ten in the morning until ten in the evening.
Do you have to come in on the weekend?
Sometimes, yeah. We usually have to. Until seven or eight o'clock is usually standard. When it gets really bad, we go through the whole night and through the next day as well. It can be a bit monstrous.
What will you do when it's completely finished?
I rest.
You are not going on vacation?
No, I'm broke. I cannot afford a vacation. . . I think I'll go see most of my friends. Take a little time for me. Take a walk in the country, go to see friends in the north.
Nina Kristensen - Artist[]
- Education: Industrial Design at Australian University specialised in International Multimedia
- Joined Millennium/Sony: 1996
- Nationality: Australian
- Previous Jobs: Technical Drawing, Contracting
INVOLVEMENT[]
What did you actually do on MediEvil?
I worked primarily on constructing the maps, the levels, the environments that the guy runs around in. I worked with Mike Philbin on that. Between us we pretty much did the whole lot. What I did as well was animate some of the characters, the ants and the witches and the little hands, rats. . . little bits and pieces. . . Mr Organ is a strange little character that appears only once in the game and he's sort of a little secret. . . He just sits there and plays an organ, a bit ghostly and crazy-looking. . .
Is he on a particular level?
Yeah. He's in the desacrated church. . .
So he's got a secret?
Yeah, there's a little puzzle involving him.
Do you have to do it to get through the game?
No, it's a little option on the side.
Is that the part of the game you look at and think that's your part and you're really pleased with it.
Yeah, that's one of my favourite parts.
GRAVEYARD HASSLE[]
What's the bit you sweated most over - the bit you went over again and again. . . The most hassle?
The very first level I think has caused the entire team the most hassle. . . The graveyard.
Is that because it was the first level and you wanted it to be right?
It was the first level we made and it's gone through so many changes. You know, it was a sort of practice first time round so that one has evolved immensely. I hate it now! I'll be very happy if I never have to touch that level again.
But you're working on another project now so you're away from it.
Yeah, I'm working on a new project.
So in a few months you'll go back to it and look at it and it'll be alright.
Oh yeah, I enjoy playing it, I just don't want to have to alter it ever again.
WORKING DAY[]
What's your working day like when you are here? What do you actually do?
Come in. Usually I'd know what I'd be working on. Constructing a map or a character. Sometimes animation which is a really nice change. In the later stages of the project, the last few months, it's been a lot of time fixing so it's been quite monotonous and no longer exciting like the first few days by the fact that I've no artistic input any more. But at the start it was very exciting because you have a new map to build or a new character. . .
So you come in in the morning at about what kind of time - 9 o'clock or 10?
I'm at 10 o'clock. . .
Are you around till 6?
Yeah. Half six. . . unless something went wrong.
Late nights?
Very, very few. The art team is pretty sorted. Pretty under control.
You seem to be a normal person. . . ?
We work very well together, actually.
. . . !
Well, when it comes to work, yes. I am not an early bird.
NICE IS THE OPERATIVE WORD[]
Do you work here?
Well, in Cambridge.
So you drive down?
Yeah, I drive.
How do you find it?
Cambridge is a nice place to live. Nice is the operative word. It's not a very exciting place to work, but it's nice.
Is it the students?
No, it's not really the students. There's no nightlife beyond 11 o'clock, generally speaking.
Would you like to come down to London?
I really like London but obviously my job's here. . . This new project's very exciting for me. I've got a new job - lead artist on the project.
Lots of responsibility doing that?
Yeah, lots of responsibilities but a lot of fun too.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT[]
If you could do any job what would it be?
I'd probably have to be a sculptor, I think. Or something like that.
Do you like that?
Yeah, quite a lot.
Do you do it in your spare time as well?
I haven't done any for a very long time but I can see that I'm very lucky actually. I get to be very creative at work, which is nice.
So if you did not have your work here, would you probably be a sculptor?
Yes. Yes. I have to be creative. Luckily, I'm getting paid for it!
So this is the right job for you?
Yes, I like it here.
One thing about games is that most people seem quite happy about the job that they're doing. They might whinge about the company or something but the actual fact that they're being creative. . . Coming back to this now. . . What do you drink?
Is this about Colin?! . . . Poison, absolute poison. Vodka would be my spirit. Vodka lemon soda or something.
Mike Philbin - Artist[]
- Education: Art at College
- Joined Millennium/Sony: 1996
- Favourite Drink: Anything not Alcoholic
- Previous Jobs: Freelancing for graphics publications.
EXHAUSTED[]
How exhausted are you? Or are you quite calm today?
No, I'm okay.
So what did you do before you worked here?
Same thing for another company.
Who was that?
Software Creations up in Manchester.
What games did you work on when you were there?
Nintendo games.
And before you did that?
I had another life.
What did you do? Something exciting?
Freelancing for graphics publications.
Did you do art at college? Drawing and that.
Yeah, drawing.
And then you did some freelance?
Yep.
And where did you start doing it?
In St Helens.
Is that where you're from?
Yeah.
And do you live in Cambridge?
Yep
How did you get into computer games, What happened to you?
I needed a change of life and I learned how to use computers.
So you suddenly thought "aha"
Yep
And you were away?
Yep
KINKY IDEAS[]
What did you do on MediEvil?
All the levels alongside Nina Chritiansen. I modelled all the characters with her. Animated several characters just for a laugh. Some kinky ideas. And that's it.
That's it. That's quite good. What do you mean that's it?! Did you find that your characters were very much your creations or did they come from the team? How did that work?
All the maps and character designs are done by Jason Wilson. And then we discussed how to do them as models.
Did you find that that kind of stopped your creativity?
It was fine for this game.
When you say that they were mapped by him, did he create them?
Oh yeah, he sketched them out. And then it's a simple case of working out how a big, curvy object can become a nice sharp triangular object.
Do you like doing this kind of stuff?
It's a challenge. It's like, how the hell can you make something look good if you have only got triangles to work with?
So do you enjoy this a lot, or is there another, more creative job in games that you might like?
I'd like to enjoy myself, just having fun a bit more. The mental level.
I think there is something bubbling under there that you are not telling us. What is the best bit of your contribution here? Something that you were involved in and you said 'yes'?
I just like enjoyed getting the best out of the few polygon-based, real-time stuff. It was fun
GAME PARTS[]
Do you think that that is a really good part of the game
Yeah, it looks really good.
And what parts did you sweat the most blood over?
Some of the levels that went into the game that were quite tricky to construct. And there are a couple of characters in there that were difficult to animate.
Were there some that weren't in the game?
Yeah, there were supposed to be thirty-odd levels in the game
How many levels are there?
Twenty. Or so. So there's all that work and there are some characters too. . .
So is that a negative
No, it's better in the sense that you could have thirty sprawling levels that make no sense or twenty nice, tight levels that will make a good game. So that didn't hurt me at all.
Are you sure?
Yeah. I just sound sarcastic all the time. Sorry.
Is it a natural sarcasm?
Absolutely.
What software do you use?
All the software we use are SGO.
And how do you get along with Unix?
All right. I have a couple of commands up my sleeve.
NO MUCKING ABOUT[]
What time do you get up in the morning?
I'm in work for 9 o'clock. About half eight, 9 o'clock. I get home before 6. I like to be on time and on schedule basically.
So you just like to come in and do your work?
No mucking about. . .
What time is your lunch break?
Between 12 and half twelve. . .
Do you work weekends?
If I have to, yeah.
Do you not like doing it?
It's not a case of liking doing it, it's just that it has to be done. That's cool. I've not had too many.
Is that because you're very disciplined?
I like to be disciplined. . . Sort of.
Do you find it frustrating because other people are not as disciplined?
Er. . . no comment.
All right, fair enough. Are you a nightmare to work with?
Jesus!!
Are you a nightmare to work with?
Not at all! I can't speak for myself, can I? Because I'd say no. Only joking.
Are you one of those people who come in at 9 and think 'Why isn't everyone else in at 9!'? Are you like that?
Yeah, if I need something done.
BOOZE WISE[]
Do you drink?
Do I drink?
Yeah, what's your favourite drink?
Umm, booze wise? Well, I don't really drink.
No?? What's got into people?
Is that worrying or what?
It always amazes me that people don't drink anything!
Ermm. . . no, not really.
Not at all? Not on special occasions?
I certainly drink on special occasions, yeah.
What do you drink?
Erm, something that I'm not allergic to.
Oh really, have you got quite a lot of allergies?
Possibly. Certain things set me off so I avoid them…
Like what?
Like the classic lager. . . I think it's Kronenburg. . . does me in.
Really? I have a problem with Labbatts Ice. It makes me so ill. I can just drink like one of them and. . .
Yeah.
It's horrible - everyone thinks I'm hung over. Absolutely dreadful.
In the morning you're sort of going uhhhh.
Yeah, just from one. I mean it's not because I'm drunk. Obviously! But you know. You get that kind of reaction - where you think you might start sneezing and feel absolutely shit.
Yeah, all that
What sneezing?
It's just terrible. If you get the wrong drink it's like really bad.
ON THE RECORD[]
Do you feel pleased with MediEvil?
I'm pleased with my contribution towards it.
Yeah, that's what I mean
. . . Oh that's good. . . You can put that on the record if you want.
No, we'll put that in. . . so you won't be like 'oh my god, I said that' but you haven't really said much so we won't be able to say anything about you anyway.
Really? I thought I was going to be out of work today.
Were you hoping?
No
OK. All right then. . . Thanks very much.
Chris Sorrell - Producer (also programmer and designer)[]
- Education: Usual school qualifications, but (to the horror of my parents!) I left as soon as I could to pursue a career in games.
- Joined Millenium/Sony: July 1994
- Colour of Socks: Black… Like most of my clothes
JAMES POND[]
What do you do?
On MediEvil my official title is producer, but I was also responsible for the initial design concept. As the project progressed I became increasingly involved in its programming side too. By the end of the project this was the main thing occupying my time.
What's your background?
I've been working in games for about nine years now. I started off working for a small development company called Vectordean, in Derbyshire (where I grew up). There were only three of us to begin with and my initial work was as a graphic artist. After a couple of projects, I went on to the thing I really wanted to do, which was programming. After a simple conversion title, my first 'big' project was James Pond, for which I handled design, graphics and programming. James Pond 2 and 3 followed, before I left the fish behind and moved on to the PlayStation.
How old were you when you started making games?
From the time I was given my first computer (an Atari 400) when I was 11, I knew that I wanted to make games. Atari BASIC wasn't great for this however, so I moved on from the Atari to a Commodore 64. I taught myself assembly language, and spend all my spare time writing pieces of game and demo code (and creating fonts and sprites to use in these). By the time I had done my GCSEs and had by this time moved on to the Amiga, I took the first opportunity to leave school and take some practical steps towards my goal!
STANDARD IN POLISH[]
What games do you like to Play?
My favourite genres are action adventures, platform games, and action RPGs. There are some great examples of these genres on PlayStation - my favourites would certainly include Resident Evil 1 and 2. I also have a lot of admiration for the Crash Bandicoot games - they set a standard in polish and graphical quality that's quite remarkable.
When you designed Medievil, what area did you start with?
Its inspirations were the arcade classic Ghouls'n'Ghosts, and the art style of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. This set the look and feel for the game, which meant the next big step was to build up our gameplay and visual ideas, striving for a combination that would set the game apart from the crowd and make good use of the target platform.
At present, is it pretty much how you envisaged it?
Visually, it's certainly all I hoped it would be. On the design front, things have shifted away from the simple arcade feel to offer a more involved, quest based structure containing a real mix of gameplay styles, and certainly greater diversity in play than I had initially anticipated… It's certainly a more complex and larger scale project than I first envisaged!
How many people worked on the project?
The core team consisted of around 10 people, 4 programmers, 5 artists and 1 mapper but there have been a number of extra people working on the project at various times during development. In addition, our internal A/V team were responsible for all the music and sound effects, our technologies department offered general support, and several vital development tools, and our QA group provided all important testing and feedback, helping us to bring all the elements together. So, all in all it's been a pretty big project.
LATE NIGHTS[]
What was your working schedule like during Medievil?
Pretty crazy (or sad, depending how you look at things!)… Since December '96, I've worked pretty much every day including weekends, working late on most. Most of the core team have invested many long hours and late nights into the project.
My favourite time to work has been weekends. It's quiet, no other office duties to worry about, and a great chance to put some music on and get absorbed in some programming work, usually until four or five in the morning… Fortunately my girlfriend, being part of the team, has been very understanding of all this. We're looking forward to a nice break now things are complete!
What's the game's camera system like?
A big challenge of the game has been the camera, our goals being a system allowing the player the freedom to explore, offering a clear enough view to counter attacks from all sides, and allowing for cinematic and interesting views. We started with a purely spline based system (like Pandemonium, but with full 3d freedom). Unfortunately this proved to be rather inadequate for the game we wanted to make, and we lost quite a bit of time reworking things to enable a freeform 'chase' style camera. The final game uses a mixture of spline and chase camera styles, and I believe meets the initial goals pretty well, especially considering the complexity of the worlds it has to work within.
DIVERSITY[]
In the game what is your favourite part?
I'm really pleased with the diversity of the game - all the levels are very individual, both graphically and gameplay wise. There are also plenty of weapons and enemies, and so quite a few different ways that the player can tackle the game. Also, Medievil doesn't take itself too seriously - it has a sense of humour, offering some genuinely funny moments, something not often found in an action game.
If I had to name a single favourite part, it would have to be the final showdown with the evil sorcerer Zarok. This is a pretty unique blend of action, humour and wacky ideas that define the game very well, and should offer a few surprises to the player!
FORTY HOURS[]
How long do you think it will take to get through the entire game?
It's hard to say. We've got people in QA who know everything there is to know about the game and it takes them about four to five hours of solid play to get through. First time, it will take people a lot more than that, probably between twenty and forty hours.
James Busby - Programmer[]
- Education: Computer Science at Aston in Birmingham
- Joined Millenium/Sony: March 1996
- Most Unpleasant Experience: Sleeping in Office
BANK[]
Why did you go into games?
I've always liked games and I knew I didn't want to work for a bank.
What part of the game is your favourite?
The bit I'm kind of most proud of is the Stained Glass Demon the first boss, because I wrote him on my own.
What's the bit that you spilt the most blood over?
The collision between the enemies, that's been a complete nightmare, it's a lot more complicated than collision detection in most games and it's cool because we can use it to do cool stuff, like sticking projectiles on the enemies when they get hurt. On the other hand because it's complicated it can be a bit of a nightmare.
How's the geometry then?
That fine, MediEvil is very strong on that front in that we've got a lot of polygons in the enemies and that we've got a real 3D world, we don't use sprites at all whereas most games rely heavily on sprites.
SCARY[]
Is it scary?
In places.
Does it scare you?
Sometimes, because I get used to some of the levels because I've worked on them but other ones because of the way we split into little mini teams to do different areas, there is probably half of the game that I'm not that familiar with, like the content, the levels. I can play it and get surprised and sometimes a bit scared because I don't know what's coming even though I am working on the project, it's so big and there's so much in there that there is a lot of stuff I haven't seen.
EASY LIFE[]
What are your average working day hours like?
Two or three late nights a week and then one or two days a weekend
Did you know it was going to be like that when you went into games?
No, it is more than I expected really, I knew it was the kind of job where you kind of end up working more hours really because you feel that you want to.
The thing that annoys me most is everyone says "Oh you must have such an easy life, writing games must be so easy".
What's your favourite drink?
I don't drink much coffee, I don't drink many fizzy drinks, I drink water and I quite like a cup of tea, basically I'm not a caffeine drinker because it gives me a headache.
SLEEP[]
How do you stay awake?
I just don't get that tired really, I've always stayed up late ever since I was a little kid. I'd never go to bed so I'm just kind of used to it really.
Do you sleep in the office?
I have slept in the office, but not on this project. I found it was a really unpleasant experience getting woken up at five am by the cleaners coming round whacking me in the stomach with a vacuum cleaner, so no, I either work all the way through a night and then go home and sleep or I just go home and sleep.
Do you go home and drink yourself to sleep?
No, I don't drink a lot either.
CAMEL[]
Do you drink any alcohol at all?
I drink occasionally.
What's your favourite PlayStation game?
Gran Turismo, at the moment.
What is the camel story?
He's been around for years really, sort of the MediEvil mascot, he came with a chocolate bar's competition tokens and he's been taken on holiday to five or six places already now: - Cape Town, Greece, America a couple of times, etc.
Paul Donovan - Programmer[]
- Education: Computer Science, Warwick University
- Joined Millenium/Sony: Sept 1995
- Favourite Drink: Beer
PILOT[]
Why did you decide to work in games?
I don't know really I always wanted to be an airline pilot.
Is that your dream job then?
It was at one point, yeah. I actually went for an RAF flying scholarship, it wasn't actually to join the RAF, they would pay for you to fly. I passed everything, the medical, everything apart, from my eyesight.
Are you short sighted?
Yeah, so I couldn't do it. And when that happened I thought ah I'm not going to be a pilot.
24 HOURS[]
You could be a commercial pilot.
I could have been, yeah, but it also got to the point where they weren't recruiting anyone, so I went to university, computer science and decided I wanted to be a games programmer.
So you came straight here?
Yeah. I have always loved games since I was about ten or eleven and I think when I was at university I sort of decided that a lot of computing was incredible boring and the best bit of it would be the games. I had written games when I was a kid on my own.
When was the last time you went home?
I went home yesterday, for the first time in 24 hours, because we worked all day and all night Wednesday.
RED BULL[]
What's your average working day then?
Get in about quarter to ten, work to midday then have lunch, finish lunch at one and then work till about seven or eight in the evening, go home, eat, watch TV and go to bed. Although the last year we've been working till midnight twice a week and then obviously depending on what we're doing, like this week we're here every night till nine.
So do you drink Red Bull?
I drink Red Bull, but I don't drink that here I generally drink just Pepsi.
We've got a coffee machine downstairs that does espresso, I tried one of those at three in the morning and that's like ooh!
NEARLY DIED[]
What's your favourite drink?
Beer, I don't drink spirits anymore, because I've had bad experiences with spirits since I was about 18. Two years ago I nearly died drinking tequila and I don't know what else. It made me unconscious.
How many cartons of pizza boxes do you end up with?
We're sick of pizzas. Basically it goes pizza, Thai, curry, Chinese are the four things we have.
I bet you end up getting the same pizza every time as well?
Yes, I've worked out a set of Domino's toppings where it almost manages to not turn into a soggy mess! As for the Indian restaurant we get our food from, James always places the orders and they recognise him on the phone and say, "How are you", because we've ordered like twice a week for the past two years. I'm sick of pizza, not quite sick of curries yet.
So what was your favourite game when you were younger?
I can't remember really. I remember getting Elite on the Electron for Christmas, because it came out on the BBCB a few months before. it was in my stocking at Christmas and when we were playing that all Christmas and trying to dock before I got the docking computer and crashing. Then I moved my computer into the lounge, to play it there, because my parents were saying, "Don't hide in the room."
So now you're in games, there's no escape you're trapped here! What's your favourite bit about the game your working on?
The detail in the world. Medievil isn't based around height fields or grids, but allows for complicated, freeform geometry.
What bit did you spill the most blood over?
Collision detection. Because the level geometry doesn't follow a set of rules this was incredibly difficult to achieve effectively.
CHIMPS[]
What's your favourite game on PlayStation?
CastleVania or Gran Turismo, CastleVania I love even though it's a 2D sprite game. I love driving and driving games.
Who would you most like to play a PlayStation game with?
Probably, Cindy Crawford.
What's the story about the monkey?
Well, I don't know why but our group has got this obsession about chimps, they think chimps are very funny. We've always wanted to get one of those big chimps you can get in somewhere like Harrods.
Whenever someone does something wrong we all say, "well you're the chimp and we put the chimp on their desk for a few of hours, to signify that they've done something wrong."
What's the thing with the Camel?
That's James, he's had it since he started working here, I think it's one of those things you get in like packets of tea or something.
Whenever anyone goes on holiday they have to take him away with them. He's been to South Africa, etc. At the Christmas party he had his tail chopped off and sown back on again, so that's Calvin the Camel.