Interplay Unannounced MMORPG Interview
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Less than a month ago, Hervé Caen surprised us all by announcing that Interplay was restarting in-house development and had hired none other than Fallout and Troika legend Jason D. Anderson to head their first project. At the time of this interview, Interplay's MMO is officially unnanounced - though everyone assumes it is a Fallout MMO - and thus could not be discussed directly. Still, we were able to pin Jason down for some questions about his return to the video game industry, his MMO philosophy, and what we might expect from the game. Here we go: GB: Tell us a little about yourself. What have you been up to since Troika closed?
Jason: Once Troika shut down, I took a (much needed) vacation. 10 years in the game industry is a good haul, and it was time for a little break. I spent a few months overhauling my house, remodeling the kitchen and baths, removing the sound room that was in my garage, replacing a balcony, stuff like that. Then I sold it and moved to Phoenix where both my wife and I have family (and housing was much, much more affordable).
I enjoyed working on our last house so much that I bought and fixed up another old house - this one was totally trashed and it took about 3 months of rehabbing to make it livable again. I grew up doing construction, and it felt great to do physical labor again. Game development is very bad for the body. Sitting on your butt all day and eating out at least one meal a day just doesn't work over the long haul.
Then this past spring I designed and built my own swimming pool and spa along with all of the hardscape and landscaping in our rather large backyard. I researched all of the city codes and permits, pool construction techniques and options, learning a ton along the way. Then I drew up all of the plans, contracting out the heavy construction work but taking care of a lot of the smaller details myself. In the 105+ heat I dug out and poured the footer for a 150 foot retaining wall and then built it. I'm pretty sure my subcontractors thought I was insane and couldn't figure out why I wasn't hiring cheap labor to do it - but being unemployed, I'm pretty sure I was the cheapest labor I could find. :) My wife, a couple of nephews and I built and installed all of the rock work, waterfalls, tile and fiber optic lighting. It was a lot of hard work, but very rewarding, especially when you live in Phoenix, where a pool is so very, very nice to have in the summer.
We also homeschool our three daughters, and I've kept busy designing curriculum for them and spending time working with them on their education, which is a reward in itself. Plus - how many people get the chance to spend a couple of years of quality time with their kids? Not very many. The time off has been very rewarding.
GB: How did you end up back at Interplay?
Jason: Even though I have been away from the game industry for the past couple of years, I have kept in contact with people. Hervé has wanted to do this project for a long time, but has not been in a financial position to move forward. He and I have been talking about it for nearly a year and he has worked steadily to get the project up and running. I have always felt that it was one of the few projects that could entice me back into the game industry. I am very happy to finally get a chance to work on it.
GB: Wasn't there any temptation to join your old Troika colleagues Tim Cain at Carbine Studios or Leonard Boyarsky at Blizzard Entertainment?
Jason: The answer to that question is both yes and no. I actually entertained the idea of working at both studios. But when I tried to get in with Leon over at Blizzard, it was obvious that his project lead and I just didn't click. And I never really got around to pursuing Carbine.
Being partners with someone can closely be related to a marriage. Tim, Leon and I were tied together through Troika for 7 years, for better or for worse. Much of those 7 years were spent under a lot of stress with constantly looming milestone deadlines, stressful publisher relations and the constant worry that our project would be canceled or that we wouldn't be able to find a new contract and would have to let all of our employees go (which is ultimately what happened). And while we had a lot of good times, there is also a lot of baggage leftover from Troika.
When Troika fell apart, we drifted a bit. We still talk and get together for lunch every once in a while, but not as much as we used to. I certainly would like to work with them again someday.
GB: What does it feel like to head into a new project after a couple years of retirement from game development?
Jason: I would have to say that enthusiasm is the predominant feeling I have been having. In the 2 years I have been away, I have had time to reflect on what things in the game industry made me happy, and what things made me miserable. I have made a decision to really try and capture what I love about the industry.
The past 2 years have also given me the chance to get back to playing games and BE a gamer again. They have allowed me to look at things with fresh eyes and to actually play games just for the joy of it. I have regained the enthusiasm I had when I first entered the game industry and I am so thankful for it.
Having fun playing games is something many people take for granted, but it is all too easy to lose when you are up close in the industry. When you are in the thick of creating a game, you lose your objectivity while playing other games. You have a tendency to pick them apart, judging the developer's design decisions, art, sound and every little thing. You actually miss out on a lot of the fun of the game because of it - you can't just enjoy the game.
It is no secret that some people who have been in the game industry for a long time become jaded and lose the passion they once felt for creating games. A lot of this shows up as negative or defeatist attitudes. There are plenty of developers out there that aren't even excited about the project they are working on. Negativity like that can become cancerous and stifles the production of a game.
As I am interviewing potential employees for Interplay, I am not only taking a hard look at people's skills, but at their overall attitude on game making and the gaming industry as well. I am very interested in people with a "we can do it!" attitude - something you see much more of at small development houses and top-rated companies like Blizzard. I am trying to put together the best hand-picked team I can so that we can create a really great game. Pessimists need not apply.
GB: Just to clarify as there is some confusion - are you working on an unannounced MMO that isn't Fallout Online?
Jason: Interplay is working on one MMO. It has not been "formally" announced, so I am not able to talk about it yet.
