Free Radical interview is both free and radical
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Apr 2nd 2007 at 2:28PM }
Edge has an interview up with Free Radical co-founder Karl Hilton (no relation, we hope) where he discusses enemy AI, game design, and what it's like developing games in the marketplace right now. Particularly eye-opening is the fact that when they developed GoldenEye, their team was about as dozen people. These days, they consist of about 100 people, which is quite a step up in manpower.
The most interesting quote comes when he's asked about the full time scriptwriter they have working there. Hilton says, "The success of the Wii has showed how unimportant writing is to a huge chunk of the games market – and that market sector is growing." We'd have to disagree with that. Sure, you don't need a huge screenplay to make Wario Ware: Smooth Moves fun ... but those explanation screens that show you how to do each new move with the controller are extremely well written and funny. Now, if they could just hire Tom Stoppard to rewrite Cooking Mama.
They don't drop any new info about Star Wars Battlefront III, but he does talk about HAZE a bit, and it's worth checking out. They also just celebrated their 8th birthday on Friday, which practically makes them wise adults in the game development world.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
miles foreman @ Apr 2nd 2007 2:57PM
Yes, because someone who plays on their Wii is obviously an enemy to the torturous, ameteur meanderings you call a game script...
Seriously though, when you've got the next Bukowski writing for your games, I'll shut up. You're designing Star Wars Battlefront 3 for fuck's sake.
Jake @ Apr 2nd 2007 3:05PM
Miles,
He is talking of the slew of Wii games that basically don't even have a story. WiiSports, WarioWare, and Rayman were all fairly successful with no story or attempt at one. He isn't talking about games that have a story or try to have one and just aren't very good.
GCNH87 @ Apr 2nd 2007 3:06PM
Free Radical's birthday is one day before mine? coolness
I hope they work on another TimeSplitters game soon, gotta love 'em! With all the hard drive space for 360 and PS3, their level edititors can get some major upgrades. Some thing like the RED Editor would rock!
Rubang B @ Apr 2nd 2007 4:07PM
Wii Sports didn't have a story, and neither does Kororinpa: Marble Mania, Monkey Ball, or Wii Play, but Wario Ware has a very loose story about finding the form baton, and then each character has their own wacky adventure, and Rayman definitely has a story. It's called Gladiator. Red Steel also had a story, but I think it's from an alternate script of Showdown in Little Tokyo.
If these guys make a game with an amazing story, count me in, but didn't they already say they're too cool to make games for the Wii?
Ken @ Apr 2nd 2007 4:24PM
Yeah, I don't think they're one to talk.
I mean, sure, Timesplitters was amazing. But how was the story for that?
And they made Goldeneye? They have a script already for it, it's called the movie.
They made Star Wars: Battlefront? Hmm. Script already for that too. Please, don't bash stories in games unless you yourself have made an awe-inspiring one.
Still think you guys rock! Just stop acting like douche-bags.
RT @ Apr 2nd 2007 4:40PM
Jeez, his whole point was that he didn't know how the market would change and whether screenwriting would be important in games or not. He even ends it with "In short: ask me again in ten years." Did anyone yelling at him even read it?
dklancer02 @ Apr 2nd 2007 5:03PM
These guys made Second Sight, which had an interesting and twisty story about psychics.
Its saddening that most people don't know about it though, it was a damn good game. I imagine it's pretty cheap now too.
miles foreman @ Apr 2nd 2007 5:29PM
Why does every game need a storyline? The reason I called him out is that he seems to intimate that the market is showing that games need to be simple and lack any narrative. That's just not the case. The Wii is sucessful (he even says this) because it was able to draw in a range of people who never would have considered themselves "gamers" before.
If anything, he should be pleased as punch. Does he honestly think that the people who've now been exposed to gaming are going to just sit there playing minigames all day? They're going to want to see what else is out there, just like the rest of us.
"Ask me in 10 years." It's rubbish. Games today are the same as they were 10 years ago. The only difference has always been budget and technology.
Fallout was released 10 years ago. No game has even come close to replicating the experience that game created. He needs to shut the fuck up and get his script writer pumping out shit other than the latest FPS drivel.
mattclarkie @ Apr 3rd 2007 9:56AM
Try making a new TimeSplitters in the vain of 1 and 2, Future Perfect was awful in my opinion. And yes that was the one I think had a story, or attempt at it. I love FPS where you have run 'n' gun levels, but Future Perfect moved away from that. I am not saying a FPS mustn't have a story, but TimeSplitters worked better without it, or meeting a future/past self.