Ask the Developer: Black Rock Studio (PURE)

In reply to your question Shadowblind, from a track building process there was no difference.

The assets in the levels (detail in the models, texture sizes and amount placed in the worlds) are the same on all formats. Both games shared a single asset database.

The code team lead on the 360 at the very start of the game until we had something up and running. From then on though, both platforms were developed in parallel. Some of the art team would use PS3 and some would use 360. The leads would then check everything was running ok on both platforms from a visual and performance point of view. You should find both games look and run the same.

I can’t really speak for the code team as I should think there was a great deal of difference for them to deal with!

It was great having them both being developed at the same time. When you demo the game to the press you could just say “what platform do you want to see?”

Hi lewislite

A1 - We want to do a lot with the terrain next time round. It needs to be really rez’ed up. We want to add loads more detail to it so it feels and look more realistic. Plus a load of other things, but I can’t say just now!

A2 – That’s a good question. I’ll find out for you next week. That would be cool!

A3 – There is an Official PURE website. You can get to it from the main Disney website. Are you US or UK? If you are from the US there is a lot of community stuff on there now. The first PURE podcast has just been released this week. There is also a MySpace blog just gone live as well. More of my ramblings I’m afraid. Also, if you ask a question on the official site forum it will be me again :)

A4 – I’ll ask the QA manager for you.

A5 – I think we achieved everything we wanted to with PURE really. If we had more time then I guess Sony would have released support for Trophies in time for us. We would have included them as well. The timing was too late for us.

A6 – There is a freeride mode in online play where you don’t get respot so much. You still can’t go everywhere though. When you optimise a track you do it from all the visible places the player can get to. The more you give them the more you have to draw. If we let the player go everywhere (we did this in Fury 3) the levels would have less in them around the main track as you’d have to populate all the areas the player ‘might’ go as well. Maybe next time.

Thanks for the questions.

Hi DA_SHEDDER
It’s interesting you commented about the music choice and about the Fury games. As ATV Fury was 99.9% for the North American market (it was never that popular in Europe) the music was chosen to suit. Sony had a big hand in the tracks selected. I always liked them.
For PURE we tried to go for a more global soundtrack with artists we went with.

Believe.. I’d rather have some metal in there as well, but I think what we have is really good. One guy on the team kept on about having Jump from Van Halen in there. Dunno why?

Cheers.

Thanks for the answers!

I checked the Disney site and when I went to the podcast section it said "coming soon". I'm from the UK and I see no community stuff at all on there. Can you get someone to make the Disney site use html because the flash is really annoying! It slows my computer right down and it's not even high quality! :p

I've read that the X360 update was to fix the online leaderboards? I downloaded the update and every time I check the leaderboards my Xbox completely locks up so I guess the patch didn't work.

As for the freeride mode, that sounds cool. I accidentally found out when you crash and the screen turns black and white, if you hold in the right stick you can actually watch the full crash with out it ending quickly (just don't try it in the water levels cuz the camera just sits on the water surface and the driver stands up on the water to 'pull himself together' :eek:)! Was this a secret feature?

My son and I have been hammering this game. It is one of our favourites on PS3 right now, and we are disappointed with the review scores on it.

Kudos to you and your team for such a great game!
(I can't believe this is from the same Disney that brought us Hannah Montana!)

Some unanswered questions. .

Hi guys, I said I'd find out a few things for you. Here goes.

lewislite -
There are currently no plans for a soundtrack release for PURE on CD.
The patch for the leaderboards will be available very soon. We are just waiting on verification and release.

As for the community, its all online if you view from the US site. They have the message boards, the first podcast is live (I've just watched it myself) and there are various other cool links on there. As well as this there is a PURE MySpace page with new stuff on it.
Your right though, if you view from the UK site it will all say "coming soon".

yaustar -
I said I would look out Jason's notes for you. I don't have them, but he did talk to Gamasutra about this. Here is the link for you - http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=20336

Make sure you read the comments at the bottom as he talks some more on it.

Ian.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PURE_DEV

yaustar -
I said I would look out Jason's notes for you. I don't have them, but he did talk to Gamasutra about this. Here is the link for you - http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=20336

Make sure you read the comments at the bottom as he talks some more on it.

Ian.

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Cheers.

Q. Do any of the team work on their own games in their spare time? E.g. Homebrew (GP2X, DS, PSP, etc) or Indie games with the intention to sell (PC, Apple Store).

Q. How many projects are usually on the go in the Studio?

Seeing as PURE is Disney.

Will we see any Mickey Mouse DLC?

Mickey Mouse riding a quad bike sounds pretty epic to me.

Hi yaustar
A1 – Yes, some of the team do work on their own PC games in their spare time. I’ve installed a rather excellent puzzle game recently that one of the coders wrote. It’s amazing well polished.
Other than that I’ve played an F1 racer and a feespace shooter (X-wing v Tie Fighter stylee) game. As far as I know these haven’t been released. It’s just for fun.

A2 - We are currently a two game studio at Black Rock. When we were Climax Racing however we were a three game studio. Since moving from PS2/PSP to PS3 and 360 the team sizes have dramatically increased. Size and space has become an issue for us now.

Hi Triv1um,

No Mickey DLC for PURE I’m afraid. Maybe for PURE 2 though :)