Joystiq interview: Cliffy B
by Joystiq Staff 
{ Aug 3rd 2006 at 8:00AM }
Yesterday, I sat down with video game standout Cliffy B and spoke with him about everything from Epic's upcoming 360 savior Gears of War to the recent E3 news. As usual, Cliffy was very open and honest and more than willing to answer anything thrown at him.
One answer I wasn't able to squeeze out, however, was what was up with those GoW viral marketing rumors. Cliffy quickly denied any knowledge or responsibility over them. Read the full interview after the break.
About how long has Gears of War been in development?
Well, it has been developed for two years, but we've had the idea for five.
How would you describe this game to someone?
It's sort of like an interactive cinematic experience. I wanted to take all the cool features that I've seen in other games and put in some new cool stuff too. This game is all about intimate violence. The gameplay itself just feels tight and crisp, which is something I really wanted, that snugness. I love games, but there's not a lot out there that thrills me besides my DS. This is not your typical circle and strafe shooter. It's contemporary, but unique enough to be something special.
What are some challenges you faced when creating the game?
The cover system has been extremely challenging. Getting that down was a big deal for us. Also, fine tuning that third-person view took some work. We want to make sure the targeting and feel fit the game.
How has your experience developing for the 360 been?
Good. It has basically been a straight shot right over from the PC. It's very easy to develop for -- especially using the Unreal 3 engine.
What are your thoughts on the recent slashing of E3?
I had a real love/hate relationship with E3. It was our Superbowl, but it got to the point where it really just wasn't worth it anymore. The best place to show off any game is in a dark room. You need something more intimate. Something that is pretty much the antithesis of [the original] E3. But don't get me wrong, I'm gonna miss what it was. In its own way, it helped legitimize the business. It was the one thing where your mom could turn on CNN and see news about video games. That meant something.
How have you guys been handling the pressure of being Microsoft's premiere holiday title this year as it goes up against the Wii and PS3 launches?
We don't really think about that. We're just going to make the game we want to make.
Speaking of the PS3, what do you think of it?
Well, I'll buy one when the price goes down.
Are there any plans to do a Gears of War sequel or franchise?
I'll never commit or say that a game will have a sequel or series. I just want to put all my focus on this game and make sure it's the best it can be. I do have ideas though for spin offs and things like that.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Russell @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:08AM
Thanks!
HALooVER XP @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:10AM
Short?
C, Ravitch @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:14AM
Cliffy B is the face of gaming for this era right along side guy's like Miamato and the creator of MGS. Out spoken and a balls to the wall deveopler!! To bad we don't have more like him making games!! When G.O.W comes out it will be the best 65.00 you have spent all year!! Thanks Epic!!
marcin @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:18AM
ahhhhhh, PS3 suxorz.
Chris @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:19AM
Are there any plans to do a Gears of War sequel or franchise?
I'll never commit or say that a game will have a sequel or series. I just want to put all my focus on this game and make sure it's the best it can be. I do have ideas though for spin offs and things like that.
---
so that's a yes with a movie deal.
Ryan @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:21AM
The lost Backstreet Boy!
James Sorensen @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:27AM
get soem balls and ask about a release date heh...
ya right he prolly already has some ps3 dev kits and will no doubt have the system before launch for personal use.
boots @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:41AM
"I'll buy one when the price goes down..."
What, CliffyB isn't paid enough money? LOL
KR @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:42AM
Isn't that the guy that "came out" last week?
Darkside @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:46AM
Nice explaination there Cliff...
--------QUOTE----------------------------------------
It's sort of like an interactive cinematic experience. I wanted to take all the cool features that I've seen in other games and put in some new cool stuff too.
--------QUOTE----------------------------------------
So...cool stuff from other games...and more new cool stuff. This kid is a master of description.
--------QUOTE----------------------------------------
This game is all about intimate violence. The gameplay itself just feels tight and crisp, which is something I really wanted, that snugness.
--------QUOTE----------------------------------------
How do you define "intimate violence"? Last time I checked anytime you blow off some guys head with a shotgun blast that seemed pretty "intimate" to me.
--------QUOTE----------------------------------------
This is not your typical circle and strafe shooter. It's contemporary, but unique enough to be something special.
--------QUOTE----------------------------------------
Once again old cliffy b demonstrating his mastery over the english language but not really telling us anything. I wonder what he would sound like writing a book report....
"So cliffe...how was Moby Dick?"
"What I tried to do when reading this book was scan the pages from left to write really absorbing the literature. The book had a hard cover and page numbers at the bottom. Oh yeah, and I think it was about some whale."
Bender @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:51AM
I like this CliffyB guy. Seems to me that the dude is a true old school gamer who loves his job. He really tries to make something that he and others like him will love.
This interview was quite pointless tho - no questions that actually required him to be so 'open and honest'... I'd think the time required to organise this interview would have far exceeded the time taken to conduct it!
Something more meaty next time, please!
akjdflkj @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:09AM
This will be the first game I get if I get a 360
Todd H. @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:10AM
We're still awaiting that big news concerning GoW this week...How about mentioning that in your interview?
Todd
http://www.proxbox360.com
TMoney @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:28AM
Is Cliffy B the game creator from Grandma's Boy?
Darkside @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:28AM
Honestly, it's not the interviewers fault. He asked up front questions to the kid, Cliffe was just too busy being metrosexual to answer them straight out.
Don't shoot the messenger just cause the message was crap.
Riggy @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:32AM
The big news was announced....game is coming out on Nov. 12th. Press release is on Xbox.com.
Gianni Gotti @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:37AM
Errr....
Cliffy B(zatch?) isn't Miyamoto or Kojima YET.
I think those guys have a few games under their belts.
Those guys created genres rather than just doing a good assemblage of existing concepts.
Funny that the xboys are usually anti-hype and yet right now GOW is 100% hype and their is no criticism or perspective.
Let the game come out, play it, and lets see if it is fact the shiznit.
CorporateWhore @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:41AM
He'll be handing out signed photographs of himself before long ... It takes more than one person to make a game ... from the way he talks you'd think he's done it single handed. I can only imagine his favourite possession is a mirror.
Self glorification ... pah!
Sjohn @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:51AM
Gears of War releases Nov 12th, 59.99 for the normal version, 69.99 for the Special Edition, metal box, bonus dvd and an art book. I have the press release on the site I help out at, just click on my name to read it.
abc @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:58AM
http://www.gamersreports.com/news/3320/
Matt @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:02AM
Cliffy is fairly metrosexual, yes, and if you look at him closely he might even be stoned in that picture. "Oh look Bob, the pretty shiny camera!"
And yeah, perhaps he is not paid enough if he is even remotely considering the PS3, for the simple fact that he works for the company which is competing with it. That and unless he really wants to watch Blu-Ray... ;)
mocax @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:04AM
It's not about how much you earn, it's on whether the PS3 is worth the price.
I don't believe in premiums, especially in electronic goods.
Alright, I'm a cheapskate, I got my PS2 at a lucky draw, and got my 2nd xbox360 for FREE by extending my broadband contract :D
abc @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:05AM
Gears November 12, PS3 November 17
MS Tactics are shaping up very nicely
Dark Daddy @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:11AM
"360 savior"... please!
ZacMeoff @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:11AM
CliffyB has NOTHING on Chris "$tock$" Stockman.
Mike @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:13AM
I have to say that this guy irks me. It reminds me of the John Romero nonsense of the late nineties. The "Mr Cool" game developer. He tries too hard to not be a geek, to act like a media-savvy Player. Just look at the head-tilt sourpuss pose. And he's got enough junk in his hair to deep-fry a batch of buffalo wings.
I wonder if behind the scenes, there are a legion of stinky, pasty dorks who do the real work to create the great games and resent this dandy. Who's to say?
cowboy bob @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:13AM
Wow! G.O.W. for 360 AND Resistance; Fall of Man for PS3-hoy shite,we'll all explode! M-m-m-m!
Darth Pixel @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:15AM
@23
That's a tactic?
Wow, pretty weak. If you think any game is going to change PS3 sales numbers, you are crazy.
It could actually backfire, if PS3 completely overshadows GOW.
Clint @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:25AM
Stop referring to this game as GOW...That means God of War!
Zero @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:30AM
Great pic of Cliffy, there. Ol' Red Eyes looks baked out of his mind.
cowboy bob @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:33AM
Oh,sorry-forgot to mention God of War for PS2! Super!
darryl @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:37AM
"MS Tactics are shaping up very nicely"
If burning through billions of dollars is a tactic, then yes... very nice.
bozer @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:47AM
So many dooshbag comments here regarding the interview, and then people wonder why devs aren't very open or don't even bother giving interviews.
And just because he might make a lot of money doesn't mean he's an idiot with his money. Dumping $600 on a console that doesn't have any good launch games isn't a smart idea for anyone, regardless of their bank roll.
Todd H. @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:56AM
How come Joystiq hasn't posted anything about the "BIG" news?
Todd
http://www.proxbox360.com
Ethan Thomas @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:02AM
- Darth Pixel
If you don't think games can overshadow a system, I highly suggest you give Sega a call and ask them about the Dreamcast. They had, regardless of what you Sony loyalists think, a power system that was WAY ahead of its time...and what happened? It got overshadowed by PS2 software when the system launched. And yes, staters of the obvious, the PS2 played DVD's and the Dreamcast didn't. But that fact alone did not drive the nail in the Dreamcast coffin. Software like Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, etc. got that job done. The sad part is how Sony, instead of changing pace and doing something different, is shooting for the exact same thing here with PS3. The difference? Microsoft has EARNED a backing, has the funds to put up a fight, and has come out ahead of the PS3. In that front, Sony is used to playing catch up. However, with the Dreamcast's lack of a library early on, it was like giving a kid on a bike a head start before flying past in your (for the sake of the Sony fan's ability to relate) Honda Civic. This time, that same Civic is giving up a huge head start to a Corvette (Microsoft)...I don't see it running it down anytime soon. Not to mention Nintendo is still running strong as well.
Personally, I can't wait to play Gears of War. I think it'll be an awesome game...but that's just my two cents.
Twenty5 @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:11AM
pointless interview....... i knew that already
And the shortest I've ever seen.....
KevinM @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:13AM
First, thank you adblock for blocking huge noggin tilted sideways as if someone just delt a silent but deadly one.
Second, thanks for the interview, I enjoyed it!
Clint @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:54AM
Ethan Thomas,
The PS3 is going to have Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo. Your argument doesn't hold up. You say they'll need that software and they are going to have it. Do you not realize how stupid your argument is? Also...from what I hear the Xbox 360 isn't exactly burning up with good games to play. It's catching on fire from time to time, but not because the games are good.
Ed Canale @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:04PM
CliffyB looks like a Butt Pirate!
Frankie Sab @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:17PM
Clint, the 360 has lot of great games to play with, PRG3, Oblivion, Prey, Ghost Recon 3, Condemned, Call of Duty 2... And a lot more to come before Christmas! I might be wrong, but I don't think Final Fantasy nor Gran Turismo are lanch games? So your argument are irrelevant...
darryl @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:25PM
"Microsoft has EARNED a backing, has the funds to put up a fight, and has come out ahead of the PS3."
Microsoft has BOUGHT a backing... I think that's what you meant. Microsoft doesn't know what the word earn means. So far, the fight has lost Microsoft billions. Yup, they have it all figured out.
jOEfRO @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:29PM
@24
The 360 doesnt need a savior because it has many great games already, and besides microsoft can go a whole year without releasing a title and unlease halo 3 and kill sony
Pixelantes Anonymous @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:59PM
You didn't ask him about his gf. Everyone knows this is the most important thing gamers need to know about GoW.
nod @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:59PM
You "sat down" with him for 25 seconds?
ill trooper @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:09PM
Ethan Thomas,
I understand what you're saying, but we could easily use your same 'Dreamcast' example and say the 360 is the Dreamcast ("a few good titles, but not enough to keep people from waiting to see the PS3.") The epitaph could read: "XBox 360, a good system that came out early, but got sideswiped by Sony."
I like my 360 (allegedly back today from repair! hooray!), but frankly, there have only been a few excellent software titles, and a rather mediocre launch with shortages. It's 9 months later and the super-savior Gears of War will be at the 1 year mark for the system. I think Microsoft has sort of bungled their lead.
It's too close to call it this time, it's gonna have to unfold and be seen, in my opinion, anyway.
saidnamyzO @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:15PM
Matt
I think he works for epic, not microsoft, and epic is still a multi-platform developer. that means eventually the ps3 will get great game from them. so is there really a need to bash the guy for making a game for another console. wait your turn man.
Ethan Thomas @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:36PM
- Clint
You, sir, get no reply. Mr. "I'm sick of people talking about the price of PS3 months later!....oh...and the 360 overheats!!!11 Teh Brakinge Newz !11!!one!" Seriously, you should stop posting. Because everytime I think I've seen the dumbest, most idiotic post ever...you say something.
- ill trooper
I respect what you're trying to say. However, one can't make the 360 = Dreamcast argument. The reason is simple. The 360 matches (looks at Clint and tosses him a sucker so he won't start crying), or close to matches, the PS3 in terms of power. Yes, the Dreamcast was more powerful than the PS2. Yes, the Xbox 360 lineup has been slim...nobody knows that better than me, as I've personally played every single title available. But, what we've seen at this stage in the game is game development on/for 360 start to amp up into better titles. We've been playing Full Auto. This winter, we'll be playing Test Drive Unlimited. We've been getting by on Quake 4 and Perfect Dark...this winter we'll have Gears of War. Project Gotham was a great launch title...but Forza 2 is sure to surpass even that. My point is that Microsoft's strategy is easily apparent. Save up all the AAA titles for winter and launch them one after the other. For me, those AAA games start with Dead Rising next week. Then Saint's Row, etc.
So could the epitaph read as you say? I'm sure it could. It could also read, "Sony gaming empire crumbles under Microsoft and Nintendo competition thanks to $600 price point, hardware issues, and a lackluster gaming library." Who knows for sure? All I'm trying to say is, if you expect there to be enough people out there to buy your $600 system to keep you in first place when the titles you are bringing out are sub-par for the next-gen course (Ridge Racer, Warhawk, etc.), you could be making a multi-million dollar mistake. Only time will tell either way, you are right about that. So we'll just have to wait and see.
josh @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:58PM
"That's a tactic?
Wow, pretty weak. If you think any game is going to change PS3 sales numbers, you are crazy.
It could actually backfire, if PS3 completely overshadows GOW."
it's a really smart tactic.
all the PS3s that sony can ship will be sold out on preorders.
thus a lot of "non-hardcore" gamers will be at gamestop, etc, with money in hand, but no PS3s to buy.
if they see a cool game for the 360, maybe they will spend that money on the 360 + GOW then and there.
after all, getting someone to the sstore with money to burn is half the battle in sales...
+ all the non gamer news media around teh PS# launch will always mention "and for the Xbox 360, there are new games like Epic's Gears of War".. they always mention the competing products...
the date is a smart move for Epic.
Duncan @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:37PM
"And yeah, perhaps he is not paid enough if he is even remotely considering the PS3, for the simple fact that he works for the company which is competing with it. That and unless he really wants to watch Blu-Ray... ;)" - Matt
He doesn't work for Microsoft, he works for Epic. Isn't Unreal Tournament 2007 coming out on the PS3?
VampireHunter Z @ Aug 3rd 2006 5:20PM
Ok, from this point forth lets make a MAN LAW on the Internet. People are saying there are no good games out for the 360. From now on if you state that there are no good games for a system you MUST give examples of what you consider to be a good game. Man law.....Man law.