Joystiq interview: Quantum of Solace's Adam Gascoine

Quantum of Solace is the first Bond game to be released alongside its movie counterpart. Has this impacted development? Were you rushed?
We were worried about being rushed when we started the project, but thankfully we have a very solid relationship with the movie team. We were one of the first to see the script for the movie, plus we've been able to visit the sets and watch some filming several times now. All this made it a lot easier. We've been developing really since Casino Royale, about two and a half years in total, so we've had plenty of time to develop the game.
Parts of the game are reminiscent of Uncharted. Was this a particular inspiration during the development of Quantum of Solace?
Any good game is definitely an inspiration. I loved Uncharted. I played it twice. Parts of that game may well have influenced design decisions we made during development, just like any of the great 2007 titles. In particular, though, the quality of animation in Uncharted was definitely an inspiration.
Gallery: Quantum of Solace: The Game
Have you had any uncanny valley moments?
The worst thing about the uncanny valley is that you don't know how you've got into it. One of the most important things to us is that Bond looked right. We have people outside the studio who look at all of the characters and make sure they look great. We've taken 3D scanner data from all of the main characters that are in Quantum of Solace, to make sure they look correct. Bond has seven texture layers and 71 bones in his face. The uncanny valley is something we've been avoiding.
Does the game follow the story of the film? Are there any extra scenes in there?
Quantum of Solace will follow the story of the film. In fact, one of the reasons we went and visited the sets was so that we could take reference photos so that our environments can look as identical to the film as possible. We've also got some scenes from Casino Royale in here, which play out as flashbacks throughout the game. The game is called Quantum of Solace, so we wanted you to get straight into the new stuff from the first level. There are also some levels that show scenes that are not from either films, but are part of their stories.
Will you be supporting trophies on PS3?
Yes, we have a deep achievement system that will be the same on PS3 and Xbox 360. These aren't just simple progression achievements for completing each level, we've also got a lot of specific challenge achievements in there as well.
Did any of the actors perform motion capture for the game?
No, we had a very talented motion capture artist named Ray Park do most of our capture. [Ed note: That's Darth Maul to you Star Wars nerds out there.]
How did the film actors react to the idea of being in a game?
At first there were some who were a bit cautious, but by the end everyone was really into it. I think there's a lot more respect for video games nowadays. Those that had never done it before, like Judi Dench, got very excited about seeing themselves in the game.
Daniel Craig was actually the most reluctant. He's a big gamer himself and didn't want to be in a poorly made licensed game, so we sat him down and let him play an early build. He loved it and came back to us to say "Okay, I'll do it." Since then he's been a very important part of making the game what it is. We try to get him to give us feedback as much as possible, but he is obviously a very busy man. We'll send script drafts to him to check over, so he's been been involved with that aspect too.
Is there a mode in the game to make Bond look a little happier? He seems very stern.
No, there's no "Happy Mode." Bond's a pretty serious guy. He's had a hard time, as you've seen in Casino Royale. I think that's the last we'll see of any humor in this Bond, but who knows, it could come back.
Is the November release date worldwide?
The release date in all territories corresponds to the film release. We felt it was very important that people can go to see the film and immediately come out of the cinema to buy the game.
Were there any series limitations you had to adhere to? Can you show Bond badly hurt?
Yeah, there were definitely series limitations. When we started the project we were given what's called the "Bond Bible." This document details exactly who Bond is and lays out all of his character traits. At first this felt a little restrictive, but you quickly get into the right mindset. This character has been refined for forty-plus years, so they know what they're doing with him. We never wanted to redefine him. We want as genuine a Bond experience as possible. Also, we're a "T"een game. We didn't want the game to be supremely violent or dark, so we were limited in that respect, too.
The worst thing about the uncanny valley is that you don't know how you've got into it. One of the most important things to us is that Bond looked right. We have people outside the studio who look at all of the characters and make sure they look great. We've taken 3D scanner data from all of the main characters that are in Quantum of Solace, to make sure they look correct. Bond has seven texture layers and 71 bones in his face. The uncanny valley is something we've been avoiding.
Does the game follow the story of the film? Are there any extra scenes in there?
Quantum of Solace will follow the story of the film. In fact, one of the reasons we went and visited the sets was so that we could take reference photos so that our environments can look as identical to the film as possible. We've also got some scenes from Casino Royale in here, which play out as flashbacks throughout the game. The game is called Quantum of Solace, so we wanted you to get straight into the new stuff from the first level. There are also some levels that show scenes that are not from either films, but are part of their stories.
Will you be supporting trophies on PS3?
Yes, we have a deep achievement system that will be the same on PS3 and Xbox 360. These aren't just simple progression achievements for completing each level, we've also got a lot of specific challenge achievements in there as well.
Did any of the actors perform motion capture for the game?
No, we had a very talented motion capture artist named Ray Park do most of our capture. [Ed note: That's Darth Maul to you Star Wars nerds out there.]
How did the film actors react to the idea of being in a game?
At first there were some who were a bit cautious, but by the end everyone was really into it. I think there's a lot more respect for video games nowadays. Those that had never done it before, like Judi Dench, got very excited about seeing themselves in the game.
Daniel Craig was actually the most reluctant. He's a big gamer himself and didn't want to be in a poorly made licensed game, so we sat him down and let him play an early build. He loved it and came back to us to say "Okay, I'll do it." Since then he's been a very important part of making the game what it is. We try to get him to give us feedback as much as possible, but he is obviously a very busy man. We'll send script drafts to him to check over, so he's been been involved with that aspect too.
Is there a mode in the game to make Bond look a little happier? He seems very stern.
No, there's no "Happy Mode." Bond's a pretty serious guy. He's had a hard time, as you've seen in Casino Royale. I think that's the last we'll see of any humor in this Bond, but who knows, it could come back.
Is the November release date worldwide?
The release date in all territories corresponds to the film release. We felt it was very important that people can go to see the film and immediately come out of the cinema to buy the game.
Were there any series limitations you had to adhere to? Can you show Bond badly hurt?
Yeah, there were definitely series limitations. When we started the project we were given what's called the "Bond Bible." This document details exactly who Bond is and lays out all of his character traits. At first this felt a little restrictive, but you quickly get into the right mindset. This character has been refined for forty-plus years, so they know what they're doing with him. We never wanted to redefine him. We want as genuine a Bond experience as possible. Also, we're a "T"een game. We didn't want the game to be supremely violent or dark, so we were limited in that respect, too.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
bigD @ Aug 28th 2008 2:14PM
I hope the "T"een rating doesn't hold them back too much. If they can keep the action/violence level the same as in the films I'll be happy.
Edge @ Aug 28th 2008 3:09PM
Those screenshots concern me. Why are enemies just standing...or even running at you!
Kinda feels like The World Is Not Enough game on N64. Kinda static and uninteresting.
Ranus Studios @ Aug 28th 2008 2:34PM
Egads. I am finding myself becoming rapidly more interested in this than I expected.
Alex @ Aug 28th 2008 2:43PM
All you really need to do to make the perfect Bond game is add tuxedos and the Facility (from Goldeneye 64) to Call of Duty 4.
Boffo the Sock @ Aug 28th 2008 2:44PM
This sounds pretty interesting. I wish more developers got on board with putting challenge specific achievements in games instead of lazy progression-based achievements. I also found it interesting to hear that Daniel Craig is such a serious gamer. Does anybody else think he looks like he could be Vladimir Putin's cousin?
syrik zero @ Aug 28th 2008 2:50PM
I was also excited to hear he's a serious gamer and at first didn't want to be a part of "a poorly made licensed game." The fact that he said that and still wanted to help with the game and the other fact that I've always thought he was really awesome makes me very excited for this game!
Add it to my ever growing, super list of holiday '08 games to get this year... I'm glad I have Gamefly but there are so many great games I'll end up buying a good amount of them too.
Still number one on my list is Dead Space! I'm on my way to watch Episode 5 of the comics now
Vault @ Aug 28th 2008 6:16PM
So is it third or first person? The contrast in the screenshots are confusing me. I am easily confused.
JM @ Aug 28th 2008 7:46PM
I remember reading somewhere that you have options on what person you can play, first or third.
Whats the deal with multi-player?! Is it just me or do you want info on how the game plays more than if it follows the movie.
We know it'll look good, COD4 engine +Check
The game plays close to actual plot +Check
No does the game have co-op? split screen? bot? any that makes it stand out from the other FPS games besides switching from 1st and 3rd?
James @ Aug 29th 2008 12:43AM
Looks shite