Blade Interactive explain why Pool Shark 2 is the only pool sim worth owning...

Pool is cool, well it is when it offers both a challenge and is presented well! Blade Interactive the team behind Pool Shark 2 have a proven record when it comes to creating both Pool and Snooker games. We spoke in great detail with Matt Buckley from Blade about what is on offer in this tasty looking sequel!

TVG: What have Blade created before and how specialised in creating Pool games do dev teams have to be? Is it an intensive skill/art to get it right?

Blade specialises in snooker and pool games. We have developed the World Championship Snooker series that is now in its fourth iteration (WCS2004) and is undoubtedly the market leader in snooker games. It has been built on the foundations of a rock solid physics system that was developed completely in-house and is as close to realism as could be possible. Over the four versions of snooker the game has been improved and perfected using the experience gained form the previous versions. This has resulted in the latest version, with the use of motion captured players and a fantastic graphical look to the game, being as close to playing the real thing as possible.

You asked if it is an intensive skill/art to get it right; as a company Blade places a large emphasis on maths and physics which is essential when dealing with multiple collisions of any pool or snooker game. And then of course there is the AI, you really want to feel challenged when playing a game and that’s what you get in Pool Shark 2. As it is very much a character based game, each player has there own individual abilities, so yes you need some pretty experienced and creative people to get it right.

TVG: How would you counter the argument that we have enough pool games and a new addition does not add anything really new or innovative to the scene?

While it’s true to say that there are a number of pool games on the market, there is still so much more that could be done with the genre. During the development of Pool Shark 2 we looked at all the other pool games currently on the market. We found that in all the games tested there were glaring inadequacies in every aspect, most importantly in the physics system. We are lucky enough to have a pool table, so we can compare in-game physics with actual real life physics. The other main issue with the other games on the market is the lack of characters; with the power of the current consoles it is unforgivable to have a pool game that simply has a floating cue taking the shots. Pool Shark 2 features fully 3D characters, all fully motion captured with their own unique moves, and while they are waiting to take their shot they will actually comment on your performance. So watch out!

Another feature that is completely revolutionary is the hustle mode. In this game you and the AI will be able to hustle opponents. The AI actually has the ability to alter its play to attempt to fool the player into raising the bet, only to then turn up it’s game!

TVG: Can you tell us about the 10 locations, how they vary in looks and ambiance and how you unlock them?

In terms of locations we have gone for locations that reflect the persona of the characters. Each location has been individually designed, modelled and textured with the characters in mind. A lot of thought and effort has gone into making the locations look and feel real. Neon light will flicker in streets outside, palm trees will sway as the wind whistles through them, cars will drive past beeping horns, the general background noise of life going on will all be present to give the player the feeling that you are there.

Candy’s Bar A typical New York diner, clean and smart. You hear the sounds of cars passing by, a train rattles across a bridge overhead and the sounds of life going on in the diner. Home to diner owner Candy and trucker Slim Chance.

The Pit A Seattle biker bar, dark, dirty and scruffy, just like the bikers that drink there. Bikers on big bikes arrive and leave, police sirens fly through the night and smashing glasses can be heard. Home to biker couple Ed Case and Chopper.

Croc Shack Australian beach bar, very open with swaying palms visible outside as the wind whistles through them, tropical birds call, and the roar of the waves breaking can be heard in the distance. Home to surfer Wipeout and explorer Dazy Melbourne.

Right On Cue A gameshow studio in Germany, used in the evenings by the host for illicit pool games, The only sounds will be of distant applause and laughter from other studios still hard at work. Home to singer Katrina and gameshow host Klaus Kasserman.

The 1815 Club A gentleman’s club in England, very refined with large easy chairs and an open fire crackling away in the corner. A large grandfather clock ticks away lazily in the corner, and chimes on the hour. Home to Lt James Jasse and The Colonel.

Neon City An ultra modern Tokyo bar on the top floor of a skyscraper looking out over Tokyo, with the sounds of the bar, arcade games and the odd helicopter flying past outside. Home to Sayonara Kid and his little sister Idoru.

Shooters A typical pool hall in Boulder USA. A bit scruffy with your typical inner city hum, shouts of “taxi” from outside and the lazy hum of the ceiling fans above. Home to failed singer Gary No-One and street kid Tic-Toc.

Elysian Casino A casino in Reno. Very flashy with the fruit machines and shouts of the croupiers providing the backdrop. Home to stylist Sebastian Rimmer and Elvis impersonator Alvis Burger.

Le Garage Garage conversion in Paris, modern and stylish with the sound of passing cars and people and the odd cat mewing on the street outside. Home to the stylish Nu Jack and his girlfriend Tiffany.

Philly Joe’s A very open, very posh pool hall with huge skylight windows and marble floors created by Philly Joe, a top pool player and expert hustler. You’ll hear the sounds of the bar, footsteps on marble and the odd plane flying past outside. Home to the old pro Philly Joe and his driver and friend Limmo

Mystery Location You’ll just have to play the game to find out, but it’s worth it!

As you can see each location is very different from the others both in appearance and in feeling. All locations also have background music in keeping with the theme of the location. Characters are unlocked by beating them in hustle mode and locations are unlocked by beating both resident players in that location.

TVG: There are also 20 diverse characters to challenge. How different are they in skill levels? Perhaps you can expand on two of them?

The characters get progressively harder as you progress through the locations. Each location has 2 characters; one easier to beat than the other. But watch out you really need your wits about you, as some players are not what they seem. Do you have the ability to tell which characters are really good players and which ones are simply hustling.

Slim Chance Slim is the first character in the game and so his skill level is set quite low. This is evident in the fact that he will not be willing to play for large sums of money, preferring to stick to small amounts, even playing for free sometimes. Also he will be usually unwilling to increase the bet during matches for fear of being hustled, but always be aware that hustled may turn hustler and you may find yourself being fleeced by Mr Chance! He will usually be easy to beat though, but not a good player to win a lot of money from.

Philly Joe Philly is the second to last character in the game and is a world away from Slim Change in terms of skill. He will happily wipe the floor with you on the table and take all your money in the process. To play Philly you will have to put your money where your mouth is as he won’t play for peanuts, he’s a pro and so will only play for pro’s money. He is also likely to be out to hustle you, although you won’t know for sure. If you find yourself a few frames up against him and he’s offering to raise the stake, is he just confident in his ability to win or does he know something you don’t?

TVG: The look of the game is very important so what should the gamer look out for that you are really proud of?

We want people to look at the game as a whole and think “That is seriously nice” I would say we put a lot of emphasis on attention to detail, everything from the locations and characters to the tables and balls have been made to look as realistic as possible while, still keeping the “fun” feel. We have even modelled the outside of Candy’s bar. If there were a couple of particular things that we feel makes our game stand above others in the same genre, the first would be the characterisation. Some of our characters, no let’s change that to all of our characters are All characters in game are full 3D and very lifelike. They will cue up, take shots, chalk the cue, and fidget while waiting to come to the table. All the animation is fully motion captured to add to the realism of the game as a whole. Secondly the ball plot used in the game gives the pool balls a totally round appearance with no visible polys at all, and added light reflections all add to the beauty of the game.

A new addition to Pool Shark is also a cross fading camera system which gives a really nice transition between shots, TV style, and also cuts down on waiting time.

TVG: A top Pool game is all about the ball physics. How have you ensured yours is the best? And what about the AI?

We've put five years of work into our physics engine to make it the best in the business.

As well as developing complex mathematical models of pool physics, we have an experimental set up which uses a video camera to track ball paths, so we can test our models out on everything from bar room to championship tables. It's constantly improving as platforms get more powerful and we can include more subtle effects. The AI now uses a neural net system rather than a set of rules - this gives our AI rich and complex behaviour and makes for much more believable opponents.

TVG: Apart from actually playing, are there any other gameplay aspects you feel add to the overall enjoyment of the game, like in game interaction or the TV style presentation?

The character comments system really adds another dimension to the game, and it’s something that’s never been done in this style before. All the characters have spoken comments for every possible situation in-game, from winning a frame to sending balls flying off the table. The comments are all written specifically for each character, and they really add to the characterisation, meaning there will be a character to suit any player. A really nice touch is having the French and German characters actually speaking in French and German, with English subtitles of course!

TVG: Tell us about the trickshots.

The trickshot section of the game is a collection of 13 trickshots set in order of difficulty. As the player completes one, it unlocks the next and so on. The player can first watch a demonstration of the trickshot with audio and text instructions on how exactly to complete it, without giving the secret away completely. After the player has watched the demo they can have a go at the shot. After the 10th has been completed (which we think will take some time!) the player will unlock the Trickshot Challenge. In this mode the player has to complete the 10 trickshots one after the other, without the demonstrations, using a limited number of “lives” and “continues”. There are 3 extra hard trickshots to unlock, depending on how many or few continues are used in completing the Trickshot Challenge.

TVG: What outside expertise have you brought in? Also do you believe that using a well known player/celebrity adds kudos to a title, and will you be using one?

The majority of Blade’s snooker and pool games to date have used licensed players and venues. This was necessary for the type of audience the games were aimed at eg. World Championship Snooker was aimed at snooker fans who liked being able to play as their favourite players in their favourite venues.

Pool Shark 2 is a fun character based game that does not require big named players to market it. Through making the licensed games Blade have learned a lot, and even though there are no licensed players in Pool Shark 2 we have been able to take the experience gained from making those games and apply it in the making of this game. And as I’ve already mentioned, all the in-game physics and neural net AI have been developed totally in-house and are dedicated to pool and snooker.

TVG: A reason to by Pool Shark 2?

It will be the best, not to mention nicest looking, pool game on the market, with an unbeatably realistic physics system, fantastically entertaining characters, great pick-up-and-play value and gameplay that will keep you coming back for “just one more game”.

Pool Shark 2 is scheduled for release on Playstation2, Xbox and PC on November 12th; we'll have a closer look soon.