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The Italian Job - Q&A Feature
Chris Leyton
02/09/2003
We send Derek off to check out how Eidos game based on the forthcoming Hollywood remake is coming along…
For the much older gamer, The Italian Job conjures up fond memories of the mini car and of Michael Caine. With the contemporary remake of Paramount's 1969 classic film with the same name, in tandem comes the game, which has been getting rave previews. The film is directed by F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator) and stars Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def and Donald Sutherland. The game is being coded and created by one of the premier UK development teams, Climax, which is a driving-game specialist. Due for release on the 12th September, we caught up with the game's producer, Nick Bridger, to find out the precise details of what is on offer!
The Italian Job is an arcade driving game with a number of game modes which include Story Mode that is based on the film's plot as you attempt to steal $28 million in gold bullion from under the nose of the man who betrayed you. The game features 15 different missions utilising a range of vehicles and gameplay styles.
The experience offers the chance to create havoc on the streets of L.A. as you drive at break-neck speeds through environments based on locations in the film, including the Hollywood Hills, Downtown LA and the city's Metro and storm drain system. The background story tells of Charlie Croker and his gang left for dead in Venice after being double-crossed during one of the biggest gold bullion heists in history. Taking on the role of Charlie and his gang members, you must wreak vengeance on the man who betrayed you and reclaim the gold. In order to achieve this you need to create the biggest traffic jam in L.A. history and make your escape in super-charged new Mini Coopers.
Talking to Nick Bridger
There is a lot of confusion about various Italian Job games, as well as the fact this is a contemporised remake of the original film. In terms of the game, is the film of any real significance to the game? Tell us what cross over there is from the film and what sort of interaction, if any, you have had with the film producers and actors.
Absolutely. From the start our aim was to create a game that includes all the elements from the license: from the storyline through to the environments and vehicles. We are proud and aren't the kind of people that are content with simply attaching a license to a game and then call it âThe Italian Jobâ. We took the script, spent time with producers and directors (they were excited that their film was being made into a game!) and set about creating a game that closely follows the story of the new film and offers the ultimate arcade experience.
Also, the original '69 film is a cult classic in the UK, but little known elsewhere in the world, something Paramount were very keen to make us aware of. When we began discussions with Paramount, they were keen to emphasise that this isn't a remake, but a re-vision - there's very little that's similar to the original film. I really believe people will be pleasantly surprised by how good the new film is! Oh and I nearly forgot, we have an alternative ending to the new film as wellâ¦
The game is set in 3 modes, can you summarise the three modes please, especially the stunt mode? .
The Story Mode follows the new film closely across fifteen missions from the point they reach L.A.
The Circuit Mode is your classic arcade racing around circuits in the city, dam and metro systemâ¦
â¦and the Stunt Mode, a horrendously addictive section, where you have to control MINIs across obstacle courses and impress your friends with your driving skills.
Climax has a great reputation of creating new ideas and advancing technology. What features and innovations are the team most proud of? .
We chose Climax as they have one of the most advanced and proven motor sports engines around. We felt it was important, above all the gloss and effects that seems to dominate games nowadays, that the handling and track design are the most important factors. We knew we had excellent technology, we knew it would look great and run at a lovely 60fps, but ultimately our proudest moment was creating a game that still thrills us even today.
There are many great moments and features on offer which include:
Tearing through the streets of L.A. in a variety of vehicles ranging from the new Mini Cooper and muscle car to an armoured truck and cable van or fast circuit Racing for 1 or 2 players (split-screen) around tracks based on locations from the film!
What were the main goals in terms of gameplay ideas and racing for The Italian Job? Also, can you breakdown some of the games 15 missions to show the diversity on offer? .
There was an old arcade machine called GTI Club, released by Konami in 1997, which was a huge inspiration to us. In an industry where developers and publishers have become completely obsessed with ârealismâ and trying to create the perfect simulation, we felt everyone was losing sight of what games should be all about - fun. GTI club was all about this; fast, reckless driving through city streets, smashing through objects and making the player instantly feel like a driving god. It was a great laugh, and we've tried to re-create that essence in The Italian Job.
The missions do all number of things: you tail, chase, follow and race through loads of different environments from free-roaming cities, multi-storey car parks and plazas, across roof-tops, around storm drains and a dam and through a metro system and even across a golf course. We encourage smashing through objects, jumping off ramps and all round reckless driving. In fact, we even reward it.
What kind of car and environmental deformation (damage) does the game offer and what kind of realism, albeit it is an arcade game, is on offer? .
BMW restricts how much we can damage the cars in the game, but they do fully deform - the bodywork twists and dents, bumpers and wing-mirrors come off, etc. Also, although in essence an arcade game, we worked very closely with BMW on the physics and dynamics of the car to re-create that MINI experience.
What are the main goals of the game and would you say the player needs a good quota of skill to do well? .
Initially no, as we wanted the player to pick up the game and instantly feel a born driver. But as the game progresses the player will begin to learn how to really push the vehicles to their limit and ultimately become very skilled at driving and then unlock the loads of bonus features, vehicles and tracks!
What vehicles are on offer and how different are they to drive in terms of skill, speed, and the events? .
There are about 15 vehicles, most of which are all in the new film. There are armoured trucks, a surveillance van, a new rental car, a 70s muscle car, sports car, an old 60s saloon, the original Minisâ¦loads and they all handle differently as you would expect. But the new Mini Cooper and Cooper S are stars of the show.
Does the AI take into account the action of the player and adjust itself accordingly? .
Yes, the AI is aware of the player and will react accordingly and make mistakes as well as any player may. It also depends on the level you are playing at: the later the circuits or missions, the harder and more realistic the AI becomes.
What kind of onscreen information is conveyed to the player and how do the in game cameras work? .
We've tried to keep the information at a minimum so the player can see as much of the play-area as possible. We didn't feel it necessary to show rev counters, speedo's, etc. as it's more important feeling the speed through the car itself rather than relying on dials.
We also have kind of âDukes of Hazardâ style Stunt Cams, placed at key points around the environments which give us a chance (and the player) to show-off a littleâ¦
How complex are the controls to drive and how open is the driving experience? Are you confined within certain areas/space? .
The controls are simple, because we wanted to create a realistic arcade game, not bog the player down in a plethora of controls. Also, the cities are very free roam, you can drive wherever you like! It doesn't matter, as long as you complete your mission or race then it's up the player!
TVG would like to thank Nick for taking the time to answer our questions and entertaining us at E3, all the bestâ¦
