‘Gears of War 2 concept was driven by fans’

If you thought Gears of War was a thrilling experience, get ready for its sequel that’s even bigger and better. Rod Fergusson, senior producer at Epic Games, tells Dhananjay Khadilkar what Gears of War 2, has in store for gamers

How different will Gears of War 2 be from Gears of War?
Gears of War 2 is very different from Gears 1 while remaining true to what the fans enjoyed most in the original. Every aspect of the game has undergone change, from the deeper, darker and longer campaign to the new weapons, characters and vehicles to the new 5 player co-op game mode called Horde. We even added and updated 85% of all the audio.

Are you as excited with the GOW2 as you were with GOW?
Yes, if not more so. Developing a game on a new intellectual property is very challenging and rewarding, and releasing Gears 1 to an unsuspecting public was very exciting and a little nerve wracking as we weren’t sure how people were going to react. Now with Gears 2, we have fans with expectations but at the same time we know we’ve made a better game than the first, so we’re really excited to see what the fans think of all the improvements.

What made you come up with a sequel?
Our decision to do a sequel was driven by fans. They demonstrated that Gears of War was a universe and a game that they were interested in, and they wanted to explore it further. We’re very passionate about the Gears franchise, and we’re excited that we’ve been given another chance to reveal more of the world and bring them new and exciting gameplay experiences. We hope everyone enjoys playing Gears 2 as much as we did creating it.

What factors come in to play while developing a new game?
Cliff has often spoken of his inspirations for Gears, mainly going back to a trip to London he had where he was able to see and feel the weight of history. It was that sense of history that drove the art style of the Gears franchise and gave credence to the notion that people once lived here. In terms of what factors we take into consideration, the biggest is fun. Games are entertainment after all, and so we are always searching for new ways to not only create fun but to make it more accessible to a larger audience and to create a story that both engages the player and provides the context for all the great gameplay experiences.

Is it necessary to have a connect to the local environment if a title has to succeed?
I don’t think something as specific as a connection to a local environment is crucial but I do think that games should have something familiar that the player can relate to. It’s the reason that the planet of Sera for the Gears of War universe is earth-like. It makes it easier for players to relate to the world and gives them a familiar basis before introducing unusual things like subterranean monsters coming out from the underground. If your game is strange and unusual, then players will have trouble relating to it and find it difficult to immerse themselves in the story.

How has gaming changed over a period of time?
As the game industry ages and matures, so do the players of games and with that the notion of games being just for kids fades into the past. It won’t be that long until world leaders would have been gamers. Accessibility for games seems to be at an all time high with casual games finding their way into the mainstream. Over this last year I’ve played games with my seven-year-old son, my 49-year-old brother and my 72-year-old mother-in-law. Games are no longer a child’s hobby.

Do you think there’s a need for censorship in gaming?
Games are now a mainstream form of entertainment, and as such deserve the same respect given to film, books and other works of art. We believe in putting the power in consumers’ hands. As members of the Entertainment Software Association, Epic stays up to speed with how we can educate the marketplace (and parents) about what content is in our games so that people can make educated purchasing decisions.