Recently we gave you the chance to fire off a few questions to SEGA’s favourite muscian Richard Jacques. And as promised, he sat at his keyboard and answered them for you. Here they are in their full unedited glory.

Question 1: How did you fall in with SEGA in the first place? – Posted by Ryan/Sharky

Richard: I have been a SEGA fan for many years, and one of my ‘defining moments’ if you like was playing Outrun arcade whilst on holiday in 1986. The game and the music just blew me away, and after spending a good hour on the game I came out humming “Passing Breeze” for days! (Actually, as I type this I am on a flight to Canada to perform my Outrun remixes at Video Games Live so it’s rather fitting!) I played many of SEGA’s games throughout school and university, and whilst studying for my music degree I had a Megadrive, which I used to play religiously with my housemates. (In those days I was mainly playing games like Sonic, EA Hockey, Flashback, Aladdin, etc). During my final year of University, SEGA were advertising for an in-house composer to work in their new Development offices in West London, so I applied for the job, had 2 rounds of interviews including many music demo submissions, and the rest as they say is history. I think they were impressed that I could compose in many different musical styles, and the fact that I had just bought the Japanese import of Virtua Racing for the Megadrive (complete with SVP chip and converter cartridge if you want to be really precise!!) So I finished my music degree on a Friday, moved to London on Saturday, and started at SEGA on Monday. No rest for the wicked as they say.

Question 2: What inspires you to keep making such excellent music for games after so many years? – Posted by Diogo

Richard: First of all I would say that my passion, dedication and enthusiasm for what I do is completely second to none. Many people that meet me can’t quite get over my love for what I do, so the immense passion and drive that I have certainly helps. I think it is partly because I get to work on some really great titles, and I have a fairly varied taste in both games and music. So I suppose the variety is what helps to keep me fresh and enthusiastic. For example, I could be at Abbey Road Studios recording with an orchestra for a project, making funky breaks for something like Jet Set Radio, writing sci-fi scores for Mass Effect, or electronica for The Club! I am a very flexible composer and so I draw upon a huge range of influences. This also helps to inspire me.

Question 3: What is your favourite SEGA game or series? – Posted by Angel Coma

Richard: That’s a tough question to answer – there are so many good ones!! I will try to name a few: I love the Panzer Dragoon and Shemue series of games. They are all incredible games with great music too. Another Shenmue please SEGA! I also love Sonic CD (Japanese version for Mega CD), both Jet Set Radio games and NiGHTs. If I had to single out one, it would have to be Outrun. I just can’t get enough of it. Outrun 3 please Mr Suzuki.

Question 4: Do you have any mentors, or are you inspired from any composers who write instrumental compositions? - Posted by Heraclius

Richard: From a very early age I was inspired by my father who is also a composer. I would hear him composing and improvising at the piano so I guess I just thought this was a very natural thing to do. I think the first thing I wrote was at the age of about 7. It was a piano duet and I composed it by writing the first piano part and recording it onto a cassette recorder, then playing it back whilst I wrote the second part, then recorded both of them onto another cassette recorder. It was pretty lo-fi to be honest, but it worked!! I grew up listening to and playing / studying so many different kinds of composers and music genres, so it’s almost impossible to single one out. To give you an idea I would study classical piano and trombone, learning music from composers such as Debussy, Bach, Handel, Scriabin, Messiaen, but at the same time I was listening to a lot of hip hop such as Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Eric B & Rakim etc.; there was a great hip hop explosion in the mid eighties in the UK. So as you can see it was a dichotomy of different musical styles, which I was being exposed to at the same time. Moving further on through school and university I was studying a lot of jazz so I would listen to pianists such as Chic Corea, Dave Grusin, and I was playing trombone in various big bands, as well as playing both trombone and percussion in orchestras. At this stage I was studying composers such as Vaughn Williams, Holst, Mahler, Hindemith, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, amongst others. I was also becoming aware of all the various film music composers at the time, as well as playing more and more video games, so in a way you could say that everything was going into one huge melting pot of styles which I now draw upon in one way or another no matter what I am doing. In general, I guess you could say that I have always been a fan of a good melody, so no matter what artist or composer I listen to in the specific genre, they usually have a good melody.

Question 5: You obviously are a fan of the 80/90’s music, what are/were your favourite bands? - Posted by City Hunter

Richard: I have never thought of it like that! Well yes as I already mentioned I do like a
well-written and well-constructed song or instrumental, and as I like a good melody I guess you could draw a comparison with 80’s and 90’s music (although I do like pretty much all kinds of music). I also enjoy melodic catchy music! Whilst I was still at school I was doing some DJ’ing, and as the dance scene was becoming huge, I was listening to house artists such as Marshall Jefferson, D mob, Technotronic, etc. There was just so much good inventive music going on. Even the pop scene was really cool. You can never beat a bit of Abba (master songwriters and producers) but I would also listen to bands such as Genesis, SOS Band and some pop acts. Outside of my career and purely for pleasure, my favourite band has always been Incognito. I saw them just 2 weeks ago in London. They are a jazz funk band with a large Japanese following too; you may be able to spot some of their influence if you listen carefully! In general though I’m just a huge music lover and am very open-minded, so I will listen to pretty much anything.

Question 6: What styles and artists have influenced your music over the years? - Posted by Urtheart

Richard: Well I have probably answered that to a degree in the previous questions but can expand upon it a little more. It is very true to say that film music has influenced me over the years. So composers such as John Williams, Alan Silvestri, Michael Kamen and many more have influenced my orchestral writing a great deal, but you will also hear other stylistic influences from both jazz and dance music in my orchestral writing. If I was to attempt to give you a succinct (and somewhat random) list of stylistic and artistic influences over the years it would look something like this:
Classical: Holst, Vaughn Williams, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Mahler, Hindemith, Debussy.
Pop: Abba, Janet Jackson, Seal
Jazz: Dave Grusin, Incognito, Jazzanova, Chic Corea
Rock: Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Coldplay
Breakbeat: BT, Hybrid, General MIDI, Plump DJ’s, Freestylers,
Hip Hop: Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim,
Dance: Marshall Jefferson, Prodigy, LTJ Bukem.

Question 7: What first got you into music and composition? - Posted by Urtheart

Richard: I grew up in a musical family, my parents both being piano teachers and my father also a composer, so that was an incredibly natural music environment to be exposed to from such a young age. I used to hear my father improvising at the piano whilst he was composing and so I felt very comfortable doing this myself. It started off with just experimentation and improvisation but then I realised I enjoyed the actual composing and it seemed to come quickly and easily. Plus of course I was inspired by all the music listed above, and this made me want to create my own music.

Question 8: Are there many unique challenges in composing for games rather than TV/film and how do you approach them? - Posted by Stomp224

Richard: In a word, yes! There are many different challenges when composing for games as opposed to TV and film. The main difference is that films and TV exist within a linear medium, so in other words, you always know what is going to happen at a certain point in time, and can therefore create music for that particular moment. Games are non-linear, in other words interactive, so it is the player who is effectively controlling the writer, producer, director, cast, and composer of the game. So this means that whatever the player does, the music should react in some way or another and effectively score itself from within the music engine. Another major challenge is time and budget constraints, where developers and publishers in the games industry effectively want “Hollywood on a shoestring budget” so my team and I are always looking at options to produce Hollywood quality with limited funds and time. There are also a lot of technical challenges with regard to creating interactive music, and to be frank it is the challenges in general that attract me to the industry.

Question 9: How do you think Sound Design in games is going to evolve? - Posted by Stomp224

Richard: Over the years we have seen great improvements in the technical aspect of sound design. For example, we are now not so restricted by sound memory limitations (although there will be always some restriction) and nowadays we are hearing some very high quality sound design in games. Also, as CPU’s have become faster, we can now do more complex calculations with dedicated sound DSP processors for spatial audio, and techniques such as calculating occlusion, filtering and reverbs / delays. This means that currently the quality of sound design in games is very high. I think there are two main areas we will see evolve. The first one is in DSP technology, where we’ll be able to do incredible things such as synthesize ultra realistic sounds through physical and acoustic modelling, and also using DSPs to further treat the sampled sound sources with techniques such as convolution reverbs (which we are just starting to see come to consoles) and in effect ‘place’ a sound in a natural sampled acoustic space. The second area I feel will be in creative sound design, so rather than having a game designer or producer coming up with a list of sound requirements, the sound designer (or sound design team) will be given more creative freedom to simply do the ‘un-obvious’ thing and really give a whole new aesthetic to sound design in games.

Question 10: I’ve always wondered how composers work on a video game soundtrack. Do they compose before, during or after the game is designed? How do you personally proceed? - Posted by zepit

Richard: Excellent question! In general it is somewhere between the middle and end of a project. I have done projects in the past where I have been given the game almost finished, and on the other hand I have worked almost ‘blind’ from just a paper design document. So it can vary hugely depending on the genre of the game, and the producer and designers’ vision for the music. For the most part I would get involved anywhere from 6-12 months plus, prior to the game’s release. I prefer to work to playable versions of the game so that I can get a real feel for it, but of course I can work from game footage or design materials as well.

Question 11: I would love to know if anytime in the future we might see a CD of your best music out? - Posted by bcdcdude

Richard: What a great idea! Well I have been discussing a few things with SEGA recently. I would certainly like to release some of my older soundtracks for titles such as Sonic 3D, M:SR and things like that. A ‘best of’ CD would also be a great idea, and would give me the opportunity to re-visit, re-mix and re-work some of my older material, providing something unique for you guys. What do you think? Is there something that I have composed that is currently unreleased and you would like to see an official soundtrack CD? I’d love to know!

Question 12: Does there seem to be some special relation with you and the website UK: Resistance? They seem to love you very much! - Posted by bcdcdude

Richard: Hah hah!! Well we’re not married or anything like that! But I do love the crew at UK:R. They are absolute comedy geniuses and I just find their humour so incredibly funny. Plus the fact that they are the most die-hard SEGA loving fanboys around is also an endearing quality. What a perfect combination. I will have to ask them to cover my wedding or something like that. On second thought maybe that isn’t such a good idea!!!

Question 15: Lets say for some crazy reason all the SEGA characters got into a tennis match. Humour me here, I’m going somewhere with this…

Sonic plays Eggman, and it starts to rain, ad so play is stopped till the weather clears. Who would come out and sing a song to keep the crowds happy? Lets assume for this that Cliff Richard is unavailable on this day of course.

So Rich, which classic SEGA character would keep the massed crowds happy with their singing voice, and what would they sing? – Posted by SOL

Richard: Segata Sanshiro singing “Always look on the bright side of life” in Japanese would be quite amusing.

Or possibly Ryo Hazuki singing “Tubthumping” would also work!

Or Aqua singing Dreams Dreams from NiGHTs. In fact, there are countless possibilities here, I feel a celebrity covers album coming on!!!!

Question 16: So Mr Jacques, What does “You’re the one that makes me feel so high, Just like the diamonds in the sky” mean to you? X - Posted by DolphinsRock

Richard: Well that’s certainly going back a while!! The song “Diamond In The Sky” from Sonic R was created for the Radiant Emerald level in the game, which is basically made out of Chaos Emeralds all shining and glowing, so the inspiration is taken directly from the design of the level and the on-screen graphics. In addition to that, it does have a secondary, but my girlfriend is the only person who would understand!

Question 17: How much of a change have you noticed in the approach, skills required and nature of the game music industry since you began? Is it true that anyone wanting to get into this industry has to be a programmer and a musician!? - Posted by Ciaran McCrisken

Richard: No that’s not strictly true, although technical knowledge of how games work is a great advantage. My personal belief is that a composer who plays and understands games will always create a better score that one who is not a gamer. This is not to say that a composer should have to call him or herself a ‘hardcore gamer’ but how many film composers are there who have never seen a film? None. Exactly. A composer must understand the medium he or she is writing for - you would have thought that goes without saying, but you would be surprised at how many composers are either working in the industry or trying to get into the business and have never played a game.

I would say someone looking to get into the industry must have excellent musical ‘chops’. You must be properly schooled in music; people who can knock out a few tunes on eJay will not get very far when they are asked to create something truly original and unique. The skillset has also evolved over the years. For example, nowadays there are some great middleware tools available to composers working in the games industry for creating interactive music and sound design content. So personally speaking, this puts me in a great position because I understand the technology and toolset behind creative music for interactive media.

Question 18: Just like working with an orchestra for the first time on Headhunter was a massive experience, is there anything else you feel you want to do or achieve? - Posted by Ciaran McCrisken

Richard: I have been very lucky in that I have already achieved so many of my goals. Working with orchestras is sometimes criticised in the game business, because some publishers or developers believe that this is something the composer wants to do to either feel like they are important, or to jump on some kind of band wagon (or should that be orchestral wagon?!) The reality is that when a composer is asked to compose music in the orchestra style, this should always be recorded with an orchestra. Of course, this can be expensive but an experienced composer should always know how to get the best bang for the buck. Recently I have been contacted about scoring a major feature film. There wasn’t even an option of not recording the score with a live orchestra. So you see, I really try to push the boundaries of music within the games industry on every project I do. It’s true that many publishers and developers in the business still don’t appreciate the value that music has in a video game, but as I say it’s a ‘constant process of education’. Thankfully I am now in a fortunate position where I can ask for live recording budgets as my valued clients know that I am experienced in this area and this is how I can give them the best results, which is what we are all trying to achieve.

From a creative point of view there are still many things I would like to do within the industry. I would certainly love to score a Bond game. Many people in the press say my style is ideal for a Bond film so we shall just have to wait and see. I would also like to do a slightly off-the-wall score using a big band, maybe some kind of spy-based game set in the 60’s or 70’s. I like doing things differently, and since I am full of so many musical ideas, it would be great to work on a project where I work closely with the designer from an early point in the game development process, to ensure the music is a totally integral part of the game experience. I would also like to try my hand at creating a rhythm action / music game in the not-too-distant future. In short, my passion and enthusiasm for the industry tends to increase every day, and 15 years into the industry I am as enthusiastic about it as ever. There is always more to do!

Question 19: And…sorry, I have to…what is the best way to get into a job writing music for games? - Posted by Ciaran McCrisken

Richard: Well I have answered some of this question in the above posts, but in general I would normally give the following advice:

Take formal music training, study at least 2 main instruments as well as academic music studies such as composition, orchestration and arrangement, music history, theory, harmony, music technology and performance studies. This would include GSCE and A-level music, a music degree or equivalent, and experience in performing both as a soloist and within ensembles such as orchestras, jazz bands and rock bands. In terms of breaking into the industry, it is true that today it is an incredibly competitive business. The vast majority of composers are freelance-based these days, since there is no real need for game companies to have any in-house composers, and they also require the flexibility to hire different composers for different game projects, since each composer has a different music make up. I would also recommend brushing up on the business side of music, for example, understanding how music publishing works, learning to negotiate deals, and how to network and build up contacts. Although sending out demo CD’s / showreels of your work is still valid, it is worth noting that the games industry is one of the busiest and hardest working creative industry and many people (myself included) simply don’t have the time or bandwidth to trawl through endless demos, so having your showreel / music demos online are a more convenient way to pitch your work. Also, it is worth joining the Game Audio Network Guild and attending events such as the Develop Conference as well as reading industry publications such as Develop magazine and websites such as Gamasutra and Music4Games.Net. Don’t expect to go in at the top, since this would be unrealistic but be prepared to work your way up and possibly shadow another composer. For example I have other composers on my team who I work and collaborate with for certain projects, because I am always incredibly busy and get contacted about a great many projects. Above all, be open minded, be prepared to learn, be prepared to promote yourself without being arrogant or egotistical, and have fun!

Question 20: Is it true that you’ve released some music with West Records, the incredibly funky and utterly awesome breakbeat label? - Posted by Hatch

Richard: I have indeed had a couple of releases with West Records, under various aliases for obvious reasons. They are a great label, releasing superb breakbeat tracks. Think Jet Set Radio / The Club / Rez and if you’re into this kind of music, why not check them out.

Final note: SEGA fans everywhere would like to thank Richard for his contribution to videogame music, and long may it continue.

Richard: Thank you! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all my friends and colleagues at SEGA, and all my fans who have been incredibly supportive throughout my career. I shall have to throw a huge concert / party in the future and invite you all!

Richard Jacques

www.richardjacques.com

If you’re into The Club as we are, you’ll no doubt be steadily climbing up the game’s online leaderboards. But are you good enough to win a SEGA swag bag?

The peeps over at the Eurogamer.net forums are running a weekly score challenge and we’ll be giving the top-scorer each week a much sought after SEGA swag bag.

So, if you think your shooting skills are good enough, head on over to their forum.

For hints n tips on getting those killer combos, take a look at our in-game videos.

I’ve not posted in a short while; been far toooooo busy playing The Club (which is out now from all good retailers of videogame type products). If you’re having a spot of trouble stringing your kills together to achieve maximum pointage, then take a look at our collection of gameplay videos below. Also, while you’re at it, take a look at the official trailer for The Club; it’s well smart.

As you are no-doubt aware, award winning and long time SEGA favourite, Richard Jacques has scored the music throughout the single-player campaign in The Club. Now, we’ve managed to grab some of his precious time and secured an interview with him. But instead of us sitting there firing questions at him, we thought we’d let you, his fans, ask the questions.

All you need to do is post your questions here; we’ll pick the best ones and get him to answer them. You’ve got until Sunday, February 10th to get your questions in.

All about Richard:
With a glowing career in the games industry Richard Jacques has worked his way from in-house musician at SEGA Europe (works include: Headhunter, OutRun2, Jet Set Radio Future, Metropolis Street Racer and Sonic R) right through to becoming one of the most sought after musicians the industry has ever seen. The first video game composer to secure a major budget for a live symphony orchestra, the first to have his game music featured in art galleries and live concerts in Europe, Japan and North America, and the first western composer to have his game soundtracks released commercially in Japan as well as Europe and North America are just the tip of Richard’s musical iceberg. With recent work for some of the world’s largest advertising agencies, alongside hugely well known brands, Richard has seen his career take on many new directions whilst still maintaining his incredible work ethic and taking huge pride in every project he undertakes.

Right, over to you guys.

If you’re going to be picking up a copy of The Club on the Xbox 360 when it’s released next month and you’re wondering about the achievements, then wonder no more as we’ve got them all listed here for you. While I feel comfortable being able to unlock the “Sharp Steel” achievement, I’m not so sure about “No, Seriously”.

There’s a SEGA goody bag for the first person to post photographic proof of them unlocking the “No, Seriously” achievement.

The Achievements:
Sharp Steel - Complete the Steel Mill on any difficulty level in Tournament
Sprint the Gauntlet - Complete a Run the Gauntlet with 20 seconds left
Rack em Up - Achieve your first x10 combo in either Tournament or Single Event
Hard Steel - Complete Steel Mill on Insane level
Splash Down - Complete Ocean Liner on any difficulty in Tournament
Watery Grave - Complete Ocean Liner on Insane level
Out on Probation - Complete Prison on any difficulty in Tournament
Hard Time - Complete Prison on Insane level
Waterway to Go - Complete Venice on any difficulty level in Tournament
Wet and Wild - Complete Venice on Insane level
Crate Work - Complete Warehouse on any difficulty level in Tournament
A Crate Effort - Complete Warehouse on Insane level
A Stately Achievement - Complete Manor House on any difficulty level in Tournament
Full House - Complete manor House on Insane level
Defcon 3 - Complete Bunker on any difficulty in Tournament
Bunker Buster - Complete Bunker on Insane level.
Warlord - Complete the game on any difficulty level in Tournament
Skillzone - Complete Warzone on Insane difficulty
Join the Club - Play an event with every one of the 6 unlocked characters in either Tournament or Single Event
The Awards Show - Achieve one of every ‘in game award’ either in Tournament or Single Event
Show Off - Achieve every ‘in game award’ in one level in either Tournament or Single Event
Save Our Souls - Spell the word SOS in the Warehouse in either Tournament or Single Event
Listmania - Save 5 Playlists in Gunplay
Premium Membership - Finish a Tournament on any difficulty with all 8 characters
Hidden Treasures - Shoot all Secret Skullshots in every level in either Tournament or Single Event
Scavenger - Shoot all Skullshots on one level in either Tournament or Single Event
Bag them Bones - Shoot all Skullshots on every level in either Tournament or Single Event
Melee the Elephant - Kill 30 enemies in a level with a melee attack in either Tournament or Single Event
Combo Killer - Reach the level objective with a maximum combo in either Tournament or Single Event
Efficiency - Kill every enemy on a level using less than 50 bullets in either Tournament or Single Event
Breakthrough - Smash 50 doors in either Tournament or Single Event
Scores on the Board - Get in the top 100,000 on any leaderboard
Tabletopper - Get in the top 5,000 on any leaderboard
Top Gun - Get more than 10,000 points for a single kill in either Tournament or Single Event
SkullMaster - Hit 5 Skullshots in a row (without killing a bad guy in between)
Welcome to the Club - Win your first ranked match
Taking part that counts - Be on the winning team in a ranked team game
Capture King - Capture the base 25 times in Ranked matches
Club on Tour - Win a ranked match in every location
First Blood - 25 ‘First Kills’ in any Ranked Multiplayer game mode
Big Game Hunted - Survive for 120 seconds as the hunted in Hunter Hunted
Target Man - Shoot 100 Skull shot targets in Team Skullshot
Fox Hunter - Kill the Enemy Fox 25 times in Ranked matches
Points Mean Prizes - score 10,000 points in a Score Match
Free For All Elite - Win any free-for-all game without dying
Siege Breaker - Your team survives for more than 2 minutes in Team Siege
Demolition Man - Get 100 Explosive Kills in Ranked Matches
One Shot - Get 100 Sniper Kills in Ranked Matches
Brawler - get 100 Melee Kills in Ranked Matches
No, Seriously - Kill 10,001 people in multiplayer Ranked matches

From 9 a.m. GMT on Tuesday 8th January, an exclusive demo for the exciting new shooter, The Club™ will be available via download across Europe and Australia on the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Developed by industry revered development studio, Bizarre Creations, The Club™ mixes cutting edge high definition visuals with hyper-addictive score based challenges to deliver the most intriguing and innovative shooter of early 2008.

The demo features:

- The Prison environment; a disused crumbling, tomb-like Federal Penitentiary, lying in a remote region of one of the less glamorous Rustbelt states.

- One playable character exclusive to the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace version of the demo (Renwick, a tough, no nonsense, NYPD Detective whose investigations brought him too close to The Club™).

- Single player modes ‘Sprint’ and ‘Time Attack’.

- Multiplayer splitscreen.

As one of eight misfit gladiators players must fight in a shadowy underground blood-sport run by a secret group of sick millionaires. Each character has their own reasons for being in The Club™ – some are there against their will, others to experience the ultimate high. Whatever their reasons what unites them is the need to kill quickly and skilfully – a challenge those who download this demo will experience first hand.

UK Official Xbox 360 Magazine - “The rules of The Club are simple: you cannot break your stride. You cannot stop. You must be the perfect killing machine. This is Space Invaders for the Quentin Tarantino generation. Welcome to heaven”

The Club™ will be released across Europe on February 8th 2008 for the Xbox 360™, PLAYSTATION®3 and PC. For more information on The Club™ please visit www.theclubgame.com.

We catch up with The Club developers to discuss the different multi-player modes in the game.

Design Goal
“Our goal when creating The Club’s multi-player was to create an accessible and compelling multi-player experience which was consistent with the game’s setting while offering something new and fresh to the genre.”

Kill match - This is a tried and tested death-match mode. The player with the most kills at the end of the game is the winner.

“We really wanted this core game mode to be included in the design for it’s ease of play and simplicity however it’s granted an extra lease of life due to The Club’s interesting suite of characters, environments and weapons.”

Score match - This is a points based death-match where players rack up points for kills using the same scoring mechanism which is used in the single player game. As with the single player game, the key to big scores is combo.

“We wanted a free-for all game which was close to the single player experience but with real human opponents. The scoring system works well in a death-match environment. Quick, successive kills are the key to winning a score match and hunting for an opportunity to gain multiple kills adds excitement.”

Hunted Killer - When the game begins the first player to make a kill becomes the Hunted. While hunted, a player’s score ticks up constantly. Only one player can be the hunted, and if a Hunter player manages to kill the hunted, the hunted status will pass over to the killer. Becoming the hunted and surviving for as long as possible is the only way to score. The hunters are equipped with radar which shows where the hunted player is all the time. The hunted player does not have a scanner so he must keep on his toes to avoid his pursuers.

“Hunted killer is all about being the hunted. It captures the spirit of The Club in a frantic death-match game. The feeling you get when you become the hunted and run for your life with all the other players trying to hunt you down is what this mode is all about.”

Team Kill match - This is a regular team kill match. The team who scores the highest by killing their opponents will win.

“Team Kill match is a regular “Team DM” game mode which (like Kill match) we wanted to include because of its simple objective.”

Team Fox Hunt - In Team Fox Hunt one player on each team is assigned as the “Fox”. The objective is to hunt and kill the enemy team’s Fox without them doing the same to yours. All players begin with the same amount of health however the fox player can use health packs dotted around the level to bring his health up to a maximum of 400%

“The “Fox” player is so much tougher than a regular player in The Club. We wanted to make sure that players could not exploit the game mode and one of the ways that we found that the game mode could be exploited is by simply holding out in the team’s spawn area and force the enemies to advance. We countered this by changing the Fox’s health mechanism and placing the best health and weapon pick-ups in the middle of the level to draw the fox players out from their initial spawn areas.

Another problem which we had to overcome was the fact that your whole team’s performance relies on the ability of the fox player. We didn’t want to have a situation where players would resent a poor Fox player and so we made it so that after each round the Fox player status was assigned to the best players on each team.”

Team Capture - In this game mode, both teams have a base objective. The aim of the game mode is to capture the enemies’ base objective while defending your own. Bases are captured by standing on them and holding for 30 seconds. The team who manages to fully capture the enemy team’s objective or the team with the most capture time when the game timer runs out is the winner.

“This was one of the more straight-forward game modes to develop. We spent a lot of time with the team-game modes ensuring that the maps were balanced for both teams (even though the areas are not symmetrical) We carefully tweaked spawn positions and weapon pick-ups to ensure balance.”

Team Siege - This game mode is inspired by the single player “Siege” game mode. In Team Siege teams are assigned the role of either attack or defence. Defending players have only 1 life whereas attacking players re-spawn when killed. The game plays out and the attackers must kill all of the defending players as quickly as possible. The teams then swap roles so the attackers become defenders and the defenders attackers. To win this round teams must survive for longer in defence than the attackers did.

“This game mode started out as probably the least favourite of the bunch here at Bizarre however we took a step back and addressed key problems with the flow of the game mode. We realised that the original level design didn’t accommodate enough strategy and different plays from the attackers. We fixed these issues and what we have now has become one of our favourite game modes.”

Team Skull shot - The aim of this game mode is to destroy all 5 of the enemy team’s skull shot targets while defending your own.

“The challenge for us with this game mode was the levels. The concept of the game mode was simple enough, however there are many ways in which the levels could be made. Initial attempts to create the concept of a ‘base’ area for each team were not good enough and made the game mode feel similar to some of the other modes. In the end we opted for a topology which promoted a “tug-o-war” style of play where attackers would push back the defenders as they destroyed their skull shot targets and vice-versa.”

    Creating a New Action Experience - With Nick Davies

Nick Davies, Design Manager at Bizarre Creatios Gives us the lowdown on The Club

The Club Background
As I think we’ve probably mentioned a few times before in various interviews, The Club was developed gameplay first and the storyline and background came a little later into the project.

Although we are all fans of story led games, as a company our strength was in gameplay so we looked for external help to flesh out the world of The Club. The background for The Club and for each of the characters was written in conjunction with a great writer called Gordon Rennie, who has worked on 2000AD writing for Rogue Trooper and Judge Dredd, as well as in many videogames such as Killzone and Rogue Trooper, as well as some fantastic new projects he’s currently working on but I can’t tell you about.

Racing and Shooting
The main challenge with blending the best aspects of a racing title with a shooter is the length of the levels, we have a term we call ‘reboot racing’ in the office, it’s that feeling that if you completely mess up a corner of a race you just hit restart and give it another go, races only last a few minutes at best so you often don’t mind restarting over and over again. With a shooter it’s generally different, if you mess up 30 minutes into a level you don’t want to have to start it all over again, so we have made all of our levels really short and intense, if you miss a bad guy, or think you’ve been a bit inaccurate then you hit pause and restart and give it another go, it can prove to be a wonderfully addictive mechanic when done right.

Scoring
Scoring is the big thing for The Club, in fact it’s generally a big thing for Bizarre Creations, from PGR through Geometry Wars to The Club, we always like to give the player a chance to compete against their friends on leaderboards, and give people a chance to prove they are the best, whether it’s the best in the world, or just the best among your mates.

A lot of current games, especially first and third person games, tend to rely more on a gripping story to keep the player going, rather than a more ‘old school’ desire just to just keep improving. We’ve nothing against this, the story side, most of the guys here love Bioshock, Gears, Half Life and the like, but we just felt there was a chance to stand out and do something a bit different.

The system itself is incredibly simple on the face of it, it’s a time and combo based system. The basic premise is that if you kill one enemy you then have a set period of time to kill the next one in order to increase your combo. The higher you get your combo then the less time you have to get to the next enemy. This gives it a real frantic pace, which only increases the better you get at the game, the looks on peoples faces as they try to sprint to the next enemy while their time is ticking away is priceless, and often turns the air blue in the office!

On top of this you’ll be given extra points for more stylish kills like headshots, or for performing an action move (like a roll or a barge through a door) then a kill straight afterwards.

Single Player Game Modes
The game itself is split up into a series of mini events, of which we have five types in total - Sprint, Survivor, Siege, Time Attack and Run the Gauntlet. So if for example you enter the Steel Mill tournament you’ll have to play one of each of these game modes in order to win.

As you can probably tell from the names, some of the game modes like Time Attack and Run the Gauntlet are time based. Some like Siege and Survivor are based on surviving against the odds, against way more bad guys than you normally see in a shooter, which can get a bit frantic at times.

All the game modes share the same basic scoring system, but learning the game rules is the only way you’re going to be able to get the best scores.

BC Expertise
The core team on The Club has worked on a pretty wide variety of games, some worked on PGR3, a lot of the team worked on the Fur Fighters games, and we’ve hired people from various disciplines, so we’re pretty experienced in a lot of areas.

So although this is our first shooter as Bizarre Creations, it’s not as though it’s been an alien concept to everyone, and I think that shows in the quality of the finished product.

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

FINN
In his early to mid-thirties, Finn hails from the American South.  As a professional high-stakes gambler who rides his luck a lot harder than is good or safe for him, he finds himself drifting from city to city and country to country.

Always chasing the next big game, always managing to stay one step ahead of the law, always leaving behind a trail of bad debts and broken promises, it wasn’t until Las Vegas that his past - and the Mob - caught up with him.  He owes the Mob a cool half-million.

  If he can’t pay in cash, then they’ll take what they’re owed in body parts.  It looks like Finn’s luck has finally run out.  Or has it?  There’s another way out, a figure within his Mob captors tells him.  Something called ‘The Club’.  A game, played for the highest stakes there are; if he wins, he goes free, with his debts paid off.  Does he want to play?

Finn shrugs, indicating the situation he’s in - tied to a chair, surrounded by Mob thugs - does it look like he’s got any other choice?

ENGLISH MANOR HOUSE:

The Club often seems to favour arena locations with dark and violent histories.  Hutton Manor, located somewhere in the wilds of rural England, is no exception.   Long time property of a particularly dissolute and madness-prone branch of the English aristocracy, various tragedies and violent dramas have been played out over the centuries behind its elegant marble walls and sturdy oak-panelled doors.  The last direct heir of the family died in the Somme in 1916, whereupon the house passed through a variety of shot-lived owners and tenants, most of whom allowed the place to slip further into physical decline.

Notorious English occultists rented the place for a few years in the 1920s, adding Black Masses and sex magic orgies to the list of activities the house has witnessed over the centuries.   It was almost certainly the occultist connection, on top of the house’s generally dark reputation, that encouraged the millionaire guitarist of an infamous British heavy rock band with satanic leanings to acquire the house in the 1970s.  The house became the scene of days-long riotous parties that even the occultists couldn’t have imagined, and no-one was much surprised when the rock star and his girlfriend were one day found dead together, the victims of simultaneous drug overdoses.

After that, the house lay derelict for years, eventually becoming home to a large hippie commune, much to the horror of the local rural community.  The hippies tenancy abruptly ended when they were firebombed out of the place one night by persons unknown.  Twelve people died in the fire, and the house lay empty for several more years, before belatedly being taken over by the National Trust, one wing of it being converted into a sanatorium for the criminally insane.  The seeming curse on the place struck again when several of the most dangerous inmates broke out, butchering five members of staff and the six members of a family living in the nearest farmhouse.  The sanatorium was closed down, and the building allowed to slip further into disuse and decay.

In recent years, a charitable trust of wealthy philanthropists have stepped forward to relieve a grateful nation of the financial burden and legal responsibility of the building’s ownership, the philanthropists deeming the place perfect for their needs and promising to restore it to a purpose fully in keeping with the building’s illustrious history.

And, as always, The Club intend to make good on their promises….