Big Sly most recent action flick, Driven, centres on a bitter rivalry between two prodigiously gifted drivers, each trying to outdo the other with ever-more terrifying feats of life-threatening driving lunacy. Whilst not exactly ground-breaking, the premise does lend itself well to videogame portrayal, with Bam! Entertainment snapping up the rights to create a high-octane thrill-ride for next-gen consoles.
What are the main improvements over the PS2 version?

Wilkinson: The main focus has been on the handling of the cars after feedback from people saying that the previous handling was just too hard. Although the game has always been arcadey, some of the handling traits of the PS2 version were leaning more towards a simulation, such as the ease of which you could apply too much power coming out of corners and spin the car, and also the ease of which a collision would make you spin out. This has all been radically changed to give much more forgiving and arcade-like handling for the cars. Also, the tracks have received further attention to improve playability of some tricky corners that gave people problems. This, combined with the brilliant new handling, makes for a really, really great racing game. The audio, too, has been revamped with six new music tracks, and also the entire game is now in glorious Dolby surround sound.

What are your opinions of the GameCube hardware; was it easy to get used to?

Wilkinson: The GameCube hardware has been a dream to develop for. Although some may argue that in architectural terms, GameCube isn't quite as powerful as PS2, GameCube is just so simple to get the power out of. Because of this, GameCube graphical quality at this moment is where the PS2 will probably be in 2 years time due to the massive learning curve involved in PS2 development. Some of our programmers have been developing PS2 games for over three years, and they are still a long way from the top of the learning curve of what it's good at, and what it's not. GameCube, on the other hand, is a case of what-you-see-is-what-you-get; it's great at some things, and less good at others, and it's as simple as that!

In terms of using the licence, did the film company place big restrictions on what you could and could not do, or were you given a large amount of breathing space?

Wilkinson: They were happy to trust us to pretty much get on with it. We took their
initial script and created our own version of the Driven world, inventing some new drivers to replace any real-life ones that they used. We had to get approval for likenesses of any actors used from the film (such as Stallone, Estella Warren, and Kip Pardue), but other than that we had a free-reign.

How closely have you worked with Franchise Pictures?

Wilkinson: The Franchise Pictures were extremely helpful during the development of the game. They supplied the recorded footage from every day of filming (called film rushes), photographs, audio, the script revisions and even the CGI special effects from the film. Sylvester Stallone also did voice recording work for us that was specific to our version of the story, which really makes our Driven world come alive.

Can you tell us a little about the story behind the game: does it closely follow the script of the film?

Wilkinson: Our story is based loosely on the film - 'Team Spirit' has a new hotshot driver named Jimmy Bly who has started to go off the rails halfway through the season due to personal problems, and it's affecting his driving. Joe Tanto, an aging, once brilliant, driver is brought back to Team Spirit to be Jimmy's team-mate and help get him through this rough patch by pushing him to the limit during testing, and defending his position on the track during races from rival team 'Faust Racing', comprising of arch enemy German Driver Beau Brandenburg and nasty-piece-of-work English driver, Max Manley.

Can you describe what makes this different from other driving titles?

Wilkinson: We really tried to create a game that was something other than the plethora of ordinary racing games, and the film script gave us the perfect vehicle (pardon the pun) to do that with. Amongst other things, we were able to add a Story Mode to the game, which instantly makes it different from any other open-wheel racer out there.

In Story Mode, you get to play from both Joe Tanto's and Jimmy Bly's point-of-view to help Team Spirit win the championship, and each chapter requires you to perform certain tasks - sometimes you'll be racing to win, other times you have to block to defend your team-mate's position, you may be required to gain the fastest lap in some races, or simply prove you can get "into the zone".

You get challenged to head-to-heads with other drivers, and you also get to chase another racer down the crowded city streets of both New York and Paris at night. With all of these different styles of racing, Story Mode, and the ability to get "into the zone", we hope to give players a genuinely new racing experience.

What steps have you taken to ensure longevity?

Wilkinson: The majority of the game (tracks, cars, racing championships, blocking championships, night time chases, etc.) is locked until you begin to progress through the game and unlock new things. Story Mode also has a 'star' rating for each chapter, and you get awarded a gold, silver or bronze star based on your performance in that challenge. You can finish Story Mode with no stars, but you'll unlock more of the game if you keep practicing until you are awarded gold on every chapter.

Can you explain the concept of entering the "zone" and how this affects gameplay?

Wilkinson: In the film, when Stallone is driving at his maximum performance (on the 'ragged edge') he enters a state of heightened concentration called "the zone" and you see the track through his eyes with a kind of tunnel vision effect. In the game, if you drive really well around the track, maintaining a good speed around the racing line, keeping off the grass, and not colliding with anything, your confidence will increase up to a point where you enter "the zone".

You will get a tunnel vision effect, and you will be given increased top speed and better grip for as long as you can stay in the zone. If you do anything to shake your concentration, such as collide with anything or start to drive badly, then you will drop out of the zone and return to normal. It's a reward to the player for learning to drive the tracks well and learning to overtake cleanly.

Are we going to see the title appear on Xbox?

Wilkinson: There are not currently any plans to do an XBox version.

Once Driven is completed, what will be your next project?

Wilkinson: We have several other projects in the pipeline, none of which I can talk about at this time.










Source: Computer And Video Games