Jon met with Mike, after playing the latest version of Volume at EGX in London. He very kindly opened up about his game, discussing the gameplay, music, level editing and even some new unannounced features. You heard it here first, folks!
It’s an intriguing idea that the narrative takes place inside quite a limited environment. Understandably, you're doing this to make the budget more affordable, how are you going to move your plot forward? You've said you won't be using long ‘Kojimaesque' cut-scenes, so will you be doing motion-comic based exposes like Infamous, or do you have something else in mind?
We mix and match a few things. Every thing in the game takes place in the room. We have a couple of cut-scenes, in-game with animation and camera angles. We have a few of those which we use for the big moments. The rest of the story is done with the dialogue between our three principal cast members; Locksley, the AI and the bad guy, Gisborne. And there's some secondary characters who you hear from as well, but it's all kind of done as this voiceover gameplay, which is a bit different, and basically using some of the techniques you see in Lets Plays. I find it very interesting how you can tell a story while the game is going on. It could be an interesting experiment to see if we can pull it off.
You've done a lot of research on the Robin Hood legend. Is Volume closer to the original or are you cherry picking from all the Ballads - we noticed a quote from A 'Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode’. Geste refers to either a tale of exploits or Romantic Story - Does Rob have a love interest in Volume
I'll tell you now. There is no Maid Marion in this game. The romanticism thing; its not just romanticism in terms of romantic love, it's in more in terms of chivalry. A really interesting creation of the Victorian era is that they were obsessed with medieval fiction because, historically, it was the fear of industrialisation, they wanted a simpler time. It's very interesting that we now have Steampunk, which is a nostalgia for Victoriana, because of our fears of industrialisation. Humanity has always looked back at better times. So in terms of how we do it, we don't do the love story. The love story is a crucial part of the Robin Hood Legend, it's not in Volume, because there's a chance people might like Volume and I kind what to have somewhere to go. The Sheriff of Nottingham is not in Volume either.
Did you ever consider writing the Sheriff of Nottingham as a female character?
I have some ideas for the Sheriff, but I'm not going to comment on that yet because, honestly, it can all change. The Sheriff, Maid Marion, the death of Robin Hood, that stuff is all in various other stories. We're basically doing the first game here, we're telling one of the first stories of Robin Hood and one of the often used secondary villains is Gisborne, which is why we're starting with him. It's kind of the Batman Begins approach; you don't put The Joker in the first game.
So will each Volume game be like the ballads and be episodic in form?
It's not that we're planning a franchise, it's that we want to leave the possibility of a franchise open. So I can't tell you the five game plan, because we don't have one. Basically I was very mindful as I didn’t consider the possibility of future Thomas Was Alone (TWA) games, although I may still go back to it at some point. With Volume it feels like it was worth putting some effort into leaving some doors open for ourselves. There is no plan. We'll see how it goes with this one. If it goes well, if people like the world and people like the characters, we have loads of different things we can tap into, and that's the great thing about Robin Hood. There's hundreds of years of stories we can play with.
We mix and match a few things. Every thing in the game takes place in the room. We have a couple of cut-scenes, in-game with animation and camera angles. We have a few of those which we use for the big moments. The rest of the story is done with the dialogue between our three principal cast members; Locksley, the AI and the bad guy, Gisborne. And there's some secondary characters who you hear from as well, but it's all kind of done as this voiceover gameplay, which is a bit different, and basically using some of the techniques you see in Lets Plays. I find it very interesting how you can tell a story while the game is going on. It could be an interesting experiment to see if we can pull it off.
You've done a lot of research on the Robin Hood legend. Is Volume closer to the original or are you cherry picking from all the Ballads - we noticed a quote from A 'Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode’. Geste refers to either a tale of exploits or Romantic Story - Does Rob have a love interest in Volume
I'll tell you now. There is no Maid Marion in this game. The romanticism thing; its not just romanticism in terms of romantic love, it's in more in terms of chivalry. A really interesting creation of the Victorian era is that they were obsessed with medieval fiction because, historically, it was the fear of industrialisation, they wanted a simpler time. It's very interesting that we now have Steampunk, which is a nostalgia for Victoriana, because of our fears of industrialisation. Humanity has always looked back at better times. So in terms of how we do it, we don't do the love story. The love story is a crucial part of the Robin Hood Legend, it's not in Volume, because there's a chance people might like Volume and I kind what to have somewhere to go. The Sheriff of Nottingham is not in Volume either.
Did you ever consider writing the Sheriff of Nottingham as a female character?
I have some ideas for the Sheriff, but I'm not going to comment on that yet because, honestly, it can all change. The Sheriff, Maid Marion, the death of Robin Hood, that stuff is all in various other stories. We're basically doing the first game here, we're telling one of the first stories of Robin Hood and one of the often used secondary villains is Gisborne, which is why we're starting with him. It's kind of the Batman Begins approach; you don't put The Joker in the first game.
So will each Volume game be like the ballads and be episodic in form?
It's not that we're planning a franchise, it's that we want to leave the possibility of a franchise open. So I can't tell you the five game plan, because we don't have one. Basically I was very mindful as I didn’t consider the possibility of future Thomas Was Alone (TWA) games, although I may still go back to it at some point. With Volume it feels like it was worth putting some effort into leaving some doors open for ourselves. There is no plan. We'll see how it goes with this one. If it goes well, if people like the world and people like the characters, we have loads of different things we can tap into, and that's the great thing about Robin Hood. There's hundreds of years of stories we can play with.
It's very refreshing to have a game which is quintessentially English. It's going to be great to have a new generation experiencing the Robin Hood story. Do you think, following the tax benefits of producing culturally British games, we will see a resurgence of games that celebrate our culture? Or do you think we'll get a lot of cop-outs that use the UK as a location?
I think it'll definitely have some influence. The way the tax benefits work is that if you're a game developer based in Britain, or in any EU country even, but paying tax in the UK, then you're kind of OK. You don't have to do the cultural test. TWA, for example, qualifies and that's a game set inside a computer mainframe, which could be any location. I don't think a British location is required. What I think the conversation does is it makes people think about this. It certainly made me think about it. I didn't make a Robin Hood game because of the tax breaks, but because of the conversations around the culture. With the ideas floating around of British games, it did make me think, maybe I could explore that. I like British comedy, I like British humour, I like British history, so exploring that and also exploring both the light and the dark.... Robin Hood, the legend, is sort of jingoistic in a lot of ways. There's a lot of cultural identity and prejudice built into those stories. Robin Hood is a story that middle class people have told each other to feel better about poverty for hundreds of years and you can't do a Robin Hood game in this day and age without considering that element of it. Is it OK in this day and age to make a story about a white rich guy who saves poor people? That's kind of been done, so you have to explore that, and hopefully that's what we are doing.
What other British culture would you like to see celebrated in the medium of the games industry?
There’s a wealth of stuff. We have an incredible cultural heritage and I thinks there’s a lot of things. I'd love to see games play with that stuff, I really want to se more open world games, like GTA London. I remember using The Getaway to find out where a McDonalds was in London when I was a kid, I remember that and thinking, ‘That’s cool’.
TWA had a gorgeous soundtrack that was procedurally generated based on how you played it. Is this the case with Volume?
Procedural is a big word, it was actually randomised; it was a bunch of samples and there’s a rule-set as to when those samples can play. What the player is doing has no impact, it’s not reactive. It just pieces together a piece of music that doesn't repeat, essentially. In terms of Volume, the original plan was actually to cheat. We were going to do something very simple, just basically looping tracks. The reality is that it’s got more complex than TWA, because on one level we have ambient music and track and that works very similarly to TWA, but we also have a reactive element to it, now. When you are in action-moments the music picks up again.
Do you mean like the surprised ‘You’ve been discovered!’ sound from MGS?
Musically we experimented with stuff like that. We had whooshes and bells and noises, but what we found was that having the music swell, and it’s quite fast and reactionary, it’s punchy, well.... you notice it. We also have a probability based shout-out system so occasionally enemies will be talking and yelling at you as you go. We found that that created the same effect without ripping off other games.
It wouldn't be a rip-off, it would be an homage surely?
(Smiles) It would be, it would be a nostalgic reference….
Has David (Housden) been influenced by the music of the 15th century when composing? Are we going to hear any electro-troubadour music for instance?
It’s been a real journey to find the sound of this game. The way me and Dave work is essentially I make mix-tapes for him and we make mix-tapes for each other and we bounce tracks we like back and forth. In terms of this one, really, the music is a bunch of things. There’s a lot of instrumental influence from medieval music. You'll be playing the games and a lot of things will come in, like strings, a lot of strings actually because I love strings, and Dave knows that’s the way to make me like a track, to just stick some strings in it. But then also what we found in our musical research was that medieval music doesn't sound as medieval as Hollywood historical music. We've got the real stuff and we also got the ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’ stuff (sings).
Cantering music you mean?
Exactly. No one played music like that back then. We all associate that kind of Hollywood sound with that period, so we bring in some of that and then, yes, we also have a lot of electronica and synths and virtual space sounds. It’s about creating that hybrid, and we also do that with the aesthetic so that the costumes of the characters are a combination of modern fashion and also elements of the medieval. Also the enemies are 'roboty' virtual characters but they also are suits of armour, so we're always trying to blend the future with the medieval, and the music is just one part of that.
I think it'll definitely have some influence. The way the tax benefits work is that if you're a game developer based in Britain, or in any EU country even, but paying tax in the UK, then you're kind of OK. You don't have to do the cultural test. TWA, for example, qualifies and that's a game set inside a computer mainframe, which could be any location. I don't think a British location is required. What I think the conversation does is it makes people think about this. It certainly made me think about it. I didn't make a Robin Hood game because of the tax breaks, but because of the conversations around the culture. With the ideas floating around of British games, it did make me think, maybe I could explore that. I like British comedy, I like British humour, I like British history, so exploring that and also exploring both the light and the dark.... Robin Hood, the legend, is sort of jingoistic in a lot of ways. There's a lot of cultural identity and prejudice built into those stories. Robin Hood is a story that middle class people have told each other to feel better about poverty for hundreds of years and you can't do a Robin Hood game in this day and age without considering that element of it. Is it OK in this day and age to make a story about a white rich guy who saves poor people? That's kind of been done, so you have to explore that, and hopefully that's what we are doing.
What other British culture would you like to see celebrated in the medium of the games industry?
There’s a wealth of stuff. We have an incredible cultural heritage and I thinks there’s a lot of things. I'd love to see games play with that stuff, I really want to se more open world games, like GTA London. I remember using The Getaway to find out where a McDonalds was in London when I was a kid, I remember that and thinking, ‘That’s cool’.
TWA had a gorgeous soundtrack that was procedurally generated based on how you played it. Is this the case with Volume?
Procedural is a big word, it was actually randomised; it was a bunch of samples and there’s a rule-set as to when those samples can play. What the player is doing has no impact, it’s not reactive. It just pieces together a piece of music that doesn't repeat, essentially. In terms of Volume, the original plan was actually to cheat. We were going to do something very simple, just basically looping tracks. The reality is that it’s got more complex than TWA, because on one level we have ambient music and track and that works very similarly to TWA, but we also have a reactive element to it, now. When you are in action-moments the music picks up again.
Do you mean like the surprised ‘You’ve been discovered!’ sound from MGS?
Musically we experimented with stuff like that. We had whooshes and bells and noises, but what we found was that having the music swell, and it’s quite fast and reactionary, it’s punchy, well.... you notice it. We also have a probability based shout-out system so occasionally enemies will be talking and yelling at you as you go. We found that that created the same effect without ripping off other games.
It wouldn't be a rip-off, it would be an homage surely?
(Smiles) It would be, it would be a nostalgic reference….
Has David (Housden) been influenced by the music of the 15th century when composing? Are we going to hear any electro-troubadour music for instance?
It’s been a real journey to find the sound of this game. The way me and Dave work is essentially I make mix-tapes for him and we make mix-tapes for each other and we bounce tracks we like back and forth. In terms of this one, really, the music is a bunch of things. There’s a lot of instrumental influence from medieval music. You'll be playing the games and a lot of things will come in, like strings, a lot of strings actually because I love strings, and Dave knows that’s the way to make me like a track, to just stick some strings in it. But then also what we found in our musical research was that medieval music doesn't sound as medieval as Hollywood historical music. We've got the real stuff and we also got the ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’ stuff (sings).
Cantering music you mean?
Exactly. No one played music like that back then. We all associate that kind of Hollywood sound with that period, so we bring in some of that and then, yes, we also have a lot of electronica and synths and virtual space sounds. It’s about creating that hybrid, and we also do that with the aesthetic so that the costumes of the characters are a combination of modern fashion and also elements of the medieval. Also the enemies are 'roboty' virtual characters but they also are suits of armour, so we're always trying to blend the future with the medieval, and the music is just one part of that.
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Will you have to play as Rob before having the choice to choose a female character?
So, you play as Rob for the story and at the point that you finish the story a bunch of characters are unlocked. So it’s not just a female option, there are multiple options available to you.
That’s the first time we've heard that isn’t it?
I think that’s the first time I've said that, yes. You're welcome (smiles).
Will the story have branching conclusions? Are we looking for good or bad choices?
No. It’s a very locked down story, it is delivered and concludes in such a way that it is open to further play for the player via a few options, character-wise. We've got a game, which is endless in theory, so we're not going to stop you from playing. The story ends, the credits roll and there is a reason to get back into the action.
I noticed the long windows in the volume room. Is this, by any chance, set in a building inspired by the church of Kirk Lees?
No, the only relevance is that it is a warehouse influenced by medieval architecture. The location of where you are is a big plot point, it is established at the start of the game that you are being hunted by Gisborne and he’s getting closer to finding you, creating a tension across the whole game. But no, there’s no relevance to the church at Kirk Lees. Nice try though!
I also enjoyed the lovely oil painting style artwork of some of the characters painted by Daz. Will these feature in the actual game, or are they just design concepts?
They’re your targets. There’s a series of villains who are basically the people who’ve profited from the poor in the world of Volume. People who run the country now and they're archetypal. There’s the soldier, the alchemist, there’s a whole bunch of them. Lots and lots of very nasty people, and yes you are showing the world how to rob from them. So you get their stories and you get to see what part they played in Gisborne’s rise to power.
Part of the central idea of the story is that Rob must increase his notoriety as time goes on in the way he shows off his crimes of the rich. Is Rob the ultimate YouTuber? Is he the PewDiePie of our time?
He is the PewDiePie of our time, yes (smiles). That was the conversation that led to Charlie being cast. I was sitting in the pub talking to some friends and they were asking who my version of Robin Hood was and I said, well basically he’s Charlie McDonnell, but he’s a thiāf, stealing, he’s robbing. Someone round the table said, “I'm mates with Charlie, do you want his phone number?” and that’s how he got cast. It’s that idea if Robin hood existed..well he never really existed, but if he existed now, he wouldn't be hiding in the woods. Robin Hood was always a show off, he would be finding the best way to visibly piss off the rich people.
In terms of the gameplay, will you be replacing XP with ‘views’ to help levelling up in the game?
There’s not a character progression in the game, you unlock levels and through those levels you gain access to new mechanics. The problem with the progression system is the user-generated content. We do use the idea of how many people are watching as a plot device. That’s discussed and talked about.
So, you play as Rob for the story and at the point that you finish the story a bunch of characters are unlocked. So it’s not just a female option, there are multiple options available to you.
That’s the first time we've heard that isn’t it?
I think that’s the first time I've said that, yes. You're welcome (smiles).
Will the story have branching conclusions? Are we looking for good or bad choices?
No. It’s a very locked down story, it is delivered and concludes in such a way that it is open to further play for the player via a few options, character-wise. We've got a game, which is endless in theory, so we're not going to stop you from playing. The story ends, the credits roll and there is a reason to get back into the action.
I noticed the long windows in the volume room. Is this, by any chance, set in a building inspired by the church of Kirk Lees?
No, the only relevance is that it is a warehouse influenced by medieval architecture. The location of where you are is a big plot point, it is established at the start of the game that you are being hunted by Gisborne and he’s getting closer to finding you, creating a tension across the whole game. But no, there’s no relevance to the church at Kirk Lees. Nice try though!
I also enjoyed the lovely oil painting style artwork of some of the characters painted by Daz. Will these feature in the actual game, or are they just design concepts?
They’re your targets. There’s a series of villains who are basically the people who’ve profited from the poor in the world of Volume. People who run the country now and they're archetypal. There’s the soldier, the alchemist, there’s a whole bunch of them. Lots and lots of very nasty people, and yes you are showing the world how to rob from them. So you get their stories and you get to see what part they played in Gisborne’s rise to power.
Part of the central idea of the story is that Rob must increase his notoriety as time goes on in the way he shows off his crimes of the rich. Is Rob the ultimate YouTuber? Is he the PewDiePie of our time?
He is the PewDiePie of our time, yes (smiles). That was the conversation that led to Charlie being cast. I was sitting in the pub talking to some friends and they were asking who my version of Robin Hood was and I said, well basically he’s Charlie McDonnell, but he’s a thiāf, stealing, he’s robbing. Someone round the table said, “I'm mates with Charlie, do you want his phone number?” and that’s how he got cast. It’s that idea if Robin hood existed..well he never really existed, but if he existed now, he wouldn't be hiding in the woods. Robin Hood was always a show off, he would be finding the best way to visibly piss off the rich people.
In terms of the gameplay, will you be replacing XP with ‘views’ to help levelling up in the game?
There’s not a character progression in the game, you unlock levels and through those levels you gain access to new mechanics. The problem with the progression system is the user-generated content. We do use the idea of how many people are watching as a plot device. That’s discussed and talked about.
When it comes to mixing your levels - you said really good versions of the core levels could become the definitive version. We like the idea that the actual game could evolve as people play it. Lets imagine new players come to Volume a few months down the line; Will there be a radio switch that lets people play ‘Vanilla’ Volume or ‘remixed’ Volume?
Yeah. The way the game works is that it tracks your play and it delivers story moments to you based on your progress through the game. The progress does’t mean the progress through the core vanilla levels...I like the term Vanilla levels, I’ll never use it in the game, but I like it….those levels are unlocked by completing previous levels. They are essentially tutorial, walking you through learning how to play at a simple pace, they’re how the game is designed to be played, but they are one option from a set off tabs: Core Game and Online. If you wanted to, yes, you could experience all the story without touching the levels we've made.
How do you feel about that?
I feel awesome about that! It’s really interesting, that’s why I'm doing it (smiles).
We've never seen that before. Is there a precedent for it?
Probably. I don't know if it’s unprecedented, but it’s certainly interesting. I read a lot about Vampire: The Masquerade -Bloodlines. I love how that game’s changed since release. And if you’ve played it recently, through the community updates, it’s a completely new game.
Much like the Terratech chaps who released a very early Alpha and got feedback from their community?
Yeah, but I like the idea of designing the game without that feedback, making the mechanics where I want them to be, but then just setting them free and see what happens.
Will it be possible, therefore, for players to record their own voices and replace Danny and Charlie’s VO?
No. That’s something we’ve talked about but is beyond the scope of what we can do with this game.
That could also leave it open to a certain amount of abuse too?
Sure, we analyse text and we decide whether something is suitable for the community using normal text filtering.
And, ahem, silly-shaped levels?
Silly shaped levels will get through, but honestly, if anyone wants to make a cock out of a 31 x 31 pixel grid, they’re more than welcome to. If the audience want to do that, they can. They can't make anything too anatomically correct, so I think we're fine.
What’s the likely age rating for Volume?
We don’t know yet. I know that, in terms of the content we're creating, we’re targeting quite a low age rating. It’s not an 18 certificated game. In terms of how things will work with user-generated content, we have to investigate and talk to the ratings board and find out how we're going to place that.
For the desktop versions of the games, you're planning PC and Mac. Will you be supporting Linux?
We’re not committing to that as Linux can be a bit shaky, we’re committing to PC and Mac and we’ll probably give Linux a go, but I’m not going to say it’s coming until I know it’s coming. The PC and Mac versions will be coming one month after the console versions.
Will desktop users be able to mod the game beyond the actual level designer?
No. Because it’s a Unity game it is going to be pretty locked down. They can can certainly try, and it will be interesting to see what they produce but we’re not going to go beyond the level editor by design.
Yeah. The way the game works is that it tracks your play and it delivers story moments to you based on your progress through the game. The progress does’t mean the progress through the core vanilla levels...I like the term Vanilla levels, I’ll never use it in the game, but I like it….those levels are unlocked by completing previous levels. They are essentially tutorial, walking you through learning how to play at a simple pace, they’re how the game is designed to be played, but they are one option from a set off tabs: Core Game and Online. If you wanted to, yes, you could experience all the story without touching the levels we've made.
How do you feel about that?
I feel awesome about that! It’s really interesting, that’s why I'm doing it (smiles).
We've never seen that before. Is there a precedent for it?
Probably. I don't know if it’s unprecedented, but it’s certainly interesting. I read a lot about Vampire: The Masquerade -Bloodlines. I love how that game’s changed since release. And if you’ve played it recently, through the community updates, it’s a completely new game.
Much like the Terratech chaps who released a very early Alpha and got feedback from their community?
Yeah, but I like the idea of designing the game without that feedback, making the mechanics where I want them to be, but then just setting them free and see what happens.
Will it be possible, therefore, for players to record their own voices and replace Danny and Charlie’s VO?
No. That’s something we’ve talked about but is beyond the scope of what we can do with this game.
That could also leave it open to a certain amount of abuse too?
Sure, we analyse text and we decide whether something is suitable for the community using normal text filtering.
And, ahem, silly-shaped levels?
Silly shaped levels will get through, but honestly, if anyone wants to make a cock out of a 31 x 31 pixel grid, they’re more than welcome to. If the audience want to do that, they can. They can't make anything too anatomically correct, so I think we're fine.
What’s the likely age rating for Volume?
We don’t know yet. I know that, in terms of the content we're creating, we’re targeting quite a low age rating. It’s not an 18 certificated game. In terms of how things will work with user-generated content, we have to investigate and talk to the ratings board and find out how we're going to place that.
For the desktop versions of the games, you're planning PC and Mac. Will you be supporting Linux?
We’re not committing to that as Linux can be a bit shaky, we’re committing to PC and Mac and we’ll probably give Linux a go, but I’m not going to say it’s coming until I know it’s coming. The PC and Mac versions will be coming one month after the console versions.
Will desktop users be able to mod the game beyond the actual level designer?
No. Because it’s a Unity game it is going to be pretty locked down. They can can certainly try, and it will be interesting to see what they produce but we’re not going to go beyond the level editor by design.
Do you feel that you still have the same amount of control over your project with extra devs on hand, or do you sometimes feel you have to accommodate other ideas at the expense of your own?
I've put a team around me that I respect and have yet to see them come to me with anything that is not better than what I suggested. Genuinely. I have a world class team working with me and they are all better at what they do than I am.
You made a decision to make Volume a non-violent game and not have killing. Do you think the gaming audience will eventually tire of first-person shooters?
No, and I haven’t. I love first person shooters, I adore first person shooters, I can't imagine a time when I’m not going to enjoy them. it’s a very basic, instinctively fun activity. I think it’s a cool way to play a video game. It wasn't right for Volume, but I'm never going to rule out doing a game with that content because I enjoy playing that content.
Volume is looking much more polished and ‘next-gen’. At what point did you feel, ‘Yes, that’s a product that is worthy of the PS4'?
I don’t yet (laughs), I’m never going to stop iterating and fiddling, however the big moment for me was when we got some new lighting stuff in. We were looking at Lockesley and there was a point where the camera was close enough to him that you could see if there was a problem. To me he looks like a character from a PS4 game.
We noticed when we looked at Locksley in the main menu he was very polished and soft focus, very suited to PS4.
Thank you, and that’s actually in-game too, when you’re playing the game there’s some cool depth of field stuff. For me that looks like a game worthy of those platforms.
This time round, you have a much larger voice cast. Were there more challenges involved ?
I outsourced a studio to record, but I'm always in the room directing. I direct those scenes, I also write those scenes. The biggest challenge is getting natural interaction. That’s when you have two characters talking to each other and making it sound like they are chatting to each other. The way we did that was literally by putting them in the same room. With Danny and Charlie, we spent a day rehearsing it, we booked out a theatre space in London and we rehearsed like it was a play. The following day we went into the VO studio and they recorded it in the same room, talking to each other. The bad guy, Gisborne...
Who is playing Gisborne?
Nice try (smiles), we are recording him in a couple of weeks but he'll be working with a recording of Danny and Charlie’s performance. He’s a very fine actor so this shouldn't be a problem. It’s going to be very fun announcing that.
And when will you be announcing him?
I'm not committing to that yet, not publicly anyway (laughs).
How are you going to ensure longevity of Volume post release?
We're going to bring the game out and see whether people like it, we're going to see what they like about it, what part of the game is interesting to them and we're going to try and serve content that they want. I’m not interested in making the same game for three years after release, so it’s not going to be an update every month, but if there’s something that’s not working we'll fix it and if an idea comes to me and I want to try something cool with the game, then I'll add it. There is no content plan, there is no structure.
Will Project #3 have any VR control capabilities?
I’ve no idea. That’s an honest answer. I don't know, yet, if even Volume will (smiles).
Finally, how keen are you to hear the phrase “From the creator of Volume” appear on future projects?
Hah, we'll see how it reviews. TWA was something like my seventh game, so it would be nice to have another worthy of being on the poster. We'll see how it reviews...
I've put a team around me that I respect and have yet to see them come to me with anything that is not better than what I suggested. Genuinely. I have a world class team working with me and they are all better at what they do than I am.
You made a decision to make Volume a non-violent game and not have killing. Do you think the gaming audience will eventually tire of first-person shooters?
No, and I haven’t. I love first person shooters, I adore first person shooters, I can't imagine a time when I’m not going to enjoy them. it’s a very basic, instinctively fun activity. I think it’s a cool way to play a video game. It wasn't right for Volume, but I'm never going to rule out doing a game with that content because I enjoy playing that content.
Volume is looking much more polished and ‘next-gen’. At what point did you feel, ‘Yes, that’s a product that is worthy of the PS4'?
I don’t yet (laughs), I’m never going to stop iterating and fiddling, however the big moment for me was when we got some new lighting stuff in. We were looking at Lockesley and there was a point where the camera was close enough to him that you could see if there was a problem. To me he looks like a character from a PS4 game.
We noticed when we looked at Locksley in the main menu he was very polished and soft focus, very suited to PS4.
Thank you, and that’s actually in-game too, when you’re playing the game there’s some cool depth of field stuff. For me that looks like a game worthy of those platforms.
This time round, you have a much larger voice cast. Were there more challenges involved ?
I outsourced a studio to record, but I'm always in the room directing. I direct those scenes, I also write those scenes. The biggest challenge is getting natural interaction. That’s when you have two characters talking to each other and making it sound like they are chatting to each other. The way we did that was literally by putting them in the same room. With Danny and Charlie, we spent a day rehearsing it, we booked out a theatre space in London and we rehearsed like it was a play. The following day we went into the VO studio and they recorded it in the same room, talking to each other. The bad guy, Gisborne...
Who is playing Gisborne?
Nice try (smiles), we are recording him in a couple of weeks but he'll be working with a recording of Danny and Charlie’s performance. He’s a very fine actor so this shouldn't be a problem. It’s going to be very fun announcing that.
And when will you be announcing him?
I'm not committing to that yet, not publicly anyway (laughs).
How are you going to ensure longevity of Volume post release?
We're going to bring the game out and see whether people like it, we're going to see what they like about it, what part of the game is interesting to them and we're going to try and serve content that they want. I’m not interested in making the same game for three years after release, so it’s not going to be an update every month, but if there’s something that’s not working we'll fix it and if an idea comes to me and I want to try something cool with the game, then I'll add it. There is no content plan, there is no structure.
Will Project #3 have any VR control capabilities?
I’ve no idea. That’s an honest answer. I don't know, yet, if even Volume will (smiles).
Finally, how keen are you to hear the phrase “From the creator of Volume” appear on future projects?
Hah, we'll see how it reviews. TWA was something like my seventh game, so it would be nice to have another worthy of being on the poster. We'll see how it reviews...
New footage showing more gameplay feature and voice overs from Charlie McDonnell and Danny Wallace
Backwards Compatible would like to thank Mike for his time.
All images and footage courtesy of Mike Bithell Games
All images and footage courtesy of Mike Bithell Games
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