We’re excited to bring you an interview with the head developer of Worms.
NA: There have been a few times we were especially proud to have an interview with someone. This is one of those times as Team 17 has agreed to talk with us. Their Worms series is nothing short of a cult dynasty among quite a few gamers. Fun and easy to pick up, but hard to master, these games provided tremendous replay value. With that, we are excited to get on with the interview.
Nerd Age’s Scholar: Thanks for giving us a chance to talk with you. I’ve played Worms since the very first game when I was quite a bit younger. We were all very excited on the staff when we heard about a new game.
John Dennis of Team 17, developers of Worms: It’s more than a pleasure to chat… it’s always nice to talk to people about the games we make.
NA: Worms has become an iconic franchise, but how do you keep the games fresh?
JD: Well it’s a balance. When people see the name “Worms” on a game, they have certain expectations: maybe that the game’s going to have some sort of cute look to it, that it’s going to be funny, have a really enjoyable multiplayer element and that there’s going to be some depth to it. While you can innovate within limits, you always have to be mindful of what makes the game great and what people want from it.
NA: Your company, like the game, also has a rich history dating back to 17-bit Software and Microbyte. What is the secret for your longevity?
JD: I guess you’d have to say that owning the “Worms” brand is the key. It’s seen us survive when a lot of other developers have closed their doors and helped us weather some pretty rough times in the industry. Now more and more games are sold via digital channels such as Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and the App Store, it’s allowed us to be masters of our own destiny once more, choosing what games we want to develop and when.
NA: You have done 2d and 3d versions of your games; do gamers today prefer one over the other? Or is it not that simple?
JD: I think there’s a split. Some people prefer the 2D ones and some people prefer the 3D ones. Personally I think the versatility of three dimensions means the 3D games edge it for single player. It’s purely a matter of taste though, and hey, if people want to like both exactly the same amount, then that’s fine too!
NA: We notice you have crazier weapons than ever like the “Fatkins Strike”. Could you tell us about some of them and where you get your inspiration for these?
JD: Hehe… well the “Fatkins Strike” came about because a couple of the guys at the studio were on the Atkins diet at the time, so it was kind of poking a bit of fun at them. The inspiration for the weapons can come from anywhere: it can be something that topical that we’ve seen in the news, or it could be something that we just think will make a really good weapon with unique play possibilities, like the “Tail Nail” or the “Bubble Trouble”.
NA: As anyone who has been playing this series for a long time knows, the environments are a big part of the fun. You have to love launching someone off a cliff. Tell us a little about what your environments bring to the table here.
JD: Much like the 2D version of the game, the environments are completely deformable despite being 3D… something only possible thanks to our very clever in-house technology. In fact, I’m pretty sure nobody had done it before, and I don’t think anyone’s done it since. You can blow everything up… you can blow holes and tunnels, create huge craters… anything you can see you can destroy, so that’s that tick-box ticked.
Additionally, one of the other features of the “Worms” landscapes has been the ability to randomly generate the battlefield, and that feature is also present and correct. Depending on the graphical theme you choose, you get different types of landscape.
So for example, choosing to randomly generate a “Construction”-themed map creates a tall map with platforms and scaffolding poles, while choosing to generate a “Camelot”-themed map creates a low map with lots of castle walls and the odd tower. It’s very clever and adds a great deal of variety and longevity to the multiplayer game.
NA: What do you want readers to know about what new non-weapon features Worms: Ultimate Mayhem brings to the game?
JD: Well, the game is a compilation of the very best content from “Worms™3D” and “Worms™4: Mayhem”, so it’s got 38 weapons, all the customization options plus a selection of new ones making for 115 individual customisation elements in total, and has 60 single player missions from both as well, making it a just massive game.
We’ve taken the opportunity to improve on what was there already too. It’s not often you’ve get the chance to revisit titles that you remember fondly, so our starting point was wanting to do the games justice. This meant going back to consumer reviews and seeing what people liked and where they felt improvements could be made.
The main bugbear seemed to be the camera, so this is where we started… we made a number of improvements, from making it less interfering to adding a picture-in-picture function that means you can both retreat your worm and see where your shot lands at the same time without ever losing sight of either!
We also set about making the game more approachable, and to this end we added a new utility (the Binoculars) that helps you aim, an introduction sequence to guide you through the menu system and an automatic shot assist mechanic that helps your shots find their targets in easy mode. It all adds up to making the game feel much friendlier and more approachable for players who’ve never had the “Worms™” experience in 3D.
In terms of visual improvements, we’ve brought the game up-to-date with a raft of enhancements. New water effects, up-scaled textures and fonts, higher polygon counts, specular materials, real-time lighting and dynamic shadows all add to the game looking a little more modern while still retaining its attractive cartoon style visuals.
Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the audio improvements either… we’ve a whole bunch of new music in the game, or all of the cut-scenes have been re-edited, voice-acted and lip-synched, which makes a massive difference!
NA: How has the onset of digital distribution altered your company?
JD: It’s really had a large effect on the industry, and as a consequence on the way we work at Team17. When you make box games, because of the expense involved (the cost of manufacture, shipping, marketing etc.) you generally have to work with a publisher to help fund the expense of it.
This means pitching an idea for a concept: if the publisher likes the idea and thinks it will be commercially successful, then you get to work together to make it. If they don’t like the idea, it doesn’t go any further. Digital distribution has removed many of the barriers to the market for developers, so while you have to worry about the cost of developing the game (which can be substantial), at least you don’t really have to worry about having lots of discs duplicated, manuals printed or shipping your game out to lots of different shops.
So now we’re in a place where we decide what games we want to develop, and while it’s been enjoyable working with some very good publishers, we can now deliver the games we want to make directly to the people out there who want to play them, which is extremely refreshing!
NA: What is Team 17’s stance on DLC and how should it be handled?
JD: DLC’s brilliant. It’s a chance to update your game and add further content for players who’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a real chance to listen to people who play the game, and add something that they want.
There’s a good example in the DLC we did for “Worms Reloaded” on Steam: we ran a competition in which people had a chance to design missions and landscapes for the game. We took all the best ones, packaged them up in a free Community Pack and released it as DLC. Personally I’m a massive fan of DLC. If I’ve really enjoyed a game, it makes me very happy to find there’s DLC available for it.
We’ve got some nice DLC planned for “Worms Ultimate Mayhem”: there should be something for everyone.
NA: You have several games that appeal to a more hard-core demographic, such as the core Worms series, and games like Worms Crazy Golf which appeal to a more casual demographic. It is nice to see a balance of game styles. Do you think you will continue with this balance or shift more to one side in the future?
JD: I think I can say we’ll continue to try and make games that appeal to people. As the market changes and more casual game platforms such as iPhone and social networking sites become ever more popular, it makes sense to try and create games that are suitable for those audience’s tastes.
NA: Humor has always been an integral part of Worms. Can you give the fans of taste of how you handled humor in Worms: Ultimate Mayhem?
JD: The humour works really well in 3D. Because the worms aren’t little 2D characters, they can animate in more ways, mug to camera while still doing all the funny things you associate with the classic worms, like screaming as they’re catapulted through the air by an explosion or burying their heads in the landscape if they fall too far.
They’re funny… they look at each other and shake their heads or pray when you aim a weapon at them. And of course the ability to dress them up in ludicrous ways only improves the effect.
NA: What advice do you have for smaller developers?
JD: Wow… tough question. It’s hard to know what to say: while there are fewer barriers to entry now, the problem has become one of visibility: with so many titles arriving on the App Store for example, getting your title seen is the biggest challenge. I guess sticking to platforms within your scope, and focus on games that you think lots of people would like. I don’t know how helpful that advice is.
NA: Once again we want to thank Team 17 for talking with us. We can’t wait to check out their new game. You can get it on Steam as well as Xbox Live and we’ve been informed it’s also coming to PSN later. We will be sure to have more coverage for you soon.
JD: It’s been an absolute pleasure chatting. I very much hope you and your readers enjoy “Worms Ultimate Mayhem” and “Worms Crazy Golf”, and the titles we have coming in the future. Keep on wormin’ folks!
