PALGN: To start off, can you introduce yourself and tell a little about your role with Beijing 2008?
Warren Leigh: Hi, I’m Warren Leigh, and I started working in the industry back in '99, joining SEGA in '04 to work on Xbox OutRun 2 which was my 1st SEGA produced title.
I then spent the next 2 years working on the Football Manager franchise with Sports Interactive.
In more recent years I was the Producer for Virtua Tennis 3, SEGA Superstars Tennis and now Beijing 2008. It's been a very difficult few years for me juggling the production on so many high profile titles, but I've worked with some of the best development teams from around the world, and enjoy making great games.
I was a SEGA fanboy back in the days and feel I've now truly found my home.
PALGN: How did the development team go about working on such a huge project? Did you look back at other Olympic videogames, discuss which events should be included and axed from the final package?
WL: Since Eurocom developed previous Olympic Games as well, they found out quickly what worked and what didn’t. However, the bar was raised by adding a number of new events to the event list!
Go for Gold!
PALGN: With events such as the 100m Track and 100m Butterfly already being a part of other sport and mini-game compilations, how have you changed or improved them to keep players interested?
WL: We made sure that both of these events had 2 different ways of playing the game (the “stick waggle” and the “button mash”). Also, we’ve added a new launching mechanic, which will change the outcome of every race!
PALGN: What sort of customisation options and gameplay modes will be offered in Beijing 2008?
WL: First of all, you can design your own Athletes to play with in the Single Player mode, “the Olympic games mode”, in all other modes (training, competition, and Online modes) you can customise which events you play, in what order, and how many you want.
PALGN: When the game was initially announced by SEGA, it was confirmed that there would be online multiplayer support. Since then, further details have emerged that Voice Chat will also be implemented. Are there any other main differences between the single-player experience and going online?
WL: Besides beating your friends? Yes, you of course can defend the honour of your own country, and bring home the Gold!
But how good are you in real life?
PALGN: In most videogames, players are rewarded for their efforts with unlockable content such as ‘Making of’ videos, character bios, concept art and even alternative costumes. Can players expect something similar in Beijing 2008, or is it a simple matter of being able to progress to the next event?
WL: Luckily for all gamers out there, all events and content are unlocked when you first boot up the game.
PALGN: Taking into account there will be over 35 different sports in the final product, do you worry that some events may feel rushed or poorly integrated? Likewise, with games such as FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer taking up to a year or more to produce, how has the team maintained a schedule to create a quality experience?
WL: We are not worried, all events have the same amount of polish and we’re sure you’ll agree when you try out all of them.
PALGN: Have there been any problems associated with developing the title for multiple platforms, particularly when you’re working on a console version and a PC version?
WL: Although the infrastructure of all three platforms is different, the development team had previous experience, and managed to give each platform the same amount of polish.
Remember to show good sportsmanship during online matches.
PALGN: Besides online play and enhanced graphics, what else will Beijing 2008 offer over previous Olympic videogames? Do you feel it will set the benchmark for future adaptations of the Olympic Games?
WL: Because we’ve added in new gameplay elements to most events, this will certainly be the benchmark for Olympic videogames to come.
PALGN: Finally, now that there are only a few weeks before the game’s release, do you wish you had done things differently from the beginning, or are you completely satisfied with the results the team has achieved?
WL: We are completely satisfied, and we hope the player will be as well.
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PALGN would like to thank Warren Leigh and SEGA for taking the time to answer these questions.
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