Contents
INTERVIEW
WITH DAN HOUSER AND LESLIE BENZIES FOR GAMESPY
1. What general graphical enhancements will be made to the pc version
of the game?
Les: all the textures in the city are much higher resolution, and have more colors so everything is sharper. Draw distance can be configured by the player to take advantage of the power available in the latest pc's. The player can change the number of cars and peds on the street so the city can be really busy. We've also added replays to take advantage of the extra memory available when playing the game on pc so you can hit the replay button and watch the last 30 seconds' action all over again.
2. You're transitioning the control scheme from a console style to pc style third person action. How is that coming along, and what are you doing to make the controls work more fluidly with pc gaming peripherals like the mouse & keyboard?
Les: we've spent an enormous amount of time perfecting the controls for the pc version and believe we've come up with the ideal setup. There are two control methods. One we call 'classic' as it is exactly the same as the ps2 controls. This mode works with either the keyboard or a joystick. The other method we call 'standard' which is a completely new configuration made especially for the pc and it requires a mouse to function. In this mode the camera and player's direction is controlled with the mouse while movement and all other actions are controlled though the keyboard. This means that targeting is very different from the classic mode as there is no lock-on button but instead the player uses the mouse to aim all the weapons.
3. How does this affect the experience of playing the game?
Dan: the player has better control over the camera of course, and can play the game any way they choose - i.e. the game has been optimised for both people who like pc style games and people who like using a joy pad. To get this right took a lot of time, but i think it is exciting, because it gives people freedom to play how they want in a way they never had on ps2. The main advantage is that this gives people who want it the opportunity to experience the game without one of the limitations inherent in a 3rd person console game set in a 3d world - you choose what you look at. No matter how good the camera system, it is never as responsive as a neck and a pair of eyes and ears, so you always feel trapped or blinded at times in any 3rd person game. With a mouse, you aren't going to experience this. For the console version, we set out to make the game very pick up and play, but for the pc audience, a huge section of the audience are used to controlling the camera, so don't regard it as an unnecessary burden, but as an integral part of the gameplay experience. There is, as you'll see if you study the screenshots, quite a bit more visual detail on pc as well, as we're not constrained by the texture limitations of a console, so people will be able to explore the world with more freedom and see it in a lot more detail.
4. Will the pc version support all the ps2 control features like auto aiming, drive-by shooting view, etc?
Les: everything from the ps2 version is available and more. Depending on which control method is used there will be auto-targeting or not. If the mouse is used (standard controls) then the targeting is handled by the user but if the classic mode is used then targeting is identical to the ps2 version.
5. Driving in the ps2 version is pretty smooth, and realistic -- are you changing the physics model at all for the pc version or will it the same as on the ps2?
Les: due to the increased frame rate on the pc version, the overall feel of the game is much better. The physics on the cars is much smoother and the overall handling is more responsive.
6. Will you be supporting any specific graphics apis or specific card features like full screen anti aliasing?
Les: no
7. What are the minimum target system specs for gta 3 pc?
Les: we went for a minimum spec of p3 450 with 96mb of ram and a 16mb graphics card with which the game will run well but to see it in its true beauty you need at least a p3 700 with a 32mb graphics card.
8. Multiplayer rumors have abounded, our suspicion is that it wont be included.. Can you confirm?
Dan: this game will not ship with multiplayer. We just didn't feel we could do the game justice in a multiplayer environment. The single player experience is so innovative, and so unlike anything people have previously experienced, in terms of freedom, attitude and the integration of style and gameplay. For the first time in my experience of playing games, here is a game in which the way the player walks, what the npcs say, how the cars handle, what you have to do and the massive world you are doing it in all feel like part of the same, huge experience. To create a multiplayer experience that is true to the ideals of gta - freedom, immersiveness and attitude will take a long time.
9. I'll admit it. I was shocked at just how awesome gta 3 for the ps2
was. Do you think the magic of the ps2 version is going to carry over
to gta 3 pc?
Dan: we hope so. I see no reason why not, as the game has been lovingly re built for pc by the team who made the ps2 version. It is not a third party port, and, having taken 6 months, was certainly not a rushed job. In the end, the game concept is very strong, the gameplay very innovative and the game now plays and handles like a pc game and has been graphically enhanced for the pc market. In moving from ps2 to pc, apart from graphics, your major challenge is in handling and gta3 on the pc handles like a pc game.
10. Any closing comments before we wrap this up?
Dan: we hope you enjoy it. Gta has always been a game that has existed on pc and console, and we believe gta3 is a worthy successor both to the ps2 version and to previous gta games.
