Halo Wars Interview with Jason Pace, Senior Producer with MGS

Part 3

by jinx

What do you think is the most groundbreaking game (besides your own!) in the last 5 years?

I don’t think I could give a single answer to this, as there are so many different genres and so many people innovating in different areas – it’s an amazing time to be in the games industry. That said, I think Portal is an obvious candidate for groundbreaking game because you’re talking about a mechanic that’s devilishly clever and hasn’t really been seen before in quite that way. World of Goo is also an amazing game that pairs a deceptively simple mechanic with a beautiful aesthetic and delivers an experience that feels completely fresh and new. There are also fresh approaches to classic genres, like the awesome zero gravity experience in Dead Space, and games with remarkably deep and fully realized worlds, like Bioshock, that transcend the sum of their parts and really push the entire industry into a new level of immersive experiences. And of course, Halo Wars is about to show everyone that Strategy is a breakthrough genre on the console thanks to Ensemble’s groundbreaking approach to the mechanic and controls.

What kinds of games do you play in your free time?

I started as a PC gamer back in the day, but I’ve been focusing my game time on console titles recently with the exception of World of Goo on the PC. I love survival horror, platformers, strategy games, campaign-driven FPS experiences, RPGs and third-person action/adventures.

What game would you totally kick my butt in?

I would kick your butt in Halo Wars, at least the first few times you played... and if I didn’t I’d cry. I’d also school you in Amplitude on PS2 and Space Channel 5 on Dreamcast. You’d probably kick my butt in everything else. T_T

What Xbox 360 achievement are you most proud of obtaining?

“Avenger of the Slain” in Too Human, for killing 1000 zombies. I love killing zombies!