Xbox Goes BLACK

Alex Ward, Creative Director of Criterion Games, has had a busy group of developers under his watch. The team recently wrapped the Xbox 360® Burnout Revenge™ game and BLACK™ on Xbox® for Electronic Arts. Ward took some time to talk with us about the company's first shooter.

Xbox.com: Can you talk about the story of BLACK?

Alex: The story of BLACK is set amidst the real-world setting of the war on terror. At its heart, the story focuses on the obsessive pursuit of one man by a young American soldier.

Guns are front and center in BLACK .

Xbox.com: Has the current political climate impacted the game's story?

Alex: Absolutely. We have strived to make the game story believable, credible, and real. And for once, it does not revolve around stolen nuclear weapons—which is something far too easy for both game and movie screenwriters to fall into.

”I think they will dig the fact that it is a real technical
showcase for the Xbox, plus they have been waiting
for such a balls-out shooter for a long time.”

Xbox.com: In creating this game, how did the story drive the gameplay?

Alex: Well, I am a big believer in it working the other way around. That may sound a little odd and against the grain, but we are game makers first and foremost. We established early on that the game was going to focus on intense movie-style firefights. The next goal was to avoid gaming clichés and make something credible and believable.

The basic story was inspired by the trial of John Walker Lindh, a guy known as "the American Taliban." I was fascinated with the thought that one of America's most dangerous enemies could come from within and be another American. This was several years ago. This then evolved into the story that became BLACK.

Xbox.com: What movies and games influenced this game?

Alex: How long do we have? For the sake of brevity, and, if you are planning to go through the game, I can safely mention Behind Enemy Lines, The Rock, The Matrix and Black Hawk Down, to name but a few.

Xbox.com: Can you describe "gun porn"?

Alex: Not really. Although often attributed to us, this was a term coined by a U.S. journalist last year and for some reason we never managed to shake it off. Each to his own, I guess. What I can say is that we focused hard on providing the player with the most visceral and exciting shooting experience yet seen.

Hollywood explosions propel the action.

Xbox.com: What separates this game from the pack of first-person shooter (FPS) games?

Alex: The look on your face when you pull the trigger! Seriously. Plus the whole style, setting, and tone of the game.

Xbox.com: What do you think hardcore gamers will find interesting about this gameplay?

Alex: I think they will dig the fact that it is a real technical showcase for the Xbox hardware, plus they will most likely have been waiting for such a balls-out shooter for a long time, just like we have.

Xbox.com: What type of replay value is there in the single-player game in terms of new abilities or unlockables?

Alex: You are rated for each level, which unlocks weapons, ammo variations. Plus, there are secondary objectives for the player to find. These are also tied into the world of BLACK with the idea that everything is real, so the player can Google them all to learn more about our world and what it means to be truly BLACK.

Xbox.com: Why was the decision made to not include multiplayer?

Alex: In the world of BLACK, there is no deathmatch. Plus, we decided to hunker down and focus on single player.

Watch the bad guys fly away.

Xbox.com: How hard is it in the current landscape to get original games made?

Alex: For independent developers, it is extremely hard. But I've been there twice now. Stand out from the crowd, and believe in yourself.

Xbox.com: What challenges are there to bringing out a game in a genre which is so popular, yet flooded with other games these days?

Alex: Everyone has preconceived notions of what an FPS should be; it's tough to do something different without being compared to every other game under the sun.You'll never be able to please everyone.

The genre is also dominated by fans of PC hardware. They are religious and near fanatical in their beliefs. It is hard to break through this. Consoles are a fantastic platform for shooters too! However, BLACK came out strong and in both America and Europe. So far, the game is a huge success and we're really happy with what we did.

Xbox.com: Thanks for talking with us, and best of luck in your future projects!

Article by John Gaudiosi