T-minus 24 hours and ticking… This is it! The moment we have all been waiting for: Release To Xbox Certification (RTX). It's been a long summer of bug squishing, performance testing, and cramming every ounce of content into the mighty Xbox. The end of a large project such as MechAssault is always an interesting time. The pressure is high and there's a great deal of frenetic activity to clean up all the loose ends. The hours are often long. NOW, to top it off, we have to deal with the grueling "content is frozen, now polish, polish, polish" phase. Defiantly, we draw the line in the sand—we've got a game to ship.
Actually, the time between lockdown and ship really isn't all that bad. Most days, I get to take part in the fun side of working in the games industry (because it's not ALWAYS fun and games; we do have to work from time to time). Now is the time to play, play, play! To keep things interesting, we have this little side competition going to see who can be the first to beat the game in Elite mode; it's mostly for bragging rights, but I have seen a few "Denny Bucks" [named for Denny Thorley, the Executive Producer] get handed over. Ahhhh, there's nothing like having a wall full of signed dollar bills for every time you've done something great or won a bet with the boss!
This game is awesome! You'd think that, after working on MechAssault for over two years, we probably wouldn't be challenged by it because surely we'd have to know all the tips and tricks by now. Well, guess what? It took me two weeks (including one sleepless weekend) before I was finally able to beat MechAssault in Elite mode, and I am definitely ready to do it all over again. I am one of the few and the proud to beat MechAssault in Elite mode. I can't help but chuckle at all the wussies that want to make the game easier 'cuz they can't get past it! <grin>
Late night thoughts… As I sit at home tonight playtesting Xbox™ Live with colleagues, I can't help but grin at just how cool this really is. This is truly a revolutionary experience! It's just like the evening LAN parties at work or in the dorms, but way better! You get to lounge on your couch, sippin' your favorite beverage and listening to all the cries and groans when you pluck someone off from 400 meters. Ahhhh, it doesn't get any better than this. This is such an addicting experience. Every game will be the last one for the night, but hours later the battles continue. I like this constant competition between making sure your name is at the top of the leader board and waking up in time for work the next day.
Where to next… Well, a little R&R is called for, but not too much because we still have lots of great downloadable content to get ready for you 'Mech nuts out there. Yup, as most of you already know, there will be all sorts of great goodies for you to download from Xbox Live afterMechAssault ships. No big secrets to give away yet, but let's just say it will be well worth the wait!
By Shane Griffith, Technical Art Director, Day 1 Studios
