With The Gunslinger releasing September 13, we thought this a good opportunity to bug Twisted Pixel for a little more information about their first retail release. Alex Jones, Level Designer for Twisted Pixel was nice enough to answer our questions.
jggh: What made you decide to work on a Kinect title this time around instead of a traditional controller in hand game?
Alex: We had a great opportunity to do something new with an exciting piece of technology so we jumped for it! We had an idea for something that was very different from what was currently out there that we wanted to try.
jggh: What would be an example of how you’ve used Kinect to make controlling this game unique to other games?
Alex: Most Kinect games are dance, fitness, or sports/party games. We wanted to create a more traditional game with a storyline, characters and action. Hopefully this helps pave the way for more games on the Kinect that core gamers can enjoy and even bring casual gamers over to the core. We wanted to make a game where you felt cool controlling it but that didn’t require you to break a sweat unless you wanted to.
jggh: When and why was the decision made to make The Gunstringer your first retail title?
Alex: The project started as an XBLA game but Microsoft was impressed with what they saw and asked us to bring the game to retail instead. We jumped at the chance.
jggh: When the decision was made to make the game a retail title, were you prepared for that or was it a concern at first?
Alex: We were very happy to be able to have more time to work on the game and bring it to the next level of quality that we thought it should be. The only thing we had to worry about was to keep on working.
jggh: How did the idea to team up with HalfBrick to include Fruit Ninja Kinect in the box come about?
Alex: We were afraid that some people might be put off by a retail game that was originally announced as XBLA, so it was very important to us that the retail package offered a really great value. We worked with Microsoft to make sure the package was only $40 and had some free content included such as the Summer of Arcade hit title Fruit Ninja Kinect and an epic DLC add-on for The Gunstringer that you can download on day one.
jggh: Even though the game will require Kinect and obviously be a different kind of game. Does the game still feel and play like most traditional titles from you?
Alex: Using the Kinect rather than a controller makes a huge difference in the way it feels, but the content of the game is similar to traditional titles from us. There is still the old school platforming and shooting as well as lots of humor throughout the game. The characters, art and sound design have all been taken to the next level of madness.
jggh: Was there a big concern to make the game compatible to play while sitting down?
Alex: It was one of the main vision points in the early design of the game. Fortunately it did not give us much trouble at all so we were able to move on to focus on other things quickly.
jggh: We know that the game comes with DLC called “The Wavy Tube Man Chronicles”, can we expect support after the release with more DLC?
Alex: We’d love to do more with The Gunstringer, but so far only one DLC pack has been announced.
jggh: Will the game feature all the bonus material in game such as premium themes, concept art and avatar items like in past games like Ms. Splosion Man and Comic Jumper?
Alex: We actually broke our own record for how much unlockable content is packed into The Gunstringer. It has over 500 unlockables, including premium theme, avatar awards, and tons of crazy behind the scenes videos.
jggh: If you could compare The Gunstringer to any of Twisted Pixel’s other titles, if any which one would you choose?
Alex: The Gunstringer is very different from our other games but if you really want to compare it you could say it has large outdoor areas like The Maw and lots of shooting somewhat like Comic Jumper. You could also say the traveling to different plays in The Gunstringer is similar to jumping to different comics in Comic Jumper.
jggh: With this being Twisted Pixel’s first retail game, can we expect more XBLA titles as well as retail titles or will the focus go back to XBLA?
Alex: We have to figure that out ourselves!
Thanks to Jay and Alex from Twisted Pixel for hooking us up with this Q&A. Be sure to check out The Gunstringer releasing September 13 and look for a review from us!
