GN: Since this direction has never been tackled before, what were some of the obstacles you and the development team have encountered while working on Iron Phoenix?
TH: I think the biggest issue was, of course, latency. “Iron Phoenix” has sixteen players running on walls, attacking from above and below, dishing out melee and long range attacks, throwing bombs, boxes, players, etc. Making sure it all worked was the toughest part. Making the game fun was the second biggest issue. The fighting games that most people are accustomed to are a very different beast. We took what we could from the ‘standard’ 2 player fighting games, added in some influences from “Powerstone,” “Super Smash Bros. Melee,” and “Guardian Heroes,” and went from there to get the feel right for what “Iron Phoenix” should be -- something different that tries not to take itself so seriously.
AH: Another big issue was balancing all of the weapons and their moves as they related to fighting 15 other people... IP is a mostly offensive fighting game...when they come at you, you’re not going to parry them, you’re going to break their nose. Making it that fast-paced and exciting was very challenging.
GN: What type of music will be incorporated in the game?
TH: We currently have a blend of traditional Chinese instrumental pieces, Industrial and rock. Some of the pieces are blends of genres, i.e. traditional Chinese instrumentals blended with Industrial.
AH: And if you don’t like that, you can use your own soundtrack.
GN: Sammy revitalized the 2D fighting market thanks to the success of the Guilty Gear X series. This is the first time any developer has introduced a 3D online multiplayer game that supports up to 16 players at once. Do you predict a possible trend in the immediate future?
TH: I think we will have to see how well “Iron Phoenix” does. The logical progression for just about any game with a multiplayer component is to go online. Fighters are not exempt now that Mortal Kombat and DOA are online, the other ones will have to go that route if they want to be competitive. Virtua Fighter in the arcades has already been a ‘LAN’ game by linking the cabinets together. As a gamer, I expect the next Tekken (after 5) to be online, the next Virtua Fighter (5) to be online and the next Soul Calibur (3) to be online. As for any of those games offering 16 players...
GN: What about a 3D iteration of Guilty Gear, using parameters similar to Iron Phoenix?
TH: That’s up to Arc Systems, but it doesn’t really fit into the 2d fighter style. While “Iron Phoenix” is a fighting game, it is different than your standard 3D or two-player fighters – you have to be when you are going online with 16 players. A 16-player fighter modeled off the ‘standard’ fighters wouldn’t work in my opinion; the move sets are not designed for it and you would have to re-work much of the fighting mechanic.
GN: You mentioned briefly during E3 that you had a hand with some of the art direction. Tell us some of the inspirations which led to some of the weapon and character development?
AH: Many of the environments are inspired by ancient Chinese myths, spruced up with a healthy dose of overactive imaginations and a dab of multicultural influence. Not all things are directly Chinese, though there’s a strong Chinese influence, and not all things are directly Western. It is important to mention that set design and environments in general are some of the most important elements you can have. They have to be lit well, designed well, and most of all, eye-catching. We have some really eye-popping lighting and environmental design in IP, and I think most people will be impressed by what they see. I designed a few of the environments, but helped in tweaking the art direction and lighting in all of them. In terms of the characters, I only personally designed a few, and gave art direction on the rest. My inspirations for the characters came mostly from artists like Frank Frazetta, Larry Elmore and Simon Bisley.
GN: Although we know the weapons form the characteristics of each fighter, which was your favorite to create?
TH: The weapons dictate the moves that your character can use; the characters have separate characteristics of their own. If I had to choose a favorite weapon and character… I’d have to choose Zara for the character and the Feather Blade for the weapon.
AH: Hahaha. Mia’s alternate costume… no one here is surprised, I can assure you.
BU: If I absolutely have to pick – I’ll go with Kata Kang’s alternate wielding the Flame of Heaven.
"It’s becoming clear that the industry
needs more innovative games like Iron Phoenix."
GN: What other games have you worked on?
TH: Unreal, Unreal Tournament, Unreal Championship, Unreal Tournament 2003, Unreal 2, Unreal Tournament 2004 and a few others…
AH: Spy Fiction and Darkwatch.
BU: Munch’s Oddysee and World of Warcraft III.
GN: When you are not working on Iron Phoenix, what other games do you play? Which are your personal favorites?
TH: I’ve been playing World of Warcraft (Beta), EverQuest II (Beta), X-Men Legends, BloodRayne, and many, many battles in DOA3 and Soul Calibur II.
AH: The most recent game I played was Demon Stone. I loved it. Favorite games of all time? The Lord of the Rings series, Knights of the Old Republic and Fallout.
BU: I’ve been playing Tribes Vengeance and Fable. Blizzard’s Diablo series is great and I couldn’t stop playing Desert Combat.
GN: Any fun moments you’d like to share about working on the game?
TH: Working with the team on-site in Shanghai and Taiwan, those guys kick ass.
BU: It’s always immensely satisfying to watch people play “Iron Phoenix” for the first time.
AH: All I can say is Tim really likes Chinese Karaoke.
GN: Thanks for your time!
TH, BU, AH: You’re welcome!
