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Sliced Gaming Feature: Need for Speed: Carbon Interview

Writer: Nick Schaedel
Posted: 17th April 2007, 1:02am

Need for Speed is one of those staple game franchises - it's been around for years and it's almost impossible to imagine the industry without it. The series has evolved over time, with Carbon being its latest iteration. We had a chat with Mat Thomas, the Associate Producer of the game, about the challenges associated with moving the franchise to the PS3.

Sliced Gaming: How do you use the Sixaxis controller to play Need for Speed: Carbon. Is there any motion control?

Mat Thomas: Our main focus was always to deliver additional control using the Sixaxis tilt functionality as opposed to tying critical control elements to this new controller. The motion control element we included was the ability to further "crank" the wheel as such using the tilt. We tried to tie a bonus to the player physically tilting the controller in the direction they are steering. Not only does this feel natural to a lot of players but this small increase in turning ratio is very useful in our game for navigation in races and escaping from cops.

SG: How many different courses, cars and missions are in the game?

MT: Well let's start by telling you about the game modes. We have a large career in which the player affiliates themselves with one of three types of classes - tuner, muscle or exotic. This initial choice dictates car availability and career progression. Within this we have our usual Need For Speed style game modes such as sprints, and circuits. In addition we have re-introduced drift back into the franchise as well as the brand new mode, Canyon Duel.

This year we are offering over 50 cars to our fans. The range has been picked to suit all types of players. As mentioned before with the career, we are catering to the three main categories of cars out there - muscles, tuner and exotic. This variation makes for some great races and the unique track designs for different sections of the city benefit different car types. Finally, the popular challenge series from Need For Speed: Most Wanted is back and expanded on. This is a series of one off events for the player to compete in, and it really expands on the career mode by focusing on specific modes and unique challenges.

SG: Can you give us a brief outline of the plot of the Career mode?

MT: Sure. The premise of the story is that the hero disappears after one fateful night and word is that he skipped town after embezzling some serious cash. However, he returns five years later looking to prove his innocence and to reclaim his reputation. As he begins taking over different territories, new pieces of the story are unraveled, putting together the events of that fateful night.

SG: How customisable are the vehicles in Carbon?

MT: This year we have set another bar in visual (continued next page)