Operation Flashpoint 2 Interview

VideoGamer.com: The game is being developed in-house. Who is actually developing it? Is it being developed here at Codemasters?

Clive Lindop: Yeah, it's on site. The team was actually upstairs, above you (during previous game demonstration).

VideoGamer.com: It's a first-person shooter from Codemasters. What are the team's credentials in that genre?

CL: The original team, and I was one of the first people to start, so I've been here almost four years, almost every single team member is a new recruit, was a new recruit. They came from loads of different studios, in the UK industry and the American industry. There's a good hundred and something people from all over the world, all from different studios. They went out and found people, they went out and just went, right we need guys with experience with this, this and this, and pulled that expertise in-house, which is the only smart way of doing it. It's proven to be the right choice, because not only do you need people who have some experience in that genre, but it's a relatively unique technological situation as well. You're effectively developing technology at the same time. A developer can go through his entire career and only ever work on a complete middleware engine, never have to deal with any new technology development or new system writing. That was a pretty tough call because you've got to find people that are not only willing to take on just about the most complex FPS you can build, but build it on an evolving technology. That was pretty interesting. We got a fantastic mix of guys in the team, with a lot of different experience. Guys who are specialists in vehicle physics and mechanics, guys who are specialists in AI and all that kind of stuff. It's a good team of people. Hard working as well!

VideoGamer.com: The game strikes me as something that's pulling away in a completely different direction to current trends, in that it sticks a finger up at casual gamers and accessible gaming.

CL: Well I don't think casual gamers exist. They are a marketing demographic. There are players, and players like different types of games. There is a place for that kind of casual gameplay. I love Team Fortress 2. (full Story)