MX Vs. ATV Reflex behind the scenes
We'll just admit it straight away. Since the introduction of MX Vs. ATV Reflex, productivity at MXM is no longer what it used to be! 'Reflex' is so cleverly and ingeniously made that you cannot resist playing it. You also wonder how on earth they manage to put together such a game. When Ian Wood became the British Art Director of MX Vs. ATV Reflex was recently in Amsterdam, we didn't hesitate for a moment. It was a very interesting conversation and highly recommended for anyone who wants to know more about MX Vs. ATV Reflex.
Rainbow Studio that MX Vs. ATV has been working on MX games for 12 years now. There are plenty of racing games, but motocross games are quite exclusive. Where did the interest originally come from?
Ian Wood: “Apparently Travis Riffle, a friend of one of the producers at Rainbow, was really looking forward to it DirtTrax FX for the Super Nintendo. When the game finally came out he was so disappointed that he kept nagging his fellow producer to make a better MX game. That producer didn't understand the sport, but when his friend gave him a VHS cassette of Crusty Demons of Dirt, he became interested. Travis even ended up working at Rainbow to help with the realism of the MX games!”
Are there guys in your studio who drive themselves?
Ian Wood: "Absolute, there are team members who ride for fun on the weekends to a few guys who even race at quite a high level. Anyone who crosses falls sometimes and we have experience with that too! I crashed myself at the game's press launch in America. I tore my knee ligaments and damaged my knee joint.”
Anyone who pays attention to the reactions of gamers to games such as Reflex or 2XL's Supercross for the iPhone will notice that MX games are starting to become more popular. Also for people who are not (yet) cross fans?
Ian Wood: “We can only hope that this is indeed the case. At least I have the feeling that dirt bike racing games offering something unique for those who love racing games. Especially when you add the terrain change and body control as we did with 'Reflex'. This way it becomes a very dynamic experience that goes far beyond just getting to know the track.”
I assume that as Art Director you are mainly responsible for how a game looks?
Ian Wood: “Certainly, that goes quite far: all the backgrounds, the drivers, the vehicles, the animations, video and even how and where the logo is used. My starting point for the design was that I wanted to completely immerse gamers in the sport and to convey its spectacular character as best as possible.”
I heard from a good source that you are a real racing fan yourself. What stood out to you most when you first came into contact with motocross?
Ian Wood: “I am definitely a racing fan, yes, and I have always been interested in cars. When I first came to Rainbow Studios I had to learn a lot about motocross, you can compare it to learning a new language, but one you are already familiar with. There is a certain element of courage (or madness) involved in motocross because it is such an extreme sport but that only makes it more intense and exciting. Moreover, in motocross it is much more about the rider than the performance of the bike.”
The progress since the previous version of MX Vs. ATV is with reflex enormous. In any case, it looks fantastic, are you satisfied with what you have achieved?
Ian Wood: “Thank you, I'm certainly pleased with the improvements we've made. I got there halfway through the development of the previous MX vs. ATV at. At that point it was too late to contribute to the quality of the game in terms of look. Reflex gave us an opportunity to apply the technology in a way that had never been used before. This way we were able to provide important input to the MX Vs. ATV line.”
Do you have any favorite FMX, SX or MX riders?
Ian Wood: “Jolene Van Vugt who more than holds her own in a world of machos. Travis Pastrana because he is not afraid of anything and always pushes the boundaries. Also James Stewart and Chad Reed for the precision and regularity with which they drive.”
How did you go about capturing the body movements of real riders so well in Reflex? Have you set up the circuits with cameras and sensors that record the movements?
Ian Wood: “There are different types of technology that mimic the rider's movements, such as a simplified computer model of the human body, the forces exerted on the bike and the pilot. The animations are entered manually. As soon as those moves are in the game, we evaluate them with our riders. We try to be very complete in this, even with movements that were previously invisible in games. Such as pulling off tear-offs on the glasses or the hand turning the gas. Both of these are now included in Reflex. What we did use motion sensor recording for is the girl with the 30-second sign, to make sure we got the swaying of her hips completely correct!”
Will you integrate features of existing drivers in the coming versions? That your game character can choose the flowing style of Kevin Windham or that you can drive like James Stewart or Chad Reed?
Ian Wood: “We'll definitely see if we can add those kinds of details. Just think of Chad Reed who almost always adjusts his rear brake in the air when he gets the chance. That kind of specific input from pro riders is very interesting. Only time will tell how much of each individual rider we can put into the game!”
Visually, the attention to detail is truly overwhelming. You must have done a lot of research. Have you gone to a lot of Supercross or outdoor races?
Ian Wood: “Our visual references come from different sources, competitions we attend, knowledge and experience.”
What is your favorite job in Reflex?
Ian Wood: “Pff, that's a difficult question, almost like someone asking which of your children do you prefer... To be honest, I think Sugar Ridge National very cool for the deep sand that is ever changing, like the Dutch courses and Manchester R1 is fun because it's so fast.”
The control of the motorcycle in Reflex, just like in real life, is based on both the handlebars and the shifting of your body weight. Anyone who already knows that principle in real life from a motorcycle has an advantage in the game?
Ian Wood: “Maybe that is true in the beginning, because riders already know the importance of using their body while riding. But like in most games, you learn as you go. We think it will take five to ten minutes for a new gamer to get the hang of it. Then it will come naturally.”
To describe a circuit for motocross riders it is always about the type of surface. There are so many types of sand and it keeps changing while driving, have you done any research into this?
Ian Wood: “When deciding on the tracks in Reflex, we sat down with the Track Design Team (who are all really hardcore motocross racers) to better understand what they absolutely wanted in them, based on existing tracks and their own experiences. For example, I learned new descriptions to describe surfaces such as different types of 'tracks', 'brake chickens' or concrete tracks and the importance of preparing the circuit by spraying or loosening the earth. Our intention was to present as many conditions and surface types as possible, from snow to hard, wet, dry and so on.”
Did you have any experience with cross before you started at Rainbow Studios?
Ian Wood: “Very limited! I did play a bit with a Honda XL100 on a Mickey Mouse terrain that I had made with friends. We had exactly one corner and one jump, so unworthy of the name circuit, but still enough to have a great time.”
What would you like to add in the future in MX Vs. ATV?
Ian Wood: “Add more applications specifically for online play, even higher graphic quality and more focus in the game.”
Who is your favorite English rider?
Ian Wood: “Tommy Searle, for his first year in the States he is very fast.”
Thank you very much for your time, Ian!
Ian Wood: "Don't mention it."
FACTS ABOUT MX VS. ATV REFLEX
Question: How long did it take to get MX vs. Develop ATV Reflex?
Answer: One and a half year
Question: How many people worked on the development?
Answer: 60
Question: How much does it cost to develop such a gigantic game?
Answer: Always too much if you ask THQ and too little if you ask the development team!
Question: Will there be any special content that you can download afterwards?
Answer: Certainly, the DLC packs with unique tracks and new equipment for riders can be downloaded by anyone
Question: How many copies of the previous MX Vs. ATV, Untamed?
Answer: A lot, but Reflex deserves to do better! The entire MX series has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide to date.
Photos credit: THQ
More about MX Vs. ATV here, more about Rainbow Studios here.
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