WTM2323
May 18, 2002, 07:28 PM
Rockstar talks Grand Theft Auto III
Rockstar speaks about the process of porting Grand Theft Auto III to the PC.
By wtm2323| Apr. 22, 2002
Grand Theft Auto III for the PS2 caused quite a stir last year with its open-ended gameplay. It was even our Game of the Year for 2001. So when it was announced for the PC, gamers who don't own a PS2 breathed a sigh of relief and are now waiting anxiously for a game that very well could shape gaming in the future. We sat down to talk to Rockstar's Creative Director Dan Houser and Development Director Leslie Benzies about how the game is shaping up.
GameSpy: What general graphical enhancements will be made to the PC version of the game?
Les: All the textures in the city are much higher resolution, and have more colors so everything is sharper. Draw distance can be configured by the player to take advantage of the power available in the latest PCs. The player can change the number of cars and pedestrians on the street so the city can be really busy. We've also added replays to take advantage of the extra memory available when playing the game on PC -- you can hit the replay button and watch the last 30 seconds' action all over again.
GameSpy: You're transitioning the control scheme to suit a PC-style, third-person action game. How is that coming along and what are you doing to make the controls work more fluidly with PC gaming peripherals?
Les: We've spent an enormous amount of time perfecting the controls for the PC version and believe we've come up with the ideal setup. There are two control methods. One we call "classic" as it is exactly the same as the PS2 controls. This mode works with either the keyboard or a joystick. The other method we call "standard" which is a completely new configuration made especially for the PC and it requires a mouse to function. In this mode the camera and player's direction is controlled with the mouse while movement and all other actions are controlled though the keyboard. This means that targeting is very different from the classic mode as there is no lock-on button, but instead the player uses the mouse to aim all the weapons.
GameSpy: How does this alter the experience of playing the game?
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Dan: The player has better control over the camera of course, and can play the game any way they choose. The game has been optimized for both people who like PC-style games and people who like using a joypad. To get this right took a lot of time, but I think it is exciting because it gives people freedom to play how they want in a way they never had on PS2.
The main advantage is that this gives people the opportunity to choose what they want to look at -- an experience unavailable due to the limitations of a third-person console game set in a 3D world. No matter how good the camera system, it is never as responsive as a neck and a pair of eyes and ears, so you always feel trapped or blinded at times in any third-person game. With a mouse, you aren't going to experience this. For the console version, we set out to make the game very pick-up-and-play, but for the PC, a huge section of the audience are used to controlling the camera, so don't regard it as an unnecessary burden, but as an integral part of the gameplay experience.
There is, as you'll see if you study the screenshots, quite a bit more visual detail on the PC as well, as we're not constrained by the texture limitations of a console, so people will be able to explore the world with more freedom and see it in a lot more detail.
GameSpy: Will the PC version support all the PS2 control features like auto-aiming, a drive-by shooting view, etc?
Smog Les: Everything from the PS2 version is available and more. Auto-targeting will be available depending on which control method the player chooses. If the mouse is used (standard controls) then the targeting is handled by the user, but if the classic mode is used then targeting is identical to the PS2 version.
GameSpy: Driving in the PS2 version is pretty smooth and realistic. Are you changing the physics model at all for the PC version or will it the same as on the PS2?
Les: Due to the increased framerate on the PC version, the overall feel of the game is much better. The physics on the cars is much smoother and the overall handling is more responsive.
GameSpy: Will you be supporting any specific graphics APIs, or specific card features like full screen anti-aliasing?
Les: No.
GameSpy: What are the minimum target system specs for GTA 3 PC?
Les: We went for a minimum spec of a P3 450 with 96 MB of RAM and a 16 MB graphics card. The game will run well with this configuration, but to see it in its true beauty you need at least a P3 700 with a 32 MB graphics card.
GameSpy: Multiplayer rumors have spread around the Internet, however, our suspicion is that it won't be included. Can you confirm?
Locked and loaded. Dan: This game will not ship with multiplayer. We just didn't feel we could do the game justice in a multiplayer environment. The single-player experience is so innovative, and so unlike anything people have previously experienced, in terms of freedom, attitude, and the integration of style and gameplay.
For the first time in my experience of playing games, here is a game in which the way the player walks, what the NPCs say, how the cars handle, what you have to do, and the massive world you are doing it in all feel like part of the same, huge experience. To create a multiplayer experience that is true to the ideals of GTA -- freedom, immersiveness, and attitude will take a long time.
GameSpy: I'll admit it. I was shocked at just how awesome GTA 3 for the PS2 was. Do you think the magic of the PS2 version is going to carry over to the PC?
Dan: We hope so. I see no reason why not, as the game has been lovingly rebuilt for the PC by the team who made the PS2 version. It is not a third-party port, and, having taken six months, was certainly not a rushed job. In the end, the game concept is very strong, the gameplay very innovative, it plays and handles like a PC game, and has been graphically enhanced for the PC market. In moving from the PS2 to the PC, apart from graphics, your major challenge is in handling, and GTA3 on the PC handles like a PC game should.
GameSpy: Any closing comments before we wrap this up?
Dan: We hope you enjoy it. GTA has always been a game that has existed on the PC and console, and we believe GTA3 is a worthy successor both to the PS2 version and to previous GTA games.•:hdspin:
Rockstar speaks about the process of porting Grand Theft Auto III to the PC.
By wtm2323| Apr. 22, 2002
Grand Theft Auto III for the PS2 caused quite a stir last year with its open-ended gameplay. It was even our Game of the Year for 2001. So when it was announced for the PC, gamers who don't own a PS2 breathed a sigh of relief and are now waiting anxiously for a game that very well could shape gaming in the future. We sat down to talk to Rockstar's Creative Director Dan Houser and Development Director Leslie Benzies about how the game is shaping up.
GameSpy: What general graphical enhancements will be made to the PC version of the game?
Les: All the textures in the city are much higher resolution, and have more colors so everything is sharper. Draw distance can be configured by the player to take advantage of the power available in the latest PCs. The player can change the number of cars and pedestrians on the street so the city can be really busy. We've also added replays to take advantage of the extra memory available when playing the game on PC -- you can hit the replay button and watch the last 30 seconds' action all over again.
GameSpy: You're transitioning the control scheme to suit a PC-style, third-person action game. How is that coming along and what are you doing to make the controls work more fluidly with PC gaming peripherals?
Les: We've spent an enormous amount of time perfecting the controls for the PC version and believe we've come up with the ideal setup. There are two control methods. One we call "classic" as it is exactly the same as the PS2 controls. This mode works with either the keyboard or a joystick. The other method we call "standard" which is a completely new configuration made especially for the PC and it requires a mouse to function. In this mode the camera and player's direction is controlled with the mouse while movement and all other actions are controlled though the keyboard. This means that targeting is very different from the classic mode as there is no lock-on button, but instead the player uses the mouse to aim all the weapons.
GameSpy: How does this alter the experience of playing the game?
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Dan: The player has better control over the camera of course, and can play the game any way they choose. The game has been optimized for both people who like PC-style games and people who like using a joypad. To get this right took a lot of time, but I think it is exciting because it gives people freedom to play how they want in a way they never had on PS2.
The main advantage is that this gives people the opportunity to choose what they want to look at -- an experience unavailable due to the limitations of a third-person console game set in a 3D world. No matter how good the camera system, it is never as responsive as a neck and a pair of eyes and ears, so you always feel trapped or blinded at times in any third-person game. With a mouse, you aren't going to experience this. For the console version, we set out to make the game very pick-up-and-play, but for the PC, a huge section of the audience are used to controlling the camera, so don't regard it as an unnecessary burden, but as an integral part of the gameplay experience.
There is, as you'll see if you study the screenshots, quite a bit more visual detail on the PC as well, as we're not constrained by the texture limitations of a console, so people will be able to explore the world with more freedom and see it in a lot more detail.
GameSpy: Will the PC version support all the PS2 control features like auto-aiming, a drive-by shooting view, etc?
Smog Les: Everything from the PS2 version is available and more. Auto-targeting will be available depending on which control method the player chooses. If the mouse is used (standard controls) then the targeting is handled by the user, but if the classic mode is used then targeting is identical to the PS2 version.
GameSpy: Driving in the PS2 version is pretty smooth and realistic. Are you changing the physics model at all for the PC version or will it the same as on the PS2?
Les: Due to the increased framerate on the PC version, the overall feel of the game is much better. The physics on the cars is much smoother and the overall handling is more responsive.
GameSpy: Will you be supporting any specific graphics APIs, or specific card features like full screen anti-aliasing?
Les: No.
GameSpy: What are the minimum target system specs for GTA 3 PC?
Les: We went for a minimum spec of a P3 450 with 96 MB of RAM and a 16 MB graphics card. The game will run well with this configuration, but to see it in its true beauty you need at least a P3 700 with a 32 MB graphics card.
GameSpy: Multiplayer rumors have spread around the Internet, however, our suspicion is that it won't be included. Can you confirm?
Locked and loaded. Dan: This game will not ship with multiplayer. We just didn't feel we could do the game justice in a multiplayer environment. The single-player experience is so innovative, and so unlike anything people have previously experienced, in terms of freedom, attitude, and the integration of style and gameplay.
For the first time in my experience of playing games, here is a game in which the way the player walks, what the NPCs say, how the cars handle, what you have to do, and the massive world you are doing it in all feel like part of the same, huge experience. To create a multiplayer experience that is true to the ideals of GTA -- freedom, immersiveness, and attitude will take a long time.
GameSpy: I'll admit it. I was shocked at just how awesome GTA 3 for the PS2 was. Do you think the magic of the PS2 version is going to carry over to the PC?
Dan: We hope so. I see no reason why not, as the game has been lovingly rebuilt for the PC by the team who made the PS2 version. It is not a third-party port, and, having taken six months, was certainly not a rushed job. In the end, the game concept is very strong, the gameplay very innovative, it plays and handles like a PC game, and has been graphically enhanced for the PC market. In moving from the PS2 to the PC, apart from graphics, your major challenge is in handling, and GTA3 on the PC handles like a PC game should.
GameSpy: Any closing comments before we wrap this up?
Dan: We hope you enjoy it. GTA has always been a game that has existed on the PC and console, and we believe GTA3 is a worthy successor both to the PS2 version and to previous GTA games.•:hdspin: