Above: Producer of Lego Batman: The Video Game, Loz Doyle, hard at work ensuring the title will meet gamers’ expectations.Developing video games is a hard task, especially when the weight of the world’s expectations is resting on your shoulders.
Star reporter Shaun Inguanzo investigated what it is like to work in the video games industry, as well as what is in store for avid gamers, by interviewing Loz Doyle, producer of Lego Batman: The Video Game, being developed by UK company Traveller’s Tales.SI: Can you tell people how you entered the games industry, and offer any tips for young people wanting a similar career.
LD: I started in quality assurance, or games testing. It’s not always a sure-fire way to get into the productions side of games, but if you work hard and show a keenness and an eye for detail there’s a good chance you’ll get noticed.
SI: What does your average day entail?
LD: A lot! Seriously, it can depend. Right now there is a lot to do as we’re nearing the completion of the game; it really feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. However, there will be other times – and this can be industry wide – when there’s not a lot going on and I can practise my Pro Evolution Soccer skills!
SI: How long has Lego Batman been in development for?
LD: We’ve been working on the game for the past year now. The studio is very busy and had other projects in development at the same time as Lego Batman, such as Lego Indiana Jones, but we’ve now got everyone working really hard to make sure Lego Batman is a fantastic game.
SI: What inspired you to develop another Lego game after the Star Wars games?
LD: As the guys that have the licence to create Lego videogames, it would have been a shame to stop at Lego Star Wars. Plus, there are many other stories and characters ripe for a Lego version – a category into which Lego Batman fits nicely. There was also a range of Lego toys in place, with some of the best mini-figures they’ve ever done, so it was a natural step for us.
SI: Do you work closely with the Lego company? Are all of the pieces in the game modelled off actual Lego?
LD: Yes – Lego have been fantastic partners with all our games. The models that you see in the game are all built from the same Lego elements as their real-life counterparts. The guys at the studio actually have a library of all the Lego pieces so that they can make the structures, vehicles and characters in the game look as authentic as possible. Sometimes we may have to create a Lego version of a character, as we did with Harley Quinn – Lego liked her so much that they have now incorporated her Lego mini-figure into one of their models. It’s a great example of how we work together.
SI: Did many of you at Travellers Tales play with Lego in order to learn more about the game? If so, describe how it felt to play with Lego after all of these years
LD: Well, I was at the now-defunct Lego Interactive before I started to work here at TT Games, so it hadn’t been that long since I’d played with the stuff! I think it’s great for all of us to be working with this fantastic toy that’s all about construction and creation, rather than destruction.
SI: The Lego Star Wars games always looked to be child’s play, but many people – adults included – caught on to the addictive gameplay. Did that surprise you?
LD: I think everyone was surprised by the success of the first game. We knew we had something good in our hands, but we still didn’t expect it to become the phenomenon that it did. I think a lot of adults – me included – were excited by the marriage, in a good game, of two licences that we hold dear. It was the first time that these mini-figures were brught to life in a game, and not only were they alive, they were Jedi!
SI: Will Lego Batman play similarly to the Lego Star Wars games? What differences will people see other than the change of setting?
LD: With all of our Lego games there is a big challenge to ensure that we are creating a unique game experience with each version. There are some elements that work really well that we want to keep, such as drop-in/drop-out co-op play, accessible controls and no dying, but we still have to ensure we stay true to the character we are creating in Lego form. In the case of Lego Batman: The Videogame, it’s a lot more action-packed than our previous titles. Batman and Robin are these fantastically skilled athletes and martial artists, so they can really kick butt. They also have access to technology suits, created with the wealth of Wayne Enterprises, which enable them to do things no other Lego character can. However, possibly the coolest thing about Lego Batman is ‘Villain Mode’ – you can now explore your mischievous side and wreak havoc across Gotham as the The Joker or any of the other baddies.
SI: One of the greatest features of Lego Star Wars was the number of parodies included in the cut scenes. Will we see more of this in Lego Batman? Who writes these parodies?
LD: We’ve worked closely with DC Comics and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment to ensure that although we’re having a laugh with the cutscenes, it still feels like Batman. We’ll put together storyboards for each one and then once both TT and DC like what we see, we start on the animation process. It’s been fun with Lego Batman as this was the first time that our story wasn’t already dictated by a trilogy of films. Lego Batman has a completely unique storyline.
SI: One for Batman enthusiasts – will the game’s storyline and character development focus more on the Batman movies, television series, or animations/comics?
LD: It’s not based on one thing in particular – after all this is a Lego Batman universe. I think you’ll see influences from throughout the Batman universe, just not from (TV series) Batman and Robin!
SI: I note that Travellers Tales is also working on Lego Indiana Jones. What is next in the pipeline after the current batch of Lego games? More Lego games, or something different?
LD: Well we are working on a family game for autumn that will be quite different to any of our Lego games, but it’s shaping up very nicely. I’m pretty sure Lego Batman isn’t going to be the last time you see a Lego videogame though.
SI: How will the handheld games differ from their console and PC counterparts? Please detail the main differences, and discuss any limitations you have encountered in making the Lego experience portable.
LD: We have a separate team that works on the DS version. They have fantastic experience on that platform and were the same guys that made the DS Lego Star Wars Saga game. They’ve managed to do a great job in recreating a similar look and feel to the console versions, but utilising the unique control system on the DS to create a unique experience for the gamer.
