Ratchet & Clank PS3: Insomniac Interview

We talk to Insomniac's Ryan Schneider to learn how Mario Galaxy draws inspiration from the Ratchet games, and chat about the series' PS3 debut, Tools of Destruction.

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Kikizo: One thing I noticed, you're putting this big emphasis on 'Pixar style' as you mentioned this several times; in the cut scenes that really comes across, like wow, these characters are really rich and detailed. But it's not so apparent in-game because the sprite is actually very small when you play the game with the way the camera is positioned on the action. So in-game, how are you trying to get this across?

Schneider: Great question... great question! And that's first of all why I'm very keen to say we're not quite there yet. But one way we are trying, is to play with camera angles, in the Metropolis demo, we played a lot with that sweeping camera angle, where you've got a side-scrolling view of Ratchet, and we tried to set up the camera in sort of exciting ways that bring out that cinematic experience. But we're on the path; we're able to do more innovative things with cameras than we've been able to in the past, even with cut scenes we're able to do a better job of camera positioning. But we still have a ways to go [with gaming, until Pixar quality is prominent in-game].

Insomniac has put huge effort into the range and quality of enemies.

Kikizo: From a technical point of view, what elements have you improved upon since Resistance: Fall of Man?

Schneider: Well, the physics system and the effects system. I mean, we've been able to optimise those by shifting more of the physics and effects systems onto the SPUs, and as a result of just optimising our own technology, you're seeing up to four times the physics and effects-based activity, at nearly double the frame rate. It's not locked at sixty frames per second, but it will hover between forty-five to fifty, and up to sixty. There's a lot going on on the screen!

Kikizo: Ratchet and Clank was the first western developed franchise bundled with hardware in Japan, what made this series appeal to Japanese players?

Schneider: That's a hard question to answer. The Japanese have unique sensibilities and appreciation, for I think humour, and I think well crafted gameplay, customisable gameplay, and an easily identifiable character, one they can really relate to. And I think they really like Clank a lot too, as a robot companion. I think all those things put together make it really appealing.

Kikizo: Clank is more prominent on the box art we've seen than Ratchet - do you think Clank could be more popular?

Schneider: Well, Ratchet takes a more direct path and he just likes to blow stuff up, where Clank may use a little bit more stealth. But in Tools of Destruction, we'll actually be using more stealth; we'll have the pirate guys, where Ratchet can disguise himself as a pirate, and you can actually do a lot more with stealth-based gameplay, and so Ratchet has to be a little bit more careful in Tools of Destruction.

Should ALL games have baby robots? Answers to the usual address.

Kikizo: Are you releasing a demo of the game?

Schneider: Yeah. Sony Europe and America can tell you when, but I don't know exactly when the date is. It'll be out before the game releases. [The demo is scheduled for release via PlayStation Network on October 11th in the US and October 18th in Europe].

Kikizo: Have you included rumble feedback data in the game code? Because we all know that rumble is coming out. I'm just wondering is some games are pre-empting that functionality coming out so that it'll run straight away when the new controller is out.

Schneider: I don't think so. No, we're just focussing on Sixaxis.

Kikizo: Thanks for your time Ryan.

Schneider: No problem!

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is coming to PlayStation 3 early November.

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