We sent some questions to Robert Hamiter, Publisher for the popular Xbox Live Arcade title Super Puzzle Fighter II HD Turbo. We would like to thank him for taking the time to answer them for us. Here is the interview, enjoy!
Live-360: What steps did you have to take to get where you are now?
RH: I’ve worked at a number of gaming companies in various positions, starting out in testing and customer service before working my way up.
L360: What first got you into gaming?
RH: I had Pong and Atari 2600 as a kid, so I’ve been into gaming from an early age.
L360: What if any of the current next gen systems do you own?
RH: I have access to pretty much every console and handheld gaming system.
L360: Were you into video games before you got into the industry? If yes were you a fan of Puzzle Fighter?
RH: Yes, I’ve definitely been a fan of games pretty much my whole life. To be honest, I hadn’t played the game much before I started working on this project, but I’ve definitely grown to love the game having worked on it.
L360: What is your favorite video game ever?
RH: That’s a tough one. It’s really hard to narrow down just one, but I’m a big fan of the Halo series, the Resident Evil series, Devil May Cry games – really anything that involves a lot of action and compelling themes.
L360: I was asked by one of my friends who is color blind to ask this question. With most Puzzle games there is an option for “color blind mode” that is missing from puzzle fighter. Is there any plans to add it or reasons to why it was not included in the game?
RH: As you may know, there was never a color blind mode in the original game and though it was something we had considered adding, unfortunately we just didn’t have enough time to include it in the end.
L360: What kind of graphical enhancements were made and which area’s were the graphics improved the most?
RH: Overall, we’ve updated the game’s graphics to 1080p HD. Players will most likely notice that the gems have been completely revamped, from the way they look to the various elemental effects and sounds when the huge power gems are destroyed. We also worked closely with Udon to redo all the background images and character profile art.
L360: Exactly what was your roll in process of producing Puzzle Fighter?
RH: I was the producer on the game working very closely with our developer, Backbone, to make this project happen. Everything from the look and feel to the online functionality, down to the smallest details like the logo and major elements like working with first party groups to ensure the game released on time.
L360: How difficult is it to make upgrades to games that come from the classic systems?
RH: For Puzzle Fighter, it was actually quite difficult, as it had been redone by several teams in Capcom Japan for various iterations. There was a ton of work that went into making the original source code adapt to what we needed on the current systems.
L360: Did you make any improvements to the gameplay or add any new game modes?
RH: Yes, X’ prime mode is one of the new game modes, which rebalances the characters to make every one of them an appealing choice. We also put a lot of work into making the game work online and I feel like we did an excellent job making this multiplayer experience work. There are also small details like adding the ability to push a button to reveal your opponent’s drop patterns which is quite helpful in battles.
L360: Do you have any plans for Downloadable Content on the Xbox Live Arcade?
RH: Not right now.
L360: How long did this project take and did you have a deadline to make?
RH: As with any project, of course we were working with a deadline. It took a little under a year to make this game happen.
L360: Is there anything that you would have liked to add but just did not have the time?
RH: As mentioned before, the color blind mode was something we had considered but did not have time to do.
L360: How was the price point for the game determined?
RH: We did some research on other competitive titles and came up with a price we thought was fair for what was being offered.
L360: What was the toughest part about making this game for the Xbox Live Arcade?
RH: Getting the four player quarter match done to our standards was the toughest part, but we feel we’ve done a pretty good job of achieving what we wanted.
L360: What is the process of actually getting the game up onto the arcade like and how long does it take for Microsoft to test and approve a game?
RH: First the concept has to be approved, then we work closely with Microsoft through the process to ensure the code is working properly and passes their specifications for a LIVE Arcade title.
L360: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with us! Any last comments?
RH: Thanks to all the fans who appreciate the hard work we put into the game!
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