DiRT 2 – Adam Askew Interview

DiRT 2 – Adam Askew Interview

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DiRT 2 has been out on the consoles since September, since then the developers have been busy working on the PC version of the title which will be released in December. I had the chance to catch up with the DiRT 2 producer Adam Askew to find out how things were going.

The ReticuleDiRT 2 has been out on the consoles for a couple of months now, how do you think the launch has gone?

Adam Askew – The release of a game is always a nail-biting time for us in the development studio. We were delighted to see the positive response to the game in the press, and we were anxious to see how DiRT 2 would be received by our gaming community. Overall it’s been a good experience for us, with some of the key decisions that were made during the development of the game (such as the decision to invest significant effort into handling model changes) being welcomed by our players. We did have some teething problems with our community servers which were unfortunate, but we’ve been working through these with our external provider and should be in good shape for the PC launch in December.

TRThe PC version is coming out in December, what have you been doing with the game in the time since the console launch?

Adam – The last few months have been all about taking advantage of the very latest technology to ensure that DiRT 2 provides the best racing experience of 2009 to our PC gaming community. We’ve worked closely with Microsoft and AMD to implement a DirectX11 rendering pipeline, with which players will experience the highest levels of visual quality and performance that the game has to offer. This doesn’t mean we’re leaving DirectX9 behind – the game will still look great with a DirectX9 setup and our scalable EGO game engine will allow the game to be enjoyed on machines that are several years old.

TRWill it use Games for Windows Live or is that something you will not be considering for the franchise?

Adam – Yes, we’re one of the first titles to adopt the very latest version of Microsoft’s Games for Windows LIVE technology. This facilitates a robust online play experience and also provides the same community features that players enjoy on the XBOX 360. Generally, we see GFWL maturing and providing some interesting features for us to use in the long term. But I’ll get into trouble if I start blabbing about that!

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TR What are the current plans for introducing DLC to the game?

Adam – We have DLC packs ready to go which will be available shortly after release. These will be equivalent to those seen on the consoles. We’re also looking at options for more significant content (possibly event related) but that’s very much on the horizon at present.

TRHow are PC users going to get their hands on the DLC?

Adam – Content will be made available through the Games for Windows LIVE client.

TRWill DiRT 2 be released via Steam and other digital distribution platforms?

Adam – Yes, there will be a number of ways to get your hands on DiRT 2. You’ll see it on Steam, Metaboli, IGN’s Direct2Drive plus numerous others. You’ll also see the game bundled with some of the latest gaming hardware, notably including some of the latest ATI graphics offerings which include native DirectX11 support.

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TR What version do you think is the definitive version of DiRT 2, the PC or the console version?

Adam – I get asked this a lot, it depends on your point of view. We designed the PS3 and XBOX 360 to be great living-room experiences, presented as a personal journey for the player as they progress through their off-roading career, rather than simply serving up a list of cars and tracks. The PC version of the game retains that presentation, while taking the visual fidelity of the title to another level and opening it up to a different gaming audience. Which is the definitive version? Well, if I had a shiny new gaming-spec PC, I know which version I’d plump for.

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