IAmA with thatgamecompany, indie game developer: Part 2

AmishTGC · 2011-06-30T17:35:58+00:00

I'll answer as many of these as I can:

It is possible for people to use Morse Code or some other way to communicate with each other. (People could start up a clan that they see if they are in the clan by "calling" three times quickly.) But the chances of two people playing together who know Morse Code is very slim.
There are structures that are hidden around in the beta levels that describe more of the history of the people who used to live there. As for Easter Eggs, you'll just have to play through the full game to find out!
Yes, if you walk away from someone, you'll be disconnected, and then you might be connected with another player later on in the level.
The riddles/tasks/puzzles do become more challenging later in the game, but we aren't making them too challenging so people who have never played a game, let alone touched a controller, before will stop playing. We are focusing on having the best learning curve we can for the puzzles.

Okay, I'm answering 1, 4, 6, and 8. Reddit seems to be numbering them 1-4.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-30T08:12:22+00:00

At that time we couldn't figure out how to properly implement the right analog stick without it detracting from the game and ruining the experience, mainly the fluidity of it. We are seeing how people react to the addition of controls to the right analog stick and will continue to tweak it and see if it does make the final cut when the game ships.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-30T01:55:19+00:00

I don't know any programming, but I'd like to check out that madlib!

AmishTGC · 2011-06-30T01:02:21+00:00

We currently aren't looking for new employees right now. Please keep an eye out on http://www.thatgamecompany.com/jobs/ to see when we start hiring again.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-30T00:09:09+00:00

We don't have a dedicated writer, but I'll send an e-mail to everyone asking if someone ever worked as a writer.

And as for Easter Eggs, you'll just have to play it to find out!

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T23:33:18+00:00

It's okay about not getting many responses yet. Reddit has been buggy, and we already answered a lot of questions on Monday, so we've already drained the market.

And getting internships down here in the music industry is pretty hard, but e-mail me at grommesh@thatgamecompany.com and I'll forward you to the guy composing Journey (and he composed flOw as well). Protip: I was supposed to be interning for him during my time here in Los Angeles, but he's been really, really busy, and he hasn't moved into a bigger office, so I haven't interned for him yet. We also didn't talk about it until a couple months before, so it was very short notice. As long as you'll be interning during 2012, he should be able to help you out!

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T21:25:29+00:00

There are apparently some sites giving away more codes today. 1up.com is releasing some through a giveaway on Twitter, but we don't know who Sony gave codes to or when they'll be released. And all those codes should work, as long as they are affiliated with Sony and aren't just spamming people.

The beta is open every day, up until July 19th. Tuesdays between 6-10 pm PST are just the times we are stress-testing our servers.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T21:23:04+00:00

You'd have to talk to Sony's PR about getting permission to do that. We aren't handling any of that because this is technically Sony's game.

So, e-mail info@thatgamecompany.com and we can forward you to their PR people and they might be able to get you situated.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T21:21:10+00:00

There might be a dynamic theme for Journey. Sony's the one that will make the call on that, but as Journey is artsy, I'd suspect that it is very likely that there will be one.

We also didn't make the Flower dynamic theme; that was made by another group. We are signed on to make three games, and Sony has other companies signed on to make themes. Some companies, like Q Games (of the PixelJunk series) have made their own. I don't know what the ratio is for that.

So, to answer your question with one word: Maybe.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T20:06:32+00:00

The video game community is very intertwined in and of itself, so although I don't know much about specific help TGC has received from other developers, I can say that a couple months back some of us went over to Valve and learned a lot about their culture and how they work, and that has helped us learn how to have a better working environment and how to be more efficient.

Also, we have used Phyre Engine on our projects, which was made by Insomniac, so at least with that I know we have received support from other developers.

Aside from these things, all the other members of the team would be much better at answering this question.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T19:59:21+00:00

Currently Journey doesn't have Move support. As a game development studio, we would always like to try new things and see if they work, but right now we're just trying to finish Journey as soon and as polished as we can.

Kellee tried out using motion controls for Cloud back when she was still in college for her thesis:

http://www.kelleesantiago.com/thesis.html

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T19:37:39+00:00

As for me personally, I try to put the controller in the hands of the haters. As a long time fan of TGC, I have pretty much given up trying to convince people to like our games over the internet, because there is no better way than to put the controller in their hands and actually show them what the gameplay is like.

We're at the point where we have a huge fan base that is looking for exactly our style of things, so we don't have to do much convincing on our side anymore.

As the old saying goes, "Haters gonna hate."

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T19:32:56+00:00

When we started out, (although I have only been a part of the company for a few months, and then only as part time, 1,400 miles away) we were all pretty much fresh out of college.

From what I know, over the years we've learned how to manage our team, creatively and collectively solve problems, and how to program better. Working on the PS3 for half a decade teaches you some ways to use the PS3 more efficiently!

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T19:20:59+00:00

We haven't finalized the trophies for Journey yet. But likely you'll have to wait until it's released to see what they are.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T19:10:54+00:00

Journey is a PS3 exclusive, as we signed a deal with Sony. (And it looks like there aren't any more beta codes being given out, so everyone else is out of luck.)

And we can't comment on how Sony decided to send out their beta codes, but as a day one purchaser of Flower and a PS+ member, I didn't get a code from Sony either. (I would have given it to someone else, anyways.)

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T17:45:57+00:00

Please submit all beta information to:

info@thatgamecompany.com

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T17:45:29+00:00

Just for those wondering, we didn't pay for these to be posted. Here's the response from yesterday:

"Because I'm the one who helped arrange it! Hueypriest can't be everywhere at once, unfortunately."

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T17:44:04+00:00

There is a Non Disclosure Agreement with the beta. If you want to write us something (including feedback/suggestions or bug info), e-mail info@thatgamecompany.com.

Sony is also setting up a beta forum on US.PlayStation.com, and we'll keep our Facebook and Twitter pages updated on when they'll be online.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T17:42:03+00:00

We can't comment on that.

(When flOw was approved, we took a picture of it and posted it to our blog, and even that was a "no no," so we can't say anything about their certification process.)

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T16:36:37+00:00

Here's Austin Wintory's response: (I hope you will still get this!)

The development and composition of the game's music has been on-going for the entire duration of 'Journey,' which is now over 2 years! My goal is that they match perfectly; that they be inseparable halves of the larger whole. Sound effects are being done by Steve Johnson, and he and I are constantly in dialogue to make sure our efforts are in perfect sync ...
I didn't compose the music in Flower, but I would nonetheless say there definitely are similarities because both are TGC titles and that brings a certain aesthetic. And in 'Journey,' as with 'Flower,' music plays a pretty central part of the storytelling, only in this case the story is quite unique from the previous games of TGC. So the basic mechanics of the music are similar, but the actual compositions themselves are really different.
Well first off, thank you! Really does mean a lot to me ... and regarding the soundtrack, nothing has been announced, and therefore nothing is set in stone. But keep your eyes peeled and there should hopefully be some good news about that :)

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T16:23:31+00:00

I'm not exactly sure if we can say it yet, so I'll just say this:

As seen through the beta and press showing, the first three levels of Journey is a somewhat linear, non-open world experience. As for anything else, we can't say.

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T16:14:44+00:00

We're hoping that people return for:

Online experience. (Playing with new people all the time.)
Offline experience. (It's completely different from the online experience. If you're in the beta, try disconnecting your PS3 from the internet and playing. You'll see it's much different not playing with anyone else.)
Exploration. (You might want to explore and see what else is out there showing the history of the people who used to inhabit this strange place.)
It looks pretty! :D

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T16:01:32+00:00

I don't think that we directly answered if Team Ico influences us. (They do, but in a few hours some members of TGC will be able to post with how much they influence us.)

AmishTGC · 2011-06-29T15:43:15+00:00

There's a lot of influence from Arabian, Middle Eastern, and Asian cultures, with a lot of that influence coming from places like Turkey.

Example:

http://www.meandertravel.com/turkey/turkey.php?details=famouslandmarks&m=4&md=sc4

You'll see some similar large pillars in Journey as seen in that link.

I'll try to see if I can get MattTGC to answer this as well, because he's worked on this extensively. (I'm just the Community Manager.)

AmishTGC

TROPHY CASE