AceyBongos did a Q&A with Denis Bourdain of Load Inc., the developer of today's XBLA release Mad Tracks. It is a great read, and gives good insight on why the game has been referred to as a "Party Racing Game". We played this in Chicago, and let me tell you, it was loads of fun.
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From the interview:
May 29
Talkin' Tracks: Mad Tracks Q&A
Mad Tracks is the latest game to hit Xbox Live Arcade. Developed in France by Load Inc., it's an old-school arcade racer that brings to mind games like Micro Machines and Mashed - not a bad thing, I'm sure you'll agree!
I hadn't heard or seen much of Mad Tracks until today. And then two great things happened: Denis Bourdain from Load Inc. got in touch so I could ask him some questions, and I got the chance to play the game. The game plays brilliantly, but it probably makes more sense for Denis to tell you about it than me...
"Q: Mad Tracks is described as a party racing game. Sounds a bit like Micro Machines or Mashed how accurate is that comparison?
Denis Bourdain: Youre absolutely right to compare Mad Tracks to Micro Machines, the scale and playability are similar. The biggest difference is that Mad Tracks has mini-games. Youll play pool or darts in Mad Tracks (of course, racing is on the menu as well). Mashed is not a very good example, its a darker game, aimed at an older audience. I would pick Mario Party or ReVolt if you ask me!
Q: Give us an idea of the kind of experiences players will have with Mad Tracks.
Denis Bourdain: Fun, fun, fun and a little competition. Pierre de Coubertin (creator of modern Olympic games) said the important thing is to participate, well same thing in Mad Tracks. You wont win all the time, but we guarantee a high fun factor. We love to hear players curse at each other because theyve been hit by a cryogenic beam!!
Q: How do the Xbox Live multiplayer modes work in Mad Tracks?
Denis Bourdain: Up to 4 players Live, up to 4 in split screen, no system link (we will implement this in our next release). Multiplayer modes are pretty much what you find on other Xbox titles. We created 84 leaderboards, so youll get a chance at scoring one way or another!
Q: What are the environments like?
Denis Bourdain: They are everyday environments. The core game takes place on a British Mini Golf course, an American Toy store and a French bistro (the one we used to have lunch in!). In future add-ons, youll get the chance to race in a German castle, a Victorian house and even on the ice of Antartica.
Q: Mad Tracks has both races and minigames. Could you tell me about the minigames?
Denis Bourdain: Mini golf, pool, foosball, darts, we tried to find many gameplays that could be fun while driving. Some are really goofy like Beastie Balls where you have to get away from a growing numbers of rubber balls high luck factor, so the beginners have their fair shot at winning.
Q: Tell us more about the types of cars you will be able to control.
Denis Bourdain: We've got 12 original cars, three types (light, heavy and sport) and eight colours to choose from. We took great care in car physics, we love racing and have worked in very serious games like Formula 1 simulation. But dont be scared, Mad Tracks is still an arcade game easy to pick up!
Q: I hear there are a number of power-ups in Mad Tracks what do they do?
Denis Bourdain: You'll be able to wield 12 different pick ups. Some are defensive (oil drop, flash bang, etc.) and some offensive (rocket, ice beam, etc.) and we came up with special ones like turbo rockets or time warps. The original thing is that pick ups are stackable. The more you pick up, the bigger choice you have.
There are lots of serious racing games on Xbox why is the time right for Mad Tracks?
We have a lot of respect for racing games, especially on next gen consoles. But we dont compare Mad Tracks to PGR or Dirt!! Mad Tracks is an XBLA title hitting the marketplace at 800 points. In addition, were not that serious
Q: What kind of Achievements are there in Mad Tracks?
Denis Bourdain: Mad Tracks features Achievements that will make you explore the game. Every challenge takes place in an open environment. We also linked an Achievement to split screen gaming.
Q: Youve got plans for PDLC could you tell us more about them?
Denis Bourdain: Well be releasing an add on in one month (Mad Tracks Bravo) and one in two months (Mad Tracks Encore). We have plans to release more if the game is successful, but shhhhhhhhh. A series of Theme packs and Gamer pics will also be available at each launch.
Q: How has the process of developing for Xbox Live Arcade been?
Denis Bourdain: Getting the concept approved was somewhat an adventure. I went to Seattle to meet the XBLA folks without an appointment. They liked the game and I went back to Paris with a contract. From that point on, we started working on porting the original PC game.
If you ask any dev team, working on the Xbox 360 is great. We had to go through a pretty big learning curve. The Xbox 360 is easier than starting on the PS2 years ago, but still the quality standards from Microsoft had us working days and nights to get the final approval.
Were very happy with the result.
Q: Okay, Ive got 800 MS Points burning a hole in my Xbox Live account, youve got 60 seconds to persuade me to spend them on Mad Tracks. What do you say?
Denis Bourdain: Get the free trial version. If you dont like it, you get your money back! Seriously, we dont expect people to buy our game because I am convincing. We hope players will download the trial version and decide for themselves. We believe in trying before buying its the ultimate test!!
On another note, Id like to tell future Mad Tracks players that we souldnt forget to socialize, exercise, think, read, get crazy, share, laugh and then play video games. Cheers!"
Hee hee! What a cool interview, and some excellent lessons in life too! Thanks so much for your time Denis, was great to hear from you.
+++++
From the interview:
May 29
Talkin' Tracks: Mad Tracks Q&A
Mad Tracks is the latest game to hit Xbox Live Arcade. Developed in France by Load Inc., it's an old-school arcade racer that brings to mind games like Micro Machines and Mashed - not a bad thing, I'm sure you'll agree!
I hadn't heard or seen much of Mad Tracks until today. And then two great things happened: Denis Bourdain from Load Inc. got in touch so I could ask him some questions, and I got the chance to play the game. The game plays brilliantly, but it probably makes more sense for Denis to tell you about it than me...
"Q: Mad Tracks is described as a party racing game. Sounds a bit like Micro Machines or Mashed how accurate is that comparison?
Denis Bourdain: Youre absolutely right to compare Mad Tracks to Micro Machines, the scale and playability are similar. The biggest difference is that Mad Tracks has mini-games. Youll play pool or darts in Mad Tracks (of course, racing is on the menu as well). Mashed is not a very good example, its a darker game, aimed at an older audience. I would pick Mario Party or ReVolt if you ask me!
Q: Give us an idea of the kind of experiences players will have with Mad Tracks.
Denis Bourdain: Fun, fun, fun and a little competition. Pierre de Coubertin (creator of modern Olympic games) said the important thing is to participate, well same thing in Mad Tracks. You wont win all the time, but we guarantee a high fun factor. We love to hear players curse at each other because theyve been hit by a cryogenic beam!!
Q: How do the Xbox Live multiplayer modes work in Mad Tracks?
Denis Bourdain: Up to 4 players Live, up to 4 in split screen, no system link (we will implement this in our next release). Multiplayer modes are pretty much what you find on other Xbox titles. We created 84 leaderboards, so youll get a chance at scoring one way or another!
Q: What are the environments like?
Denis Bourdain: They are everyday environments. The core game takes place on a British Mini Golf course, an American Toy store and a French bistro (the one we used to have lunch in!). In future add-ons, youll get the chance to race in a German castle, a Victorian house and even on the ice of Antartica.
Q: Mad Tracks has both races and minigames. Could you tell me about the minigames?
Denis Bourdain: Mini golf, pool, foosball, darts, we tried to find many gameplays that could be fun while driving. Some are really goofy like Beastie Balls where you have to get away from a growing numbers of rubber balls high luck factor, so the beginners have their fair shot at winning.
Q: Tell us more about the types of cars you will be able to control.
Denis Bourdain: We've got 12 original cars, three types (light, heavy and sport) and eight colours to choose from. We took great care in car physics, we love racing and have worked in very serious games like Formula 1 simulation. But dont be scared, Mad Tracks is still an arcade game easy to pick up!
Q: I hear there are a number of power-ups in Mad Tracks what do they do?
Denis Bourdain: You'll be able to wield 12 different pick ups. Some are defensive (oil drop, flash bang, etc.) and some offensive (rocket, ice beam, etc.) and we came up with special ones like turbo rockets or time warps. The original thing is that pick ups are stackable. The more you pick up, the bigger choice you have.
There are lots of serious racing games on Xbox why is the time right for Mad Tracks?
We have a lot of respect for racing games, especially on next gen consoles. But we dont compare Mad Tracks to PGR or Dirt!! Mad Tracks is an XBLA title hitting the marketplace at 800 points. In addition, were not that serious
Q: What kind of Achievements are there in Mad Tracks?
Denis Bourdain: Mad Tracks features Achievements that will make you explore the game. Every challenge takes place in an open environment. We also linked an Achievement to split screen gaming.
Q: Youve got plans for PDLC could you tell us more about them?
Denis Bourdain: Well be releasing an add on in one month (Mad Tracks Bravo) and one in two months (Mad Tracks Encore). We have plans to release more if the game is successful, but shhhhhhhhh. A series of Theme packs and Gamer pics will also be available at each launch.
Q: How has the process of developing for Xbox Live Arcade been?
Denis Bourdain: Getting the concept approved was somewhat an adventure. I went to Seattle to meet the XBLA folks without an appointment. They liked the game and I went back to Paris with a contract. From that point on, we started working on porting the original PC game.
If you ask any dev team, working on the Xbox 360 is great. We had to go through a pretty big learning curve. The Xbox 360 is easier than starting on the PS2 years ago, but still the quality standards from Microsoft had us working days and nights to get the final approval.
Were very happy with the result.
Q: Okay, Ive got 800 MS Points burning a hole in my Xbox Live account, youve got 60 seconds to persuade me to spend them on Mad Tracks. What do you say?
Denis Bourdain: Get the free trial version. If you dont like it, you get your money back! Seriously, we dont expect people to buy our game because I am convincing
. We hope players will download the trial version and decide for themselves. We believe in trying before buying its the ultimate test!!On another note, Id like to tell future Mad Tracks players that we souldnt forget to socialize, exercise, think, read, get crazy, share, laugh and then play video games. Cheers!"
Hee hee! What a cool interview, and some excellent lessons in life too! Thanks so much for your time Denis, was great to hear from you.
