Exclusive Interview With John Dennis, Head of Design, Team17 Software Ltd. (Worms Ultimate Mayhem)

I'm a gaming blogger who really likes to expand what I do by learning, and doing new things with my reviews. In my recent quest to obtain review codes I was lucky enough to get a code for 'Worms Ultimate Mayhem' from Team17 Software Ltd. I just recently started my venture into reviewing XBLA game titles, and it's definitely Awesome when developers are willing to give me an opportunity to prove my worth in the online reviewing community. Being able to get my reviews out to my readers is also very rewarding. In the process of my request Team17 offered to do an interview with me, and it didn't take me long (maybe a minute ^.^) to decide to take them up on that offer. The following is the interview between me (OtakuDante), and John Dennis who is the Head of Design for Team17. I hope you enjoy it, and that it offers some insight into Team17's Worms universe ...


Interview with John Dennis, Head of Design, Team17 Software Ltd.

OtakuDante: "I wanted to start the interview off by getting to know what Team17, and Worms is all about. I'm actually new to the Worms games as I'm sure some of my readers are, and I think we would all be interested in the origins of Team17. Lets start from the beginning ... When/Why did you first start Team17 Software Ltd., and the Worms video game franchise?"

John Dennis: Team17 was started sometime back around 1990 by a group of young Amiga developers who believed they could make better games for the Amiga than were out there at the time. As it turned out, they could. With a slew of titles that were universally praised, the company quickly established a reputation for quality games, a reputation that has since become synonymous with our most popular game: “Worms™”.

OtakuDante: "I know every video game starts from someones imagination/creativity. I'm an artist myself, and I'm quite interested in the artistic origins of Worms ... Where did the idea of the Worms games come from, and who created the art style/direction that the game has taken?"

John Dennis: The concept for the game was brought to Team17 by a talented young chap named Andy Davidson. He’d developed a demo of the game himself for a magazine competition. Team17 came across the game at a trade show, liked it, and decided to publish it… the rest is history. While there are many “artillery” style games, Andy had added something unique in terms of the game characters and the crazy sense of humour, which to this day still proves massively appealing.

In the years since then the look and feel of the game has continued to evolve, with many very talented artists contributing beautiful artwork, but if I were to pick one, I’d say that Danny Cartwright (the artist on “Worms™2”) really set the tone for the colourful, cartoon-inspired visuals.

OtakuDante: "I have taken the time to do a little research on the Worms games, and have found there are 18 games that have been released in the series including the newest title 'Worms Ultimate Mayhem'. This is a much longer video game series than most of the other mainstream game series that you can find out there. Obviously Worms is a very popular series. I have had some friends that are about my age tell me that they enjoy it as well. How successful would you say the series has been over the years, and what age groups have you found to be most interested in your games?"

John Dennis: The brand’s been massively successful… the fact that we’re still making “Worms™” games (and still talking about them!) is a testament to the fact that the game has some sort of evergreen appeal. The fact that it isn’t reliant on cutting-edge visuals, that it can be played on any device (even touch screens), that it’s easy to pick up and play but hard to master, that it’s a great multiplayer game… all of these things I think add up to a recipe that’s pretty hard to resist for gamers of all ages and has allowed it to endure through the evolving generations of hardware too. We’ve a diverse audience, and because the game features only cartoon violence, it appeals to young and old alike.

OtakuDante: "In my quest for further knowledge on the Worms series I have discovered that there are both 2D, and 3D versions of the games. I'm sure that some gamers probably prefer the 2D versions while others probably enjoy the 3D versions. Which version (2D or 3D) of your Worms games have been more popular, or are they both fairly equal when it comes to gamers' preferences?"

John Dennis: There’s been far more versions of the 2D game, so you could say it has been more popular than the 3D games, but as you say, both versions have something to offer players. While they’re very different games, they both have a sense of humour, both require skill to master and both make for excellent multiplayer experiences.

OtakuDante: "I watched the youtube trailers of  'Worms Ultimate Mayhem', and I noticed that it contained a good bit of humor in it. Do all of your worms games have this sort of humerous side to them, or was it exclusive to the 3D versions of the game?"

John Dennis: A sense of humour has always been one of the key ingredients of the game. Watching a worm get blown into the air by an exploding banana or squashed by the awesome power of the Concrete Donkey, it’s hard not to snigger!  3D allows more humour in close up, and the worms mug to the camera in silly ways which can be fun too.

OtakuDante: "As I previously mentioned, I have spent some time watching through your youtube 'Worms Ultimate Mayhem' trailers. I noticed that your latest game (Worms Ultimate Mayhem) is a sort of remake of 'Worms 4: Mayhem' with some extra features. What all did you add, or change in this release of the game?"

John Dennis: As you rightly say, the game is a compilation of content from both “Worms™3D” and “Worms™4: Mayhem”, so it’s got 38 weapons, plenty of customization options plus a selection of new ones making for 115 individual customisation elements in total, and has all 60 single player missions from both as well, making it a just massive game. 

 

We’ve taken the opportunity to improve on what was there already too.  It’s not often you’ve get the chance to revisit titles that you remember fondly, so our starting point was wanting to do the games justice. This meant going back to consumer reviews and seeing what people liked and where they felt improvements could be made. The main bugbear seemed to be the camera, so this is where we started... we made a number of improvements, from making it less interfering to adding a picture-in-picture function that means you can both retreat your worm and see where your shot lands at the same time without ever losing sight of either! We also set about making the game more approachable, and to this end we added a new utility (the Binoculars) that helps you aim, an introduction sequence to guide you through the menu system and an automatic shot assist mechanic that helps your shots find their targets in easy mode. It all adds up to making the game feel much friendlier and more approachable for players who've never had the "Worms™" experience in 3D.

In terms of visual improvements, we've brought the game up-to-date with a raft of enhancements. New water effects, up-scaled textures and fonts, higher polygon counts, specular materials, real-time lighting and dynamic shadows all add to the game looking a little more modern while still retaining it's attractive cartoon style visuals. Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the audio improvements either... we’ve a whole bunch of new music in the game, or all of the cut-scenes have been re-edited, voice-acted and lip-synched, which makes a massive difference!

OtakuDante: "I've mentioned earlier in the interview that I'm new to the Worms games, and that I'm sure there are others out there as well that haven't played them. Is 'Worms Ultimate Mayhem' a stand alone kind of game that any gamer can play regardless of whether or not they are new to the series? Is it a continuation?"

John Dennis: It’s a stand-alone game, so if you’re new to the world of “Worms™”, jump aboard… there’s a lot of fun to be had!

OtakuDante: "I would like to thank you for being willing to give me a chance at reviewing your game here on 'The Gaming Inferno', and for offering to do an interview. It really means a lot to me, Thank so much!"

John Dennis: You’re very welcome. It’s always a pleasure to chat to people about what we make. I very much hope you have as much fun with the game as we’ve had making it. 


- OtakuDante (The Gaming Inferno, 2011) -