Julian Castillo of Immersion talks about the new wrestling game. In this Interview he talks about the challenges about developing for the PS3/360, future games using the move and kinect controller as well as the devs getting butts kicked by luchadores during the development process for Research and Development.
It's not fun going to work just to know you will be going one on one with a wrestler while doing research for an upcoming game. Not so fun when you found out that you just dented his car on the way out. But enough about what has happened and what may have happened during the development but here is JC (Julian Castillo not to be confused with Jesus Christ) to talk about the development of the game and it's future.
IGB: Please tell us how Lucha Libre came to be?
JC: The project was born to showcase the rich culture of Mexican Lucha Libre as much as it was a response from consumers to provide them with a breath of fresh air in the stale wrestling style games.
IGB: What type of audience are you hoping to capture and how will you capture
them?
JC: We have several audiences we hope will adopt Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring. Of course, the growing Hispanic video game market in the US and Latin America is an important focus, but it is not our sole focus. We also view wrestling and fighting fans as a main target, sort of a joint-main target. We feel this genre has been stale for some time. We are looking to add competition and by our presence force competitors to work harder, which in turn will push us and that translates to better games with more improvements for fans. We are also targeting fans would like to play something new to the industry.
IGB: Your biggest competitor is THQ with their WWE Franchise which has been
around for decades, How do you plan to compete with them?
JC: AAA Lucha Libre: Heroes del Ring is a fast paced based on popularity game. The more popular you are, the more moves you unlock during a match. We concentrated on giving the player the experience of being a luchador by allowing him to choose between a wide array of Lucha Libre fighting styles. You can choose a big slow-but-strong guy who uses blunt force trauma or as a super-fast-aerial luchador who uses his agility and a combination of styles. There are a lot of possibilities based on resistance, strength, agility, popularity, and others, which open the spectrum of Lucha Libre styles and add a wide gamma of characteristics to the luchadores in the game.
IGB: The game is being developed for all consoles, any chances that we will
see an iPhone version of the game?
JC: No. Not at this time. The iPhone is an interesting platform but we are focusing on PS3 and 360 console versions.
IGB: Are there plans to release a Limited Edition version of the game?
JC: No. If the game goes on to be a best-seller, then maybe Slang, who is the publisher, may look to release other types like a Game of the Year or some other type. But right now, there are no immediately plans for a limited edition version.
IGB: What kind of DLC content if any will we see on the game?
JC: We have plans for many DLC releases though we aren’t ready to discuss those at this time. We are really focused on the launch of Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring. But, when it is time for an announcement, we will definitely let you and your readers know.
IGB: What are your thoughts on the Playstation Move and the Kinect? Will
there be support for these types of controllers?
JC: We focused on developing a fun experience based on traditional controllers, so there will be no Playstation Move or Kinect support in this first version of the game. However, we are getting familiar with these new controller systems so that we can create future Lucha Libre experiences. I can only imagine the fun these controllers will bring to the genre.
IGB: What are some of the challenges faced when creating this game on the
Wii?
JC: As I worked only on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of the game, I cannot tell you much about the Wii version. Here is what I know. The Wii, just like the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, was built from the ground up and is completely original. Both of our versions and the Wii version, which is being developed by Sabarasa, offer unique story player modes and online competitive modes that are completely different from each other. I would say that the Wii version will be a different experience from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.
IGB: Cross overs are a huge hit this year, will we see a cross over between
Lucha Libre and WWE?
JC: You never know what the future has to offer… Lucha Libre has a lot of crossover possibilities as well. You have seen many Luchadores cross the border into US leagues so if it happened, which there are no plans for that as of now, it would not be the biggest surprise in the world.
IGB: Will you go one on one in the ring with Vince McMahon CEO of WWE if he
were to call you out?
JC: In the research process, we had the opportunity to train with the legendary luchadores trainer El Apache, and even learn from him the secrets of the classic foul (a kick between the legs); so Vince, you better take care! Many of our developers got their butts kicked, their bodies tossed around and slammed to the mat by El Apache. So we are definitely a battle tested bunch.
IGB: Who is your favorite all time wrestler?
JC: There are many legends in Lucha Libre that I like. Lucha Libre has been around for almost 100 years. It is so popular that you can find the results from last night’s match in the actual newspaper’s sports page. It is the second most popular sport with football (soccer) being the most popular. So, with such a rich history and tradition it is difficult, but I would have to say that my favorite is the Wagner dynasty.
IGB: What are your thoughts on the 3DS and the PSP2?
JC: As a gamer, I want them! Oh, yeah. I definitely want them. The 3D is very amazing and looks great. I haven’t spent time with either of these handhelds, but I love to travel with the PSP and by DSi.
Independent Gamer Blog would like to thank Julian Castillo for taking time off his busy schedule and interview with us and to Jim Redner from the Redner group for setting up the interview. Please look forward for our review of AAA Lucha Libre: Heroes Del Ring which will be posted sometime next week. Lucha Libre: Heroes Del Ring is now available on all major consoles.
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