Transient Shift

First-person shooter games have always been that satisfying mark for a violent interactive pastime. There’s just something about blasting another gamer to fraggerines that just makes your BFG/assault rifle/gravity gun feel warm and fuzzy all over...Or perhaps it’s just the warm gib from your opponent splashed all over weapon. Either way, FPS games in the mainstream or independent scene have seen some startling innovation as of late, just like the Mod-turned real-game, INC.operated, or Broken Attitude’s Transient Shift. While INC is still a ways off from release, Transient Shift is apparently coming along rather well. We had a back and forth Q&A session with the CEO of Broken Attitude, Randy Wilson, as he discussed their current position in the gaming industry as well as some exclusive details on their upcoming shooter, Transient Shift. Check it out below.

VG Core: For those who don't know, how did Broken Attitude Studios come about?

R. Wilson: Broken Attitude Studios unofficially came about back in 2002. Inspired by the lack of a "serious" looking Zelda title for the Gamecube, a programmer friend and myself decided to create a more "graphically mature" adventure RPG. We have since rethought our plan of attack, to start smaller and get our feet wet in the industry. In 2004, Broken Attitude Studios became an official corporation.

VG Core: How long has Transient Shift been in development, and how did you come up with the concept to design a game like this?

R. Wilson: Transient Shift was conceptualized back in September of 2004. We started building our own game engine for it, which we later revamped to make use of Direct X 9 features. I came up with the concept of the game from playing a lot of console FPS games, especially TimeSplitters 2. The similarities between the two are mostly the concept of different eras and the weapons to match those eras. Beyond that, they differ quite a bit.

VG Core: Do you have a name for the Transient Shift engine, and do you plan to licence it out for other developers to use?

R. Wilson:We've been kinda in a toss up between the Broken Engine or the Broken Attitude Engine. And yes, we do plan to license the engine out in the near future.

VG Core: How many players will the game support in its final version?

R. Wilson: A maximum of 8 players, or any combination of players and bots, but not exceeding 8. We feel this is a a good maximum number, since it will allow higher framerate even with a lot of visual events occurring on the screen.

VG Core: What sort of weapons will be available, and will there be special moves or abilities for any of the characters?

R. Wilson: There are a lot of weapons, ranging by time period. You can use anything from a battle axe and crossbow to a bear trap, to a defective difibulator. It basically ranges from your common FPS weapons to imagined stuff to just crazy, even quirky weapons. In addition to weapon sets, there are also level based weapons, which can only be found in the level and that are relevant to the level and time itself. Such as a cannon in a castle level, for example.

VG Core: Is there any single player campaign or is the game generally made for
the multiplayer experience?

R. Wilson: There is no story mode or campaign. It is designed in the same aspect as games like Quake 3 Arena or Unreal Tournament. Players vs players, players vs bots type style.

VG Core: Will the game support downloadable content or mods?

R. Wilson: Absolutely. We are allowing fully modifiable game content for Transient Shift with the full version of the game. We want this game to be game community friendly, allowing people to create their own levels, weapons, characters, etc. With the design tools we will provide, a skilled modder could probably make en entire new game running on our engine. That's how much mod support we are offering. Of course, we will occasionally create
free new game content for the players to keep the game fresh.

VG Core: You mentioned that you're considering Microsoft's digital distribution service for releasing the game. In what way would the game be on the system? As a Live Arcade title, or literally as a full-game that would be available over the digital network?

R. Wilson: We are investigating this matter further, as Microsoft has yet to release the details for developers who want to actually sell their game via digital distribution. We would like to release it as a full game over the digital network, but it simply comes down to the guidelines and restrictions proposed by Microsoft, which we are awaiting details on. Once we know more from them, we can make a more educated decision. We would love to have Transient Shift on the console, as we intend to expand out into the console market with future titles.

VG Core: If you did manage to distribute the game through Microsoft's service, would you consider optimizing the game for the Xbox 360?

R. Wilson: It is possible, and of course, relevant to the game's success and the funding at the time. Xbox 360 development is a pricey ordeal. Revamping the characters, weapons and level models would take quite a few resources, but if the demand is there, we'd do it. We also haven't given up on the idea of making a Wii port if the game is successful.

Our thanks to Randy Wilson for answering our questions. Transient Shift is aimed for a summer release of this year, and a beta this spring. Gamers who want more information regarding Broken Attitude Studios, you can visit the Broken Attitude Website. Also, be sure to stay tuned in with VG Core for more news and media regarding Transient Shift.

Article By: Cyguration