The making of Enter the Matrix, the game that defied the foundations of interactive storytelling with messy results
Licensed games have been around as long as the medium itself, and most have earned a reputation for cheap links that take much longer in the development oven or poorly produced chunks of cash. For the most part, it’s unfortunate that the creative team tasked with creating a fun and interactive version of the popular Hollywood IP hasn’t been given the time to succeed. Fallen by one man and helped the collapse of American industry. However, a full system reboot occurs after each crash.
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David puts this at the top of his “list of terrible career decisions.” Although it won’t be long before he and his team get a second chance. They could also use this groundbreaking technology to more accurately translate Wachowskis’ vast universe into a video game.
blur the lines
To do this effectively, Shiny Entertainment had to stick to The Matrix’s established art design and completely unique iconography. 2003 was still a new era when dial-up tablet devices didn’t exist yet, maintaining online social profiles wasn’t common, and seeing black screens seeping green codes. To make “Enter The Matrix” feel like a legitimate puzzle piece for the franchise, art director Robert Nesler ate up all the film assets he could see.
But, like most other aspects of Enter The Matrix’s scarce two-year development, shaping this cyber obsessive world wasn’t as easy as copying the aesthetic and ending it one day. No, Robert and the rest of the art department faced the challenge of recreating the tonal shifts of the real world and the Matrix’s color palette, conveying the visual differences between the two in subtle ways similar to those in film.
Robert points out one particular problem that he and Warner Bros’ employees recur over and over again. He is “getting green quality from the matrix to make everyone happy”. “Owen Paterson, the film’s production designer, explained to us that he never thought DVD was right.” This was not ideal given that Robert used it as his main reference. “Honestly, I don’t remember the exact problem, but back then, the method of changing colors on film was called ‘color timing’, and I think it was manual/analog. For whatever reason, the quality didn’t match exactly when the DVD was made, so we left. .”
Running in parallel with Neo’s main adventure, Enter The Matrix meant that logos ship crew members Niobe from Jada Pinkett-Smith and Ghost from Anthony Wong were ideal candidates to materialize as the main protagonists of the game. The couple only appeared in the film for one or two scenes, but only here can you see how they influenced off-screen events. Players can also choose the Revolutionaries they want to play with by witnessing more variations to the game’s exclusive storyline and encouraging repeat play.
An example would be a car chase that takes place right after a post level opens. Play as Niobe, sit in the driver’s seat and follow your operator’s orders as you navigate the streets, avoiding agents and chasing cops. Meanwhile, when you play as Ghost, you suddenly become a trigger, look out the passenger window, aim and block as many threats as you can. It’s not as important as choosing the blue pill or the red pill, but minor changes like this helped break up the 3rd person piece.
dodge bullets
Despite being one of the most expensive games of its time, the project faced a lot of stress due to its tight two-year deadline. Warner Bros insisted on releasing the game with The Matrix Reloaded in May 2003 and got to a point where funding became an issue. This caused the original publisher Interplay to lose its rights and an unexpected alliance intervened. “Atari bought our company to control the licenses,” David recalls. “[They] Despite all the turmoil, the big move was well worth it, as it emerged as an avid supporter of the project.”
David Perry
Enter The Matrix eventually released with mediocre reviews on GameCube, PC, Xbox, and PS2, with many critics citing its intrinsic repeatability, lack of refinement, and inability to go unnoticed in one of the key aspects of gameplay. Still, most appreciated how well the game was integrated into the broader Matrix canon, with particular attention to the graphics, acting, and the fun implementation of Bullet Time. While this tight turnaround in development was the root cause of many problems in the finished game, this project is still an example that future studios can use to adapt other entertainment media to video games.
When asked what advice he would give to potential developers working on linking to the upcoming Matrix 4, David was not polite. “If you haven’t started it yet, I would recommend starting it a year after the movie. They really need Lana for a number of reasons. [Wachowski] To pass time to gameplay after the movie is over. Given the amount of time she can bring to the table, her funds and talent, the game will be absolutely incredible.
This feature first appeared in . retro gamer Magazine, Issue 209. For more great articles like the one you just read, don’t forget to subscribe to the print or digital edition. my favorite magazine.
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The making of Enter the Matrix, the game that defied the foundations of interactive storytelling with messy results
Games based on a license have been around almost as long as the medium itself, with most gaining a reputation for being cheap tie-ins or ill-produced cash grabs that needed much longer in the development oven. It’s an unfortunate fact that, in most instances, the creative teams tasked with making a fun, interactive version of a beloved Hollywood IP weren’t given the time necessary to succeed – to the extent that the ET game from 1982 for the Atari 2600 was famously rushed out by a single person and helped cause the US industry crash. After every crash, however, comes a full system reboot.
Read now
David chalks this up as being high on his “list of terrible career decisions”, though it wouldn’t be long before he and his team would be given a second chance. They could even use this pioneering tech to translate the Wachowskis’ sprawling universe more accurately into a video game.
Blurring the line
Pulling this off effectively meant Shiny Entertainment had to stay true to The Matrix’s established art design and wholly unique iconography. 2003 was a time where dialled-in tablet devices didn’t yet exist, maintaining online social profiles wasn’t quite an everyday occurrence, and the sight of green code trickling down a black screen was still a novelty. To ensure that Enter The Matrix felt like a legitimate piece of this franchise’s puzzle, art director Robert Nesler ate up all the movie assets he could get eyes on.
Like most other aspects of Enter The Matrix’s tight two-year development, though, nailing the look of this cyber-obsessed universe wasn’t as simple as copying an aesthetic and then calling it a day. No, Robert and the rest of the art department had the challenge of replicating the tonal shift seen in the colour palette of the real world versus the Matrix, having to communicate the visual differences between each in a similarly subtle way to how the movies did.
Robert notes one particular problem that he and the folks at Warner Bros kept coming back to: “Getting the greenish quality in the Matrix to everybody’s satisfaction,” he reveals. “Owen Paterson, the movie’s production designer explained to us that he never felt that the DVDs got it right.” This wasn’t ideal considering Robert had been using these as a primary reference. “To be honest, I don’t recall the exact issue, but I think at the time the method for shifting colour in film was called ‘colour timing’ and it was a manual/ analogue process. For whatever reason, when the DVDs were made, that quality was not matched exactly and so we were off.”
Enter The Matrix running parallel to the efforts of Neo’s main adventure meant that Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Niobe and Anthony Wong’s Ghost – crew members of the Logos ship – were ideal candidates to be fleshed out as the game’s lead protagonists. Whereas the movie would only see the pair crop up for a scene or two, only here could you find out how they impacted events while off-screen. Players were even able to select which revolutionist to play as, so as to witness further variations of the game’s exclusive story and encourage repeat playthroughs.
One example is the car chase sequence that takes place immediately after the opening post office level. Opt to play as Niobe and you’ll be behind the wheel, evading agents and pursuing police officers as you navigate streets according to the Operator’s commands. Play as Ghost, meanwhile, and you’re suddenly the trigger man, peering outside the passenger’s seat window to take aim and gun down as many threats as possible. Though nowhere near as meaningful as electing to take the blue or the red pill, minor changes like this helped to break up the third-person portions.
Dodging bullets
Despite being one of the most expensive games ever made at the time, the project was subject to a lot of stress due to the tight two-year deadline. Warner Bros was adamant in having the game release alongside The Matrix Reloaded in May of 2003 and reached a point where funding became an issue. This led to original publisher Interplay losing the rights and an unexpected ally to step in. “Atari bought our company just to get control of the licence,” David recalls. “[They] turned out to be a big supporter of the project, so despite all the turmoil it was worth that giant move.”
David Perry
Enter The Matrix eventually released on GameCube, PC, Xbox, and PS2 to middling reviews, with many critics citing its inherent repetition, lack of polish and inability to excel in any one of its core gameplay aspects. Even still, most came to appreciate just how well the game integrated into the wider Matrix canon, with special attention paid to the visuals, actor performances and fun implementation of bullet time. Such a tight development turnaround was the root cause for many of the finished game’s issues, but the project still serves as an exemplar that future studios can use for adapting other entertainment media into a video game.
When asked what advice he would pass onto any prospective developers working on a tie-in to the upcoming Matrix 4, David doesn’t mince his words. “If they have not already started, I’d recommend they launch a year after the movie. For many reasons they really need Lana [Wachowski] to spend time dedicated to the gameplay after the movie is out. The game could be absolutely incredible given the time, funding and talent that she can bring to the table.
This feature first appeared in Retro Gamer magazine issue 209. For more excellent features, like the one you’ve just read, don’t forget to subscribe to the print or digital edition at MyFavouriteMagazines.
#making #Enter #Matrix #game #defied #foundations #interactive #storytelling #messy #results
The making of Enter the Matrix, the game that defied the foundations of interactive storytelling with messy results
Games based on a license have been around almost as long as the medium itself, with most gaining a reputation for being cheap tie-ins or ill-produced cash grabs that needed much longer in the development oven. It’s an unfortunate fact that, in most instances, the creative teams tasked with making a fun, interactive version of a beloved Hollywood IP weren’t given the time necessary to succeed – to the extent that the ET game from 1982 for the Atari 2600 was famously rushed out by a single person and helped cause the US industry crash. After every crash, however, comes a full system reboot.
Read now
David chalks this up as being high on his “list of terrible career decisions”, though it wouldn’t be long before he and his team would be given a second chance. They could even use this pioneering tech to translate the Wachowskis’ sprawling universe more accurately into a video game.
Blurring the line
Pulling this off effectively meant Shiny Entertainment had to stay true to The Matrix’s established art design and wholly unique iconography. 2003 was a time where dialled-in tablet devices didn’t yet exist, maintaining online social profiles wasn’t quite an everyday occurrence, and the sight of green code trickling down a black screen was still a novelty. To ensure that Enter The Matrix felt like a legitimate piece of this franchise’s puzzle, art director Robert Nesler ate up all the movie assets he could get eyes on.
Like most other aspects of Enter The Matrix’s tight two-year development, though, nailing the look of this cyber-obsessed universe wasn’t as simple as copying an aesthetic and then calling it a day. No, Robert and the rest of the art department had the challenge of replicating the tonal shift seen in the colour palette of the real world versus the Matrix, having to communicate the visual differences between each in a similarly subtle way to how the movies did.
Robert notes one particular problem that he and the folks at Warner Bros kept coming back to: “Getting the greenish quality in the Matrix to everybody’s satisfaction,” he reveals. “Owen Paterson, the movie’s production designer explained to us that he never felt that the DVDs got it right.” This wasn’t ideal considering Robert had been using these as a primary reference. “To be honest, I don’t recall the exact issue, but I think at the time the method for shifting colour in film was called ‘colour timing’ and it was a manual/ analogue process. For whatever reason, when the DVDs were made, that quality was not matched exactly and so we were off.”
Enter The Matrix running parallel to the efforts of Neo’s main adventure meant that Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Niobe and Anthony Wong’s Ghost – crew members of the Logos ship – were ideal candidates to be fleshed out as the game’s lead protagonists. Whereas the movie would only see the pair crop up for a scene or two, only here could you find out how they impacted events while off-screen. Players were even able to select which revolutionist to play as, so as to witness further variations of the game’s exclusive story and encourage repeat playthroughs.
One example is the car chase sequence that takes place immediately after the opening post office level. Opt to play as Niobe and you’ll be behind the wheel, evading agents and pursuing police officers as you navigate streets according to the Operator’s commands. Play as Ghost, meanwhile, and you’re suddenly the trigger man, peering outside the passenger’s seat window to take aim and gun down as many threats as possible. Though nowhere near as meaningful as electing to take the blue or the red pill, minor changes like this helped to break up the third-person portions.
Dodging bullets
Despite being one of the most expensive games ever made at the time, the project was subject to a lot of stress due to the tight two-year deadline. Warner Bros was adamant in having the game release alongside The Matrix Reloaded in May of 2003 and reached a point where funding became an issue. This led to original publisher Interplay losing the rights and an unexpected ally to step in. “Atari bought our company just to get control of the licence,” David recalls. “[They] turned out to be a big supporter of the project, so despite all the turmoil it was worth that giant move.”
David Perry
Enter The Matrix eventually released on GameCube, PC, Xbox, and PS2 to middling reviews, with many critics citing its inherent repetition, lack of polish and inability to excel in any one of its core gameplay aspects. Even still, most came to appreciate just how well the game integrated into the wider Matrix canon, with special attention paid to the visuals, actor performances and fun implementation of bullet time. Such a tight development turnaround was the root cause for many of the finished game’s issues, but the project still serves as an exemplar that future studios can use for adapting other entertainment media into a video game.
When asked what advice he would pass onto any prospective developers working on a tie-in to the upcoming Matrix 4, David doesn’t mince his words. “If they have not already started, I’d recommend they launch a year after the movie. For many reasons they really need Lana [Wachowski] to spend time dedicated to the gameplay after the movie is out. The game could be absolutely incredible given the time, funding and talent that she can bring to the table.
This feature first appeared in Retro Gamer magazine issue 209. For more excellent features, like the one you’ve just read, don’t forget to subscribe to the print or digital edition at MyFavouriteMagazines.
#making #Enter #Matrix #game #defied #foundations #interactive #storytelling #messy #results
Synthetic: Vik News
