While layoffs and studio closures have become common in the industry, so too have independent studios sprung up to fill new niches. One of the newest entrepreneurial efforts, called Double 11, is coming from Rockstar Leeds veterans Lee Hutchinson and Matt Shepcar, former lead engineer for iPhone games Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Beaterator and lead programmer to GTA titles like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, respectively.
“Rockstar Leeds and the spouse allegations had no effect on our decisions to leave,” said Hutchinson, responding to a question about negative labor relations at Rockstar studios to Develop. “I’m very good friends with the team. Me and Matt announced we were leaving under very good terms.”
This move, says Hutchinson, has much to do with a creative backlash against the time, money and stress demands of modern titles as anything else. “I think that a lot of developers are sick of huge all encompassing next-gen projects and want to get back to grass-roots bedroom coding like it was in the '80s and is for a lot of iPhone developers today,” said Hutchinson.
2 Comments
June 18, 2010
This is potentially the definitive version of the game, if done right. I played the game to the end on the DS, and I loved it it. At the time I felt it to be the best GTA game ever made, it was just so much fun. The drug-dealing side game was so addictive.
I also own the game on PSP, where the graphics were greatly improved. Trouble is, without the touchscreen the minigames were frankly dull as dishwater, and should have been removed entirely.
I tried the iPhone version, and that had the great graphics from PSP, the touchscreen for the minigames … But no d-pad was a new way to be frustrated.
Right now, I always advise people to play the DS version as you can live without the shiny graphics as it nails the controls. If pushed, I would say the iPhone version trumps the PSP for second place as while driving is harder, overall it is more immersive (plus the game is much, much cheaper).
Now, with the increased real-estate of the iPad screen, a better control scheme might be possible. A virtual analogue stick for driving could be as good as the Nintendo DS's real digital d-pad, but with the extra shiny graphics and better price point.
Ultimately the game is worth playing in any form, and on any platform, but I have high hopes for this port. Still the best GTA game ever, so many ways to have fun, many of them involving creative ways to set people on fire.
July 16, 2010
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