Interviews// Too Human's Denis Dyack

SPOnG: Is it a pacing issue perhaps?

Denis Dyack: Well, we’ve done lots of focus testing at Microsoft and most people don’t really have an issue with it. It’s human nature. If something is a little bit different, people just attack it.

From that standpoint, it’s really analogous of us all being ‘too human’ – from the standpoint of: “Is everyone going to like it? (No); are we a controversial company? (Sure); is the game really different? (Yes).”

I think the demo really speaks for itself. We’ve already had over a million downloads and the vast majority of feedback has been incredibly positive. One of the problems with our industry is that we show video games before they are ready to be shown. This doesn’t happen in the record industry or in the movie industry.

All this baggage about the development process, if you even listen to yourself talking about the ‘long development process’, in the end, all that matters to the gamer is ‘how good is the game and will I enjoy it?’ Who cares if it’s been in development for two centuries? In the end – is it good or not?

In some ways, there is too much static for people to ignore. Not everyone’s going to like it. I’m not sure what particular preview it was you were talking about, but there have been really positive ones. There have been a few negative ones…but… whatever!


SPOnG: I can’t remember where it was – to be honest it left me feeling more positive about Too Human, because the gist of the preview was somebody saying that the game didn’t wow them immediately, but then after three hours they were left gagging for more…

Denis Dyack: Oh yeah! That’s generally the perception by the way! Awesome! I agree. Too Human has very subtle depth…

SPOnG: That’s what I meant about ‘pacing’ – do you think some people just want to be wowed immediately without letting the story build?

Denis Dyack: Yeah, I saw one preview where they described it as fine wine. You know, if you are really going to understand the depth of taste and the body of a fine wine, you need to have a few glasses. I’m really happy with the results. There have been so many previews. There have been hundreds, so I wasn’t really sure which one you were talking about. Have you played the game much yet?


SPOnG: I’ve briefly played some of the demo I downloaded from LIVE, yes.

Denis Dyack: Well, what I encourage you to do, when you are playing, is make sure you understand the advanced combat. Understand why it is important to juggle. When you are playing the game you have to be tactical, role-play AND action-based – and once this clicks, I think it will be an experience like no other.


SPOnG: Obviously the scriptwriting is a very important element in the game, as is the music. Often two overlooked elements in game design.

Denis Dyack: Yeah, totally agree. We have a general theory of video games (or a general principle) that we call ‘engagement theory’. We take five aspects of games: art, game design, technology, audio and story, and we believe that if we balance them all equally then the game will become more than the sum of its parts.

So, we have dedicated directors for each of those five departments. My role as general director is that I oversee all of these directors and we try to combine all of those things so that, for example, story is just as important as technology. Or just as important to us as artwork. Audio is just as important as the game design. If you balance these things properly then you will create something that people can’t necessarily understand why they like it, but they just do! So, I wholeheartedly agree with you that story and audio are overlooked.