Interviews// 007 Blood Stone, Level Designer Peter Collier

SPOnG: Casino Royale was pretty well received, but Quantum of Solace much less so. Was there anything that you looked at in the films that you felt was worth avoiding?

Pete Collier: That's a really good question. (Pauses) I guess it's not just about specific parts of the previous films, it's just the essence of what Daniel Craig brings to the role. And that's what we're trying to get across. Obviously things that he's not doing in the films is stuff we're going to be avoiding – like gadgets. There'll be nothing like laser watches because it's not what this Bond does.

In terms of avoiding any material because of the quality of the films, I have to say that I'm one of the rare people that actually enjoyed Quantum of Solace (laughs)! I know people generally did prefer Casino Royale though, because it was more gritty and it was more about the journey of Bond starting out as this 00 Agent. Quantum of Solace was maybe never going to be as exciting, because it's like he's come along now and he's just fulfilling that role rather than going on this personal journey.

You're always going to struggle, getting that level of subtlety in terms of a character. Games have a long way to go yet before they can achieve that same level that can be found in films. For us, it is going to be more about the action sequences, but... it's an interesting thing, looking at the films and looking at the convergent side of it as well, as games can offer a more immersive aspect to that world. You can dip in to a game and access secondary information and get a more fleshed out view of the universe, as watching the films is a very passive experience.


SPOnG: In some ways then, it's more difficult to try and convey Bond in a game because the player is immersed in the role of 'being Bond' rather than watching passively.

Pete Collier: Exactly, yeah. So it's always going to be about 'doing' in the game – you are doing something so that the backstory of subtlety, the emotion and the whole journey is always going to be more difficult to convey. You're kind of reading those aspects in a film by looking at the character's reactions, in the game you're actually doing it and do those reactions have to come from you.


SPOnG: That must put a lot of pressure on you at Bizarre, because you're not really known for doing licensed games. Did you feel any of that pressure? Did you feel confident in the tools you had when you took this project on, or was there a lot of preparation involved?

Pete Collier: In some ways, it's creatively liberating that you have such a well-defined world with the Bond universe. It's probably one of the best defined worlds going – the franchise has been going on for so long and everybody knows what it's about. On the flip side, you have to make sure you deliver, because so many people know what the universe is it's more obvious if we mess something up. So there's that pressure.

It's also a great challenge, and in great challenges you learn an awful lot. As a studio, we always want to be taking on new challenges and expand our skillset in how we approach things. Narrative is something we've never really done before. PGR, Blur, The Club... they're all very light on the story. So we've learnt a hell of a lot in that regard.


SPOnG: There's been a lot of news about the suspension of the new James Bond film's production. Whether it's a money issue or a popularity issue, do you think the success of the James Bond franchise is riding on the performance of Blood Stone?

Pete Collier: I don't think so, at all. There's so much appetite for Bond – I've seen that for myself when I was demoing this game all over the place, like Gamescom. People really want more from that universe. So I think it's the opposite. We, like every other Bond fan, want there to be another film... and [the franchise owners] aren't stupid. They know there's demand for it. I just can't see it discontinuing at all. I know nothing about the dealings of MGM, but I don't see why they wouldn't be able to carry that on.


SPOnG: If Blood Stone gets popular, do you think they'd be inclined to start work on a new film again?

Pete Collier: [Nods] Maybe not even a new film, but another game perhaps, and a stepping up of what games offer as a medium in terms of entertainment. If we can prove that we can contribute to the franchise as a whole, just as equally as film - but just do X, Y and Z differently as in the immersion side of things – hopefully heads will turn and notice what we can offer, really.


SPOnG: Thanks a lot for your time!

Pete Collier: My pleasure, thank you!