Interviews// Crash Time 4: Andreas Leicht

SPOnG: Do you think somewhere down the line you could evolve that gameplay and make it like an 'anti-Grand Theft Auto'?

Andreas Leicht: I've heard people refer this game as a small version of GTA's gameplay style, but GTA is so high up there and so big. They spend so many millions of dollars on their games and – I don't know how many people were on their team for GTA IV, but it was probably over 1000 people working on that title – so I don't think we can be compared to that.

We have a small budget game and I don't know if we can say it is directly in competition or even fair to compare. It is an open world game, in the city of Cologne (while GTA is New York), but GTA has so many more elements that we can't deliver in our game. But at least there are some things, like the driving which seem comparable.


SPOnG: Those unfamiliar with Crash Time might see elements of other games in here as well, such as Destruction Derby in the multiplayer, Need For Speed and Driver. Do you take inspiration from some of those games or does it all come from the TV show?

Andreas Leicht: We are inspired by many aspects of other games. Looking at AAA titles, we've taken a lot from Need For Speed Shift and how it uses multiplayer to keep people motivated. Even games like Gran Turismo or Project Gotham with its use of achievements and so on.


SPOnG: There's no PlayStation 3 version planned at the moment. Is the strain on resources mentioned earlier the reason there's no PS3 version? Would you like to create one at some point?

Andreas Leicht: Yeah, absolutely. We started our research on PS3 at the start of 2009, but cancelled the PS3 version as it ended up being a bit more complicated than the Xbox 360 and PC versions. We started as a PC developer, and the 360's architecture is similar to that of the PC. The PS3 is totally different, and it is complicated in comparison.

We are planning to work on the PS3 version because the PS3 is more interesting than the 360 - at least, it seems that way at the moment. Sony is selling more software, more games and so on, and for us it is an opportunity to grow if we can also support PS3.


SPOnG: It seems that the days of the Amiga, where European developers ruled, have long gone and gamers are more focused on the Japanese, Canadian or North American industry. Where do you see European developers today, on a global scale?

Andreas Leicht: We have some studios that can generate a lot of interest in Germany, like CryTek or Yager who develops the Spec Ops games. But I don't know if we have another studio with over 100 people here at the moment in Germany.

To focus specifically on the German market, I think one of the big problems is getting the right finances. It's difficult for us to expand our reach fully to overseas markets, because it is quite competitive. Even if I talk to UK publishers, for example, I always hear “well, we have enough development studios in the UK, why should we go to Germany?”.

I think we lost the opportunity to make our case globally when we had the chance. And right now, with all the financial shares it becomes even more complicated to get a game out to other countries. If I look to Eastern European studios, who can develop games for a lot less than we can do in Germany, there is still a problem of getting a publisher outside of that country or region, let alone America where there are more complications with timezones and things.

We are working on it here in Germany though, there's a knowledge-sharing process happening. When I entered the industry back in 1995, you had small development teams who only shared their skills in that group and never spoke to other developers. There was never any kind of forum or incentive for us to talk to one another about what each other does and how we can help each other.

Things are changing now, but they are changing slowly. It's not easy when Europe is divided into so many different countries. I've never really met a UK developer before – maybe once or twice just to shake hands or to talk about a PS2 conversion or something. That's always been initiated by a publisher though. I've not really had a deep conversation internally with other developers.

In America I think it's a little different, as it is a bit more concentrated in some aspects of industry and there isn't so much of a problem of the different states coming together. Maybe it helps us to attend game developer conferences like Game Connection and so on, but in Europe those events are only just starting to get popular after about three or five years. GDC in America became famous about 10 years ago in comparison.


SPOnG: So you think the problem is that European developers aren't really networking and talking to each other?

Andreas Leicht: Yes. But it is getting better.


SPOnG: A lot of smaller developers are taking advantage of digital distribution these days. Team17 for example is now a studio that exclusively works on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Do you think that's the way forward for the industry?

Andreas Leicht: It really depends on development team size, costs and so on. If you have a small, nice, smart idea that can be done in a short amount of time, then digital distribution is the right way. But if you have to work on a project that costs at least... 1 million Euros, say, and costs one or two years to make, you can't afford it.

Generally, it's complicated to get the money from joint ventures and various funds – you need to first have a publisher that will give you money for development, then the publisher decides if our project should be a digital or retail version.


SPOnG: Thank you very much for your time.

Andreas Leicht: Thank you!