N-Gage News Network

Nokia has been silent for a rather long time regarding the next iteration of their N-Gage next-gen platform or the new games they will be launching to go with it. Brandon Crick and Mike Smith from Nokia have been kind enough to answer some questions for us despite their hectic schedules at this year's Game Developers Conference. Enjoy the interview below!

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Have there been any fundamental changes in the artistic direction or gameplay of Creatures of the Deep since the start of development?

MS: No. We are keeping the same direction that everyone has seen and has come to expect. Just lots more!

How long has the game been in development?

MS: We started discussions between Infinite Dreams and Nokia back in May of 2005. Actual development has been on and off since then, trying to align our game completion with the launch of the N-Gage platform and the releases of the N-Gage SDK leading up to that date.

Rumor has it that you are working with real-life resorts to help develop the storyline of the game. Tell us more about that?

BC: Yes we have and this has really assisted us in the creation of this “adventure” fishing game. I’ve been in contact with numerous world class fishing resorts that have helped us with local fishing legends and we are using the information to weave into our storyline and adventure quests you can complete in-game. The resorts have been very eager to work with us through providing artwork of their location, lists of the fish and creatures unique to their region, and fishy tales of crazy catches. One example is there is a huge 15 foot long bull shark which has been sighted off the shores of Costa Rica called “Freight Train”. We will have some announcements soon regarding the resorts and exotic locations you can expect to see in the final game.

MS: Grounding this game in reality is very important to me. It gives the game substance and some believability. It also gives us some solid direction in creatures and items you catch as well as look and feel of the many locations we have chosen.

Is there a final list of locations you are going include in the game yet?

BC: Internally we have our own list which we have been working from. We haven’t decided on all of the locations but we can say that in addition to Costa Rica we will be including Scotland, Alaska, and the exciting Amazon region in Brazil.

What kind of creatures will we be catching?

MS: We have gone on record as saying you’ll be able to catch hundreds of things in this game. This includes fish (of course), as well as other non-fish creatures and tons of other fun stuff. Some specific examples are: The Bull shark, as Brandon mentioned, Tuna, a variety of Marlin, different types Salmon and other usual game-fish. This list also includes Norwals, Polar Bears, Kilts and other fun stuff. The list definitely goes on and on.


Is there only going to be one type of fishing rod in the game or do players get to upgrade?

MS: We plan on offering a number of different types of rods, reels and lures. You will be able to go to the resort lodges at each of the locations to trade or upgrade you tackle to something that better fits your needs. These resorts will also be based upon real world resorts for people to explore in real life outside the game.

The online component of the game is still quite the mystery. Tell us more about it.

BC: Our plan is to support online play via the N-Gage Arena which as you know is the community and connected hub of our N-Gage platform. One of the planned online modes is tournament play with statistic tracking. There will be a global leaderboard listing the player’s total catches separated by fish, creatures, and the objects which are reeled in and added to the player’s virtual live well.

MS: What Brandon says is true. The plan is to utilize our online community to expand the experience to something much more social, like what you might find when you really go fishing. Hopefully the Whale-tales and the wild stories will drive people to compete and share more of their fun with many others.

The water in creatures of the deep looks amazing. What is your programming secret?

MS: Since I’m not the programmer on the title I can’t answer that honestly. All I can tell you is, the team at Infinite Dreams are leaders in this industry and continue to demonstrate their amazing abilities like what has been seen in this game.

What ever happened to the winners of that E3 2006 contest?

BC: I have been in contact with the winners and they elected to take their prize trip this fall. We had a huge turn out for the contest last year where the goal was to catch the special “E3 Fish” we put into the game. Over 200 show attendees managed to catch the special fish (many played for hours just to reel one in!) and we held a draw for the grand prize on the final day of the show. One of the resorts we have been working with, Crocodile Bay in Costa Rica, donated an all-expenses paid trip for 2 which was won by Kristin Kerwitz of California. She is really looking forward to the trip and we plan to have pictures on our official site of her monster catches!

Can you tell us anything about Nokia's next iteration of the N-Gage platform?

BC: I’m actually writing my interview answers here at the Game Developers Conference which is where we have a number of speaker sessions about our next generation N-Gage platform. Creatures of the Deep is just one of the Nokia first party publishing games in development for this new N-Gage platform which enables mobile gaming on a range of our Nokia devices. The buzz surrounding the platform is definitely exciting!

MS: I would prefer to leave this question for our Industry Marketing team. My focus is on creating and game and experience that best captures the fun of fishing.

What phones have you been testing the game on?

MS: The game is currently being tested on the Nokia N73. I expect that the game will be on many of Nokia’s Multimedia Computers (N-Series devices) over the coming year and beyond.

Is there anything else you would like to say about Nokia and mobile gaming in 2007?

BC: I can’t wait till our new mobile gaming platform launches this year. Finally we will be able to get this game into the hands of the gamers worldwide. Historically fishing games have been “simulations” of the sport; we’ve approached the sport from a different angle by creating a fishing “adventure” game which focuses on the fun, mystery, and thrill of sports fishing. This is something that hasn’t been done before and we look forward to gamers being “hooked” on our game! Oh, don’t forget to check out our official game site at  www.mobileangler.com .

MS: My goal was to create and experience that everybody could understand and enjoy. So far I feel we are going in the right direction and I’m really looking forward to getting this game in the hands of gamers and non-gamers alike, around the world.