Nux: Hello, this is Alex Peal, with Conduit 2 Chief Creative Officer, Eric Nofsinger!

Eric: Good to be here at PAX 2010, Alex!

Nux: So what does this job involve exactly?

Eric: Well, I wear a lot of hats. But mainly, I oversee our projects. I make sure that our guys get what they need to do their jobs, and I keep an eye on things for issues of quality. And I make certain feedback from fans or media is included in our game development. Those are a few of my responsibilities. In a nutshell: I’m responsible for our games and our people.

Nux: I understand you are also working on a patch system for Conduit 2. Is this only for multiplayer, or can you patch the campaign down the line?

Eric: Well, it allows us to do patching now, and in the immediate future. Our goal is to be able to resolve any foreseeable problems through beta testing phase, but it does give us the ability to go back and resolve any significant issues that might pop up. As with any multiplayer game, things can get a bit dicey; when players are able to find exploits, or more significant issues where a small number of players engage in hacking or glitching, it can disrupt the experience for other gamers. Then it’s a good idea to have a system in place where you can do your best to circumvent some of those issues.

Nux: Will you be doing any DLC?

Eric: We’d like to, but it really depends on sales. We’re currently just focused on the retail game itself, but we are certainly thinking about DLC in the future.

Nux: Why did you decide to allow the classic controller as an option?

Eric:  Many of our fans asked for it, and we’ve always been proponents of giving the fans what they want wherever possible. Of course, we still support the Wiimote and the nunchuck, but we also support Wii motion Plus, the Classic Controller, and the Classic Controller Pro. At tradeshows, folks would come up and say “I’m interested in the Conduit, but I’m used to playing on dual sticks”. So, now we have an option that they can be a little more comfortable with playing. I personally prefer the Wiimote and Nunchuck with the Wii Motion Plus, but by offering different input options it allows players to interact with the game in a way that is most intuitive to them.

Nux: Will the Conduit be coming to any other consoles at some point?

Eric: For the time being, we are focused on the Wii, but it’s certainly something we’ll be open to in the future. We’re very keen on the 3DS, but at present Conduit is all about the Wii, because we think the Wii deserves quality first person shooters, and there are not many good options for those Wii owners.

Nux: Now we know that Conduit 2 is a fairly unique thing for the Wii, but what about first person shooters in general? What will Conduit 2 be bringing to the table that other first person shooters don’t?

Eric: For one thing, it’s exclusive to the system and built from the ground up to take advantage of the hardware. There are very few shooters that fall into that category. We’re bringing an unrivaled level of customization, allowing the player to go in and tweak out their controller configurations exactly how they like to play. Players can remap their controls and even remap their HUD. Moreover, we have a strong science fiction theme, which sets us apart from some of the other Wii shooters. Most of the Wii shooters are either military themed, or Goldeneye. And really that’s just a reimagining of a really cool old James Bond Nintendo 64 title. I’m looking forward to it and I’ll buy it, but it’s not as fantastic and over the top as the Conduit. If you want a big, epic sci-fi shooter, really, we’re it. There are not many choices for you on the Wii… that’s where Conduit 2 steps in.

Nux: We know that the game takes place on an oil rig, and in Atlantis, but will we be going to any other exotic locales, maybe places other first person shooters don’t go?

Eric: Absolutely. We travel to a lot of different compelling destinations. You get to revisit Washington DC, which is much more devastated from the alien invasion, and a lot more attention-grabbing. You also get to fight through Siberia, where it is very desolate, with a menacing wintry feel and look. And we have areas like the Forbidden City in China, which has its own distinctive feel and vibe that’s exceptionally beautiful. There are a lot of one-off and out of the ordinary environments, like Atlantis as you mentioned. We feel really good about how the game is coming together. We think the game is in a real killer place.

Nux: Will this just be a straight up shooter, or will there be other gameplay mechanics?

Eric: Shooting is absolutely the core of our shooter. But we have a few other kinds of gameplay mechanics as well. We have a fair amount of exploration and some minor puzzle solving. We also offer some true big boss style mechanics, which are quite fun. We try to break up the ride.

Nux: Now, before the Conduit, High Voltage Software made licensed games for the most part. Why have you decided to go into making original titles?

Eric: Well, we went into developing original titles because we felt it was something that was interesting to us, and something we wanted to explore. We still do licensed games. But we’re trying our best to be a bit pickier about some of the games we’re working on. We’re big fans of cartoons and comic books. So, we’ll still continue to do licensed games, but it’s more about finding the types of titles that we think our people are going to be into, and as a company we would like to be associated with. And I know from an outsiders’ perspective that can seem a bit psychotic. I guess I would liken it to how most people have broad musical tastes. Outside of that, the original development allows you a great deal of creative freedom, and affords you the ability to explore ideas that you couldn’t in a licensed space.

Nux: A lot of your licensed titles haven’t really scored particularly well. I’ve always wanted to know, what kind of limitations do you work under when you’re doing a licensed title?

Eric: Well, just to be clear, some of our licensed titles have scored very well and some have sold very well. Most of them have made our clients money. We’ve done countless licensed titles over the past 17 years, and it can be a particularly challenging thing to accomplish. As a rule of thumb, you’re on a very restrictive time frame; generally well under a year to develop a game from start to finish.  If it’s based on a movie, for example, the script might change as you develop the game. If you’re developing a game based on a cartoon show, it might turn out that some characters become far more popular than anyone had predicted, and if those are the real star characters then you end up having to make big changes to make those characters more prominent. It’s commonly because you have a moving target; this stuff is not locked in when you start development. At the same time it can be really rewarding because we can make the game that fans of those licenses really enjoy.

 One game we did that we’re really proud of was a game called Ben 10: Protector of Earth, which sold millions of units. It was a game that made a lot of those fans very happy. We’ve done a lot of great licensed sports games, and those games reviewed especially well. We’ve done ports of games like Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, a version of Call of Duty: The Big Red One, and we even did a version of Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy. We’ve done so many different titles over our history, and each of those, even though they were based on other people’s properties, we had had fun making them and the games largely did well, either critically or have sold very well. And really the bottom line is: we’ve made our clients money, and it allows us to continue to make games and branch out into original development. We’re very proud of the fact we’ve made games that have made our clients happy and made our customer base happy.

Not every game we make is for the hardcore gamer either, a series of games we’ve done quite a number of are the Dora the Explorer games. We have many employees that have kids, and they like making games for a preschool age audience. And as you might expect, any time those games have gotten reviewed, typically they get reviewed poorly, because they get reviewed by people like you and I. That’s not the kind of game that we play. However, that is the kind of game that a preschooler would play. It’s made for someone who can’t even read. So, it’s a very, very young audience; it’s for them. They can play it, they can enjoy it. We’ve won a lot of parent’s choice awards, we’ve had recognition from parenting organizations and publications, but from a hardcore gamer perspective, they’re not into it because it’s really not for them. But we are still going to continue to do them because we’ve got employees that really like making them, they make our clients money, and the people that are buying them are really happy with them. That’s something that I was very excited about with the Wii and iPhone is that it’s sort of broadened our gaming audience. I hope that we see more games for different types of people, not just hardcore gamers. It’s good for the industry as whole. It’s more forward thinking and inclusionary.

Nux: Could give me some thoughts on your work on Wii version of Iron Man 2?

Eric: Personally, I thought it turned out better than the 360/PS3 version. But honestly, I don’t think that’s our best work and that sincerely breaks my heart because I am a fan of Iron Man. The development had some legitimate challenges for sure, but it sold reasonably well. And through the good and the bad, we were genuinely happy working with Marvel and SEGA. So, we’re very excited for the future. We’ve all seen games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, which have done really well, and there is this consensus that if you can do what’s right for the game, and stay true to the spirit of the license, that you can make a truly great licensed product.

Nux: So you’ll have more freedom in future licensed projects like this?

Eric: Oh, absolutely, but more importantly, more collaboration.

Nux: What challenges did you have with Iron Man 2?

Eric: We were tied to the film, and as a result we had to change a lot of elements in the game. That’s very costly and it’s very problematic, whereas if we had just been able to make a really good Iron Man game and not worry about it following the movie so much but just release in the same timeframe, it would have turned out much better in my opinion.

Nux: Alright, now, I realize we’ve been off the Conduit for a little while now, but one more thing. After Conduit 2, what next? Are you going to do something original or what?

Eric: We’re going to continue working on both original and licensed titles. We have a title that we’ve been working on for quite awhile called The Grinder, and we’d like to put more resources back on that. And truthfully, we’d really like to get to work on a Conduit 3. If the game does well and if fans want to see more, we’ll make more.

Nux: Speaking of the Grinder, as I understand it doesn’t have a publisher yet. Is there any reason why SEGA hasn’t picked it up yet?

Eric: I guess that’s more of a question for SEGA. I know they’re evaluating builds, but then there are several different publishers that are evaluating builds right now. So, we’ll see. Essentially you get to a point in development where you have a vertical slice; it showcases the core game play and gives an indication of where the game is headed, and then you shop it to publishers, and then (fingers crossed) they pick it up. We’re hoping that we can find the right publishing partner for the Grinder soon and really get to work.

Nux: You’ve dealt with SEGA as a publisher for four games now. How are they as a publisher? How do they compare to other publishers in the industry?

Eric: SEGA is excellent and we really enjoy working with them.

Nux: Finally, are you working on any other games that you haven’t announced yet?

Eric: We don’t have anything that we can talk about right now, but we’re definitely working on other things. As I’ve said before, we’re very keen on the Nintendo 3DS, so we’re definitely pulling a lot of our technology over to that exciting new system.

Nux: Well now you’ve actually reminded me of something else I wanted to ask you about. Have you seen the 3DS hardware yet?

Eric: We have had development hardware for some time, so we’ve become very familiar with its capabilities, and we’re in high spirits to be developers on the system. We’re proud to play a small part in what Nintendo is doing for the future of gaming. They’ve been exceedingly gracious to us, and we’re very humbled and honored to be working with them.

Nux: How does the 3DS hardware compare to the Wii?

Eric: Well, it’s somewhat dissimilar. But it’s challenging and rewarding in its own ways, but just like with the Wii, it opens up a whole other level of game play and design opportunities. There’s some really cool stuff you can do with the stereoscopic imaging. I believe it’s going to be a truly awesome device for gamers. Even if I wasn’t working on the 3DS hardware, I’d be buying it day one.

Nux: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, Mr. Nofsinger!

Conduit 2 is expected to land on the Wii sometime in early 2011. Check SEGAbits tomorrow for a full preview of the PAX/E3 demo!