Interview with Uppercut Games CEO Ed Orman
From the minds of Andrew James and Ed Orman comes new development team Uppercut-Games. Those of you scratching your head, wondering why you should care about the upstart game development studio - wonder no more. The folks behind Uppercut-Games have a wonderful résumé of games under their belts, such as Bioshock, Fallout: Tactics, XCOM and their upcoming iOS game, Epoch. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to get to speak with Ed Orman and pick his brain for some interesting details on Epoch, which is rumored to be slated for release in the fourth quarter of this year.
Ed Orman: If you look at our history, you can see that the types of games we've worked on has varied greatly, from isometric turn-based tactical games to first-person RPGs. It's a pretty broad range of experience for PC and console game creators. We've also been very lucky to work on some high-profile titles and beloved franchises, and with some fantastic teams of people. We both learned a lot about game making at Irrational/2K, and it's that experience that we want to take to new devices.
GamerGaia: What can you tell us about your current project Epoch?
Ed Orman: EPOCH is about destroying robots. Waves of robots. HORDES of robots! You take on the roll of a ninja-like robot that's reactivated in a post-apocalyptic city, and who has to fight to reach his pre-apocalypse objective. It's a tactical combat game where you choreograph the fight, and get to deploy all sorts of special powers that affect the outcome. In between combats there's progression and improvement, so you can keep fine-tuning your robot's abilities.
GamerGaia: What would you say sets Epoch apart from other shooters?
Ed Orman: It's largely about our approach to game making that sets EPOCH apart. Uppercut Games is focused on creating AAA quality games that play to the strengths of each platform. For EPOCH, we've really pushed on two fronts: visuals and controls. The graphics are spectacular and really engrossing - I love post-apocalyptic settings, and I'm really drawn into the ruined world we've created. With the controls, we're putting a lot of effort into keeping them fluid, simple (so you can concentrate on the action on screen) and intuitive to the platform.
GamerGaia: What caused the move from PC games, on to console games, then to Epoch being a mobile game?
Ed Orman: The short answer is a desire to reach a larger audience. We loved making PC games, and then consumer focus shifted to consoles as the power of those devices increased. Now we're seeing the power of mobile devices increasing at an incredible rate, to the point where you can see some amazing looking (and playing) games on mobile.
GamerGaia: What would you consider to be the future for mobile gaming as a whole? Is the smart phone going to replace conventional handhelds such as the 3DS or PSP?
Ed Orman: Wow, that's a big question. We've obviously seen a huge surge in mobile gaming of late, and a big part of that is due to the proliferation of powerful touch-screen devices and developers leaping on the opportunity to do new things. I guess it's more about what each platform offers to their users; as long as a device is capable of offering a unique and engaging gameplay experience, then I reckon the market will support them.
GamerGaia: It has been said that Epoch will feature character customization via picking up the remains of your foes and equipping yourself with them. What can you tell us about that?
Ed Orman: Not much more than what I've already said.
GamerGaia: Would you be able to spill any details on the plot behind Epoch?
Ed Orman: There are hints of it in the teaser: you wake up in a decimated city some time in the future, with no apparent life except for hostile and deadly robots. Then it's up to you to discover how you got where you are at the start of the game, what happened in this world, and what's next. We'll be releasing some info in the coming months, but uncovering the mystery is part of the fun, so we're keeping it under wraps for the most part.
GamerGaia: Finally, is there anything you'd like to tell your fans in particular?
Ed Orman: We've had a huge response to the teaser trailer we released, and that's been very gratifying. But now, we've got our heads down and we're really hammering on getting the game done, so keep an eye on www.uppercut-games.com for more announcements.
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