LadyDragon was
fortunate enough to speak with Genevieve and
Steve Wall of Strategy First Inc. The warm
welcome we received from the executives of this
enterprise made it apparent that they are ready
for the future. Two new games will be released
from their company in the month of March, and
believe me, as a player, I can say that you will
not be disappointed! Clans will be published some
weeks after the coming of Man of War 2, which
will allow the fanatics of medieval games to
rediscover all the elements of action and
adventure. Man of War 2 will even let a player
choose a country and make your way up the ladder
to become an admiral!
Few People know
of your hit games here in Montréal, How do you
see things in the future?
Steve: "We
are a growing company. Man of War was the first
strategy game offered by Strategy First, Inc. and
Virgin and that was close to two years ago. Since
then, we have been working on new titles for the
expansion of our company. All companies in the
gaming industry began as small companies. Such is
the nature of the business."
As to Man of War
2, is this a sequel to Man of war?
Steve:"The
original version of Man of War was a game that
included turns. The new version offers a lot more
realism, using in a real-time engine. It is a
return of the original game but giving more of
the sensation of what it is like to be on a
vessel with crew sounds everywhere and a
real-time engine. We believe it is the best
multi-player vehicle also. More than 140 players
can play against one another!
In large strategy
games that unfold on the high seas, what must be
done in order to set them in such faraway lands?
Steve :" I
have a fascination for games having to do with
past wars. These games set on the high seas are
done differently in order to obtain the interest
of the gamer and use new tactics. You can see the
hordes of vessels attacking you on all sides, and
with the noises and voices, it is more like a
true replication of a sea fight."
The other title
that will come out in March, Clans, how do you
perceive this game?
Steve:"Clans
is an action game and a medieval adventure where
one attacks, but also must advance through
different levels. Four persons are available to
play: the Warrior, the Barbarian, the Dwarf and
the Elf. They enter into fights against the
hordes of Chaos to return the kingdom to peace.
The game has a special concept for it is
necessary to resolve puzzles while defending
against enemies. Several of the playing
characters were integrated with personalities
depicted in history to make the game more
complex."
Clans seems to me
to be a mixture of Diablo and Hexplore but with
some differences. What audience is this game
aimed toward?
Steve:"The
RPG enthusiast will love the game Clans. It is
programmed so that the graphs are consistent with
good details and we owe thanks to the
collaboration of our Swedish firm who originated
it. The fans of Diablo will like the game,
especially the fighting. But again, Clans is not
only a fighting game. Players will have to find
hidden secrets in each level. A fearsome
challenge awaits them!"
From what I've
seen, Clans will be a big hit in Montréal. The
quality of your games appears to be very
important to Strategy First.
Steve:"In
effect, the consumer must be satisfied with their
purchase. Strategy First devotes a lot of time to
test our titles so that the quality is high. The gameplay
is a Other important factor. Both Clans and Man
of War 2 were originally made with elaborate
concepts in order to stand up to our quality of
games."
What do you think
of Montréal as a development place in the
industry of the video game?
Steve:
"Montréal is a beautiful city that is a
good place to live, The fact that First Strategy
is here is proof that we want to see our products
everywhere in the world. We have, in the past,
realized that the gaming industry here is solid
and thus, have assessed each step of our Company.
Now, I believe that it is time for us to be known
by the people of Quebec. I am happy to see that
there is a big interest in Quebec for the video
game market. "
This company will
surely become very well-known in the future and
this it is always interesting to contribute to
the visibility of such a company. LadyDragon was
fortunate to see these two Games which promise to
be winners. . Strategy First has its foot in the
door of Montréal and from what we saw, it seems
that they will remain a long time here. For more
information on First Strategy, visit their site
at the following address: www.
strategyfirst. com
|
