Brunswick Bowling for Playstation Move Interview
Written by Charles Husemann on 9/15/2010 for
PS3
With the PlayStaiton Move controller hitting shelves later this month we wanted to have quick chat with some of the folks who have experience with not only the new controller but the other motion control systems as well. As luck would have it we got to talk to the folks at Crave about their upcoming Move game Brunswick Bowling for the PlayStation Move.
Could you introduce yourself and talk about your role on the project?
My name is Reed Livingston and I am the Producer for Brunswick Pro Bowling.
Is Brunswick Bowling for Move just a HD version of your Wii game or is there more to it? What can you do with the PS3 version that you couldn’t do on the Wii?
Brunswick Pro Bowling is built specifically for the Sony Move. We have also incorporated Brunswick’s proprietary oil patterns used for the 2010 PBA tour. These appear and range from easy all the way up to the highest and most difficult oil patterns that the Pros play on. An oil pattern is the amount of oil applied to each individual lane that will vary the degree in which a ball with curve or rotate down the lane. Without oil patterns, you would see an increase of 300 games on the PBA Tour. Brunswick Pro Bowling on PS3 is a new re-design specifically for the next generation consoles.
You’ve developed for both the Wiimote and now Move, from a development point of view are they the same? What are the major differences between the two control systems?
Brunswick Pro Bowling on the Wii did very well and it was well received. Each platform has its own advantages. We have found that developing for the Sony Move motion controller allowed us to get accurate real world feedback using the PlayStation Eye camera and the Move motion controller. The title knows where the Move controller is in 3D space at all times. Where the Wii title used the Wii remote accelerometer to define specific throwing movements only.
What data do you capture from the Move controller that you use in the game? Is it just position, velocity, and wrist angle or is there more to it? Are there data points you would love to have but can’t get?
In addition to the data mentioned above, we also use the angular velocity to determine the speed at which the Move controller is rotating to determine the amount of hook/spin put on the ball when it is released. As for replicating an accurate Bowling swing with the Move, we get all of the data that we need.
What are your thoughts about creating a bowling game for Kinect, what kind of hurdles do you have with the Kinect that you don’t have with the Wii/Move system? Are there any technical advantages from your point of view?
We are excited to bring Brunswick Pro Bowling to Kinect. We are enjoying diving into the Kinect technology and creating a fun and exciting game that bowling fans are going to enjoy. The user’s experience with Kinect is why we are so excited about it as a gaming device. The “wow” factor when people play Brunswick Pro Bowling on it is off the charts!
Have you gotten any professional bowlers to try out the Move version and if so what were their comments on the game?
There have been a few PBA bowlers that have played our game; the one that comes to mind is Sean Rash. Sean was very enthusiastic about the game and felt it was one of the most technically accurate bowling games he’s ever played! The great thing about getting that nod of approval from Sean is threefold, 1) he’s won multiple titles on the PBA tour so his comments give the game instant credibility 2) He’s one of the youngest players on tour (age 28) so he can relate to a videogame audience and 3) he’s one of the coolest and most colorful guys we have met. I mean, what’s not to like about a guy who appeared in a bowling commercial like this for ESPN.
Why do you think bowling games are so popular with the motion control crowd? How do you separate games from the generic shovelware bowling games that are put out by other developers?
The reason why bowling games are so popular with the motion control crowd because whether you’re 6 or 96, you understand the sport of bowling. The fun of going out for a night of bowling with your buddies translates perfectly into the living room. With Brunswick Pro Bowling we want to bring that same level of excitement you experience at the bowling centers to your home.
What separates us from the other shovelware games is the level of realism in the game and the Brunswick license. Having the opportunity to showcase authentic Brunswick gear that the PBA Pros use like bowling balls, clothing, and accessories gives the game that extra level of polish other games can’t match. There are not too many sport games that I would purchase if it did not have a strong license; same is the case with Brunswick Pro Bowling. Having a strong partner like Brunswick gives us an edge the other bowling titles can’t compete with.
We would like to thank Reed for taking the time to answer our questions as well as Matthew and Lazaro for coordinating the interview.
Could you introduce yourself and talk about your role on the project?
My name is Reed Livingston and I am the Producer for Brunswick Pro Bowling.
Is Brunswick Bowling for Move just a HD version of your Wii game or is there more to it? What can you do with the PS3 version that you couldn’t do on the Wii?
Brunswick Pro Bowling is built specifically for the Sony Move. We have also incorporated Brunswick’s proprietary oil patterns used for the 2010 PBA tour. These appear and range from easy all the way up to the highest and most difficult oil patterns that the Pros play on. An oil pattern is the amount of oil applied to each individual lane that will vary the degree in which a ball with curve or rotate down the lane. Without oil patterns, you would see an increase of 300 games on the PBA Tour. Brunswick Pro Bowling on PS3 is a new re-design specifically for the next generation consoles.
You’ve developed for both the Wiimote and now Move, from a development point of view are they the same? What are the major differences between the two control systems?
Brunswick Pro Bowling on the Wii did very well and it was well received. Each platform has its own advantages. We have found that developing for the Sony Move motion controller allowed us to get accurate real world feedback using the PlayStation Eye camera and the Move motion controller. The title knows where the Move controller is in 3D space at all times. Where the Wii title used the Wii remote accelerometer to define specific throwing movements only.
What data do you capture from the Move controller that you use in the game? Is it just position, velocity, and wrist angle or is there more to it? Are there data points you would love to have but can’t get?
In addition to the data mentioned above, we also use the angular velocity to determine the speed at which the Move controller is rotating to determine the amount of hook/spin put on the ball when it is released. As for replicating an accurate Bowling swing with the Move, we get all of the data that we need.
What are your thoughts about creating a bowling game for Kinect, what kind of hurdles do you have with the Kinect that you don’t have with the Wii/Move system? Are there any technical advantages from your point of view?
We are excited to bring Brunswick Pro Bowling to Kinect. We are enjoying diving into the Kinect technology and creating a fun and exciting game that bowling fans are going to enjoy. The user’s experience with Kinect is why we are so excited about it as a gaming device. The “wow” factor when people play Brunswick Pro Bowling on it is off the charts!
Have you gotten any professional bowlers to try out the Move version and if so what were their comments on the game?
There have been a few PBA bowlers that have played our game; the one that comes to mind is Sean Rash. Sean was very enthusiastic about the game and felt it was one of the most technically accurate bowling games he’s ever played! The great thing about getting that nod of approval from Sean is threefold, 1) he’s won multiple titles on the PBA tour so his comments give the game instant credibility 2) He’s one of the youngest players on tour (age 28) so he can relate to a videogame audience and 3) he’s one of the coolest and most colorful guys we have met. I mean, what’s not to like about a guy who appeared in a bowling commercial like this for ESPN.
Why do you think bowling games are so popular with the motion control crowd? How do you separate games from the generic shovelware bowling games that are put out by other developers?
The reason why bowling games are so popular with the motion control crowd because whether you’re 6 or 96, you understand the sport of bowling. The fun of going out for a night of bowling with your buddies translates perfectly into the living room. With Brunswick Pro Bowling we want to bring that same level of excitement you experience at the bowling centers to your home.
What separates us from the other shovelware games is the level of realism in the game and the Brunswick license. Having the opportunity to showcase authentic Brunswick gear that the PBA Pros use like bowling balls, clothing, and accessories gives the game that extra level of polish other games can’t match. There are not too many sport games that I would purchase if it did not have a strong license; same is the case with Brunswick Pro Bowling. Having a strong partner like Brunswick gives us an edge the other bowling titles can’t compete with.
We would like to thank Reed for taking the time to answer our questions as well as Matthew and Lazaro for coordinating the interview.
About Author
Hi, my name is Charles Husemann and I've been gaming for longer than I care to admit. For me it's always been about competing and a burning off stress. It started off simply enough with Choplifter and Lode Runner on the Apple //e, then it was the curse of Tank and Yars Revenge on the 2600. The addiction subsided somewhat until I went to college where dramatic decreases in my GPA could be traced to the release of X:Com and Doom. I was a Microsoft Xbox MVP from 2009 to 2014. I currently own stock in Microsoft, AMD, and nVidia.
