**NOTE: This interview is published on a PS3 magazine, so Ancel will just talk about the PS3 version of the game**
About scanning the article, there aren't new images, so I think it's useless, but I can do it anyway if you want to see it...PS MANIA: So, when did you have the idea to make a new Rayman 2d platform?
Michel Ancel: Two and a half years ago. I needed to create a new 2d platform because I was missing that kind of game and because I think Rayman is perfect for games like these. I wanted to create RO for next-gen consoles because I think they’re perfect for a game structured on two dimensions.
PSM: What’s the aspect of RO you’re most satisfied about?
MA: It’s hard to say, every aspect of the game satisfies me. The game runs in 1080p at 60 fps, and that’s a big satisfaction, but the thing that I like the most is that with the mix of videogame and cartoon (characters look like they’re drawn, the backgrounds are polygonal) we managed to create a game with an amazing visual quality, better than the quality that we might obtain doing one movie using the same elements.
PSM: So you created a PS3 version of the game because you wanted to reach this visual quality?
MA: Yes, basically because of that. But even because we wanted to work with the capacity of Digital Delivery used on next-gen consoles. Indeed, initially RO was a quieter project which had to be distributed on PSN. There were like 10 people working on it. Then we realized that we could make something else more complete and greater, so we enlarged our team, and we opted for a physical release of the game. Now there are currently 70 people working at the project.
PSM: You told us that the game will have an amazing cooperative multiplayer mode and a single mode. What was the first mode you thought for the game?
MA: Both of them. They were ideated together. Talking about the technical level we worked initially on the single mode, and then on the multiplayer mode, but they are basically the same mode. You can play RO alone or you can play the same game with your friends. You are not changing mode, your friends are just helping you to finish the game you would normally play alone.
PSM: You don’t want to assign to RO a specific target, right?
MA: Exactly. That’s very important for us, we want to make this game playable for the occasional player, who will enjoy a very simple gameplay based on intuitive controls, and even for the hardcore gamer, who will have to collect a lot of things and to explore deeply many areas. RO for me is like… a Pixar movie, that entertains children, makes the people think… and the film critics likes it.
PSM: There will be trophies?
MA: Yes, they will. To unlock them, you will have to play again every single level to find hidden objects. The game will have like 50 levels divided into 6 major areas. In each level you will have objectives to complete (I think this will be very appreciate from the hardcore gamers), and there will be very interesting challenges.
PSM: And will you be able to know what did you miss in every level?
MA: Of course, but you don’t have to think that it will be easy to find all the hidden objects, even if the game has got a smart level design which will help the most alert players to find everything.
PSM: For RO, did you take inspiration from games like New Super Mario Bros and Little Big Planet?
MA: Yes, they are sources of inspiration for me, but RO wants to be completely different from all the other games.
PSM: Why there will be not a online multiplayer mode?
MA: Because that’s not our conception of fun. Our conception of fun is more like “four friends playing the same game together on the sofa”.
PSM: So a complete back to the origins, 2d graphic and local multiplayer, right?
MA: Yes, I think the local multiplayer has still got a lot more to say, and RO is a great example of that.
PSM: Will you be able to unlock trophies during the multiplayer mode?
MA: It’s an interesting idea, but we didn’t think about that yet.
PSM: We are asking you this because an hardcore gamer would really appreciate to play every mode in the game (so even the local multiplayer) and unlock trophies at the same time.
MA: Yes, that’s right, but I can’t tell you at the moment if there will be something like this in the game. For now, you can unlock trophies only playing alone.
PSM: Ok, Michel, thanks for everything!
MA: Thanks to you too!
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