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Interview with Kyle Ward, content manager, John Cooney, vice president, Ryan McKanna, and MJ Emirzian, for Roxor Games.
Q: What would you say is the "mission statement" or goal of In The Groove?
A: (JC) Build a game players want to play, and making an effort to listen and evolve the gameplay around the players.
Q: Please tell us more about your focus (to everyone).
A: (JC) [We want to build a game] that players want to play.
(KW) We realize the players' demands and we're always changing to meet their wants and expectations.
(JC) So you could say ITG is very much a player-driven game.
Q: So how would you say you're stacked up against the competition? What makes you guys stand out from what they do?
A: (JC) Our work is reflected by our team; we all want to set the bar for others, be the new paradigm by which all others are measured. We don't worry about our competition.
(MJ) Additionally, [our team] gets the most satisfaction from watching how happy our fans are.
(RM) And in this, our most valuable resource is the forums, aka The Motherland. It's a place where everyone comes together to refine suggestions and reflect.
Q: Now, you guys brought with you some new prototype pads, what's the deal?
A: (JC) We've taken a lot of time working on the pads to extenuate it's life and performance. We've been asked for pads with stiffer performance and tighter accuracies. We're trying our best to listen and cater to our fans.
Q: Any comments about your upcoming In The Groove 3 game?
A: (JC) ITG 3 will follow the same philsophy. We recognize the support for it, and will make it geared for more tournament-driven systems. We're pushing new features to keep gameplay and the genre fresh. We're also continually making sure sponsorships are available worldwide for more ITG tournaments.
Q: Now, backtracking a bit ITG 2. It was revealed last year about this time, and it's been a year since then. Would you say it has been a success and are (or were) you guys happy with it despite the setbacks?
A: (JC) It was our most successful game thusfar. It exceeded some of our expectations, and with the bar always going up, we're going to keep refining it. Are we happy with it? Yes.
(KW) Content-wise, we were happy with it. And with that, we're going to work to keep meeting and exceeding everyone's expectations.
Q: What about the dedicated cabinets?
A: (JC) We were very happy with them, and since then, we've been doing a lot to improve upon them in all the parts, including the accuracy of the pads, the speakers, and enclosure designs.
Q: Now I've just recently heard that Andamiro and Roxor will no longer be collaborating for ITG 3 and dedicated cabinets. Is this true and what are you guys going to do for ITG 3? And what of your relations with AM?
A: (JC) We're looking to completely redesign and refine the idae of a "game-in-a-box." We want to make them the next generation.
(KW) With Andamiro, we're keeping it cool, and working on maintaining good relations with them. We want to keep making new products with them as well.
Q: So then, what would you say makes ITG stand out from the crowd? We already know that the difficulty is almost unmatched. What else?
A: (KW) You've already seen what we can do in ITG 2, and you'll be able to see what more we can do with better results in ITG 3. Again, communication is crucial.
(MJ) You can always expect something new.
(RM) We try to keep the content [from the old versions] but I think that ITG 3 will have how many songs, plus the older songs? That's already a lot of new content.
Q: A big problem some music game players have complained about is the lack of variety in the music, and that some songs are either dull or generic. Thoughts?
A: (JC) And this is why we're always asking for what the fans want. A lot of what you see in ITG 2, fans asked for them.
(KW) We're always experimenting, some with better results than others. For example, One False Move, we got a lot of mixed feedback from that, but people seemed to love it. Expect more of that kind of stuff in ITG 3, with more pronounced rhythms to compliment the steps better.
(RM) These also helped create a wider variety in step patterns.
Q: Another problem some ITG nay-sayers have complained that ITG is "speed-based" or too technical, and the steps aren't freestyle-able, or that the easier difficulties just aren't fun to freestyle or play.
A: (KW) We do understand that people want other kinds of step designs.
(RM) We've focused [for ITG 3] a lot more on easier levels to make them more freestyle friendly.
(KW) I do believe they are there in ITG 2, but they just haven't been explored enough.
(MJ) And double is more popular for freestyle, and we know that [good double stepcharts] get more people to freestyle.
(JC) Kyle did note the bar was good for freestyle, for example the "P-bar", and with our new cabinet design, those too will be more refined and built to encourage freestyle.
Q: SuperNOVA. Thoughts? Comments?
A: (JC) We're not afraid to competition, in fact we welcome it. It pushes people to work harder.
Q: So when people compare DDR to ITG?
A: (JC) We built it because fans wanted a game, and we built [what they wanted]. It is it's own product.
(KW) Every game has it's own "soul." ITG very much has it's own as well.
Q: Konami V.S. Roxor. Any comments? People seem to love speculating after all.
A: (RM) You mean the armchair lawyering?
(JC) It's best left unsaid. We're still going to make products, we're not going to be going anywhere. Let the lawyers deal with it, it's not going to stop us. We let the fans say what they want, because we don't want to control what people say.
Q: In closing, anything final thoughts?
A: (JC) Right now, everything's on a level playing field. Let people compare us. When ITG 3 comes out, it's not going to be level anymore.
(KW) We're still adapting, and we still work to apply what fans ask for so that people will be happy.
Q: What would you say is the "mission statement" or goal of In The Groove?
A: (JC) Build a game players want to play, and making an effort to listen and evolve the gameplay around the players.
Q: Please tell us more about your focus (to everyone).
A: (JC) [We want to build a game] that players want to play.
(KW) We realize the players' demands and we're always changing to meet their wants and expectations.
(JC) So you could say ITG is very much a player-driven game.
Q: So how would you say you're stacked up against the competition? What makes you guys stand out from what they do?
A: (JC) Our work is reflected by our team; we all want to set the bar for others, be the new paradigm by which all others are measured. We don't worry about our competition.
(MJ) Additionally, [our team] gets the most satisfaction from watching how happy our fans are.
(RM) And in this, our most valuable resource is the forums, aka The Motherland. It's a place where everyone comes together to refine suggestions and reflect.
Q: Now, you guys brought with you some new prototype pads, what's the deal?
A: (JC) We've taken a lot of time working on the pads to extenuate it's life and performance. We've been asked for pads with stiffer performance and tighter accuracies. We're trying our best to listen and cater to our fans.
Q: Any comments about your upcoming In The Groove 3 game?
A: (JC) ITG 3 will follow the same philsophy. We recognize the support for it, and will make it geared for more tournament-driven systems. We're pushing new features to keep gameplay and the genre fresh. We're also continually making sure sponsorships are available worldwide for more ITG tournaments.
Q: Now, backtracking a bit ITG 2. It was revealed last year about this time, and it's been a year since then. Would you say it has been a success and are (or were) you guys happy with it despite the setbacks?
A: (JC) It was our most successful game thusfar. It exceeded some of our expectations, and with the bar always going up, we're going to keep refining it. Are we happy with it? Yes.
(KW) Content-wise, we were happy with it. And with that, we're going to work to keep meeting and exceeding everyone's expectations.
Q: What about the dedicated cabinets?
A: (JC) We were very happy with them, and since then, we've been doing a lot to improve upon them in all the parts, including the accuracy of the pads, the speakers, and enclosure designs.
Q: Now I've just recently heard that Andamiro and Roxor will no longer be collaborating for ITG 3 and dedicated cabinets. Is this true and what are you guys going to do for ITG 3? And what of your relations with AM?
A: (JC) We're looking to completely redesign and refine the idae of a "game-in-a-box." We want to make them the next generation.
(KW) With Andamiro, we're keeping it cool, and working on maintaining good relations with them. We want to keep making new products with them as well.
Q: So then, what would you say makes ITG stand out from the crowd? We already know that the difficulty is almost unmatched. What else?
A: (KW) You've already seen what we can do in ITG 2, and you'll be able to see what more we can do with better results in ITG 3. Again, communication is crucial.
(MJ) You can always expect something new.
(RM) We try to keep the content [from the old versions] but I think that ITG 3 will have how many songs, plus the older songs? That's already a lot of new content.
Q: A big problem some music game players have complained about is the lack of variety in the music, and that some songs are either dull or generic. Thoughts?
A: (JC) And this is why we're always asking for what the fans want. A lot of what you see in ITG 2, fans asked for them.
(KW) We're always experimenting, some with better results than others. For example, One False Move, we got a lot of mixed feedback from that, but people seemed to love it. Expect more of that kind of stuff in ITG 3, with more pronounced rhythms to compliment the steps better.
(RM) These also helped create a wider variety in step patterns.
Q: Another problem some ITG nay-sayers have complained that ITG is "speed-based" or too technical, and the steps aren't freestyle-able, or that the easier difficulties just aren't fun to freestyle or play.
A: (KW) We do understand that people want other kinds of step designs.
(RM) We've focused [for ITG 3] a lot more on easier levels to make them more freestyle friendly.
(KW) I do believe they are there in ITG 2, but they just haven't been explored enough.
(MJ) And double is more popular for freestyle, and we know that [good double stepcharts] get more people to freestyle.
(JC) Kyle did note the bar was good for freestyle, for example the "P-bar", and with our new cabinet design, those too will be more refined and built to encourage freestyle.
Q: SuperNOVA. Thoughts? Comments?
A: (JC) We're not afraid to competition, in fact we welcome it. It pushes people to work harder.
Q: So when people compare DDR to ITG?
A: (JC) We built it because fans wanted a game, and we built [what they wanted]. It is it's own product.
(KW) Every game has it's own "soul." ITG very much has it's own as well.
Q: Konami V.S. Roxor. Any comments? People seem to love speculating after all.
A: (RM) You mean the armchair lawyering?
(JC) It's best left unsaid. We're still going to make products, we're not going to be going anywhere. Let the lawyers deal with it, it's not going to stop us. We let the fans say what they want, because we don't want to control what people say.
Q: In closing, anything final thoughts?
A: (JC) Right now, everything's on a level playing field. Let people compare us. When ITG 3 comes out, it's not going to be level anymore.
(KW) We're still adapting, and we still work to apply what fans ask for so that people will be happy.
