Enter The Matrix Interview
	Recently, David Perry, President at Shiny Entertainment, gave us the oppurtinuty to ask him some questions on the anticipated release of Enter The Matrix.
05.02.05 - 8:43 pm

XG: What is your name and position on the team behind Enter The Matrix?  Also,
could you give our readers a little history on your company?

DP: David Perry, President of Shiny Entertainment

Shiny Entertainment is a leading interactive video game developer, the creator of numerous award-winning titles for PC and video game consoles.

Founded in 1993 by David Perry, Shiny's more recent project is Enter The Matrix™, based on the sequel to the blockbuster action thriller The Matrix™ from Warner Bros. and directors Larry and Andy Wachowski.  EnterThe Matrix was released for all video game platforms – PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC -- on May 15, 2003.

A 20-year game industry veteran, Perry has developed 83 individual retail titles across 23 video game platforms, totaling more than $500 million in sales.  Shiny's first hit was the Earthworm Jim™ series of games, which spawned a successful line of action figures, comic books and a syndicated television cartoon series on the Universal Cartoon Studios/Warner Kids Network.  Earthworm Jim remains one of the best-known video game characters of all time.

Shiny followed that success with several award-winning PC and video game titles – MDK™ (1996), Wild9™ (1998), R/C Stunt Copter™ (1999), Messiah™ (2000) and Sacrifice™ (2000), the latter collecting more than 40 awards for Best Strategy Game.

XG: To our readers who have not heard of Enter The Matrix, could you summarize the story and type of game it is?

DP: Enter The Matrix is an action adventure game, where you'll take the role of either Niobe or Ghost, two rebels who fight alongside Neo, Trinity and Morpheus in the war against the Machines.  A new threat to Zion has been uncovered, and everyone is racing against the clock to save the last human city.

Just like the movies, the game is an all-out roller-coaster ride, with lots of kung fu, characters that run on walls and dodge bullets, guns (lots of guns), incredible car chases, and you even get to fly the fastest hovercraft in the rebel fleet.  The game is written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the writers/directors of the Matrix trilogy.  On top of all of that, the game features an HOUR of original film footage, written and directed by the Wachowskis, featuring the same actors, the same sets, and the same special effects.

XG: With so much pressure on your shoulders from the fans of the incredibly successful trilogy, how did you go about starting the game?

DP: Shiny had the opportunity to create a Matrix-based game back in 1999, but we turned it down.  People forget how unknown the Matrix was before it was released, and we were too busy making our last game, Sacrifice.  We were determined to NOT make that mistake again when the Wachowskis came calling the second time.

The Wachowskis gave Shiny access to virtually everything in the entire production process.  We had access to the actors, the sets, the crew, the costume designers, etc.  We took more than 25,000 reference photographs of characters, sets and costumes, and even had access to the actual Autocad architect files used by the production design teams.  We even had fabric swatches provided by the films' costume designer so we could get the textures done just right.

XG: What is your favourite part of the game?  What do you think you have achieved most in?

DP: The best part of the game is the Focused abilities, where the player unlocks their character's more spectacular abilities within the Matrix.  You can fire off hundreds of bullets and see the bullet trails in the air, dodge bullets being fired at you by cartwheeling and backflipping across the room, run up a wall, spin and kick an enemy in the head.  And you can do all of that pretty much in one, seamless sequence.  The first time you backflip toward an enemy and then throw him across the room is just awesome!

XG: Out of the two characters, Niobe and Ghost, who would be your favourite?

DP: That's a lot like asking someone to choose between their two kids! I like Niobe, because she's just a hard-as-nails soldier.  Then again, the way Ghost uses his guns in hand-to-hand combat, like they're extensions of his fists, really rocks.

XG: Having received mixed reviews with people either loving it or hating it, what is your opinion of The Matrix Reloaded movie?

DP: You have to really "free your mind," as Morpheus says, to take it all in.  But I thought it was just incredible. Every frame was just packed with something special.  Two thumbs way up for this one.

XG: The sales of Enter The Matrix have been incredibly impressive, do you think we will see a more than one new matrix title on the horizon?

DP: After going through a long crunch period, we're taking some time right now to recharge the batteries and look at new technologies.  Then, we'll see what the Wachowskis have in store for us.

XG: What are your views on the Xbox LIVE service?  Any plans to use it in the
future?

DP: I think the technology is very cool.  It worked as advertised – no fuss at all in setting it up and jumping right into a game.  I really like how easy they've made the voice communication, too.

XG: What are your companies future plans?  Any more Xbox interest?

DP: Definitely more Xbox interest.  It's a great piece of hardware, and the Xbox version of Enter The Matrix was well received, especially for its 1080i capabilities.