Drag Racing!

We went to the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma today and shot some video. Most of the actual runs didn’t come out too well because the ground was shaking too much as the cars were running by But the burnouts worked out nicely. These cars create 7000(!) horsepower and cover a 1/4 mile distance (400 meters) in less than 5 seconds! That means accelerating to over 330mph (over 500 kilometers) and then braking back down per chute in less than 10 seconds. That’s pretty incredible once you really wrap your head around it.

Download video 1 (20mb) Right-click and “Save Target As”.
Download video 2 (10mb) Right-click and “Save Target As”.

Both videos are 1920×1080 resolution in WMV format. Beware, the videos are louder than your typical TV coverage! I watched the TV version afterwards and it was nice and all, but their sound never quite matches up to the real thing.

Lair is officially done!

As announced earlier this week, development on Lair has finished and the game is off to duplication! It will be in stores on August 14 September 3. I learned a ton of new stuff making this game – and if you pour 2 1/2 years of your life into something, it had better be worth it on some personal level.

I’m aware of the reviews, of course. Some are very positive, some are not. The common complaint in those bad reviews seem to be the controls – putting the dragon streering on the motion-sensitive SIXAXIS controller doesn’t sit well with some of the experienced gamers. First of all: try it out yourself, give it a chance!
And if you want my side of the story, I will share a simple anecdote: Victoria’s family, lead by my 83-year old grandfather in law, was able to pick up Lair in less than 5 inutes, to fly around with the dragon and to play the first mission of the game.That experience right there beats anything that the reviewers can say. Because let’s face it: the hardcore crowd is an important part of the market, and I sincerely hope that everybody who reads my page and/or hangs out on NeoGAF, IGN, 1UP on a daily basis will buy Lair and enjoy it. Your guys’ opinions are important, and they matter.

BUT… making a game that my entire (extended) family can play, that’s how we will keep the creative flame (and our industry!) alive.

Check the official sources for more information on Lair. I enjoyed the experience and have tons of ideas on what to do next. In other words, I have already moved on to the next project…

P.S.: Hope you like the new vegetation in the final build

Congratulations Ninja Theory!

The main character in the Heavenly Sword demo looks absolutely stunning. Best I’ve seen in a game yet. Gameplay is well executed – but what’s with the length of that demo? That took less than 10 (gorgeous) minutes to complete!

Toyota/Savemart 350

Of course Victoria, Michael (her dad) and I went to the NASCAR race this year. In fact, I recorded 5 hours(!) of video from that entire week, waiting to be edited into a mini documentary of the race and what it does to the Sonoma area.

I just haven’t found time yet to really dig into the video – but hey, here is one frame! I’m trying to get back to blogging regularly, there should be more on the race later.

What happened to Matt?

Not a lot of updates lately, eh? Well, I’ve been very busy finishing a certain game and preparing Future Sauce. And that bandage isn’t helping, either – I sliced off the top of my index finger Nothing that won’t completely heal, but nasty and annoying. Be careful with them knifes there, kids!

Still…not sure when, but regular updates should resume pretty soon!

Lair Art Show

I will be at Cogswell Polytechnical College tomorrow (Saturday the 2nd) for the opening of the Lair art show. The college will host an open day with tours of the facility, and we will do a panel with various people from the team (including me) answering questions from a moderator and the audience.

“The Art of Lair”
Exhibit Dates: June 2 through July 27

Special Exhibit Events – Saturday, June 2, 12:30-6:30:

• Cogswell Open House: 12:30 to 3:00 p.m.
• Panel Discussion with Factor 5: 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
• Gallery Reception: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Cogswell Polytechnical College announces an exciting new exhibit for The Gallery at Cogswell. Factor 5, Inc. of San Rafael will present work from its eagerly anticipated video game, Lair. The exhibit will run from June 2 through July 27. Lair, a dragon combat action game, was developed by Factor 5 and will be published by Sony Computer Entertainment for its PlayStation® 3 platform. [...]