Strategy Informer: Firstly, could you introduce yourself to our readers?
MattG: Hi, I’m MattG and I am the producer of Metal Combat.
Strategy Informer: We've had a bit of information on the storyline for Metal Combat, could you tell us more about it?
MattG: Scrappy Muldune is the proprietor of a once-peaceful salvage yard who is offered huge sums of money from the Department of Energy in exchange for allowing them to unload thousands of gallons of top secret hazardous waste into his junkyard. He gives in to temptation and accepts the money from the Department of Energy agents soon after the shipments start arriving. As shipments continue to roll in, Scrappy begins dumping some of the barrels into an oil pit. One night, while Scrappy is sleeping in his trailer, the toxic waste mixes with the oil and the oil comes alive. Born of this giant ball of toxic oil and tar is Sludgor, the first of the junk bosses. Scrappy wakes up wondering what has happened in his yard. Stepping out onto the trailer, Sludgor grabs him, climbs to top of the smelter furnace, and throws Scrappy into the metal smelter. When Scrappy falls into the hot molten metal, all of his flesh is burned off and his bones turn to chrome. They then leave an impression in the smelter mold, and the metal refining smelter starts spitting out clones of Scrappy’s bones. Once all that waste reacts with the junk and the chrome bones, everything comes alive. The fighting then begins as gamers become the metal dudes, choosing from one of 35 heavy metal dominators, ranging from a small chromaton clone to a massive earth mover.
Strategy Informer: You've told us about some of the features of Metal Combat, is there any we don't currently know about that you'd like to share?
MattG: An exciting, yet challenging feature that we worked hard to develop was enabling the first online physics-based fighting game, playable over household internet connections. Additionally, we created Metal Combat to have massive replay ability, with tons of characters, huge worlds, and areas in the junkyard that can only be accessed by certain characters. The key component of the replay ability Metal Combat offers is in the wide range of characters as well as their dynamics, which, compared to most fighting games on the market using similar characters and similar moves, puts Metal Combat’s technology at the forefront of the interactive gaming industry.
Strategy Informer: What can you tell us about the graphical and physics features?
MattG: The SubaZ engine used in Metal Combat, and all Solar games, features cutting edge rendering technology that enables massive amounts of objects to be rendered in real time. The graphical features are further enhanced with visual effects, such as sparks and dust, which are fully driven by physics-based interactions. For example, if a piece of solid metal scrapes against another piece of solid metal, sparks will be created. Metal Combat also features the most advanced character physics on the market, with all of its other known competitors using canned animation with preset actions and reactions. The dynamically physics-driven engine used in Metal Combat, however, translates into unprecedented actions and reactions between the characters and their environments. While all other fighting games have fixed environments where the player cannot move objects around, Metal Combat’s environments are fully interactive, giving players the opportunity to kick the objects around and use those objects to their advantage in order to win the fights.
Strategy Informer: What kind of support do you plan to give once the game is released?
MattG: We have already developed an extensive aftermarket program to keep players hooked on Metal Combat. The post-release plan will feature aftermarket characters, next generation gaming console versions of the game, the official Metal Combat CD soundtrack as well as MC apparel, a player’s guide, cheat codes, and much more.
Strategy Informer: Are you planning to release a demo for Metal Combat?
MattG: Yes, we are in the midst of preparing an awesome demo featuring one player and multiplayer fighting action.
Strategy Informer: Can you tell us about the single player aspect of the game?
MattG: Metal Combat has the deepest single player mode. Players must travel the entire salvage yard, fight hundreds of heavy metal dominators, and solve physical challenges. Breaking the mold of the fixed arena fighting formula, Metal Combat pushes through the barriers of limited fighting zones.
Strategy Informer: Can you tell us about the multiplayer aspect of the game?
MattG: The multiplayer mode is characterized by pure head-to-head fighting action. This mode also features the same extended arenas offered in the single player mode, and is also unique in that other heavy metal dominators can come alive and join in the fighting.
Strategy Informer: Can you give us an assessment of the health and long-term viability?
MattG: We see Metal Combat being hot in the market for the next 20 years. We also plan on extending the Metal Combat brand through multiple generations of technology, and look forward to playing the latest version of Metal Combat in 2015 and being blown away ourselves.
Strategy Informer: Could you tell us about the Junkyard Dominators that we'll see in the game?
MattG: Metal Combat has an awesome range of junk dudes that include: Crunch, made up of Mack truck suspension and engine parts; Big Dig, the giant earth moving tractor; Roddy Rolls, a car that comes to life; Mudder, an old 4 X 4 tire with a small block engine; Bubba, made up of bulldozer tires; Fireballa, a broken propane tank that spits flames; And many more. Every dominator in MC uses different skills with which to combat the other dominators. While some characters have the ability to pick up and throw objects, other characters have the ability to shoot fire or electricity, as well as many that feature special crushing dominating moves.
Strategy Informer: Could you tell us about the Worlds we'll get to play on?
MattG: Metal Combat features massive worlds. The areas in the salvage yard waiting to be destroyed include: auto yards; bus areas; massive tire piles; mountains of junk; and hidden worlds.
Strategy Informer: As a gamer, what's your favorite part of the Metal Combat, what makes you proud to have helped create it, and why is it a game fans will want?
MattG: My favorite part of Metal Combat is playing as Gripstone, a massive tire character who destroys buildings and other heavy metal dominators with ease.
I am proud of creating a game that allows me to watch players explore the junkyard and realize that the physical freedom that their characters have in the game as they bash and beat down on each other brings unlimited opportunities to their gaming experience.
Game fans will want the Metal Combat game, because it is filled with nonstop action that offers up never before seen dynamically generated character and environment interactions. In addition, they will also want it for its simple unadulterated fighting fun.
Strategy Informer: Do you think we'll see some changes to the current release date?
MattG: We plan to release MC early this month (June), and all plans are set to go.
Strategy Informer: What has been the hardest part of development so far?
MattG: With Metal Combat providing total physical freedom, it was challenging to find a way to keep players in the game. Because of the freedom, players could escape the game, so confining players to the game definitely proved to be a demanding task.
Strategy Informer: Well we've come to our last question, is there anything you'd like to say to the fans of Metal Combat which are eagerly awaiting the release of this interesting title?
MattG: Solar Studios Inc. is pioneering a new level of immersion, and Metal Combat will be one of the most immersive games you’ve ever played, and the most immersive fighting game of all time. With no cut scenes, no movies, and all game play, Metal Combat serves up a truly pure gaming experience.