I have something special to share with fellow Vita owners. The upcoming and promising PS Vita project Rogue Raiders Online is coming to Kickstarter in the near future and I have the creator behind the project with me today to answer a few questions I have on this exciting title! You can read the full interview below.
Cristina: Hi! My name is Cristina Martin Ramos of Dangerous Alone and as you said I’m currently developing Rogue Raiders Online, an Action RPG for the PS Vita.
RK: Thank you so much for taking some time to talk with me and answer a few questions I have on Rogue Raiders. My first question would be how you expressed interest in game development and what was your introduction to PS Vita like?
Cristina: I knew I wanted to develop games at an early age, since I played with a ZX Spectrum and later I got a NES. As soon as I played Zelda I knew I wanted to create games. Since then I’ve been working as a programmer and designer for more than 10 years, mainly in video console titles. I had the opportunity to work on some Vita games and I fell in love with the console. It has a great architecture and an impressive OLED screen.
RK: Zelda is a franchise I grew up with as well, so I enjoyed that series a lot too. The Vita hardware is something I completely agree with you on; it feels so nice to use for long play sessions. Looking up some history, you spent time in the past working on various Vita projects. What game did you enjoy working on the most?
Cristina: I think it would be “Phineas and Ferb”. I was the lead programmer, meaning that I was able to decide many things about the game. We never missed a date, it was released worldwide at the same time and it passed certification in the first try.
RK: That is very impressive! I enjoyed the Vita Phineas and Ferb title, so I am happy you are pleased with the final release of the game. My big question is what made you start development on a Vita prototype for Rogue Raiders?
Cristina: Sadly after the last game, no publisher was interested in working anymore in a Vita title, I asked the community if they were interested in a game like Rogue Raiders and I got a big YES, so I decided to try going indie and getting it done through crowdfunding.
RK: Where you surprised at all by the positive reaction you received from the gaming public regarding this announcement? I know I was surprised personally to see this title get announced! Enjoyed what I saw of the game a lot!
Cristina: I feel honored to be compared to that game; I played it a lot in Dreamcast. I want to create an unique universe, which the players would love to visit and explore. aside from usual combat and shooting from these games, I want to introduce other mechanics and give them the proper weight too. I feel like too many games are focused on killing things and doesn’t put the same effort in other parts.
RK: That sounds like a lofty goal, but one that I feel can be achieved. Game’s can offer a lot to the player, so giving them the freedom to do what they want is important. I know the answer to this as I am a avid Vita user but what was your reasoning for having this project be a Vita exclusive? The system gets a lot of support from indie studios and Japanese publishers but few make there game Vita-only.
Cristina: The great thing about going indie is the freedom; freedom to fail, to create weird things, to do anything you love and feel passionate. So if I’m going indie, why not going full into it? I want to create a Vita game, an exclusive title. Something everybody keeps telling me is madness and a commercial suicide. Well, let’s hear the community first and give them the opportunity to decide from themselves if they want it. Let’s really put that freedom I was talking into use.
RK: If you could share one Vita game that was a big influence on Rogue Raiders, which one would it be?
Cristina: Definitely Uncharted, when I first tried that game I was like: “Whoa, this console is really something great!”. And that’s how I want the player to feel like when playing my game.
RK: My last question would be is what games are you currently playing on Vita right now?
Cristina: The last game I’ve played is “Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness”, right now I’m really busy working on Rogue Raiders so I don’t have time to play.
RK: Thank you so much for your time and for answering my questions regarding your promising project. It was an honor talking to you about this project and hope your Kickstarter is successful!
Rogue Raiders Online is heading to Kickstarter towards the end of October (with a date planed for October 24th but that might change) but you can learn more about the game by following the official Rogue Raiders Twitter account, which provides frequent updates about the game’s development. All of the screen shots from Rogue Raiders Online were provided by Cristina.