January 19, 2009

Ubisoft speaks on Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game
By Dakota Grabowski 

“Since the player has control over certain storyline elements, we also had to be really flexible to allow for different approaches to romantic and professional situations.” 

Ubisoft and ABC Studios started their relationship last year with Lost: Via Domus and are now ready to unravel the details about their second partnership with Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game. 

Having seen the incredible impact the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS has had on female gamers, it only makes sense to see a release of this highly popular television show that attracts the female demographic for both of these systems. 

With that said, GameZone had the opportunity to interview the development team on their project and they were more than willing to answer our questions. 

Question: Why was Grey’s Anatomy chosen over countless other televisions shows? 

Ubisoft: Grey’s Anatomy was selected because it was an opportunity to create a video game that would appeal to both fans of the hit TV show as well as people who enjoy a compelling story, with interactive elements set in a familiar environment.  

Q: Which of the Ubisoft studios is on board developing Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game and is there a release date in sight? 

Ubisoft: The game is being developed by Longtail Studios (NYC). The launch date is March 2009. 

Q: How much influence does ABC Studios have in the development of the game? 

Ubisoft: Ubisoft and Longtail Studios are working directly with writers from Grey’s Anatomy to create the story and shape the mood and tone of the game. In addition, ABC Studios provided the assets necessary to recreate the cast likenesses and Seattle Grace Hospital.  

Q: How will the game take advantage of the Nintendo DS features? 

Ubisoft: While we aren’t quite ready to discuss the full game play mechanics and such for the Nintendo DS version of the game, know that it will take advantage of the stylus and touch screen in a variety of imaginative ways. 

Q: What differences will there be between the Nintendo Wii and PC versions? 

Ubisoft: There really isn’t much of a difference between the Wii and PC versions of the game other than the Wii version takes full advantage of the Wii controller. It’s virtually the same game with slightly different input/control experiences. 

Q: Will the actors from the television show be lending their voices?  

Ubisoft: Two actors from the TV show will be providing voiceover for the game. They are Chyler Leigh, who plays Lexie Grey on the program, and James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber. 

Q: Why have you opted to use a more stylized graphical approach rather than realistic 3D models for the PC and Wii iterations? 

Ubisoft: We wanted to find a nice hybrid of realism and a more illustrative look so that fans would definitely recognize the characters but also see a fresh and interesting new take on them. 

Q: I noticed that Erica Hahn, played by Brooke Smith, is currently featured on the box-art.  Where does that leave the story as her character was written off the show in Season 5? 

Ubisoft: Well, we could tell you but that kind of spoils the mystery, right?  Actually, the game production team worked closely with the writers from the show to ensure that the storyline was new and unique, yet firmly established in the Grey’s Anatomy setting.  Since the player has control over certain storyline elements, we also had to be really flexible to allow for different approaches to romantic and professional situations.  Erica Hahn’s inclusion was an important part of providing that flexibility to players. 

Q: How long will it take players to play through the story?  Also, should we expect any of the popular surgeries to be recreated within the video game? 

Ubisoft: We’re not quite sure as of this stage how long it would take the average player to get through the game but we know that there’s plenty of content and storyline to keep people playing for a good amount of time. There will be a variety of surgeries and procedures that players will be tasked to perform. Some may be recognizable while others will be a brand new experience. 

Q: Can you fill everyone in on the balance between surgeries and the relationships that players will interact with? 

Ubisoft: The game fairly balances professional and personal interactions throughout, never allowing you to engage in one, without the other.  What’s nice is that often relationship and storyline elements affect the surgical procedures you’ll need to complete.  If an argument breaks out between two of your favorite doctors, you may find yourself resetting a broken hand or simply healing a black eye. 

Q: This will be the second licensed television show from ABC Studios with the first being Lost: Via Domus.  Are there any other television shows that you are currently looking at or are in the pipeline of being licensed? 

Ubisoft: We haven’t announced any additional TV licensed games at this time. 

Q: What happened in the development process with Ubisoft’s video game based on the NBC’s Heroes? 

Ubisoft: The rights to the Heroes video game have reverted back to NBC Universal. Ubisoft will no longer produce a video game based on the TV series. 

Q: Lastly, do you see this as a stepping stone for licensing at Ubisoft?  Will there be a rise in the future for licensed video games over at Ubisoft? 

Ubisoft: Our objective is to be the interactive partner of choice for top studios and consumer product companies for their biggest marquee events (including TV shows, movies, toy launches, sports events, music, etc.) by focusing on properties that would adapt well to video games and ones that we can create engaging gaming experiences.
 

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