Joel DeYoung Brings us up to Speed on Penny Arcade Adventures
By: Steven Hopper

"Fans of the comic will find that this game feels 100% Penny Arcade."

Penny Arcade has been a runaway smash for several years now, with millions of gamers checking in on the comic each month to see its heroes, Gabe and Tycho, take shots at new happenings within the video game world. Tackling subjects like the Halo 3 launch and the PS3, Penny Arcade has managed to stay fresh with the industry’s biggest events and controversies, and be pretty darn funny while doing it.

Now, Hothead Games is doing what many felt to be unthinkable, turning the successful web comic into an episodic game for the PC and Xbox 360. Fortunately, the game is in quite capable hands at Hothead, who are working tooth and nail to make sure that the game captures the comic’s unique sense of humor as well as plays well enough that Gabe and Tycho won’t be able to razz on it.

GameZone was recently given the chance to ask Hothead Games’ Joel DeYoung, producer of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness, a few questions on the game and what we may see in the future.

Considering the comic’s satiric nature and how it lampoons the video game industry, what was behind the decision to turn it into a game?

Joel: At Hothead, we’ve been fans of Penny Arcade for quite a few years. When we first starting talking to the guys about making a game, a unique aspect to our approach was that they were going to work on the game’s content so directly. Once we agreed on that, it was an easy decision to kick off the project and make the game.

As for why Penny Arcade decided to make a game – you’d have to ask them!

Why go episodic instead of create a single game? Why only for download and not retail?

Joel: Episodic is a really good way to tell a story, and this game is really story focused. We also were interested in creating something that could be finished without a 50-hour time commitment. We think the episodic approach we’re taking is something that will grow in popularity. Telltale Games has been doing a great job at it with their Sam & Max series.

As for digital distribution, it helps us have a much more direct relationship with the gamers we’re making this game for. As a developer we maintain our independence, and are able to get feedback directly from people that play the game. The growing popularity of services like Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network, WiiWare and Steam indicate to us that people are going to be downloading games directly to their homes more and more. Retail isn’t going to go away, but digital is going to get even bigger than it is now.

What were some of the biggest challenges when creating a game based on Penny Arcade?

Joel: It’s always a challenge to bring something based on 2D art into a 3D game. We spent a lot of time getting the rendering techniques right. In particular, we used some interesting techniques to get certain things (like Gabe’s hair) to look right from any angle. The decision to keep the cutscenes in 2D and to incorporate other 2D-comic style art aspects into our presentation turned out to be a really good one. So, overall we feel like the game retains the feel of a comic strip, but it took a lot of conscious effort to get there.

How was it to work with the Penny Arcade crew on turning their comic into a game?

Joel: It was a lot of fun. Both the Penny Arcade guys are super creative and fun to brainstorm with. I will say, however, that they are very particular about their creations, so there were times where there was a lot of back and forth. In the end I think we’re all really happy with how it turned out, which is as a result of everyone pushing so hard on the game’s quality, both Penny Arcade and Hothead.

What kind of multiplayer features will the game have if any?

Joel: We decided to focus on a single player experience with this game because it’s so story focused.

How faithful did you guys stay to the original material?

Joel: Fans of the comic will find that this game feels 100% Penny Arcade. And I should be clear that there was absolutely no holding back on any content.

How many episodes are you planning to make for the series (will it be a season-based thing like Sam & Max)?

Joel: We aren’t announcing how many episodes we have planned for the first series just yet, but the story arc for the whole series is definitely planned and does come to a conclusion at some point.

Was Penny Arcade’s massive online success a boon when creating the game, or did it pose a challenge?

Joel: Well there certainly is a lot of anticipation over the title, which is both a good thing and a challenge. Fans of Penny Arcade are a sophisticated bunch, especially when it comes to games. So, we definitely feel the pressure from fan expectations!

What are you hoping for from fans of the comic when it comes to the game?

Joel: Well, apart from people deciding to download the game and try it, one thing we really want to see is feedback. A big benefit of the episodic format I mentioned is that we can get feedback and respond to it before later episodes come out.

Check in tomorrow when GameZone interviews Penny Arcade Adventures composer Jeff Tymoschuk.

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