GZ Interview
August 26, 2002

Rev it up with Motor City’s Live Producer for a different look at this MMORPG
By Michael Lafferty

Muscle cars versus vintage automobiles; clubs engaged in a turn war; detail shops and parts auctions – all a part of the online racing game known as Motor City Online.

MCO is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Electronic Arts, and in the year (the first-year anniversary is coming up) that it has been going, it has developed a loyal following.

An engaging game patterned after the car culture that so predominated life in the United States and other countries, this is a program where the cars are fast and the people are too cool for words. Basically, the idea behind the game is to sign up, get an old beater car, race, level up and win money so you can either upgrade the car or buy a hotter automobile. Then do it all over again. The tracks are slick and well rendered, the racing action is intense, and the interaction between racers is enjoyable.

As players level up, new tracks, and new cars will become available to them.

(For a review of the game, check out http://www.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r15669_02.htm  )

Jason “Trouble” Chein, MCO’s live producer, took time to talk about this product.

Question: Motor City Online is heading toward its first birthday. How has the game changed, or evolved since its debut? Have there been any technological changes to the game?

Jason: “When MCO first raced to the Internet the world was a little bit chaotic. Due to the nature of racing, the game was filled with you-against-me kind of competition. Because of the complexity and depth of our parts engine and the car building process, building a good car was just as important as running a good race. The end result was a few elite players owning the world. We took a hard look at that situation and implemented a set a features to add balance. A couple examples are the Class Restricted Races, where only comparable horsepower-to-weight ratio cars can compete against each other, and Team Trials, where every player works together to beat a clock. At the end of the day, we started to see friendlier races, better environment, and happier citizens.”
 
Q: What has been the biggest surprise about the game since its launch?

Jason: “The biggest surprise would have to be our community. Without them, Motor City will never be Motor City. Our players are passionate about the game, the world, and each other. And to that, I'd like to quote one of our players' signatures on our message boards: ‘The game is what we make it. No more - No less.’ “
 
Q: Clubs proliferate across the servers, and the game seems to be very heavily oriented toward clubs and communities. Did you anticipate clubs and recruiting to be as heavy as it is?

Jason: “We always envisioned that clubs would be the focal point of our community. For a while, that feature was on the chopping block prior to launch. The entire team worked around the clock to get clubs incorporated. But we never anticipated clubs being that huge of a success. We have seen many cross-server clubs and all of them do great things for the community. There is also a significant number of fan sites and clubs across the Internet that extend the fun outside the game. I'd like to take this moment to thank all the club leaders for adding value for their fellow Motor City citizens.”
 
Q: How do you account for different connection speeds and manage to make most races blend together so well? In one recent race I was, according the clock, in third place by 15-plus seconds rounding the final corner. No one passed me, but final results had me in fourth (out of the points and the money). Would connection speed have something to do with that? If not, what would have caused it?

Jason: “Ahh, the infamous lag monster that lurks in other MMORPGs... Well, guess what? It somehow found its way to Motor City. Truth is, the situation you described here is an uncommon occasion.

“Basically, when one or more players in your race are extremely lagged on the Internet, your client on your PC may not have all the necessary data to properly display positions of these players. Though your client will try its best, based on previously known data, to predict the location of your opponents, it will never be an accurate representation of the real race. The result is an illusion of leading (or losing) a race. Regardless, the server knows where all the players are and that's how it rewards finishing places.

“My recommendation would be in addition to looking at the timer, pay close attention to the dot next to each player's name. When it starts to flicker yellow or red, that means the position of that player is no longer pinpoint accurate.
 
Q: When it comes to cars, do you prefer the vintage or the muscle cars? What is your favorite overall vehicle in the MCO world? What do you think draws people to certain kinds of cars?

Jason: “Personally, it's vintage all the way for me. They are slick and stylish. A big hunk of metal that spells C-O-O-L. True, they don't have the best aerodynamics and can't compete with a Corvette, Cuda, or Mustang. But if I were going to live in the past, I'd rather live in style. I can see many players disagree with me though. Everybody has a different preference when it comes down to cars. That's why MCO is unique and special to our players. When it comes down to what's my favorite? It'd be a convertible '40 Coupe.”
 
Q: Explain a little about the concept of turf wars?

Jason: “The concept behind Turf Wars is racing competition to the next level. Instead of running a player vs. player race or trying to beat a clock on time trials, Turf Wars is the heart of club vs. club competition. Unfortunately, it has suffered some shortfall when a few clubs started to dominate the entire scoring board. We have since added class restriction to Turf Wars just like what we did with other race modes. Now we are seeing a rise in Turf Wars participation. Eventually, we would like to give Turf Wars a proper upgrade to make it more fair, more competitive, and more fun.”
 
Q: If there was one thing you could change about the game, what would it be?

Jason: “Wow, where should I start? I love MCO so much that I have hundreds of ideas for enhancements. Let me read through this mile-long plan and get back to you next week... I don't know if I can give you a precise answer, but at least I should try. I'd like to step back and look at the big picture and redefine MCO. A year ago, MCO was the ultimate racing destination online. But as we quickly learned, the most appealing part of MCO was not the racing element – but its social elements. Players gather around just to hang out and socialize. That said, we'd like to take MCO to the direction that would make it the ultimate online experience surrounding cars. As much as I love to kill an Elf from an enemy realm or make and dye my furniture, personally, I would like to be an online car salesman whom specializes in tricked-out rides.
 
Q: MCO stands alone for this type of game in the world of MMORPGs. What do you think is its biggest draw? Do you have any kind of demographics concerning those playing it?

Jason: “MCO's biggest draw is the ability to build and race awesome muscle cars and hot rods with and against thousands of others over the Internet. No other MMORPG provides the pure racing thrill of MCO. Its audience is primarily males, no surprise, and a broad age range.
 
Q: Where is MCO heading in the near future (without giving away too many secrets)? Where do you see MMORPGs in five-10 years?

Jason: “In the very near future, you will see something you probably wouldn't expect in MCO. That said, I shouldn't disclose too much information. As to where MMORPGs are going in the next 5-10 years, I see fewer but bigger games. I can see worlds integrated seamlessly that there are endless activities for players to participate in. Players will shape their worlds just like how humans have shaped this planet. Whether the players are running with swords, laser pistols, or monkey wrenches are no longer relevant if we all have access to a holo-deck.”

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