Hey Mark, wanna see my Hulk-erific pecs again?

We had the chance to sit down for a lengthy chat with Edge of Reality Creative Director, Mark Nau, and discuss his career, the industry, the upcoming Incredible Hulk videogame, and much more. Have at it after the jump.

Chad: What did you want to be growing up?

I wanted to be Jim Rice. When I was a kid growing up in Foxboro, the Patriots were not a good team, but the Red Sox ruled. So I collected baseball cards and tracked stats. Math nerd stuff. And I loved Jim Rice. I don't even remember why. My #2 choice would have been to be Larry Bird. #3 choice was Einstein.

Chad: So you grew up in MA?

Mark: Yeah. Right in the hometown of the Patriots, but they were awful back then.

Chad: I take it you are very happy with the current Patriots squad?

Mark: Funny thing is I don't pay attention to what's happening in sports very much, so I'm mostly "eh." 16-0? Oh, nice. Eh. But I play a lot of Championship Manager and now Football manager, so I know a lot about obscure lower-league English football teams

Chad: At what point did you decide to give up your dream of playing left field for the Boston Red Sox and focus on a career in video games?

Mark: Man, all through college I spent more time playing games than going to classes, but I still considered getting into video games to be too "flaky" to consider. I didn't know what I wanted to do, even in college, but video games, man. That's not a real job.

My brother-in-law got a programming job with the (now defunct) Atari coin-op company up in Milpitas, and he tells me "Man, this is great! You should be doing this stuff, too!" So I went up and interviewed and got a job as a designer/programmer. This is, what 1994? 95?

Chad: You tell me.

Mark: I dunno. I remember essentially beta testing Win95 while we were trying to develop our PC title. That was something.

Chad: And Vista is something else.

Mark: haven't jumped off that bridge yet.

Chad: Well, you have the right metaphor.

Mark: I've got a laptop at home I play little indie games like Dwarf Fortress on, so Win2K is just fine.

Chad: Can you share with our readers some of the various titles you have worked on in the past?

Mark: Didn't ship anything at Atari, then joined up with my buddies who were starting Treyarch. We did "Die by the Sword" for the PC, which had this really innovative and awesome and insanely hard-to-learn control scheme for the sword swinging.

Then we got a big break to make a title for a new console just coming out! So we made Draconus for the Dreamcast. We weren't experienced enough yet to know that preliminary hardware specs are always, um, “optimistic”.

So the design on Draconus started off kinda like a 3D Gauntlet or Dynasty Warriors, with enemies coming at you from all sides, and we wound up being able to do like 2-3 guys in addition to the hero instead. I did some programming work on Triple Play baseball series, and also the NHL2K series, and then Spider-Man 2 and 3. And I had my toes dipped into other stuff, like the beginnings of Dead Rush (cancelled!)

Chad: You are referring to the movie adaptations of Spider-Man, correct?

Mark: Yeah, movie games for Spider-Man. Hard deadlines. Must-be-on-the-shelf-for-the-movie-or-we-all-die type deadlines.

Chad: Those sound fun!

Mark: "Could someone call up Sam Rami and see if he could move the movie back 2 weeks?"

Chad: I'm sure that call went well.

Mark: We didn't make that call. We knew better. Well, it's nice because you've got this awesome character you're working with.

It's also great because you KNOW people are going to see your game, so if it's good, you don't have to worry about making something great that doesn't sell because no one knew about it.

Chad: You are currently the Creative Director for Edge of Reality based in Austin Texas, correct?

Mark: Yeah, that's right. I'm the studio-wide Creative Director. Meaning I'm not specifically assigned to a team.

Chad: How do you like Texas weather in comparison to New England?

Mark: Well, after grade school I moved from new England to California, so that's hard to beat.

Chad: Ah, so not that bad of an adjustment?

Mark: I guess Texas summers are supposed to get hot. But when you're playing Rock Band indoors, you know, who cares what the weather is like?

Chad: How long have you been with Edge, and what makes them different from other studios you have worked for in the past?

Mark: I've been here now 9 months, and actually, it's very reminiscent of a similar period at Treyarch.

There's this transition period from medium-small and medium big studios where it can be hard, because there's a lot of new people, and everyone doesn't know everyone else yet, and some of the ways you used to do things have to be modified.

But these guys have been doing a great job for a long time, and we're doing some big games now, so it's exciting.

Edge of Reality Studios in Austin Texas

Chad: You are currently working in tandem with SEGA and Marvel studios on a new HULK videogame based on the upcoming sequel due to hit theaters in June of 2008, correct?

Mark: I don't know the specific scheduled release date for The Incredible Hulk movie, but yeah, it's another one of these deals where we “MUST MUST MUST” be on the shelves at the same time the movie comes out

Chad: What did you think of the previous HULK game, based on the 2003 movie, developed by Radical Entertainment?

Mark: That was a solid game, and we definitely made sure we played it and analyzed it so we could see what lessons to take from it for making The Incredible Hulk.

Chad: The previous HULK game received a perfect score from Playboy magazine. What do you think of that?

Mark: He's got the pecs for a perfect 10 from Playboy.

Chad: That he does.

Chad: Where are you and your team focusing your efforts on the most in developing "The Incredible Hulk" game?

Mark: Alright, so people are going to see the movie and hear about the movie and they are going to get all pumped up and excited about how awesome and primal The Incredible Hulk is. And they will want to be The Incredible Hulk.

So, we break it down like that. What is awesome about being that guy? What variety of situations play to what is awesome about being him? And how can we fit in with the tone and themes of the movie, making a story that follows the movie and yet extends beyond?

So, #1: Hulk Smash. So a lot of effort toward making sure Hulk can smash, and that it's fun to smash, and that if you think you can smash, it goes SMASH.

Chad: Smashing!

Mark: Exactly.

Chad: Sorry, couldn't resist.

Mark: And Hulk is a conflicted guy, so he's not completely goodie-goodie. He means well, but sometimes, ya know, it gets out of hand. And things getting out of hand, and being this huge guy who can lift big things and SMASH and pound and send rubble everywhere is inherently awesome.

Chad: How much has the look of the Hulk changed and what do you think of the changes made?

Mark: Our Incredible Hulk is the guy from the movie. So when you see him up on the big screen, you get to be that same guy in the game. They did a great job updating him. It's not Lou Ferrigno in green makeup, that's for sure.

Chad: Lou is one scary man.

Mark: True that, so don't let him know I dissed him a little bit there.

Chad: The next time I see him signing stuff at a comic convention I will pretend that this interview never happened.

Chad: How in line will the game be with the upcoming film?

Mark: We're totally consistent with the film, living in the same world as the film. So we have the major scenes, same locations, all the great stuff from the film. Then we add a bunch of extra storylines with classic characters, updated to fit the tone of the movie.

Chad: Percentage wise, how much would you say is "the extra stuff" you added? Can you name any of the villains?

Mark: It's hard to measure percentage wise, because we made it an open-city game where you can cruise around and smash things up and do a bunch of missions and objectives and challenges and stuff. And it really depends upon your play style.

Are you jamming through the main storylines to try to "beat the game" or are you doing a lot of free-style stuff and trying to be a completist? It's a big city, with a lot of game in it.

Chad: So it is very much a big sandbox?

Mark: It CAN be, if that's the way you want to play it. We're trying to accommodate a lot of play styles. If someone just wants to stick to the main path, and experience the big movie moments and major storylines, that's cool. If they want to just wander around smashing stuff and fighting guys, we'll do that too, and make it challenging and rewarding.

Chad: Will you be able to smash anyone by the name of Wolverine?

Mark: I can't comment on who may or may not get smashed.

Chad: Having worked on Spider-man and now the HULK, do you think the HULK gets enough credit as a superhero?

Mark: Well, I really like The Incredible Hulk, because he's got the whole conflicted two-personality thing going on, so you can tell some interesting stories around him. And then he's a character just tailor made for video games. I mean, you get to tear down buildings with the guy.

Chad: If you could take one characteristic (or power) from the HULK, which would it be, and how would you use it in your everyday life?

Mark: "I said no cheese on my burger. That makes me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." That's some sweet negotiation power.

Chad: True. That paired with Albert Einstein's hair would be enough to scare anyone.

Mark: Now you're harshing on Lou Ferrigno.

Chad: It is well known to many on the net that Edge of Reality has been working on a pet project for quite some time now, which to this point, has been dubbed "Cipher Complex".

Now I know you can't say much, but is there anything you are at liberty to share with the fans who have come to know the game based on what they have seen and read on the web?

Mark: Yeah, we're having fun with that project. It's an original idea that Edge developed and prototyped before I got here, and I love it. We're making an innovative game in Cipher, but I can't let the cat out of the bag right now.

Chad: In your opinion, what are the most important aspects of a successful videogame?

Mark: Wow, that's a quite a question. Too bad I'm not writing a book on game design, or I'd just say "get my book!"

Chad: Well, now you have something else to add to your to do list.

Mark: Designing a game is, at the root, similar to designing anything else. The first thing you have to do is approach it by deciding who is going to be using this thing you're making, and what you want it to do for them.

That seems basic and obvious, but it's easy to skip over that step, and it can be surprising how much you can get out of going back to that basic viewpoint as a touchstone. What am I trying to do with this game? Who is using it, and what do I think they will want?

Sometimes you can get locked into a mentality of "games are like this" instead of stepping back and looking at the thing you're making as having an intended purpose for an intended user.

Chad: Good enough. Keep us posted on that book.

Chad: Do you have a favorite videogame?

Mark: Ok, here's the thing. This word "game" covers a lot of ground. For myself, I've got a lot of things I like to do that I will use these things called "games" for.

Sometimes I want to see if I can build up a skill set and step up and beat a challenge. Sometimes I want to be someone else in a pretend situation and see what that would be like. Sometimes I want to build a perfect system and work on optimizing it. Sometimes I want to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentations of their women.

Chad: So it's safe to say that you are a fan of all game types, as they each satisfy a specific craving.

Mark: Just about, yeah. I tend toward strategic, or something that gives me a totally different system to think about. I dug the innovative way Portal made me think about how I was going to do stuff, for example.

Different games scratch different itches, which goes back to what when you asked what makes a great game. It depends upon what you want the game to do. Different games fill different desires, so there is no one right answer to that question.

It's like asking "what color should food be?" or "what material should clothes be made out of?"

Chad: I am going to go with green food and purple spandex.

Mark: Too Much Information.

Broccoli and purple spandex. Advantage, The Incredible Hulk.

Chad: What are your views on videogame violence?

Mark: Survival is an obvious goal. Boxing doesn't need to be explained to anyone watching it. So if you need an obvious goal in a game, having a bunch of guys trying to kill you unless you kill them first is 100% understandable to everyone, immediately.

And it is viscerally satisfying to be in that sort of situation and survive. You know you did something right. It doesn't need to be explained to you. You feel it intuitively.

So it's obviously a useful tool. Now, to convince people to stop using that tool, you'd have to have a strong case that there's something inherently wrong with it. If you can convince me that "Seven Samurai" or "Godfather" shouldn't have been made because they are violent media, good luck.

Chad: So do you think that the criticism being directed towards violent games such as Manhunt 2 is unfair?

Mark: It depends upon the argument being made. Is it OK to make a movie like "Silence of the Lambs," which explores and depicts the actions of an evil character? There's a discussion to be had, but I think too often we just get as far as "OMG, the children!" and that's that.

I've got two daughter, and they like playing certain games sometimes. We'll play Earth Defense Force together, because I think I can explain to them that it's pretend violence, and it's not going to disturb them.

But they're not going to be playing Scarface any time soon., just like they aren't going to go see "Clockwork Orange" or read "To Kill a Mockingbird" any time soon. We can't restrict all media to what's appropriate for a young child.

Chad: Fair enough. Speaking of the children: twenty years from now, what do you think kids will be playing?

Mark: I think the basic "itches to be scratched" are going to be the same, we'll just have cooler ways of doing it.

So maybe god-game type people will have the super-detailed simulations that let you fiddle with history. And twitch-games might routinely include full-body motion detection, and a personal display that responds to which way you turn your head.

Chad: You mentioned that you have two daughters. How do you balance family life with what I can only assume is a very time intensive career designing games and conducting lengthy interviews?

Mark: It helps to have an awesomely understanding wife.

Chad: Very true.

Mark: But I love games. I love making games. I really like coming into work and seeing what sort of interesting problems we're going to solve are today. And my main hobby (playing other people's games) can be done once the kids are in bed. So I get a good balance.

Chad: What kind of advice can you give to the creative individuals out there who aspire to break into the videogame industry?

Mark: I'd tell them to find out specifically what sort of roles there are out there on development teams, find out what these people do on a daily basis. And then when you find the thing that excites you, do everything you can to get good at the skills for that role.

Potential game designers should design games. Card games, dice games, board game. Make mods. Put your games in front of other people and find out what it's like to make a game for people.

Chad: Great advice.

Mark: And it's always useful to have creative and analytical skills. Being able to draw, write, comfortable with logical thinking, even knowing some history. All this stuff helps. It's what you'll draw from when you're making all the little decisions every day.

Chad: Finally, how do you want to be remembered when you leave this place? The words on your tombstone would read....

Mark: I'm holding out hope for "Press Start to Continue"

Chad: Haha! Thanks for your time Mark.

Mark: Thanks, Chad!