Rainbow Six Vegas 2: LiveChat with Phil Therien

At a certain gaming website which shall remain nameless, (I'll give you a clue it begins with Euro), hosted a live webchat with designer Phil Therien who is currently working on Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. It was an interesting discussion with many pressing questions about the game being handled including how the new matchmaking system worked, why four player co-op was dropped to two player, and if there was any sign of a demo on the horizon. That final question was asked by myself within the chat and the answer was no. Its a shame that the developers don't have enough time to formulate a demo, as it seems as though they are busy enough, hitting the release date on March 21st in the UK.

It also was interesting to hear a developer from Ubisoft, studio behind the impressive Ghost Recon series claim that there is no longer any space for hardcore shooters within the market place, at least from a profit making position. This to me seems absolutely crazy in a genre which is getting further and further more stigmatised by arcadey game-play. First person shooters need some developers to go down a different route, and if Vegas is an example of that it can only be a good thing, but if it is further away from the original Rainbow Six's, one shot kill avenue it will be a shame. Not a purchase killer but a shame none the less.

Phil Therien was brave to answer questions despite a moderated atmosphere, it was really nice of the guys of Ubisoft to have faith in the community which has followed Vegas two's development, and it would be fantastic if more of these events were held where individuals get to ask developers questions regarding their games. If nothing else it empowers the individual to feel like they have been involved in the games journey from ideas on a piece of paper to software which you put in your PC, Xbox360 or PlayStation 3. This is a factor which will ultimately effect that individual when he finally sees the game on a shelf, and it will undoubtedly increase the likelihood of him or her buying that game. Not only a genius marketing ploy but also a interesting way of getting the fans more involved with the game, something that is both win for the designer and the gamer.