By Joe McCloud

After spending hours playing Interstate '76 so I could preview it, I began to wonder what it must be like to be the producer on such a highly anticipated game. That day may never come, but I did get a chance to talk with someone who is. Scott Krager is the producer for Activision's mega-smooth Interstate '76.

PCG: I heard that you actually began in the television industry, writing for television shows. What triggered the switch from TV to video games?

Scott Krager: Essentially, I wanted to know when my next paycheck was coming. I was a writer on Bob Newhart's last show, which only lasted about a season. Then my writing partner at the time and I started writing freelance for PigSty and some other shows. Freelance [work] is okay, but you're never quite sure what's going to happen next. Also, there really weren't too many opportunities, so our agent at the time became interested in interactive, and he gave us a call. He said that Activision was looking for a couple of writers to develop some characters in a story for this street hoops game, sort of a White Men Can't Jump basketball game. And my friend and I were like, "Yeah, we'd love to," 'cause we were both gamers. So we interviewed and they liked us and we started writing for this basketball game that, as you probably know, was never finished. But the guy who was doing Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure for the Genesis and SNES called and asked if we'd like to design some levels. So what was supposed to be a three-month job ended up lasting for over a year.

PCG: So before you began producing you were a level designer. Was that a good experience?

Scott Krager: Oh yeah, definitely. I started as the lead level designer on Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure for the cart version and then ended up doing extra levels for the Sega CD version before producing the subsequent ports for the 32X and Windows 95. Also, like I said, because I was such a gamer as a young kid, being involved in not only designing a game, but the sequel to a game that I used to love, made the experience great. It was really cool to see how a video game was put together, because I had no idea. When I saw the whole creative process and how it's melded in with the technology, the art, and the sound and how it all comes together, I was really fascinated. I really learned a lot, and I wish everyone could see how it's all done, because it's so cool.

PCG: Getting into Interstate '76, do you think the game's '70s theme will turn off younger gamers, who may not feel a connection to that particular era?

Scott Krager: Not really, partly because there seems to be sort of a resurgence of popularity around the '70s in the form of music and certain fashions. Also, re-runs have helped keep the '70s around. Turn on the TV any time of day and you can find something that's '70s-related. The other cool thing about it is that young gamers or people that weren't involved with the '70s will find that no other game has chosen this time as the backdrop, which makes it stand out. And the way we've done it, we're not poking fun at it so much as paying respect to it. While people might associate the '70s with Brady Bunch and other cheesy stuff, we didn't go for that. We went for the muscle cars and the Pulp Fiction grit, which I think people will dig. Actually, some of the inspiration for the movie came by watching Starsky and Hutch re-runs.

PCG: Cool. So what makes Interstate '76 better than any other car simulation out there?

Scott Krager: Actually, we pretty much consider it to be an auto-combat sim. What's cool is that we've been able to take racing elements and action-game elements and combine them without sacrificing gameplay. We used the Mech engine as a starting point, and from there we created a new 3D real-time engine. What basically sets it apart from most driving games is that it's not track-based; you're not limited to a demolition derby or a course found in a racing game. Need For Speed is really cool and we have a lot of fun playing it, but we're doing a combat sim--one where you can travel anywhere and you're not just limited to the highways and streets. Another thing that distinguishes I'76 from most other driving games is the realistic physics for the driving model. The cars all have independent suspension: the front wheels will turn and the cars will bank and pitch according to your speed and how you turn. And on top of that, you've got the combat, which, of course, is great because you're doing all these really cool driving stunts and blowing the crap out of everyone, too! I can't think of two things I'd rather do.

PCG: Obviously, the game's very unique and original. How do you think gamers are going to take to a title that doesn't really have anything to be compared to?

Scott Krager: Well, there has been some comparison to MechWarrior. And when people ask what we think of the game, we say it's MechWarrior meets Dukes of Hazzard meets Starsky and Hutch meets Pulp Fiction. I actually think it's cool that it's so unique, because we're able to set our own precedent. The fact that we have a very detailed storyline for a sim is also really cool. And it's great that we've got cut scenes that add so much detail to the game, and that this overall global experience is pretty much unparalleled by any other battle sim or racing sim that we've been inspired by.

PCG: You mentioned the detailed storyline. I've been playing this game for awhile now, and I have to agree, the plot is pretty deep. Which begs the question: Are there any plans for a sequel in the future?

Scott Krager: Yes. We're talking about doing a sequel that would involve another in-depth storyline. As far as characters and the whole plot, well, that's all open. We want to do something that would be unexpected. We've thrown around some ideas that would be different that what most people would expect in a sequel. A lot of people are assuming it'll be Interstate '77, but maybe we'll do Interstate '73. Who knows?

PCG: Sure. Might as well pull a George Lucas and make a prequel. It couldn't hurt.

Scott Krager: Exactly. The whole universe--the whole auto-vigilante versus auto-villain theme--really lends itself to a sequel.

PCG: Would the game follow the same engine and combat-sim model, or are there plans for something completely different?

Scott Krager: It would definitely be another combat sim. But because the technology is advancing so rapidly, we'd definitely look into what sort of modifications we can make. What's cool about doing a sequel is that you can go back through the thousands of e-mails and messages from the people who have played the game. Sometimes, they come up with some cool suggestions. So you can learn from what people liked and disliked about the first one and use that to make the second one better.

PCG: Thanks, Scott. And good luck with the title.

Scott Krager: Thanks.