Interview: Justin Corcoran – CEO of Phosphor Games – Developer of Nether: Resurrected
David Gelmini
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We love video games here at Dread Central, so when we found out that the popular MMO Nether was resurfacing on Steam as the new and improved Nether: Resurrected, we were so intrigued that we decided to catch up with Justin Corcoran, CEO of developer Phosphor Games, to get the lowdown.
You can head over to Steam to buy Nether: Resurrected.
DC: What made you want to re-visit Nether?
JC: We have always loved the game that we made and were sad when it was given to another developer. We wanted to try to get it back. Recently, the platform used by the game was deactivated by its provider, so this is why the game stopped for a few weeks. We saw this as an opportunity to come back. So we struck a deal with the owners of the game that we would be willing to come back to developing the title if we got full creative control during the relaunch phase of what happened with it going forward.
DC: Can you talk about all the new and improved features?
JC: We have pulled out all micro transactions, so everything in the game can be bought with in-game currency, or is free. We have removed the old back-end that was problematic before it was even shut down, so now all you need to play is your Steam login. Multiplayer has gone from being on centrally hosted servers to private hosted servers in the community, so players can now own their own community and play how they want. Over time we’ll add admin controls and server settings, as well as modding tools.
DC: Will Nether: Resurrected be accessible to both fans and newcomers?
JC: Yes! Old players will have the game they enjoyed when it first left Early Access in the summer of 2014. New players will find a tutorial system when they first start playing that eases them into the world and play mechanics.
DC: How do you feel it stands out from other post-apocalyptic video games?
JC: Nether is special in a few ways. It takes place in a city, with tons of verticality (20-story buildings), a subway, and lots of nooks and crannies to hide in and explore. It is also strictly FPS camera, with tuned shooting mechanics up to modern standards for that genre. Lastly – the monsters. Nether are not shambling, brainless zombies. They are hunting, killing machines that can stalk you once they’ve caught sight or sound of you and teleport to wherever you are.
DC: Is the game equally enjoyable for both people playing online and in single-player?
JC: Online is how the game was originally designed, and we are restoring that experience. Single player is something new, and we will need to adjust it over time. So far, people seem to like it, but no doubt it will evolve.
DC: Can you talk about the design of the game’s world?
JC: Nether was built to be a survival game that made you think in 3 dimensions. Not only could an enemy be down the street, they could be 15 stories above you shooting down, or they could be a monster that hears you walking on the roof above them and teleports up to get you. It is also full of lots of little visual vignettes, frozen stories of what people were doing when the flash apocalypse hit – sitting outside, eating, reading, watching TV, sitting on the toilet, walking with their family… If you look closely, there is a lot of fun, subtle narrative spread throughout the world.
DC: Is there enough content for players to keep coming back?
JC: Everything that was there when the game left Early Access is in the game, and we’ll continue to grow it over time. We think the most exciting thing for the future, though, will not be what we add, but what the players do. With server settings they will be able to make new versions of the game… maybe there are no Nether on their server or no PvP or no guns or tons of guns or tons of super hard Nether… there will be lots of ways to play. Then, once we have modding, people can really start to create their own experiences and share them. It’s something we’ve wanted to do with this game since the beginning, and now we will get to. It will take time with our small team and modest budget, but we want to bring this freedom to the community.
Categorized:News
