American McGee Presents Scrapland Wrap Report (Action)

Lessons Learned Enric Alvarez: 1. " Keep it simple, stupid." :) We already knew and applied this from the beginning, but this simple sentence is so critical that I can't avoid mentioning it here as the first rule of game development.

2. Don't do business without an expert lawyer's advice. Don't EVEN think about it!!

There are some reviewers who simply don't like the fact that the American McGee brand went on the box!

Audience Response American McGee: It's still a little too early to tell exactly how the game is going to play out with the public. The launch window put us up against a number of really huge sequels - Half-Life 2 and World of Warcraft to name two - so I think a lot of people just haven't had the time to focus on anything else. As for reviewers, my sense is that most of them really got and enjoyed the game for what it is, which is a rare, original, and well thought out entertainment experience.

There are always a few reviews you read that make you scratch your head, ones where the reviewer clearly didn't play the game and simply has a bone to pick. There are some reviewers who simply don't like the fact that the American McGee brand went on the box! It still amazes me how negative some people can be about the idea of creative branding in the game world when we see it happening in every other entertainment media on a daily basis.

The most favorably received aspect of the game was probably the originality of the product. That's heartening because for a while there, I was beginning to worry that original games were dead.

As for not received quite as well, it's such a wide range... Everything from the art style to the music to the story and the gameplay has been trashed. But then, there's always someone out there who isn't going to like something. Some people don't like robot stories. Some don't like electronic music. Some don't want a game that splits between flying and running around on foot. You can't please everyone.

Only the PC version has been released at this point, so we'll have to wait and see if the responses differ across platforms.

Personal Thoughts American McGee: I think Scrapland offers something new and fresh to the gaming community. I honestly can't avoid loving this game - even with its faults - because it offers something unusual, apart from my standard shooter, racer, beat 'em up or whatever. Scrapland belongs to a new kind of game bringing whole worlds, great freedom and a believable feeling of being there, in the middle of an unfinished story you want to feel and play. Go buy this game, you can't miss it, honestly

American McGee Executive Producer, Enlight

Enric Alvarez. Project Leader, Mercury Steam

[Since introducing them in November of 2003 to offer post-release viewpoints from the respective teams, it has been our pleasure to publish Wrap Reports on a number of other titles. Lists of the previous ones on both RPG Vault and Action Vault may be found on the next page. - Ed.]

Action Vault Scrapland Peeks #1 Weapons, Part 1 - January 22, 2004 Project Director and Lead Designer Enric Alvarez on the weapons in Mercury Steam's imaginative action adventure *Includes an exclusive concept drawing and an exclusive screenshot*

#2 Characters, Part 1 - Civil Servants - February 5, 2004 Developer Mercury Steam offers a show and tell about the civil servant class of robot characters in its action hybrid. *Includes an exclusive model image and two exclusive screenshots*

#3 Weapons, Part 2 - Swarm Missiles - February 19, 2004 Swarm missiles, how they work and some ideas for escaping their destructive power from the Mercury Steam team *Includes two exclusive screenshots*

#4 Characters, Part 2 - Police - March 4, 2004 Mercury Steam Project Director Enric Alvarez introduces the police and reveals they're not as we'd first imagine. *Includes an exclusive model image and an exclusive screenshot* #5 The Banking Community - March 18, 2004 While they may not look the same, bankers in Mercury Steam's humorous robotic world don't seem all that different. *Includes two exclusive screenshots and an exclusive model image*

#6 Characters, Part 3 - Mercenaries - April 1, 2004 Lead Designer Enric Alvarez introduces the mercenaries in the eye-catching title now in progress at Mercury Steam. *Includes an exclusive screenshot and an exclusive model image*

#7 The Human City - April 15, 2004 Developer Mercury Steam introduces us to a city created long ago by humans who subsequently departed the planet. *Includes five exclusive screenshots*

Additional Action Vault Scrapland Links Scrapland Interview - May 5, 2003 Project Leader Enric Alvarez on Mercury Steam Entertainment's science fiction action project touched with humor *Includes three exclusive screenshots*

Scrapland Screenshots - January 29 - April 22, 2004