Interview with Spyro Developer Michael Graham
“The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon” is currently available in stores on all of the next gen console platforms. This final installment of “The Legend of Spyro” offers us a new gameplay experience, and the voice talents of Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings), and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker from Star Wars). This game is promising new faces, more entertainment, and the ability to play in a one and two player mode as Spyro and Cynder.
I had a chance to speak with Michael Graham from Activision about “Dawn of the Dragon”. Michael has been credited with work on Heavenly Sword, Twisted Metal, and all three of “The Legend of Spyro” games.
Candace:What is the first thing a player will notice when they start to play “Dawn of the Dragon”?
Michael:I think that the first thing players will notice when they start playing “Dawn of the Dragon” is that it has a more epic tone to it than any other Spyro game. Today’s platform adventure genre is filled to the brim with games based off of cartoons and animated films, nearly all of which have a very young tone. We wanted to make a game that was challenging and moody without being overly pandering or childish. Younger players are a lot smarter and more patient than they are often given credit for and we aimed to give them an experience that was similar to games and movies that have inspired our generation. The majority of games in the youth space seem to avoid themes of “good versus evil” or put players in intense situations. We wanted to change that and provide younger players with an experience that is unlike anything available in their demographic. This is evident right from the start of the game when Spyro and Cynder are attacked by a massive golem.
C:What was one of the toughest decisions made during the development of “Dawn of the Dragon”?
M: To be quite honest, there were a lot of tough decisions that had to be made during the development of “Dawn of the Dragon.” We were trying to complete the game in the midst of a company merger between Vivendi Games and Activision, which resulted in a lot of restless nights for the Spyro team.
C:Can you tell us a little more about the cooperative play with Spyro and Cynder? I see where you will be able to switch between the two dragons during gameplay which is going to be a new experience for players.
M:This game is truly an adventure that is shared by Spyro and his former nemesis Cynder. At any point in the game, players can switch between Spyro and Cynder, which allows players the freedom and choice to play as the character they identify with the most. Some prefer to play as Spyro with his more traditional elemental abilities. Others prefer to play Cynder, the once evil dragon that possesses slightly darker powers. It’s really up to the player. But aside from their individuality, the two dragons need to work as a team if they are to defeat the dark armies. This might involve using the specific abilities of one of the dragons, using the magical chain that bonds the two characters to reach a ledge, or even using the strength of both characters to carry heavy objects to solve certain puzzles.
C:There’s also a two player mode in the game, where players can be Spyro or Cynder. Will the two player mode give any extra gameplay or, extra features to the game?
M:Just like Spyro and Cynder need to work as a team, so will players as they tackle this game cooperatively. We wanted our co-op mode to truly be cooperative. Often times, two player games allow either player to sort of do their own thing with little concern as to what the other player is up to. In “Dawn of the Dragon” players will have to communicate and work together to time their movements as they progress. We aimed to bring that odd couple experience into the living room and encourage players to engage in conversation to overcome obstacles, rather than just zoning out in front of the TV. There is definitely a learning curve to it, but once both players begin to understand the tendencies of the other, the game is truly enjoyable.
C:The graphics and gameplay has changed dramatically to keep up with the next gen consoles. The latest edition of Spyro is vastly different than say..the Game Boy Advanced game. What are some of the large differences we’re going to see in graphics and gameplay?
M:Previous Spyro games and most other games aimed at younger audiences have a very cartoonish visual style. While that certainly has some appeal, we felt that it didn’t necessarily fit the tone of the game we wanted to make. Rather than continuing down that path, we opted to immerse players into a rich fantasy world with the terrific detail and vibrant colors to give younger players a new experience.
C:How did you decide this would be the last installment of The Legend of Spyro? Was this a decision made when the first was developed or, later?
M:Actually, we never really planned to do a trilogy. Chris Wilson (Senior Producer) and I developed top line concepts for a story arc that we felt could potentially span over three games, yet no actual plans were made beyond the first game, so we never really knew if the story would ever continue beyond “A New Beginning.” Eventually, a very talented yet relatively unheard of team in France, Etranges Libellules, came on board with “Dawn of the Dragon.” We needed to figure out a way to maintain a certain level of continuity with the previous iterations while striving to make the game feel fresh and new for Spyro’s PS3 and Xbox 360 debut. The trilogy was a lot of work and as I look back at the past few years, I’m surprised we actually got this done.
C:The Eternal Night had a rocky start when it was released. The game made it through the critics, and into consoles. Did the rocky release of the previous game have any effect on the release of “Dawn of the Dragon”?
M:The entire development of “The Eternal Night” was very hard to endure. Chris (Wilson) and I, along with the team at Krome Studios, had high hopes for what we might be able to accomplish, but there were major budget constraints and we were forced to basically reuse assets from the first game and alter the storyline to account for it. The team at Krome Studios did an incredible and commendable job getting it finished, but in the end, we were all disappointed with the finished product. When we began “Dawn of the Dragon” we had to endure a lot, but we were determined to do whatever we could to make the best game possible. We were really fortunate to have Etranges Libellules on board, because their passion and desire to make a great Spyro game was much needed to refuel our efforts.
C:Spyro is a rare game because everything about it seems like it’s for kids but, adults love the games as well. Which audience was originally planned to be reached for Spyro? The younger or older or, both?
M:Our hope for Spyro has always been to make a game that can be enjoyed by families. Thematically, the game deals with real issues of right and wrong, good and evil, friendship and loss, but it is presented in a way that isn’t graphic or violent. It has always been bothersome that focus groups consisting of 10-year-olds, show that kids want to play games that are M-rated. It’s hard to blame them – there are a lot of awesome games out there for older audiences. We aimed to create experiences that were reminiscent of those found in games for older players, but modified them to be appropriate for young players. So with Spyro, young players can battle the forces of evil and take part in epic battles, while their parents can find comfort in knowing that their children aren’t being exposed to things that are harmful or damaging in any way.
C:Spyro uses large name celebrities as the voices of the characters. Many games use voice actors who are not Hollywood names. Does this change the experience we’re going to have with these characters? Will we see and feel a little more emotion with the game compared to other games?
M:We wanted to make a game that felt more cinematic – like you are playing through an animated film. We also wanted to distance this series from previous Spyro games so that players aren’t getting the same exact experience over and over again. Above all, we wanted to offer something that could appeal to the entire family. Let’s face it; most kids aren’t very familiar with Elijah Wood, Gary Oldman or Christina Ricci, but they are in the game so mom and dad can watch the kids play and get a kick out of hearing the voices of actors that they are familiar with. It’s basically the same reason why most Pixar movies feature celebrity talent. There is a little something for everyone.
C:Spyro first came onto the scene around the same time as Banjo and Kazooie came around, it seems like at that time a lot of “mascot” characters showed up on the gaming scene. The earlier gaming generations had mascot characters like Mario and Link. Do you think that this generation will hold Spyro in the same regard some of us older gamers would hold “our” mascots as time goes on?
M:I doubt that this generation will hold our generations’ mascots with too much regard. Today’s mascots are found in Saturday morning cartoons and in animated movies. Most gaming mascots from our generation don’t do enough to appeal to the younger audiences and instead rely on nostalgia to hold onto a dwindling fan base. With Spyro, the original fan base has largely moved on to other things. Previous iterations of Spyro tried to recapture the magic that Insomniac made, but with little success. In the end, the “Legend” series was aimed to reintroduce the character to a new generation of players while giving long time fans a new twist on the character they loved when they were younger.
To find out more about Spyro and where you can buy the game, visit the website for Spyro
2 Responses to “Interview with Spyro Developer Michael Graham”
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Why aren’t you going to continue the series? I Know all good things must come to an end, but I’m certain that Spyro and the series are not fully ready to end yet. You stop for good now, and all the games, art, and stories will be forgotten by your biggest fans. Make some kind of attempt to keep this game series going. I have an idea for another “Legend Of Spyro” Sequal. Here’s the outline of it. Malefore may be gone, but his darkness hasn’t fully gone away. In another attempt to reincarnate himself, Malefore’s black soul uses the leftover darkness in Spyro and Cynder to gain new and even deadlier power and form. Spyro and Cynder find themselves completely powerless as Malefore takes all their abilities away. Their only hope is to embark on a quest to find out what their abilities were supposed to be in the first place, master all of the abilities when discovered, and take on everything Malefore throws at them. They don’t rid the world of Malefore in the end, but they do stop his plan in it’s tracks. The adventure continues in another game where Malefore gives the dark sides of Spyro and Cynder physical form. If this succeeds on all sides, think of what you can do in the future with this series. If such a letter from a fan with overwhelming passion doesn’t do the trick, what will. Think of the people that you would abandon if you don’t keep the series going. Put yourselves in our shoes of this problem and you’ll see what I mean.
I first played spyro somewhere between 9 and 10 years ago on Playstation. Yeah it was a great game with much potential, but all they did with it was create spin-off after spin-off after spin-off. I decided to browse past the games in my local store (only just recently), with no intention of actually buying anything; that’s when I spotted “Dawn of the Dragon”.
My initial response in seeing this game all alone on the shelf, was met with a brief “Heh, the little guy’s still going..” – Which to me, merited a closer look. What drew me in right away was the phrase “Two Player co-op”. There’s a serious lack of these games out there, and I for one am a big fan of them.
So I began playing with no idea of the past 2 games, or that this was the last of a trilogy. Upon finishing the game I actually cried. That’s right, the ending made me cry.. and I – quite simply – do not cry. That says to me that you’ve done something right with this game, and that it has something which most others of its genre, do not.
The whole prospect of playing a game, attached to another character by an irremovable, unbreakable tether; it builds a certain fondness for that character, at least it did in this case. With this trilogy having come to an end, I know for a fact that it has brought about strong tension, and a feeling of uncertainty among much of the fans; including myself.
This game has a lot going for it right now, and believe me when I say this. A large chunk of the current fanbase could potentially be impacted, by the direction that this series may decide to take. What I loved about this game was the co-op feature and getting to know Cynder’s character, who was forced to acompany us the entire game.
What worries me the most is that future developers, may not realize how much of an important role Cynder now holds in the series; this concerns me greatly, because it subjects the character to the risk of spin-off games, or worse. – Being written out of next generation games altogether. A good example of this, is many of the “Legend of Zelda” games. While they’re fun to play, the characters always change, you don’t get attached to one character for more than one game, you don’t really come to understand them like in “Dawn of the Dragon” and its two predecessors – and most of all, you won’t understand this unless you’ve played through the trilogy respectively.
Keenan’s right, and I personally believe that Sierra/Étranges Libellules did an excellent job at overseeing & developing this game; as did all who had a hand in its development. I find it incredibly saddenning that Sierra got axed, but if you want my advice: Stick with as many of the people who had a hand in developing “Dawn of the Dragon” as possible. Leave room for new change, but don’t go revamping the looks or changing the voice actors – do this as a last resort, as it only serves to alienate the current fans.
There currently exists much controversy between the fans, over things such as: “which style is better” or “which voice actor suits the character/cause”. Elijah for one is doing a great job, and the fact that he has remained the main voice actor for all three games is fantastic.
Lastly, i’d like to help contribute to the storyline for future spyro releases, but hey, doesn’t every fan? – and I understand that you can’t go out accepting thousands of suggestion emails on behalf of millions of fans. Alas, I really would have relished the opportunity to thank both Michael and Chris personally for all of the effort they invested into creating the story; You both did a remarkable job.
On a side note: i’ve seen far too many great games spiral out of control, hit the dirt, or just shut down entirely due to lack of fresh ideas; I have some keenly interesting ideas which could be implemented into the future storylines, and so i’d like to pledge my support – to ensure that this fate does not befall this, among other series.
If anyone happens to know how I might be able to contact “Michael Graham” from “Activision” – My email is: Felidire@Gmail.com : I’d love to extend this offer to help, but even being able to say a simple ‘thank you’ would more than suffice.