Jordan Weisman Interview – Part 1

We recently sat down with Jordan Weisman, creator of the original BattleTech and MechWarrior games, to discuss MechWarrior and video games. Check out the first half of the interview here. Be sure to check out the second half on the MechWarrior Tactics Official Site.

What gives you the most satisfaction when creating something completely new? 

I love the problem solving of figuring out how to bring together the creative elements I am looking for in way which feels “right” to the audience. My favorite time of any project is the first several months when all of those essential building blocks have to be created and fit together into a structure that hopefully will stand the test of time.

How did your collaboration with Russ Bullock and Piranha Games come about?

I have had a great time working with Russ and Bryan on MechWarrior Online. They are true believers, in that they have loved Battletech since they were kids (yes I am old) and really wanted to bring it to life in a fidelity level never seen before. Their talents and enthusiasm has only been exceeded by the talent of their team to execute upon the concepts that we came up with together. It has truly been a pleasure.

What is the future of gaming?

 Well that is a wide open question - so my answers will be as broad as the question. In general I see games becoming more and more pervasive, meaning that they will be accessible to play at all times on devices that are with you at all times, and that your games and game state will available on many different devices at all times. Over the years I have seen a reduction in the play period of games from hours to minutes and I don’t think we are going back up because the flip side of being always available is that players are not forced to dedicated uninterrupted days to them.

Can you tell us a little more about Shadowrun?

No :) Only that we are working really hard on it and having a blast. We are releasing new information couple of times a month so stay tuned to www.harebrained-schemes.com!

Be sure to check out the second half on the MechWarrior Tactics Official Site!

Cheers,
The MechWarrior Online Team