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RadioSEGA Interview: Steve Lycett

We recently asked you for questions for Sumo Digital's Steve Lycett. We added a few of our own, mixed it all together and here's the result...

Steve Lycett, the man, the legend! And someone SEGA fans got used to trust with their classic franchises on games such as OutRun, Virtua Tennis and the Superstars/All-Stars titles. He's now hard at work with his team on Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, but was kind enough to spare some of his time for us. Here's a pretty interesting interview with Steve, aka "S0LSUMO".

 

 
RadioSEGA: Welcome to RadioSEGA, Steve! Thanks for taking some time for us and we hope to see you around here more often.
First up, please tell us a bit about yourself. I understand you have quite the history with videogames. When did it all start? I believe you even worked at videogame stores…
Steve: LOL, yeah, I’ve got a bit of a history. I generally blame my Dad as he got me into the whole thing.  Way back when he built our first games machine – think Pong – but completely built from scratch based on a design from an electronics magazine. From there it was early computers like the ZX81, where I cut my teeth doing some programming, then up through Spectrums to the Amiga and beyond. Like many others I made games in my free time outside of the industry, I’ve probably still got some somewhere, but I’m sure they’ll look rubbish now!
When I was 14 I got a Saturday job at a games store in Sheffield called Just Micro, still owned then by Ian Stewart who of course started of Gremlin Graphics. Fast forward a few years and I applied to work at Gremlin Interactive in 1997, starting as a tester no less! I worked my way up through QA, eventually becoming QA manager so there is a good chance if you played any Gremlin game during that time I’d been involved in it somewhere. 
I then moved in Production, first I helped finish off Rally Masters – Race of Champions which was a game by Digital Illusions. Infogrames had taken over Gremlin at this point. My first in-house project was Wacky Races on PS2, before moving on Superman: Shadow of Apokolips on both PS2 and GameCube. At which point Infogrames closed Gremlin, which was sad, but that allowed SUMO to come into being, which was good! And I’ve been here ever since, and as a side effect, worked on pretty much every SEGA title we’ve done!
 
RS: For those of us wondering, do you know how many games you have worked on since your humble beginnings?
Steve: Wow, there is a question, I’ve never actually sat down and worked out how many games I’ve been involved with before SUMO, but the other day we did look at how many games SUMO have released, and I’ve been heavily involved with at least 15 games at SUMO and that’s not counting Transformed! That’s not bad to say the firm has been running for just over 9 years!
 
RS: Can you name a few of these games?
Steve: Sure. Everyone knows SUMO I think from OutRun2 which was our first SEGA title, I helped out with mission design and getting it through QA. I also managed all the TOCA PSP titles we did at SUMO, breaking in the PSP before it was released! 
That experience meant I then got involved with Virtua Tennis World Tour, our first SEGA PSP game, and following that we did OutRun2006. I took a break from SEGA projects with Go!Sudoku on PSP, then broke in the PS3 with the same game, before helping out on Virtua Tennis 3. 
Next stop was SEGA SuperStars Tennis, which then was really ambitious for us as we did 5 platforms at once! 
I then moved to be Executive Producer and Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing was the first game where I solely produced the title. That was a challenge! 
I also did the Arcade version of ASR too, which was a whole lot of fun and if you think about it, was SUMO coming full circle from converting an Arcade game to creating an Arcade game! 
Post ASR, I worked on Dead Space Ignition, which saw some real mixed reviews, but we did the whole game in 3 months! Since then we’ve been hard at work on All-Stars Transformed. We kicked that off in 2010, and we’re still at it now!
 
RS: With all this experience, one might think you've seen it all! Does working on videogames still manage to amaze or surprise you? Are you still excited for the job?
Steve: I don’t think I’ve seen it all yet, but really what drives me is improving on what we’ve done before. Every single game we’ve done had things we’d have liked to improve on or make better, no matter how well they’re received. It also helps that a lot of people at SUMO are people I’ve worked with since Gremlin days, so I’m really lucky to work with such a talented bunch of passionate developers. You sometimes forget it’s a job, only sometimes though!
 
RS: You've been working on physical released titles. SEGA, as many other companies, are taking a turn towards digital, however. Do you believe digital is the future?
Steve: One thing I’ve learned is it’s really hard to predict the future! When you look at digital, I remember when Steam was first released with Half Life 2. I spent about 4 hours waiting for the game to unlock, and if you’d have told me then how it would be a huge success now, I’d have probably laughed! Yet here we are today, and if you want to buy a game on PC, you pretty much go direct to Steam. 
Likewise, we dipped our toe in the water with Digital at the launch of the PS3 with Go!Sudoku and Super Rub a Dub. Back then the store and delivery were still in their infancy and we felt that only real hardcore users would even take time to hook the machine up to the network. Yet now, PSN and XBLA are real go to services for players of all types. Look at something like mobile gaming, before the iPhone app store, whilst you could get mobile games, you could hardly say it was a large market. Now in 2012, I think it’s actively competing with 3DS and Vita, and all that distribution is digital. 
It clearly has a part in gaming future as it’s now understood by a vast audience and is easy and convenient. Will it replace disk based titles, well that’s more difficult to say. I certainly think it’s complimentary and I suspect what you’ll see if disk and download titles being equal before too long, Sony are very much trying that with Vita. However, retail is still very much a part of the business, for a start with the exception of Steam, you rarely walk into a digital store to find some bargains in a sale! 
 
RS: While at Sumo Digital, what's your official position and what does that involve?
Steve: My business card says Executive Producer, which is a fancy name for the bloke that orders pizza and curry! Really my job is to drive the team to deliver the games on time and to quality, but the interesting thing about being a Producer is that’s only part of the job. We’re called on to wear many hats, sometimes we’re the design sounding board, sometimes we’re the visionary guiding the team to the right results. Sometimes we’re like the lead singer of the band, the ones who do all the interviews and get all the media attention, but very much like the lead singer, if there is no band behind you, there is no band, or in our case, no game! 
 
RS: Many of our listeners/members are from the UK, like our mod Kaito-kun, here are his questions for you:
"First of all, lots of praise for the fact that you're a UK based development studio. Go Team GB! Now, your relationship with SEGA began with your studio's work on the original Xbox release of Outrun 2. How did this come about? Did SEGA approach you? Do you feel that your success on Outrun lead to your continuing relationship with SEGA? Finally, where do you think your studio would be if the relationship between the two companies didn't blossom as it did?"
Steve: It’s nice that we still have some amazing developers in the UK, it’s nice to be considered one of them!
Back in 2002, one of SUMO’s first gigs was working with Codemasters to put online play into the Xbox version of England International Football. We’d been recommended to Codies through people we’d worked with at Microsoft through our previous Infogrames connections. 
As we were finishing that, SEGA approached Microsoft to see if they could recommend developers to convert OutRun2 from the Chihiro board used in the arcade machine (which was based on the original Xbox hardware). Microsoft put us on a shortlist and we were invited to pitch for the conversion. 
I found out recently that we weren’t the only people! 
Our stance though was that a straight conversion needed to be supported with other content to make a £40 game value for money. So we suggested the addition of a single player mission mode, plus online multiplayer and party based offline multiplayer. For the mission mode we looked at the core OutRun mechanics – plus the Heart Attack mode – and tried to stay true to the original game. 
Whilst I can’t say what the other studios might have picked, clearly ours resonated with what SEGA were looking for and so we got the job!
As this was our first big gig with a major publisher, we went all out to make the best conversion we could. We also had a tight deadline, the game needed to be complete in 6 months. I think the fact we pulled it off – and hit the quality – and the reviews, cemented the relationship. It also helped that we worked closely with AM2 and we’d impressed there. As we were also breaking in new ground with the PSP at the time with TOCA, when SEGA wanted a launch title for PSP, and Virtua Tennis was suggested, also delivering that on time and to quality also went a long way. 
What would have happened if OutRun had gone wrong? That’s really hard to say! I think the reason we were given and trusted with the game was we’d got a great pedigree, we were aligned in our thinking in design and so really, if there was a risk of it going badly, we’d probably not have been chosen. 
 
RS: Outrun's got a big fanbase. Did you feel the love from the fans when Outrun 2 was first released?
Steve: Oh yeah. It was great, the game came out to all these fantastic reviews and the fan response was amazing. They especially loved we’d get in tracks from Daytona and SCUD Racer too. So it was nice that all the hard work and effort the team had put in was recognised and enjoyed!
 
RS: Here's one of those fans, i need fruit:
"How did you approach adapting Outrun 2 to XBL & PSN? How long did the project take and are there any other features you wish you could of added? Also why does the soundtrack make me tingly inside…?"
Steve: Well the first thing is that outside of OutRun2SDX in the arcades, this was the first time we’d looked at running the game in HD. When we’d done the console versions, we’d had to squeeze the game into reduced memory from the arcade version, so we’d really had to go through all the textures, reduce the polycounts and more to squeeze it into that generation of consoles. With PS3 and 360, we were pretty much back to the memory the arcade game had so could return to the arcade textures, which really helped when you’ve got four times the resolution and widescreen! 
On top of that it allowed the team to do some new lighting, tidy up some bugs that had crept into other versions and spend time polishing. Looking back, due to the short amount of time only the OutRun2 SP tracks had been included and I think it would have been nice to get the OutRun2 tracks in. Really though, I think the team were really happy with how it turned out!
 
RS: Well, time for some Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed questions.
"The concept for Transformed is an interesting one. How did it come about?"
(Question by Awinnerwasyou)
Steve: Really, we’d done ASR and we’d got a load of ideas left over from the first game and things we wanted to improve, but the worry was that we’d need to do something original to make it stand out. One of the things we’d prototyped but didn’t do for the first game was having characters that actually flew. In the first game that didn’t work when some characters drove and some were in the air, as it introduced all manner of problems with course design and weapons. 
I think it was a mix of SEGA’s Simon Woodroffe and SUMO’s Craig Duncan who took this idea, and switched it so there would be flight sections and driving sections, and if you’re doing that, well really adding a water section too made sense. What they thought would spark and provide the next level up from both ASR and other similar games, would be the concept of all these surfaces within a single race, which of course meant that vehicles would need to transform.
Of course, having the idea, and then making it work are two very different things. As we do with all games, we did a prototype to work through the issues this transformation would introduce. Believe me, it’s not easy!
For example, our initial test was to take a piece of downhill track and flood it. Thing is, it turns out this isn’t that much fun to drive a boat down. You’d get pulled along by the current, you couldn’t avoid bouncing off the sides, and where a later piece of track  was much wider and straighter (and much more fun) that same section of the track wasn’t then much fun whilst racing in the car – as it just wasn’t technical enough.
When it came to the air, we started off with a big wide open environment. Here we found that players frequently either got lost, or instead of racing, just went exploring. When you’re trying to encourage a race, you don’t really want either. On top of that, as there wasn’t any nearby scenery in the air, no matter how much we increased the speed, it just felt slow and pedestrian. Again, you don’t really want that in a racing game!
So we learned a lot in pre-production and learned a lot of lessons that went into the full games tracks. Although the prototype track had so much art time and effort spent on it, we eventually cut it as we wanted all the tracks to be great.
So yes, an interesting start – and even now, we still find new things that are difficult as a side effect of having land, air and sea!
 
 
RS: "What is your favorite bit about the game so far?"
(Question by BurningFlame2010)
Steve: Oh there are so many things, so it’s hard to pick! From a purely geeky point of view, it’s probably the amount of classic SEGA IP we’ve managed to include this time around. For example, in both SST and ASR we wanted to include Panzer Dragoon, but it didn’t really make sense with you stuck to the ground. Now we’ve got flight in the game, it’s allowed us a lot more freedom in picking games that allow us to support flight – and water!
It’s also meant characters who might not have made sense previously are now a lot more suited. For example Vyse from Skies of Arcadia was clearly a top choice this time, he’s well used to both boats and flying!
So I think really it’s this variety that I’m most proud we’ve been able to achieve for the fans, especially as it’s meant we’ve been really able to go to town and bring back the experience of many classic SEGA games. There are still some real surprises track wise!
 
RS: "Obviously, you can't just stick any SEGA character you want into Transformed, but if you COULD, any you'd favor?"
(Question by ZonicZoneCop)
Steve: Actually, we’re at the point now that providing there are no licensing issues, we’ve got free reign to pretty much pick what we want. The trick is though picking characters that fit the game you’re making – and also making sure the characters and vehicle designs appeal to a broad audience. We want to introduce new players to the world of SEGA just as much as longterm fans, and some characters are just a little too out there…
The other side is other characters are incredibly difficult to get into a vehicle that runs on land, air and sea. I think it’s pretty well known that I see OutRun, Space Harrier and AfterBurner as the holy SEGA arcade trinity for people as old as me! However, if you take a character like the Harrier, how would you design a vehicle that works for him, fits into the game and vehicle set as a whole – and then looks right. We did try an early test with him flying on the Dragon you fight at the end of the first stage, but then we were all ‘Does this make sense? They’re not really friends, why would they race together?’ Plus you try putting wheels on a dragon… 
So sometimes although we do have a free choice, it’s about making the right choice for the game. 
 
 
RS: "Will we see the Outrun car again or just the track?"
(Question by BurningFlame2010)
Steve: Well we’ve certainly announced that if you buy the Bonus Edition you get a whole OutRun track to play with. Plus in a way you’ve never played on it before! How many times have you looked at that beautiful blue sea and gone ‘I wish I could drive over the beach and go and race out there!’.
With regards to the car though, I’m pretty sure Ferrari haven’t yet made available a model that can either sail or fly, so until they do, we’ll have to stick to not including it!
 
RS: "People from Westone Bit Entertainment (the guys who made Wonderboy/Monster World) were saying recently on their Facebook page (MW FAN) about they being anxious to have one of their created characters (that are now owned by SEGA) to be on this new SEGA All-Stars. As I imagine that Asha is not in the roster (I'm not asking if she's on the roster), is there any chance of no-predicted characters (yeah, not even those pre-order DLC related) to be released after some time?"
(Question by SegaClubMusic)
Steve: You know, I’d not heard that. We’d actually created a Wonderboy model for SEGA Superstars Tennis but didn’t end up including it in the game in the end. If they’d have picked up the phone to SEGA earlier, we might have been able to do something there, but for now, the character roster is locked. 
Of course, the door is open for DLC, so maybe it’s a possibility for the future!
 
RS: "Will there be any cameos to other SEGA characters, like Ristar was in the Death Egg DLC track on the first racing game?"
(Question by BurningFlame2010)
Steve: Certainly! Anyone who’s played either SST or ASR will have seen we always try and cram in cameos wherever possible and this time is no exception. Incidentally, Ristar being in the Death Egg track and the NiGHTS flagman were completely the result of us seeing what fans were requesting as we were making the game, so we do try and pay attention!
 
RS: "Who's your favorite character to race as in Transformed so far?"
(Question by Knuckles Chaotix)
Steve: Out of the announced characters, probably Gilius. I’ve got a proper soft spot for the original Golden Axe and it was definitely a character and track we wanted to include in Transformed. My actual favourite is one we’ve not revealed which will be a massive fan pleaser, but you’ll need to wait to see what that one is!
 
 
RS: "Are there any other types of sports that the SEGA Superstars/All-Stars series could be in apart from tennis and racing?"
(Question by mtwinny)
Steve: Well… We’ve had loads of ideas for various types of game we could do. We get LOTS of request to do a SEGA Brawl-Stars, and certainly, this is something we’ve considered. You could go with any number of sports too I’m sure. What we want to do though is pick something that lets us really do cool things with the characters and surprise players. What if we put them all in Mechs and let them fight with each other. You could have a Sonic Mech and pull the arms off an Eggman Mech and beat him up with them! So yeah, there is no shortage of ideas – it’s just picking one that works!
 
RS: "Will we see a certain SEGA samurai girl of the Imperial Flower Division in a future All-Stars title?"
(Question by Kori-Maru)
Steve: Wow, someone knows their SEGA stuff! It’s always hard to say, as it very much depends on what the game is. You pick characters that can work within the context of what you’re doing. We get lots of requests for characters that haven’t appeared in a game released in the west, or games that were released a long time ago and really, that’s not a problem providing you think you can do something interesting to make a character relevant for the audience you’re trying to attract. We did indeed consider a Sakura Taisen character for Transformed for example, but with the tone of the game we’re making, and considering the type of vehicle it would probably need was already covered elsewhere, decided against it this time.
 
RS: Were you a SEGA fan before your collaboration with the company?
Steve: Yes. I’ve been in and around games for a long time, and for me, I grew up seeing SEGA making games in the arcade that were just out of this world. I think we’ve been a natural fit for each other, as for me SUMO also make games which would fit right into an arcade. I was really excited about OutRun2 and was following its development for arcade before we worked on it, so it was really a shock when we found it we’d be working on it!
 
RS: "What's your favourite SEGA game?"
(Question by ZonicZoneCop)
Steve: As before, for me it’s the SEGA holy trinity of OutRun, AfterBurner and Space Harrier. Don’t make me pick!

RS: SEGA fans can be pretty hardcore sometimes. I know you feel that and you have been kind enough to meet their "demands". I'm thinking about the NiGHTS campaign for the first game. How hard was it to include the purple jester in the game at that point of development?
Steve: It certainly wasn’t easy…! We were past the point we could add another playable character, so that was off the cards. However one problem we’d been trying to figure out was how to add some life to the start and end of a race. We had this ‘Euraka!’ moment that what we really needed was a flagman, and put two and two together. Of course, that still meant we had to get the character animated, approved and the code in to drive it, all whilst we were also supposed to be finishing the game. We pulled a few late nights and favours in to make it happen, and it very almost nearly got cut, but finally it made the game. Phew! 
 
RS: I'm sure you felt this move drew you closer to the fanbase. Was the love from NiGHTS fans what made you give NiGHTS and Reala a bigger part in the game this time?
Steve: Actually since OutRun2 both myself and other members of the team have tried to reach out and talk to the fans via the forums, at events and more. We’re conscious that we’ve got this huge legacy of SEGA games we’re drawing from and want to make sure we’re treating them in a respectful way. Part of that is gauging fan reactions, but we very much work closely with the people who worked on those original titles too. We really care about getting it right!
It certainly didn’t hurt that this time we could point to such a huge positive fan reaction from ASR when it came to deciding what was included. Certainly we weren’t going to miss NiGHTS out from being a playable choice, we really didn’t want to motivate another huge campaign!
 
RS: What about the future? Any plans for new projects after ASR Transformed is released?
Steve: Well, right now let us get this game out of the door! It’s been the most ambitious game we’ve done to date, specifically due to the amount of work the transformation has generated. For example, we’ve tripled the work per character and per track due to land, air and sea vehicles and routes! 
Then, as always, we’ll look to the future and decide what’s next. Once we’ve had a holiday! I think though that there is plenty of new and exciting things we could do with a combined cast of SEGA characters, we’ve hardly dipped below the surface of what is possible!
 
RS: "Are there any other games you'd wish you had a hand in developing?"
(Question by mtwinny)
Steve: I’m a pretty avid gamer and there are lots of games out there I love. My favourite still is the original Atari Star Wars with the vector graphics. If someone offered me chance to remake that in a complimentary way, I’d jump at it! 
 
RS: Finally, Steve, can you share with us your hobbies or interests? That is, if you have any free time at all!
Steve: Right now, free time is a bit of a luxury for me! However, when I’m not here I still very much love playing games in my free time. Outside of that it’s reading, drinking beer and riding motorbikes!
 
RS: Thank you for your time, Steve. We wish you and everyone at Sumo Digital all the best for Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed and all your other future endeavours! Feel free to join our message boards and check out the discussion going on about your upcoming game. We hope to hear more from you in the future.

16th August, 2012 - 00:34 GMT KC Article viewed 2691 times 0 Comments

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