Five members of 2K Marin took to Reddit to answer questions about The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. When the topic turned to the early news that it would be an FPS, their answer was simple – the game was announced too early.
Most people were pretty upset when news and images emerged that XCOM was going first person. Erik Caponi, lead narrative designer explained:
Game development is a process. You don’t have an idea, plonk it down, and then build what you had in your head. You try things. You see what works. You put stuff on the screen and see how it plays. It’s something that non-developers don’t realize. For everything you see on the screen in a shipping game, there was a TON of stuff that was tried and thrown away.
So, the interesting thing about the history of the earlier version of The Bureau, is that you guys got to see behind the curtain a bit and see some of that sausage being made. The game (and full disclosure, that version of it was before my time here), was announced too early, before the process had really been seen through to the best and most credible version of the game.
However, despite the change in approach, it has taken a long time for people to accept the new, true nature of The Bureau. Nik Karlsson, senior product manager explained:
In 2010 and 2011 the devs were still fine tuning the concept for what an XCOM shooter really is. It’s hard to consistently tell fans what to expect of a game when the concept for that game is still being baked. Once we knew The Bureau was a very challenging, very tactical, very calculated third-person shooter we went to work telling the world about it. I feel like we’ve finally overcome the education hurdle that was in front of us, for the most part people understand that this game is no longer a FPS, and it’s no longer a detective game, it’s a tactical third-person shooter that’s reflective of the core XCOM tenants.
It turns out fans and gaming press really dig our 1960s cold war setting, our original gameplay mechanics, and the XCOM origin story that we’re telling. We captured those aspects of The Bureau in our recent live action video series with Dominic Monaghan and that enthusiasm for The Bureau has spread and become contagious.
I wonder if we won’t be seeing similar problems for games and development in the future. We are all so desperate for news about the games we know and love, development houses must feel it as a constant demand for information. Unfortunately, this can lock down elements early on in the development cycle, instead of giving studios the freedom to experiment with a variety of approaches and styles.
XCOM was able to break free, but how many other developers are stuck with ideas that don’t actually work that well. As much as I want new news, pictures and videos for games I love, it’s not always the best idea to peak behind the curtain.
Last Updated: August 19, 2013
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 12:08
Strange, being a premature article, I thought Darryl would have to write it?
Lardus-Respect the beard
August 19, 2013 at 12:31
Premature Artic-ulation?
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 12:34
Are you also expert on this?
Lardus-Respect the beard
August 19, 2013 at 12:36
Lol you bugger. No I am not. Tantra rules
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 12:39
Don’t you need a partner for that?
Lardus-Respect the beard
August 19, 2013 at 13:13
Multiplayer is more fun, but it is not limited in any way as to number of players.
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 13:14
Haha, your brain is a strange strange place Lardus.
*smiles and waves*
Zoe
August 19, 2013 at 13:15
single player and multi-player campaigns?
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 13:18
Now how did I know you were going to jump in on this….
Zoe
August 19, 2013 at 13:20
😛 you guys had me at tantra 😉
Lardus-Respect the beard
August 19, 2013 at 13:28
With a persistent environment and full RPG play styles available.
RinceThisandbacktoreality
August 19, 2013 at 13:21
You do? 0-O #alwaysalone
Lardus-Respect the beard
August 19, 2013 at 13:26
No. No you don’t. #currentlyalone
RinceThisandbacktoreality
August 19, 2013 at 13:36
Shame boet. You know, when someone is in need, I usually offer them a hand… Perhaps not this time though 0-O
Lardus-Respect the beard
August 19, 2013 at 13:43
The image…I am scarred for life!
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 13:46
WHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
RinceThisandbacktoreality
August 19, 2013 at 13:50
What’s wrong with my hands?!
Lardus-Respect the beard
August 19, 2013 at 13:58
Brilliant!!
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 14:32
Moonlights as a circumcision freelancer
Kromas
August 19, 2013 at 12:20
I heard Half Life 3 Episode 1 will have a dog (no not Dog but a dog silly) and destructible buildings, oh and it will be a strategy game.
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 12:23
Janee Half -Life Dog >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any other dog
Lardus-Shepard Incarnate
August 19, 2013 at 12:30
I do not have much interest in XCom Declassified, but I do hope it is a success. Maybe I will check out some vids/screenies closer to release. I am however eagerly awaiting news of Enemy Within!
RinceThisandbacktoreality
August 19, 2013 at 12:35
Man I am so looking forward to this! Loved Xcom. Was a pity when the mate (andre116) I wanted to challenge this weekend was too busy hiding under his table to actually accept the challenge… trololol
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 12:54
I’ll accept….oh wait, inferior system (and tactics)
😛
RinceThisandbacktoreality
August 19, 2013 at 12:59
You shut it you. Your strategy would entail sending a picture of your LG t-shirt, and while I whimper away, you’d sniper my ass off. That is NOT in Tzun Tzu’ The Art of War!
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 13:03
Ah, but war is war young grasshopper
Unavengedavo
August 19, 2013 at 13:06
War, war never changes…
Andre116
August 19, 2013 at 13:03
Excuse me?? We had a date set up for Saturday night. All I got Saturday night when I was looking for you guys was OVG who was stuck in perpetual limbo in Borderlands. No movement…nothing.
RinceThisandbacktoreality
August 19, 2013 at 13:21
That is odd. We were playing Borderlands till 9 waiting for you. Werner tried entering 10 times but said he was bounced, I couldn’t even get him over voice chat in live. I was waiting for you man, I even had a chilled tub of lube for after our session 😉 OVG is finally on lv 44 now, wants to try finish on Sat. I’m telling you this so you have time to work on a better excuse 😉 trololo! BOOM!
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 13:22
Get a room you guys 😛
RinceThisandbacktoreality
August 19, 2013 at 13:23
I tried man, I tried…
Unavengedavo
August 19, 2013 at 13:28
“Werner tried entering 10 times”…. “I even had a chilled tub of lube”…
Sounds like they had a fun weekend…
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 19, 2013 at 13:46
HAHAHAHA, indeed, indeed
Anon A Mouse
August 19, 2013 at 12:37
The only curtain to peak behind is the shower curtain. That is all….
Unavengedavo
August 19, 2013 at 13:02
…
Zoe
August 19, 2013 at 13:11
wow. no. just no!
Unavengedavo
August 19, 2013 at 13:14
…
Edit: Blerrie picture wouldn’t load!!
Unavengedavo
August 19, 2013 at 13:14
,,,
Zoe
August 19, 2013 at 13:15
at least make him pretty 😉
Unavengedavo
August 19, 2013 at 13:16
…
Zoe
August 19, 2013 at 13:18
i’m never sleeping again. this picture will haunt my nightmares!
Unavengedavo
August 19, 2013 at 13:20
Be careful what you wish for 😛
JHN
August 19, 2013 at 14:58
A part of me just died seeing that image
Unavengedavo
August 19, 2013 at 15:04
I’m sure E.T. can heal you… What did he say again? I believe it was “ouch”?
CrasH
August 19, 2013 at 12:55
So Xcom Declasified is now just like the one before with a differant camera Angle…
And instead of having turns, the enemy will attack most probibly like when they tried to make FF a semi real-time game… (and FF failed… hard)
btw, if you liked the Xcom before this one then you will like shadowrunner.