H1Z1 is being developed at a breathtaking pace for a project of its size. But can something developed that quickly really be good?
In the dev blog of the zombie MMO H1Z1 , veteran Jeff Jonas introduced himself and his work on SOE’s DayZ rival this time. Jonas has been involved with Sony Online Entertainment for 16 years on various projects, mostly as an artist, or in simpler terms, as a graphic designer.
At SOE, he has already worked on the classic Star Wars Galaxies, and then on Everquest 2. Before his time at SOE, he worked for SEGA and contributed to titles like Ren&Stimpy and Vectorman. The first game Jonas worked on was Super Off Road: The Baja, back for the SNES. That was developed in 1993, more than twenty years ago.
Players will be able to swap armor for speed with cars in H1Z1
In H1Z1, Jonas is primarily responsible for the cars and is particularly proud of the off-roader. At some point, there should also be the possibility to modify the vehicles, such as swapping speed for sturdier armor. But that’s still a future prospect; for now, Jonas is focusing on ensuring that the planned features function properly.
Speaking of music: besides the off-roader, a guitar is the piece of art he is most proud of in H1Z1. He designed it in honor of longtime colleague John Roy, who passed away during the development of H1Z1. The guitar can also be used as a “bludgeon”, as many guitarists refer to their instrument.
Restructuring aims to ensure quality despite haste
At the end of the post, Jonas allows for an unusual perspective for a dev blog. He is also curious whether it will be possible to develop something that lasts in such a short time, something that is a “win”, as Jonas says.
The conditions for that seem to be in place: the team brings an interesting mix of various professionals into the development. And they have shifted from a rather sluggish structure at SOE to an agile and flexible design concept.
A taste of what H1Z1 will really be like will be available to players on January 15. Then the game will enter early access on PC and via Steam. Playstation 4 players will have to wait a bit longer.
