Inside the Developers Studio: Hermen Hulst

1. What game do you have at E3 this year?
We are very excited to be presenting Killzone 2 this year.

2. Describe it in five words or less.
Killzone 2 is a Hostile Theatre of war where every hit has a dramatic impact (sorry, Killzone is just too big for five words).

3. Tell me about the game, what’s the story?
It’s two years later and the ISA are invading the Helghast home planet of Helghan. The goal is to capture the Helghast leader and bring the war machine to a halt.

4. What did you do on this game that you couldn’t do on another platform?
For us, we need a great deal of processing power to make our vision come to life. The PS3 really allows us to build Killzone 2 on a grand scale with a level of detail that is truly eye-catching, and something that we knew we could do, but needed the source of raw horsepower to make it happen. To give you an example, our character models on screen use the same amount of polygons as an entire level of Killzone on PS2.

5. What do you think is the coolest aspect of this game?
One cool thing to note is that we can now do many of the things we envisioned when we were creating the original Killzone. The PS3 hardware really gives us much more freedom in the development process. In my opinion though, at the end of the day, the thing I think about as a coolest aspect of the game really is the iconic Helghast image with the glowing eyes (as you can see in the screen above).

6. If you could sit one person in front of your game for an hour, who would it be?
No big names really, I would most like to see the game in the hands of our fans. We want Joe six pack to play the game and beg for more time with it than just one hour. We’re really looking forward to getting our fans’ reaction to the game.

7. What game do you most want an hour to sit in front of yourself (besides your own)?
Probably Resident Evil 5, I’ve always been a fan of that franchise.

8. How many E3’s does E3 2007 mark for you?
This is my 10th. I’m very happy to see this change in the format this year. There should be much less noise and an overall better experience for attendees.

9. Describe the pre-2007 E3 experience in five words or less.
Again, it’s impossible to do this in under five words. My pre-E3 experience has left me buried in our project. Now that E3 is here, it feels like I’m about to get out of a very long tunnel. It will also be nice to get re-acquainted with my wife.

10. You are asked to make suggestions for an E3 survival kit- what three items HAVE to be included?
For us, E3 is all about exchanging an umbrella and coat for a nice pair of shades. Our team loves to adopt the California gear: sunglasses, flip flops and a nice convertible.

11. What advice would you have for someone who has never experienced E3?
It is a very inspirational time for us as well as everyone who is a fan of games. E3 is where many great teams get together to show off a variety of amazing products. So my advice is to enjoy every single minute of it…it’s a great rush when you get to see some of the very best work from each of the companies involved.

12. Describe what you anticipate from 2007’s newly formatted E3 in five words or less.
I believe this new format for E3 will really allow for more tailored, intimate and customized experiences. A prime example is the event we did tonight for Killzone 2.

13. What’s your favorite part about developing games for a living?
It is definitely the people. I enjoy working with the wide range of talent we have, including extreme creative types as well as the analytic, technical members of our team. It is this collaborative process that magically comes together during each project, allowing us to bring our vision to life.