Hustle Kings developer interview

Hustle Kings developer VooFoo discusses hustling in stereoscopic 3D with PlayStation Move.

How do you use PlayStation Move in Hustle Kings and in what ways has it enhanced the game experience?

PlayStation Move lends itself really well to Hustle Kings, as we are able to mimic the cueing action you'd use in real life. We did have to tweak this a bit to get it just right, but it really does add that extra element of realism and immersion to the game. It feels very natural to take shots like this. With PlayStation Move, cue power is determined by how fast you push through the cue ball, which is far more intuitive than the standard power meter.

What was the coolest and most fun aspect of enhancing Hustle Kings with PlayStation Move?

Play testing! We always feel that if we can have lots of fun playing our games, then so can everybody else. The PlayStation Move motion controller does make for a really fun pool experience, and somehow makes playing the game with friends more social.

In what ways does PlayStation Move help get more people involved and engaged in Hustle Kings?

PlayStation Move allows us to bring real pool and virtual pool closer together by offering the control mechanism you'd use in real pool. This makes the game far more accessible to a wider audience, and offers non-gamers the opportunity to pick up and play Hustle Kings with ease.

How will the use of 3D enhance the gaming experience of Hustle Kings?

Again, enabling 3D in Hustle Kings has really added that extra sense of immersion, and allows you to really feel as though you are there, standing in the classy pool hall.

What was the most surprising change that you experienced when you implemented 3D enhancements in Hustle Kings?

The implementation of 3D support into Hustle Kings was pretty trivial, considering the impact it has on the visuals. It's amazing how such a small change can make the pool environments jump out at you and make them feel so alive and real.

What new elements will the Carom & UK Table Pack and other new packs bring to the game?

Carom is a very different type of billiards to your regular pool and snooker, so it offers a completely new angle on the game. It is a challenging game, so I'm really looking forward to playing against the online community. We're also including a UK pub-sized pool table, which is what many people have asked us for - but we're not limiting this to just UK pool, you can play any type of pool on there, but with UK-sized balls.

We're also bringing out a load more trick shots and ball sets, some more cues and even a couple of PlayStation Network avatars.

Why is Hustle Kings suited to new technologies such as PlayStation Move and 3D?

Hustle Kings is already a realistic pool experience. Technologies such as PlayStation Move and 3D allow us to elaborate on this realism. Being based on such a well known pastime, many players already have certain expectations of a pool game before even playing it, and both of these technologies allow us to push the boundaries to exceed these expectations. It's all about being able to bridge the gap between the virtual and physical worlds, and enabling the player to feel more immersed within the virtual environment.

Do you think the inclusion of PlayStation Move and 3D helps bring Hustle Kings closer to the real thing and allows your skills to be transferable to real pool?

Absolutely! The addition of 3D and PlayStation Move helps to bridge that gap between Hustle Kings and the real thing. With the incredibly realistic physics engine in Hustle Kings, it's always been the case that techniques learnt in the game can be used in real pool, and I know I've certainly taken advantage of that! The added realism of taking shots offered by the PlayStation Move motion controller makes this transition feel much more natural.

How good is the community at the game?

You only need to look at the online leaderboards to see that there are lots of incredibly good players out there. I've always considered myself to be pretty good at Hustle Kings - as one of the developers I clearly should be, but there are certainly some very challenging games to be had online. It's also really cool to see all of the snazzy shots being pulled off online, and there are now lots of these in the uploaded YouTube videos.

Can we expect more downloadable content?

We have always paid close attention to what the community are saying, and will continue to release downloads for Hustle Kings for as long as there is demand for it. I still feel there is a lot more we can do with Hustle Kings, so watch this space!