SSX Blur: On Groove Gameplay and music integration

Currently in the works at EA Sports Big’s labs is SSX Blur, the kickass snowboarding title hailed as one of the most-anticipated sports titles to come out for the Wii. We’ve already given you tons of screens and gameplay vids but because we still have a long way to go ’til February 27, we’re gonna bring you even more info and screens to prep you for when you finally get your hands on the game.

1up was recently able to catch up with Eric Chartrand, EA’s lead designer, to talk about the Groove Gameplay and how music will be integrated in the gameplay (much like Def Jam: Icon, I presume). So whaddya say we stop dilly-dallying right about now and bring you the gist of the interview, eh?

• The music is linked directly to gameplay wherein every track has five layers that can be arranged on top of each other. The better your performance, the more layers are combined. The Groove Meter is sync’d with this and will serve as a visual reminder of your performance. Once the Groove Meter is full, you’ll be able to pull off an uber trick.
• Chartrand says, “…filling your groove meter, and thus increasing the complexity and depth of the music — is at the core of the gameplay, but it is not the driving factor.”
• Unlike in Def Jam where the music defines your gameplay, it works the other way around in SSX Blur. As Chartrand also explains, “The difficulty of tricks you land, and completing the course with speed etc. are all ways to fill your groove meter and thus pump up the music.”

More game info and screens at the Full Article!

Currently in the works at EA Sports Big’s labs is SSX Blur, the kickass snowboarding title hailed as one of the most-anticipated sports titles to come out for the Wii. We’ve already given you tons of screens and gameplay vids but because we still have a long way to go ’til February 27, we’re gonna bring you even more info and screens to prep you for when you finally get your hands on the game.

1up was recently able to catch up with Eric Chartrand, EA’s lead designer, to talk about the Groove Gameplay and how music will be integrated in the gameplay (much like Def Jam: Icon, I presume). So whaddya say we stop dilly-dallying right about now and bring you the gist of the interview, eh?

• The music is linked directly to gameplay wherein every track has five layers that can be arranged on top of each other. The better your performance, the more layers are combined. The Groove Meter is sync’d with this and will serve as a visual reminder of your performance. Once the Groove Meter is full, you’ll be able to pull off an uber trick.
• Chartrand says, “…filling your groove meter, and thus increasing the complexity and depth of the music — is at the core of the gameplay, but it is not the driving factor.”
• Unlike in Def Jam where the music defines your gameplay, it works the other way around in SSX Blur. As Chartrand also explains, “The difficulty of tricks you land, and completing the course with speed etc. are all ways to fill your groove meter and thus pump up the music.”
• Unfortunately, no, you won’t be able to provide your own soundtrack for the game via the Wii’s SD card functionality. Chartrand says that this is because the music’s integration into the gameplay is complex so it would be better if the tracks all follow certain gameplay guidelines.

Well there ya go. Those were basically the major points made in the interview, but if you wanna check out the full interview yourself, you can find the link to the 1up article below. And as promised, here are the new screens you can ogle at while waiting for the game.

Via 1up