Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights - Interview
YouGamers: Customization is a great part of the game. Vinyls, parts, rims, and all the cool stuff you can't put on your standard sedan because you'll end up as a lame "Vin-Diesel-wannabe". What will we be able to change? Will they affect the gameplay somehow (reputations, stuff like that)? Clarkson: We've over 250 after-parts brands in the game so you can imagine the number of different styles of cars you can create. You can change body parts, wheels, lights, wing mirrors, spoilers, seats, steering wheels, number-plates and so on. You can paint you car with some really cool finishes - I particularly like the flaked paintwork. Then there is a huge library of decals to decorate your car. You can layer up to 50 decals on your car, resizing and stretching them to suit your needs - it's like a powerful art package! Ultimately customizing your car raises its value and you can make good money either selling the car or the paint job online. Of course you'll also get noticed if you have a supercool car but reputations are ultimately made by what you do on the track
YouGamers: One of the coolest (and most overlooked) feature of the first Juiced was the ability to "control" the other members of your team: simple but effective commands could really change the outcome of the race. Will this feature still be presented in J2? Did you improve it and if so, how? Clarkson: Yeah I thought it was cool, too! This time around it's a similar set up except we've included the Driver DNA feature. Players can now download their friends DNA profiles and use them as their crew members. You can take your entire career mode online, and your friends can actually race as part of your crew in the online version!
YouGamers: Another cool feature of Juiced was the betting system, where you could bet tons of cash or even your pink slip. You decided to move this feature online, so how will it work? Will it still be possible to place a bet in single player mode and to bet without driving (that was pretty funny as well)? Clarkson: The online and offline career modes are completely separate. This allows us to maintain a balanced online game with no way to cheat. The betting system is still in there both for money or pink slips. At the beginning of each race drivers will have the opportunity to make their bets and then the payouts are decided at the end of each race. Spectator betting is cool, too. At the beginning or a race each driver will be rated according to their Driver DNA and the car they are driving. Up to 1000 spectators can watch the race and place bets up until the last lap. Betting odds change in real-time according to how the drivers are performing. Once the race is completed all payouts are made. This can mean that online players can use their skill and judgement to earn money without even having to race themselves, it's really cool!
YouGamers: What versions are you working on? Are you considering cross-platform matches (i.e. Windows vs Xbox 360)? Clarkson: We are working on six versions - PlayStation3, PlayStation2, PSP, Nintendo DS, PC and Xbox360. More details to come!!
YouGamers: In the past few days THQ announced a deal with Double Fusion to introduce in-game ads. Will be Juiced 2 one of the titles that will "benefit" from the deal? What do you think about this whole "integrated ad system" idea which apparently seems to drive the suits crazy? Clarkson: We're always looking to recreate the most realistic track environment possible, so we aim to have the sorts of trackside advertising you would expect at such an event in real-life. On the formats where these can be made dynamic, we can make sure that the ads are always really up to date, and reflect the latest products and entertainment, so it's always fresh and relevant.
And there you have it - the next Juiced title in a nutshell. YouGamers would like to sincerely thank Nick Clarkson for taking time out of his busy schedule for this interview. Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights is currently scheduled for release in Autumn 2007 and once again, THQ are handling the publishing duties. All images in this article are the sole property of THQ and Juice Games. If you would like to comment on this interview or discuss the game further, please head over to our discussion board - click right here (registration not required).
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