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Behind the scenes of MotoGP 17
Join us as we talk to developer Milestone to find out what it takes to create the world’s best two-wheeled racing game.
MotoGP 17 hit the shops this month, bringing the thrills and spills of the world’s most loved two-wheeled racing series to the comfort of your own home. Granted, without the risk to life and limb it’ll never be quite the same as the real thing, but developers Milestone have done a sterling job regardless, making MotoGP 17 a must-play for bike and racing fans alike.
What actually went into the development of MotoGP 17, and how does it differ from older versions of the MotoGP franchise and indeed its rivals? We’ve been chatting to Michele Caletti, lead programmer of MotoGP 17, to find out why MotoGP and racing fans should be excited.
What have you learned from previous bike racing games, and how did it help to make MotoGP 17 a better game?
Caletti: We are constantly trying to improve the basics: physics, AI, sound and graphics. We listen to fans, run playtesting sessions and follow our own taste to give players a feeling that nobody will likely accomplish in reality: riding a MotoGP bike in a Grand Prix.
But this is just the beginning; it's not only about improving, it's also matter of finding a way to make the game interesting year after year. So, in 2016 there was Valentino Rossi, his entourage, his racing life outside of MotoGP. In 2017, the focus changes completely. What about running your own team, improving performance, researching components, hiring riders and crew members, choosing your bike and sponsor? The sport is the same, but the attitude is 100 percent changed.
Has much changed behind the scenes? Is it literally a case of tweaking the liveries for the different bikes, or has there been a more major rework under the hood?
There's always room for improvement, and every year we try to provide a better experience. Some changes in handling might seem small, but we're almost in the 'alchemy' field, just like real riders. A one percent change might alter the overall feeling, and moving in one direction can have unexpected results. Sometimes it's just like developing and testing real bikes.
How much input do the MotoGP teams have? Do you work closely with them to ensure the handling and performance characteristics are as close to real life as possible?
MotoGP bikes are true prototypes so direct data access is limited. That said, we have tons of data to work on, like speed, leaning angle, the gear for each turn of a given track. And many riders of all three categories have tested the game year after year, confirming that the riding model is really spot-on. This year we concentrated on refining some details and making the bike reactions more intuitive, thanks also to the 60 frames per second on Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
Does it make any difference who you pick as a rider? Are different racing styles noticeable? Is there a difference if you pick a smaller, lighter rider, for example?
The actual difference is small, even in reality. What's more evident is the skill set that’s modeled for each rider in Managerial Career, even for the player. Training and experience will make you improve – focus on your weaknesses if you want to become a winner.
Tell us about the lengths you guys have gone to recreate real-world locations – how much detail goes into each track?
Tons of detail goes into track creation. From the yellow flowers in the grass areas of Jerez to the complex up and down flow at Mugello, when we create or update a track we use thousands of pictures, CAD layouts and other sources to recreate the tracks at their best.
Have you had input from any racing pros? What have they brought to the table?
Over the years we've had feedback from Rossi (he's also a player, so his indications are twice as good!), Lorenzo, Aleix Espargaro and Mattia Pasini. I had Colin Edwards sitting at my desk – although regrettably I couldn't get on his bike – which was one of the most amazing moments doing this job.
Leading the pack in MotoGP
© Milestone
We recorded all the bikes in Valencia, at the end of the 2016 season, the only moment where it's possible to do so, because it's a potentially damaging procedure.
How did you guys go about capturing audio for each and every bike in the game? How authentic can you say you are with the engine noises and bike sounds?
Audio is one of the major improvements for MotoGP 17. We recorded all the bikes in Valencia, at the end of the 2016 season, the only moment where it's possible to do so, because it's a potentially damaging procedure. We make them run on a test bench, so they can rev a lot with a real load applied, and we record them. We changed the system we use to assemble the samples, moving to Rev, which is based on granular synthesis. Even if you don't care about the tech details, listen to the results; we're super happy with the fidelity we've reached.
60FPS gameplay is a huge target for many developers and gamers alike for buttery smooth gameplay; what made you want to hit this target, and what technical challenges did you face when trying to hit that magic number?
We wanted to bring the same silk-smooth experience that PC gamers can enjoy to console. At twice the frame rate, everything is different; you can have quicker reactions, you have more input from the bike and you start doing things that were not possible before. Now you can keep the bike on the edge of power drifting, being in total control while you come out of fast corners. Even braking is more intuitive.
To achieve that, we've tried to avoid reducing the graphics detail, and it took several months to get the job done. We've optimized parallel computing, shaved off milliseconds after milliseconds, and the result is more than 30 bikes on track at 60fps. We're very proud of it!
What was the reaction to the eSports Championship in May? Will you be running the event again next year?
The reactions have been very positive; it's something the gaming community is totally ready for. It's a long-term program so we'll take this year as a starting point – we're looking for our own recipe for entertaining both players and MotoGP lovers, and to create a new way to look at it.
What weren’t you able to include in MotoGP 17 that you would have liked to?
Everyone in the dev team has their own little obsession. That doesn't mean it's something that would be meaningful for all the players, though. Personally, I’d like to see a dedicated motorbike controller on the market, and to have it supported in our titles. Never say never.
MotoGP 17 is on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Was Nintendo Switch ever a consideration for the game? What about for next year?
MotoGP 17 is the last title made with our in-house engine. Future titles might also be available on Switch, thanks to the support of Unreal Engine, so it's something possible from the next year on.
The development kits for Switch have been available during the late development phase of MotoGP, thus all the assets and game modes have been created without Switch in mind. Porting it now would end up with something that would not satisfy us and our users. We prefer to concentrate our efforts on building a great Switch version for the next chapter of the series.
Marc Marquez on the Repsol Honda
© Milestone
Does the game take advantage of the extra power of PS4 Pro at all? Will you patch it for Xbox One X?
Yes it does. On PS4 Pro it runs at a higher resolution, 2560x1440, and has some added detail on the bikes. Also, we're patching it quite soon to enhance HDR and introduce downsampling on PS4 Pro with non-4K TVs. It's a bit early to talk about Xbox One X, but it would be a good way to get used to the new hardware and give something nice to early adopters.
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