by NorseGamer, HSM Editor-in-Chief

Let’s be honest for a moment: who doesn’t like spaceships and explosions?

Yes, there’s no sound in space. Yes, there are no aerodynamic forces in space (lift, drag, et cetera). Yes, war is horrible. We know all of this. And yet we all watch and rewatch the space battles from our favorite science-fiction movies and television shows until the buttons are worn out on our Blu-Ray players. All of us, ALL OF US, want to be Alex Rogan going up against the Ko-Dan Armada.

(For you kids out there who are reading this, Google “Death Blossom” and realize just how incomplete your life was before being exposed to The Last Starfighter. Go ahead, I’ll wait.)

I’ve made no secret of my fondness for Novus Prime. For a game that looks like something Ambrosia Software would have come out with ten years ago — a game I wouldn’t give a second glance at if I saw it on the shelf at the local Gamestop — I’ve spent quite an appreciable sum of money on it in Home. All the various boosters, paint jobs, extra weapons…you name it. And it does prove an interesting point:

Some games are inherently better in Home.

And now, barely three months after Novus Prime’s release, it has already been updated. This, to me, is particularly impressive: it shows that the developer, Hellfire Games, is well and truly committed to continuous improvement. Some Home spaces, no matter how initially exciting, end up languishing and forgotten because they fail to offer anything new to continuously re-attract their target audience. It would appear that that is most definitely not the case here.

HomeStation Magazine talked for a little bit with Hellfire Games to get some information on the Novus Prime: Escalation release, as well as what the future might hold beyond that.

HSM: As we understand it, Novus Prime was originally conceived as a PSN title. Why the shift to PlayStation Home?

Hellfire Games: We always wanted to make Novus Prime an online social game. PlayStation Home is a great platform for that kind of game, and it allows us to keep making rapid updates with new content that our fans ask for.

HSM: There’s a wonderful “Attack on Caprica City” feel to the original Novus Prime trailer. What were some of the inspirations behind the game itself?

Hellfire: Some inspirational games for Novus Prime include Star Control, Continuum/Subspace, and World of Warcraft. We’ve always planned on delivering a multiplayer sci-fi action experience with RPG and MMO elements.

HSM: Novus Prime is one of the most successful games in the history of Home; it’s also notable for being a truly multiplayer experience. How close to its original concept is the final product?

Hellfire: Pretty close. I’d say once we add PvP that all of the pieces of the original concept would be there. We were lucky to be able to launch with fairly limited content, gather feedback from the initial community, and continue to build Novus Prime into the social sci-fi experience it is today.

HSM: Hellfire Games made a very savvy business move by selling virtual items which allowed users to perform what previously was only possible via glitching: antigravity manuevers within the public space. Did this require extensive re-programming of the physics within the Novus Prime space?

Hellfire: We originally intended to have zero-gravity floating possible within the station, but we decided against it for the first version. The glitch proved that there was a strong desire to float inside. There wasn’t much re-programming of the physics for that update.

HSM: What are some notable elements of the Novus Prime personal estate?

Hellfire: First off, it comes with zero-gravity, which you can do throughout the whole personal space. Also, you can acquire the private hangar where you can play Novus Prime privately with your friends, use the workshop, show off your ship, and check your own leaderboard display.

HSM: How, if at all, has Home community feedback shaped or affected elements of Novus Prime’s Escalation enhancements, product deployments and newer designs?

Hellfire: We’re always talking to our players on forums, through Facebook and Twitter, and in the game itself. The fans have new ideas every day, and we take those suggestions very seriously. A lot of content choices in Escalation came directly from the community, and some that we already had planned were validated before the details ever went public. We polled our forums on what players wanted most in the next update, and new missions and a personal space were by far the most popular choices. Those two areas were our main focus with Novus Prime: Escalation, so we knew we were on the right track!

HSM: A life cycle for a game (and related products) released inside a virtual world is potentially much more long-term than a conventional game release. This major update and expansion comes one fiscal quarter after the initial release. When do you roughly foresee the next major update approaching?

Hellfire: We strive to release updates every month, and major updates every few months.

HSM: Moving beyond Novus Prime for a moment: what plans, if any, does Hellfire Games have to further expand its influence in Home?

Hellfire: Nothing to announce yet, but we see ourselves working on the Home platform for a long time.

I’d like to thank both Ben Lewis, Hellfire Games’ Marketing/Community Manager, and Jeff Posey, Hellfire’s President, for taking time out of their busy schedules and being incredibly generous with their time to talk with HomeStation Magazine about Novus Prime and their plans for the future. Needless to say, we at HSM are extremely confident that Novus Prime: Escalation will yield some very handsome financial returns for Hellfire Games, and rightfully so: the game itself is a wonderfully immersive experience.

If you have not yet experienced Novus Prime in Home, we highly encourage you to do so; it truly is one of the most entertaining activities in Home to enjoy.

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