Interview: Talking Whispering Willows’ PlayStation release with LOOT Interactive

GZ: LOOT Interactive recently announced its status as an independent game publisher. How has that transition been?

LOOT: It has been an amazing experience for all involved. We are very excited about our upcoming PlayStation releases, Whispering Willows, Velocibox, and Back to Bed, and can’t wait to branch out to Xbox with our first title coming this September.

GZ: Whispering Willows looks to be your first title released as an independent indie game publisher. Is there any added pressure with that, either on you or developer Night Light Interactive

LOOT: It is an exciting time for us. Whispering Willows is a great game that we are sure the PlayStation community will love to play. With Whispering Willows coming out first, followed by Velocibox and Back to Bed, we are 100% confident in our launch lineup. It’s a very strong slate of games. Each is unique, challenging, and accessible making them even more appealing to a diverse audience.

GZ: With the new consoles — PS4 and Xbox One — there’s been a tremendously big push for indie games. They are practically the backbone of the gaming industry now, filling the gap in between the blockbuster AAA title releases. Do you have any comment on the current state of the gaming industry, or where you see it going in the next few years?

LOOT: You are correct! Indie games are really starting to get the attention that they deserve. They are the really are the backbone of the industry. Our mission is to support and supply a consistent slate of great indie games for console audiences. We’re very excited to see all the growth in the indie gaming space and continue to actively search for the next great indie games for LOOT Interactive to publish.

GZ: What would you say indie games like Whispering Willows offer the everyday console player that they aren’t getting from, say, Call of Duty or Battlefield or any of the other traditional AAA games

LOOT: They are a breath of fresh air. Indie games can provide a refreshing type of challenge that is rarely seen in AAA games these days. They can also provide tremendous variety in terms of art style, gameplay mechanics and music – there seems to be an almost never-ending supply of creativity and innovation in indie games.

GZ: When it comes to publishing a game, how much input or control do you have on, say, the main character’s gender, race, etc. Or do you leave that completely up to the developer?

LOOT: We leave the game design in the hands of the developer, where it belongs. We focus on our core strengths: porting and publishing.

GZ: Just to be clear, Whispering Willows is releasing tomorrow on PS4 and PS Vita, but there are also plans to bring it to Xbox One, correct? Do we have a date for that?

LOOT: Whispering Willows will be available starting tomorrow, June 30 on PlayStation. Abstraction Games is publishing the Xbox One version of the game summer 2015.

GZ: And I also see that you are publishing two more games — Back to Bed and Velocibox — what can you say about these games?

LOOT: They are awesome. Both Velocibox and Back to Bed are highly rated and critically acclaimed. Players are going to love the challenging gameplay and unique visual experience that these indie games provide. Even though they are very different games, they share a common thread with each other and with Whispering Willows – like other LOOT Interactive titles, they all offer a uniquely challenging and memorable experience.

GZ: Before we wrap up, any last thing gamers should know about Whispering Willows, or any of your titles for that matter?

LOOT: All of our titles will have special PS+ prices and will be bundled with a limited-edition PS4 dynamic theme. It’s our little gift to the gamers who support our titles. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us! Keep your eyes out for more LOOT Interactive games coming to your consoles soon!

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As a reminder Whispering Willows will be available for PS4 and PS Vita tomorrow, June 30, as a PlayStation cross-buy with special discount pricing for PlayStation Plus members.

Ahead of tomorrow's release of Whispering Willows for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, we had the opportunity to talk with newly independent game publisher LOOT Interactive about Night Light Interactive's intriguing graphic adventure.

For those unfamiliar, Whispering Willows, released originally for PC and OUYA, will be making the transition to PlayStation platforms tomorrow. The game, which puts you in the role of young adventurer Elena Elkhorn, who must solve the mystery of her missing father by exploring the haunted Willows mansion, is described as a "classic" graphic adventure.

In our conversation with LOOT Interactive's Managing Director David Sterling we talk about how the gameplay translates to consoles, the publisher's recent transition to an independent game publisher, and what PlayStation gamers have to look forward to with Whispering Willow's release tomorrow.

GameZone (GZ): Whispering Willows has been out for about a year now on PC, and most of the user reviews on Steam are positive, what can console players expect out of the game when it launches?

LOOT Interactive Managing Director, David Sterling (LOOT): To enhance and improve the already great gameplay for users, Whispering Willows has been completely remastered to play at 60 frames per second in 1080p resolution, to ensure that the PlayStation audience gets the best experience possible. We also took advantage of the PlayStation’s light, sound, and rumble controller features to really heighten the player experience while playing Whispering Willows. The PlayStation version will also have its own dynamic theme separately available with the purchase of this cross-buy.

GZ: As a game developed first for the OUYA and PC, how has the transition to consoles been? Do you feel the gameplay translates well to consoles?

LOOT: The transition from PC to PlayStation has been a great experience. The game’s colorful art style lends itself really well to a big-screen experience and the gameplay works great on PlayStation controllers.

GZ: How about gameplay on the Vita?

LOOT: It is a great Vita game! We knew the Vita community was going to be excited about Whispering Willows but the response has been overwhelming.

GZ: Is the decision to support Cross-Buy between the PS4 and Vita a mutual decision between LOOT and Sony, or is it something they really try to push on developers? What would you, as a publisher, say the benefit to cross-buy is?

LOOT: Everyone should support cross buy. We will always provide cross buy functionality whenever possible. It is a great feature and provides significant added value to players.

GZ: So often you see games these days emphasize action and utilize big set pieces. Whispering Willows takes a much different approach, with a heavy focus on exploration and puzzle-solving. How do you think the console crowd will respond to this sort of classic graphic adventure gameplay?

Answer: There is a reason why people refer to this type of adventure gameplay as “classic.” People have loved this kind of game since the beginning of games and we are certain they will love it again. Whispering Willows has all the elements of the classic graphical adventure game – exploration, challenging puzzles, memorable characters, and a cohesive story that ties together the entire experience. It’s incredibly well done (if we do say so ourselves!) and will give players an immersive and unique experience.

GZ: Whispering Willows is very uniquely stylized, which is actually what caught my attention. What sort of inspiration went into its design?

LOOT: The artwork in Whispering Willows was inspired by classic animated motion pictures as well as traditional Japanese anime style. All of the game’s artwork has been hand-painted.