TRON 2.0 is the present-day sequel to the 1982 cult film classic that wasa landmark of computerized graphical ingenuity. TRON® 2.0, is a story-driven, first-person action game that propels the player into an alternate universe inside a computer. As Jet Bradley (son of the original films hero Alan Bradley) you will combat digital opponents using guns, rods, grenades, missiles, and the iconic TRON disc. Combining the best of the genre with a truly innovative look and breakthrough game play, TRON 2.0 delivers an adventure unlike any other. It will take PC gaming to a new level with intense action, intense and deadly battles, and high-speed light cycle races.

Key Features

• First-person, story-driven action shooter game featuring over 30 levels of game play
• Lightning-fast, action-packed 3rd person light cycle racing on mind-bending Game Grids
• Six new weapons, including the updated disc that 'slices and dices' virtual enemies
• Stunning next generation 3D graphics rendered by the ALL NEW, state-of-the-art, LithTech(tm) Triton System
• Incredible new high-tech locations, including: a Personal Computer, Power Router, Internet Hub, Infected Server, Arena Games.
• New light cycles, re-designed by Syd Mead, world famous film concept designer (TRON, Blade Runner and Aliens).
• Up to 16 people can play in expansive team-based multi-player levels
• New visually stunning 'TRON glow' effect designed for TRON 2.0 by nVidia
• Innovative character-customizing system with weapons, shields, gadgets and modifiers, that players use to equip and fine-tune their character.
• Developed by multi-award winning Monolith Productions.

GCM:	Please start us off by introducing yourself and telling us about the team behind TRON 2.0.
Frank Rooke:	My name is Frank Rooke. I was the lead game designer on the TRON 2.0 project. During the production of TRON 2.0, the team consisted of roughly twenty core individuals, plus the invaluable people from our in-house audio, music and motion capture departments.

GCM:	TRON tapped into our fascination with/fear of technology and its possibilities. Of course, we’ve come a long way since then and the general public’s technical understanding and concerns have become far more complex. How has TRON evolved to reflect these changes?
Frank Rooke:	Over the years, the public’s fascination towards computers has diminished greatly. In the end this was not really a problem for us. In fact, we took advantage of how well educated the public has become regarding computers. We liberally used techie analogies and metaphors without the fear of people not getting it.

GCM:

TRON is now 20 years old. Aside from making many of us feel a hundred years old, this fact also means that there are many gamers who have never seen or the movie. For these gamers, what has been to ensure TRON 2.0 is both fun and that its story is accessible and engrossing?

Frank Rooke:

For those who either do not remember the film or have never seen it, the game story was constructed in such a way that it reintroduces the two core premises of the TRON universe—the digitizing of a human into the computer and a society of programs that operates under the same social structure as we do. Beyond that, the game is a logical next step to the movie, introducing new characters, expanding the environments visually, and generally making the overall presentation a contemporary one. It was important to please the fans of the film but also capture the imagination of a wider audience.

GCM:

With the NOLF series, Monolith has certainly gained experience in delivering highly stylized games with well-formed characters. However, TRON 2.0 seems like it must have demanded a great deal more from Monolith in these departments. Would you please give us a sense of what went into TRON 2.0’s overall presentation and, looking at the finished product, do you feel your efforts paid off?

Frank Rooke:

The TRON universe is certainly a highly stylized one. We approached the creation of TRON 2.0 by going to the source. Besides the painstaking analysis of the film itself, we met with Syd Mead early on in the project and discussed with him many of his design philosophies regarding the creation of the TRON universe. Also, at various points in the project, we received feedback from other people involved with the original film such as Richard Taylor and Steven Lisberger. The invaluable input from these individuals gave us the necessary point of reference that helped us keep the finished product more credible.

GCM:

TRON 2.0 has been well received by the press but the review process generally misses gameplay nuances that someone playing the game for a few weeks or more would discover. What about TRON 2.0 would you most like gamers to know that has not been widely mentioned in the current batch of reviews?

Frank Rooke:

One thing that stands out when I play TRON 2.0 is how cool it is to use the disc both offensively and defensively. Power blocking a disc back towards the enemy is extremely satisfying. It puts a unique twist on the typical first-person battle. It’s not just about spraying bullets at monsters and taking damage. Introducing a defensive component to combat gives the player the ability to protect themselves and ultimately create a more strategic environment. Blocking with the disc is one of those subtle nuances that I think helps gives the game its personality.

GCM:

Of course, in the end, it is all about the reactions of gamers in general. How pleased have you been with consumer-reaction thus far? Have TRON 2.0’s online features been embraced to the degree that you had hoped for?

Frank Rooke:

Overall, we’ve been very pleased with consumer reactions. We realized early on that there were two roads TRON 2.0 could take. The easy road, which consisted of taking the standard FPS formula and dress it up like TRON, or the more challenging road, which stays true to the property by attempting to be 100 percent contextual to the film’s universe. We chose the latter. Every design decision went through a rigorous evaluation to ensure that it properly fit in the universe as well as help propel it forward. A good example of this philosophy is seen in the online portion of the game. Instead of simply adding the stock deathmatch or capture the flag modes, we took the opportunity to create an experience inspired by the old arcade game Discs-of-TRON. It’s a multiplayer mode that is very TRON and we are quite happy with the way it turned out.

GCM:

Along with a unique fictional reality, TRON comes along some uniquely rabid fans. It seems as though this would add extra pressure to the development team’s already weighty workload. Was this added factor a hindrance to the development team’s own creativity or did the opportunity to add to TRON’s fiction prove to be an ideal muse for the team?

Frank Rooke:

Making TRON 2.0 had a few unique challenges, namely the task of taking a franchise based on a 20-year-old cult movie and evolving it so it appeals to a contemporary market. Regarding the end product, it was very important to not make a game that dilutes the franchise in any way. Not only did Monolith not want to disappoint fans, but more importantly we realized that a property like TRON does not come along very often and it simply would be a shame to waste the opportunity. The pressure registered more as motivation than anything else.

GCM:

We understand NVIDIA played a part in designing some custom graphics like the neon effects. Could you please elaborate on this?

Frank Rooke:

Visually, we identified the film as having a distinctive glow, giving it an otherworldly quality. It helped establish the TRON universe as someplace other than the world we know. It was clear to us that if we wanted to aesthetically capture the look of TRON this effect would have to be recreated. Monolith engineers worked closely with Nvidia to produce a technique that creates a glow pass over the entire screen. The end result creates a natural glow that is very reminiscent of the glow seen in the film. This was a very important development regarding the look of the game.

GCM:	Lastly, do have any word on what’s next for both Monolith and the TRON license? Is there any chance that we will be seeing future expansions for TRON 2.0 or a “TRON 3.0”? Perhaps TRON 2.0 will work its way on to console systems?
Frank Rooke:	It would be great to see more TRON games made available, but who knows what the future holds?

GCM:

Thank you again for your time. Would you care to leave our readers with any last thoughts or impressions?

Frank Rooke:

We found working on TRON 2.0 a refreshing break. It was a real pleasure letting our imaginations go and not getting hung up on trying to create the perfect warehouse or the most impressive castle. We hope the public will also find TRON 2.0 a nice alternative from the hyper-realistic games out there. At its core it is first-person action game, but it takes place in the fantastical world of a computer. It’s a unique experience that brings back some of the wonder that was first seen 20 years ago when TRON hit theaters.