Stefan Johansson, Software Engineer Massive Entertainment


nZone: Which of the DX10 features are you most proud of?
Stefan Johansson: Probably the shadows and light shafts from the clouds. They’re very neat effects that make the maps just go that extra bit further in terms of realism.

Was it difficult to work with DX10 after all those years you have spent on perfecting DX9?
The DX10 interface is great to work with, although there are some big changes from the DX9 interface, which makes it harder to make the game work in both DX9 and DX10. The effort has been worth it all the way though!

Will the DX10 implementation affect the minimum requirements of the game?
No, we have optimized the DX10 implementation for high-end cards, so that low-end cards might actually be better off with running DX9. It’s entirely optional though and anyone can use the DX9 renderer.

What kind of PC do I need to see all the DX10 features? (Hardware/software)
To run World in Conflict with all graphical options maxed, and in a high resolution, you will probably want an Nvidia 8800 or equivalent card.

Do you think players using Dual Screen will have an unfair advantage over players with only one screen?
It gives a certain advantage in terms of situational awareness when you get used to it, but it’s probably nothing that experienced players can’t compensate with good use of the voice chat and the other communication options open in World in Conflict. But players who tend to check the Mega Map often will of course love it.

How did you collaborate with NVIDIA regarding DX10?
They gave us early access to DX10 hardware and have also continuously helped us with our DX10 implementation as well as helping us with some features. It’s been great to get such professional help, so we really owe them a lot for that! We’re part of the NVIDIA The way it’s meant to be played program and it’s worked well because, like us, NVIDIA is passionate about giving gamers the best possible experience on the PC.

What does NVIDIA think of the DX10 features?
They love us of course, haha! No, but seriously, we talked to Phil Wright of NVIDIA the other day - after he had played the game - and he said that World in Conflict is shaping up to be one of the most exciting DX10 titles he’s seen. I know that NVIDIA are also really excited about how we deliver truly mind-blowing gameplay while at the same time fully exploiting the power of NVIDIA hardware.

What can we expect to see in future Massive titles regarding DX10?
DX10 came in a bit too late in the development cycle for us to take full advantage of it, but for our next game we should be able to create a lot more cool features using it! We have a couple of things in mind that will blow you away!