i
PixelPerfectGaming.com interviewed Stefan Pettersson of Expansive Worlds about their free hunting MMO, theHunter. Read on to find out what Expansive Worlds has planned for its realistic online hunting game.
PixelPerfectGaming: Do you have any big projects planned for TheHunter (i.e. expansion packs, newer hunting areas, etc.)?
Stefan Pettersson: We are continuously adding features and more content to the game, often on a monthly and sometimes even weekly basis. The big stuff coming this spring is a completely new hunting environment modeled after British Colombia and Canada, and the addition of new species. We are also about to update our server platform to allow for many exciting features.
i
PPG: What’s your opinion about adding automatic rifles to TheHunter (i.e. Remington Autoloading; a Model R-15 for example, but not limited to these models)?
SP: At this time with the hunting and current species we have in the game we don’t see a need for automatic rifles. Sure, from a game perspective if it would be “fun” to try out something different, but we need to balance this with realism, the current hunting trends, regulations and what is considered ethical hunting.
This is an interesting topic with many different opinions, so it is something we revisit continuously.
(Side note by interviewer: According to the Remington website, the Remington Autoloading Model R-15 series of rifles are ethical and suited for coyote, fox and bobcat hunting. Source material from manufacturer’s website.)
i
PGG: We love the fact that you have weekly/monthly competitions where everyone can compete for extra money (em$) to purchase items from the Hunter store. Have you ever considered having one large tournament? Maybe something that would have a unique prize like a special hunting suit or a rare trophy?
SP: Yes. We’ve had a couple larger tournaments from time to time. A while back we had one together with Naturalpoint, makers of the TrackIR hardware, where the first price was an actual TrackIR 5 kit. In the not so distant future we will do a similar competition where the first prize will be a Novint Falcon unit.
i
PPG: Now that TheHunter broke half a million users, what is the next milestone you would like to achieve?
SP: In terms of active users, time spent online and purchased memberships we would like to double what we have now by the end of the year.
i
PPG: Have you ever considered adding Decoys into TheHunter’s arsenal?
SP: Absolutely. I may honestly say that 95% of all suggestions we get are things we have considered, and many we want to do. But being a small team with a niche game means that we have to prioritize and do one thing at a time.
i
PPG: I am sure this has been touched on before, but do you think you will ever incorporate a feature that will allow players to team up with friends so they can hunt together?
SP: Yes, that is definitely the plan. Our original roadmap is to start working on it during the second half of this year, however, adding true multiplayer is a huge task so in the end it is very much an economic/budget question.
i
PPG: Can you tell us what the next species of animal will be for us to hunt? Could it possibly be ducks, geese or maybe even bear or wolves?
SP: Current in production is moose and bear. Wolves is high on the list because they will make a good fit on our new environment, and we may also reuse some of the work we’ve done with the existing coyote. Waterfowl is also high on the list because it will add a quite different hunting experience in comparison to what we have today.
i
PPG: Have you ever considered adding night vision scopes or binoculars/range finders for early morning and/or late night hunting?
SP: Yes, we have both coyote and feral hog that are possible species to hunt during darkness.
i
PPG: Have you ever considered adding different climates like winter (i.e. snow storms or even snow covered hunting areas) to TheHunter?
SP: Yes (again. As I said, there are a lot of things we’ve considered and already are on our wishlist ;)). Worth noting is that usually it’s not just a question about change the graphics, we also need to see how a different climate or season would change hunting and the behavior of animals, or at least find a good compromise.
i
PPG: Do you have any plans on incorporating a chat system (for interacting with other hunters) or including access to your personal hunter’s page, journal or even TheHunter’s forums from within the TheHunter?
SP: A chat is already there, simply press the Enter key to bring up the chat window in the client. There are definitely other things currently only available through the website that we also would like to expose in the game client, like current enrolled competitions, accepted missions and their objectives, among other things.
i
PPG: If having a partner to hunt with in TheHunter wasn’t possible, have you ever considered having an online lodge where players can interact with each other and trade hunting stories?
SP: We see the website as an integral part of the game experience and have some great features planned to enhance player interaction and the social experience, not to mention better ways to brag about your trophy buck.
i
PPG: What’s your take on being able to add notes to the map and your hunter’s mate?
SP: Right now it’s possible to add a marker/waypoint to the map using the range finder (left click and you’ll add a marker at the spot the range finder is pointing to), it’s also possible to change the marker location by clicking on the full screen map.
Adding notes is one thing, but first we would like to expose a lot of the data we already got. To be able to go back and analyze a previous hunt by looking at the path you travelled, where you encountered animals, where you took a shot and so on.
i
PPG: What about adding the ability to trade and / or gift items to friends?
SP: This is a feature we have to look at from a business perspective, and right now we don’t see it makes any sense.
i
PPG: Will Em$ points ever be available on a pre-paid card from stores (i.e WalMart,Target, Gamestop, GameStation, Ebgames,etc) in the US and/or Euro?
SP: Sure. In Europe it’s possible to buy pre-paid cards called PaySafeCard (available at 7-Eleven and a lot more places) that may be used to get em$ (the virtual currency in theHunter). We are working with a partner to bring a similar solution to the US as well.
PixelPerfectGaming.com would like to thank Stefan Pettersson for conducting this interview with us.
