World of Warplanes exclusive interview to Anton Sitnkau

March 1, 2013 15:30 ( Interviews ) 0

 

Here there is our exclusive interview to Anton Sitnkau, producer at Wargaming, the popular software house who developed World of Tanks. This interview is about World of Warplanes, their upcoming flight combat MMO right now in closed beta. We remember you that we still have a running closed beta keys giveaway  for the game. Enjoy the interview!



QUESTION: First of all, thank you for giving us the possibility to interview you about World of Warplanes. Would you be so kind to introduce yourself to our readers?

Answer: Hi, my name is Anton Sitnikau and I’m the lead producer for World of Warplanes.

How would you describe World of Warplanes to someone who has never heard of it before?

World of Warplanes is a free-to-play flight MMO game with focus on dynamic PvP combat. It combines robust tactical gameplay and accessible controls, offering players manifold authentic models across four vehicles classes (fighters, heavy fighters, ground-attack planes, and carrier-based aircraft). Players can build their aircraft up piece by piece; customize planes and change tech modules to get the most out of their warbirds.

With real, historically accurate plane models and weaponry, World of Warplanes is clearly designed for fans of the World War II setting. Do you think other players will like the game too? If yes, why?

World of Warplanes game elements make a compelling experience for a wide audience. The setting is definitely going to attract fans of WWII and military warfare. Casual gamers will be given a chance to get airborne without overly complicated triggers and controls. Simmers will get aerobatic maneuvers, two joystick options, realistic flight mechanics, and detailed damage system.

The bottom line is that there will be a nice, wide spectrum of complexity levels depending on how much you really feel like dedicating yourself to the game.

World of Warplanes is the next natural step toward the completion of your "World of" wargames trilogy. When you first started developing World of Tanks, did you already have this big idea in mind or it was more like "Ok, we made a great tanks game, why don't we do the same with warplanes and warships?"

World of Tanks was our first step into the MMO market. We didn’t expect the game would become that big, and were too preoccupied with getting it right to conceive another game development concept. The idea of creating a series of games devoted to military warfare came along when World of Tanks kicked off big time. We’d learnt several important lessons about MMO-building by then, knew common pitfalls and stumbling blocks, and were ready to meet the challenge of producing another game.

Your main contender is obviously War Thunder. Both games are high quality productions and share the same settings and style. Why players should choose World of Warplanes over its direct rival? What makes your game better?

The two games can be loosely called competitors, as they appeal to different audiences. The Gajin Entertainment team focuses more on the hardcore simmers, while we strive to attract several groups of players, including simmers. In the end, gamers will choose what fits their play style best. As for us, we’ll try to deliver highest quality experience that is deep and accessible at the same time.

What kind of audience do you want to attract? Casual-players? Hardcore gamers? Both? And why?

Though we focus on a thematic niche (flight combat), we try to reach a broader audience. World of Warplanes game design caters to players of all expertise levels, offering difficulty to true aces, smooth learning curve for rookies, and enough replay value for both.

Let’s say, we are targeting connoisseurs of specific foods be it high-profile wine-makers, respected sommeliers, people keen on a particular brand, or those that don’t mind having a glass or two over dinner.

You've often stated that the three "World of" games will form a big single game world where players from World of Tanks, World of Warplane and World of Warships can play together in one of the biggest virtual battlefields ever created. When this big dream will become reality, and what we will be able to do with our warplanes in this big scenario?

There’ll be no direct encounters between ground, aerial, and naval warfare due to gameplay differences, but we will bring them together on the Global map. Clans from the three projects will help each other during fights for provinces. For example, World of Warplanes players struggling for air control over territories on the Global map will be able to buy ground support from tank clans or provide them with AI-controlled airstrikes.

Do you plan to launch the game as an e-Sport? Will it be part of your upcoming Wargaming.net League at launch?

It’s hard to say before the launch. First we need to build a well-grounded balanced experience, offer it to a massive audience, and see how they like it. If gamers enjoy World of Warplanes as much as they enjoy World of Tanks, then we’ll start growing its eSport component.

Can you tell us your future plans for the game? How do you want to expand it and what are you going to add?

Just like World of Tanks, World of Warplanes will get regular updates with new content and gameplay features. We’ll add new branches and vehicles so that eventually tech trees will field several branches for each aircraft class.

In which regions and languages are you going to release World of Warplanes?

We plan to gradually cover all the languages supported in World of Tanks.

Leave a message for your fans!

We appreciate your interest in the project. Thank you for all the positive feedback and your continued support!

Thank you for all your answers. Would you like to add something?

Thanks for discussing World of Warplanes with us and I look forward to meeting you and your readers in the game!

 

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