The game has been described as a sleeper hit by some. By others, it's been given titles like “the best shooter at E3.” Pretty high praise for a game from what appears to be an unknown developer. The game in question? MetalArms: Glitch in the System. I fired off some questions to Art Director Scott Goffman, and here are the replies dealing with this exciting gam.

GameNikki: Will this game feature LAN play? I originally asked this because MetalArms uses split screen for it's multiplayer. On most TV's split screen can be a little cramped. So… any chance we’ll see this?

Scott Goffman: There won't be any LAN play in Metal Arms. Split screen only this time out.

GN: The opening webpage for the game (www.metalarms.com) features some of the tracks from inside the game. Pretty much techno and rock, but the second track on the page is quite interesting. Is there any chance Swingin’ Ape can look into doing a bundle with the game and an OST?

SG: Actually, there has been some talk about that; it's ultimately up to the
publisher, but we would really like to include an OST.

GN: How long has the game been in development, where exactly did the idea for it come from, what inspired the character designs, and what originally formed the story at hand? (Ed note: Jason apparently likes to ask four questions in a single breath. Quite the skill!)

SG: The game was in production for about two years. It's based on an idea that we came up with back in 2001, and pitched around at E3 to various publishers. It was originally a single level in an adventure game; the main character visited a planet called Iron Star that was inhabited entirely by robots. We liked the concept so much that we scrapped the adventure game, and designed a new game based on that one level.

The original gameplay idea was more like squad-based tactical combat, where you controlled a small team of robots against another team. After we hooked up with Sierra, it became the more action-oriented shooter that it is today.

The character designs are the result of finding a balance between "funny" and "bad-ass". Some of the enemies are 100% bad-ass, while others are comic relief. The main character, Glitch, rides the line between the two extremes. A player's first impression of him is usually "he's so cute!"... until they actually play the game, and find out what a lethally destructive little robot he is.

GN: Sounds interesting... The character designs so far are intriguing. Where exactly are y’all planning to go from here? After the game launches are there any other plans on hand?

SG: We are looking at several options right now, not the least of which is doing a sequel to the game.

GN:Well, thank you Mr. Goffman for the answers and for the data. We are really looking forward Metal Arms!

SG: Again, thanks for your interest, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the game!

Keep locked on Gamenikki for as much information as we can get on this upcoming game. You know you want it.