Exmortis was released by your company, Leffler Web Designs, back in 2004. What time and effort did it take to create this game that is, in my opinion, one of the most well designed Point and Click games available?

Ben Leffler- Believe it or not, I had no working knowledge of Flash when I started putting together the original Exmortis game. Essentially I used the game making experience as a way to force myself to learn Flash and "keep with the times" thus enabling myself to create modern websites for my clients. As it turned out, the game was quite popular as no one had done a horror point-n-click with realistic graphics. I guess I kind of cashed in on a genre which was only in its infancy.

Overall, the original game was probably 2 or 3 months in the making - of which most of my time was dedicated to learning Actionscript and compiling the graphics.

Playing through the Exmortis series, I've noticed that you've given a lot of thought to the back-story of this world. Why did you feel the need to create such a massive back-story to a flash game?

BL- The original game was actually a story line I made up as I went along in the game creation process. It started off with me doing a house in the woods scene and it just progressed from there. When I set out to create the original game, I had no idea where the story would end up. The multiple endings to the original story were more born out of my indecision of how to end it - not necessarily my originality. In the end, it was something that helped coin the game as being story driven - which is something I really wanted to capitalize on in Exmortis 2.

By the time the second game came in to production, the horror point-n-click genre had been well established, so I wanted to take what I did in the original game and improve upon the qualities which had been popular. I wanted it visceral, but more adventuresome. I wanted the graphics to be less dark and more colorful. I wanted multiple locations, not just a house. And I wanted to establish a back story and mythology dealing with a world struggling with the fallout of the events from the original story. But most importantly I wanted to create a cinematic gaming experience that had something for casual gamers with short attention spans as well as those with the patience to truly experience the story I created. It was striking this important balance that helped carve Exmortis 2 in to the success it was.

You have, what seems to be, a very clear influence from Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead" (San Raimi is the name of a town in Exmortis 2). What are some other influences you've drawn from, horror or otherwise?

BL- Indeed I used to be a massive Evil Dead junky - thanks to Raimi's intrepid mix of humor and horror. It was something I inspired towards, and it was a key influence to the original Exmortis game. The Hellraiser series was also something I drew influence from in that original game.

The second game became more slanted towards the "fantastical" rather than the oppressive feel of the original. So Stephen King's The Stand was a huge influence on creating the "End Of Times" back story I was crafting. I also drew a lot of motivation from the movie Poltergeist as is evident by the establishment of the Spirit World (which is something that Exmortis 3 will expand upon)

Can you please explain what the "Curse of Exmortis" is and how it's affected your work?

BL- *laughs* Yes, the "Curse of Exmortis" was a term I penned to describing the unbelievable bad luck I've endured during the creation process of each Exmortis game. I've had a lot of bad things happen to me and the equipment I've used to create the games... to the point where it sometimes feels like a curse hovers over the series.

Probably the most note-worthy event is that half way through the development of Exmortis 3, I had a PC stolen from me which contained all Exmortis, Exmortis 2 and Exmortis 3 content - as well as their backup CD's. It was extremely hard to bounce back from this major setback, as you can imagine...

You recently announced plans to release 2 versions of Exmortis 3, one being a free version and the other being a paid version released in conjunction with 3RD Sense. What will the differences be between the two versions?

BL- Firstly, let me just set the record straight that Exmortis 3 is actually going to be completely a 3RD Sense product, as is all work I produce in the future. Leffler Web Design is on indefinite hiatus. At this stage I am solely concentrating on creating a full version of Exmortis 3. Once the creation process has been complete, I will be going back to create a feature limited "free" version of the game.

I anticipate that the free version will be a linear storyline from start to completion of the key story line. You will be able to move from Chapter 1 through to Chapter 4 with a single ending. The paid version will however allow multiple endings, story arc branching in to different directions, more sub plots, more scares, uncompressed graphics and sounds, voice acting and other exclusive content.

I don't wish to penalize those who aren't able to to purchase the premium version by robbing them of an ending, so the free version will have a definitive conclusion to the story.

Previously, you ran a contest to get voice actors for Exmortis 3. Considering the numerous delays and issues that have occurred, are those winners still going to be providing their voice acting talents to the game?

BL- At this stage, it doesn't look likely. When I originally ran that competition, the game was in development in a "pre-computer theft" incarnation of the game. Back then, the vision I had for the game was remarkably different to the one I have now. I also did not have the resources available to me that I have now with 3RD Sense, so it is very likely that I won't be requiring the winner's services. However it is still something I haven't made a cut-and-dry decision on just yet...

Goliath: The Soothsayer was your most recent "horror game" released. It was released in conjunction with The Mars Volta album, "The Bedlam in Goliath". How were you approached about creating this project?

BL- A representative from Universal Music approached me as a result of the body of work I had produced for the Exmortis series and asked me if I was available to produce a game to help promote the new Mars Volta album. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity. It was an amazing experience to be a part of a world-wide product release with a global brand like that.

You have also talked previously about the prospect of releasing "redux" versions of Exmortis 1 & 2. With all your work on the current Exmortis game, have you had any time to work on re-creating these games, or are they on the backburner?

BL- Definitely back-burned. Exmortis 1 and 2 are done and I won't be doing a George Lucas any time soon. That said, there are plans of furthering the Exmortis franchise in other ways depending on the success of Exmortis 3.

When can we expect to see Exmortis 3?

BL- At this stage, I expect it will be released within the next few months. No firm date has been set yet, but I'm aiming for a May/June timeframe. Considering that I'm working full time on the game at the moment, I don't see that timeframe as being anything but achievable.

Will the pay version and the free version of Exmortis 3 be simultaneously released?

BL- Yes, that is currently the plan.

Many games created within flash tend to have a somewhat amateur quality to them. In fact, looking at a site like Newgrounds.com, you find that many flash game designers don't take nearly as much time to craft their games as you do. Do you view Flash as more of a "jumping off point", where someone can take time to develop skill to create much larger games, or can someone build a career off of creating Flash games?

BL- A lot of people are of the opinion that creating casual games is just a stepping stone to bigger and better things. As far as I'm concerned there are definite career prospects in flash game creation - so much so I am embarking on a full-time career doing as such.

It takes a savvy and cared-for approach to be successful in this industry. You have to be smart and know what you need to do to stand out from the crowd with a product. What I pride myself most on is the production qualities of my work and I think that it's something that has clearly defined me as a game designer in comparison to most others. I strive for perfection in everything that I do because I am my own harshest critic.

Thankfully I have the backing of an amazing team of developers, designers and thinkers here at 3RD Sense. Some of the work we're producing here is mind blowing.

You recently announced that Exmortis 3 would be the last project you created under the Leffler Web Designs banner, as you started a career with 3RD Sense. How did you get involved with this company? Did you approach them after looking at their work, or did they approach you after seeing your work?

BL- Leffler Web Design is no more. I started working with 3RD Sense just like anyone else would get a job, really. They advertised an opening and I applied for it. Thankfully my skill set was something that fit within the requirements of what 3RD Sense were looking for - the rest is history.

The first game you released under the 3RD Sense was Aquatica. This is clearly a departure from your previous work in the "point and click" space. How did this project come about?

BL- Aquatica was a game that came about to help familiarize myself with the process of game development within a group of artists, coders, designers and developers. Previously I had only worked alone, so it was a good way for me to expand upon the skills that I brought to the table.

One of my key objectives every day is that I learn something new and the production process of Aquatica ensured I completed that objective on a daily basis.

Looking at reviews for Aquatica on Newgrounds, there are some people who really seem to be down on it simply because it isn't Exmortis. Do you ever worry about being pigeonholed into creating these types of games?

BL- I'm not worried at all about being pigeonholed at all. My love for what I do on a daily basis is more than enough to keep me motivated and going on a day-to-day basis. I mean, it'd be nice for everyone to love everything that I do - but that's never going to be a realistic expectation. I am motivated by improving myself as a designer/creator and as a person, and if I can go to sleep at night and feel like I am achieving those goals, then that is all I need.

If you were given the opportunity, would you ever consider releasing a game through Xbox Live, Wii Ware or the Playstation Network?

BL- Those platforms whilst still in their infancy and probably not utilized to their maximum potential just yet however in my humble open they would probably prove to be very lucrative to do as such. I think it would be a sound investment in tackling the learning curve associated with these environments as they can only get bigger and more popular with time.

It's an exciting time to be a game designer - that's for sure.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed