TimeGate Studios started out developing the Kohan series of fantasy RTS games but lately the Texas based game developer has been branching out, first with the 2006 FPS expansion pack F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and later with announcements of two more FPS titles and an MMO game that has yet to be announced. FiringSquad got a chance to chat with Timegate's president and CEO Adel Chaveleh to get some more info about the company and their plans for the future:

FiringSquad: First, TimeGate has been known primarily as a PC RTS developer. Why did the company first start developing games in this particular genre?

Adel Chaveleh: RTS games are definitely what got us started. We had a great vision for a game (Kohan), and TimeGate was actually born to make that vision a reality. Over the years and after multiple successful RTS releases, our passion and interests evolved and spread to other genres as well. Of course, RTS is still very near and dear to us.

FiringSquad:The Kohan games have gotten a lot of critical acclaim. Are there any plans to release a third game in the Kohan game series?

Adel Chaveleh: We definitely haven’t closed the doors on the Kohan universe. There are many more adventures to be had in the land of the Kohan, however we’re not yet ready to say when or in what format.  

FiringSquad:TimeGate recently released the F.E.A.R. Extraction Point expansion pack. How hard was it to develop an expansion pack for an acclaimed first person shooter title?

Adel Chaveleh: We spent a lot of time reviewing fan feedback on the original game to see where they wanted to see the most improvement, as well as confirming which pieces of the F.E.A.R. formula were pivotal to that title’s success.

In that respect, the hardest part was trying to find a way to make something that was great even greater. We focused on diversifying our environments, enhancing how the AI interacts with those environments, adding more explosive firepower and destructible arenas, as well as playing up the surrealism of the sometimes-subtle, but often in-your-face horror moments.  

FiringSquad:Overall was TimeGate pleased with how the expansion pack turned out?

Adel Chaveleh: Extraction Point was TimeGate’s first venture into the FPS genre, and between awards like “Best Expansion Pack” and “Best Audio” we’ve been quite pleased with the overall reception. We’re particularly proud of how all of the combat sequences played out, especially the visceral and explosive elements in each gun battle.

Now that’s not to say that there isn’t room for improvement – there certainly is. Our upcoming lineup shows that we’re ready to make a big impact in the FPS market, so expect future TimeGate releases to continue to raise the bar even further and provide players with innovative new challenges and gameplay.  

FiringSquad:TimeGate announced plans to develop an MMO. Why did the company want to branch out in this genre?

Adel Chaveleh: It’s something we’ve wanted to do for nearly a decade. The move to this arena is very much driven by passion for a particular game concept (the same kind of passion we had for Kohan). We have strong concepts for the game we’re working toward what we think will take gameplay in this genre to a new level.  

FiringSquad:There is a lot of competition in the MMO space. How confident is TimeGate that they will be able to enter this genre with a product that will stand out from the crowd?

Adel Chaveleh: Change out the word “MMO” with “RTS” and go back 9 years in time. That exact question was asked of us then, as well. Frankly speaking, it’s what we do well. We take on genres that are highly competitive and stalemating. Then we sneak in with a breath of fresh air out of nowhere!  

FiringSquad:The new TimeGate web site also indicates two FPS games are in development and an image on your web site shows a sci-fi like armor and weapons as an art concept. Can you give us any hints at all about these projects?

Adel Chaveleh: Each has its own unique take on the FPS genre, so expect vastly different settings and gameplay while preserving that same great TimeGate innovation and twist on both of them. We’re working with AAA partners/publishers for both projects, and look forward to unveiling more information in the coming weeks.  

FiringSquad:How did the idea for the Partners in Time program come about?

Adel Chaveleh: As a fast-growing developer, we are constantly looking for top-notch talent to expand our already incredible team. Some of the extremely talented individuals and teams we encounter are either unable to move to Texas for the duration of our project(s) or they operate overseas. The Partners in Time initiative allows for us to treat remote development talent as a direct extension of our in-house talent. The ultimate mission of this initiative is to ensure we are constantly working with the best developers in the world.

FiringSquad: What is TimeGate's opinion on the state of the console-PC game market? Is it healthy and do you think the industry can improve in some areas?

Adel Chaveleh: Sales are definitely strong in each respective market, but it would be refreshing if more developers could find ways to leverage the unique capabilities of each platform rather than going down the “lowest common denominator” path with cross-platform releases. Right now the focus is just on scalability, so you lower or raise things like texture resolutions due to platform performance constraints. Even then, fundamental things like control schemes are easily overlooked if additional platforms are treated like an afterthought.

The past couple of years have seen some disappointing ports fall on both sides of the fence, but there are a few that should be applauded for their ingenuity. It will also be worth watching how well Games for Windows Live performs in the near future, and what sort of convergences result as market lines continue to blur.  

FiringSquad:Finally is there anything else you wish to say at this time about TimeGate and its plans for the future?

Adel Chaveleh: We have an incredible queue of innovative projects in development. We can’t wait to start unveiling more details in the coming weeks!