WGTC: The other main competitor on the market is Codemasters’ Dirt Rally. Do you feel like rally racing games will only get better due to the competition, and how closely do you look at other racing titles in order to innovate?
AZ: The competition always brings you to improve and express yourself at the highest level, even in videogame market. As we look [at] the competitors to make more and more fulfilling products, they also observe our moves. If there was no competition, we would not compare just to see if the road taken is correct or we [would] all make mistakes. Milestone is keen to innovation as you can see in all of our products during these years.
WGTC: The game released earlier this year in Europe. What improvements have you made post-launch through patches, and are you pleased with the fan reception?
AZ: At this moment there are already patches published for all game versions, which aim to improve experience. These patches are designed to fix some bugs also reported by users. We’re observing the community and talking to our core fans in order to understand if further patches are needed.
WGTC: We’ve seen plenty of games released recently with great gameplay, but not enough content. With Sebastien Loeb Rally EVO having 15 different game modes, it doesn’t seem to be lacking in that department. How important is it to not only make sure that the racing feels great in the title, but to also make sure players have enough ways to enjoy it?
AZ: I think is very important to give a great game experience to the players and not only in terms of gameplay. A large number of content ensures the game longevity and a lot of fun. With its game modes, tons of tracks and the number of cars included, Sébastien Loeb Rally EVO turns out to be a Milestone of rally games.
WGTC: Obviously, Milestone S.r.l. is closely associated with the racing genre. Is there any desire to branch out and create different types of games, or will racing always be the focus for the studio?
AZ: We always explore several options during the years. Milestone DNA includes racing game and we love to make them. I’d say that for the moment we will stick with genre but never say never.
WGTC: Tell our readers why they should pick up Sebastien Loeb Rally EVO when it releases March 15 in North America.
AZ: We had the honor to work together with Loeb, the biggest rally champion of all time, and to implement his feedback. We have included tons of contents and listened carefully the community. So I can define Sebastien Loeb Rally EVO as “The Rally.” If you love rally or just simply love cars, you should pick it up.
That concludes our interview, but we’d like to give a big thank you to Alex Zucca for taking the time to speak with us. More information on Sebastien Loeb Rally EVO can be found on the developer’s official twitter page – @MilestoneItaly.
