The End (Part Two)
Acclaim Entertainment
Soon after Software Creations shut down, rumours started to circulate that Acclaim had bought all its assets, and that we might all have a job again. Sure enough, I was contacted and told that, indeed, I now worked for Acclaim Entertainment, and that we'd all be working in some very posh offices by the canal in Deansgate.
There was much dabbling with new stuff here - namely the Gamecube, but we also managed to get a couple of games done before disaster struck again (more of that later).
Initially I was helping out with adding an audio engine to the in-house game engine. I worked alongside the audio producer/composer. However, when he suddenly left the company, I was lumbered with producing and programming all the sound and music for the big game currently in development. So my future at Acclaim had been decided - it was back on the audio stuff.
Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance
Although the designers would claim otherwise, this game was very much based (allegedly) on the movie Gladiator - with supernatural bits stuck on.
The game was a huge challenge. What started off as a quick coding job for me turned into a massive undertaking; I had to write the audio code for PC, XBox (I palmed responsibility for the PS2 off onto someone else), as well as design all the in-game sound effects, produce the audio for countless in-game movies - in several languages - and organise the music, and somehow still get home in time for tea.
The game was a moderate success, got decent reviews, and I could use all my code on the next project ...
Interview with a Made Man
This was a Mafia game, apparently based on a book (which I'd never heard of). It was extremely ambitious, but thankfully used the same engine as Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance - so at least that work was done.
It was quite adult in nature - one interesting afternoon I had to spend recording a fake soundtrack for a porn film. I had to get our receptionist - a very straightlaced Mancunian lady - to fake orgasms for an hour until it was just right, then had to compose porno music to overlay on top...an interesting day.
Unfortunately, the game was not finished by Acclaim, as bankruptcy loomed again. The game was actually finished off by some ex-employees, who set up Silverback Studios.
It was time I moved on ...
