Concrete Genie - Interview with Dominic Robilliard and Jeff Sangalli, Creative Director and Art Director

A few days ago we were invited by Sony in the Rome offices to try Concrete Genie. For the occasion we also interviewed Dominic Robilliard (Creative Director) e Jeff Sangalli (Art Director).

Resources4Gaming: In Concrete Genie there seem to be many messages and various interpretations. What did you want to tell?

Dominic Robilliard: There are a lot of themes in Concrete Genie. There is talk of the power of creativity, freedom of expression, as well as thinking against bullying. I think one of the most important messages we try to communicate throughout history is breaking the cycle that leads bullied kids to become bullies themselves: we really hope that whoever tries this game will carry this message with them.

GL: Ash in the game will find himself both exploring the map and at certain times fighting. How did you combine these two souls?

DR: From the beginning it was very important for us to make sure that Ash (and the player) could fight the enemies (which are not children, but darkness and negativity). The story is not about revenge against these bullies, but about fighting the darkness.

GL: What were your sources of inspiration in the production of Concrete Genie?

DR: There have been a lot of influences. The team is made up of passionate players and you will certainly find many sources of inspiration in the game. We all love Jet Set Radio, as do ICO and The Last Guardian, but even though these titles have influenced us, we very much hope that you will find something new in Concrete Genie, especially in the game mechanics.

Jeff Sangalli: I agree with Dominic's comment. We have had many inspirations, including Tim Burton and Jim Henson (respectively behind Edward Scissorhands and The Dark Crystal), both creators of a world beyond imagination. We wanted to create, like them, a unique and original world, made up of sources of inspiration such as children's books and stop-motion productions.

GL: What is your favorite Genie?

DR: There's a Genie named after my cat, and it's definitely my favorite!

JS: There is an artist, our Genie Designer, and she has done some spectacular sketches. There are a couple that I really like especially for the personality they manage to pull out of the style used: I'm talking about the really mysterious one (my favorite) that has that something closer to creepy.

GL: According to how they are drawn, they also have a slightly different style, correct?

JS: Exactly! It really depends on the style used, on the appendages. Depending on which ones you use, the way the Genie interacts with the world will change.