Interview with Bob Johnson on Miasmata

1. Hello Bob, congratulations on getting ‘greenlited’ on Steam! How does the team feel?
Hello! We feel great. It’s an exciting time for us. It’s been amazing to see the reaction from the community.

2. Can you tell us what kind of game Miasmata is?
I would describe it as a first-person, open-world survival adventure. The emphasis is on exploration and story, but there is action and suspense in the form of a creature that hunts you throughout the map.

3. You and your brother are the founders and only members of IonFX, how did you two start up the team and does the brother bond give a certain boost to the developing of games?
Joe and I have been designing games since we were kids. We started on the c64 and Amiga in the late 80s. It wasn’t until after college in 2003 that we decided to try and make games professionally. I think being brothers, we share many of the same life experiences, so our taste in games is very similar. We do disagree from time to time, but generally our vision is very similar.

4. So it has some elements of a survival-horror game. The genre has become quite popular the past years. How do you feel with the rising of the genre?
I’ve always loved survival horror. One of my favorite ps1 games was the original Resident Evil, and Miasmata is inspired by that a little. I wouldn’t really consider Miasmata survival horror though. We’re going for more tension as opposed to horror. But I love the genre, so I’m glad its as popular as it is.

5. You and your brother created the game, and since you both created it, does Miasmata still scare you guys?
It does. When the creature is chasing us down, its still creates some white-knuckle moments for us.

6. Will there be DLC for Miasmata or will the game be a complete release without DLC but with the possibility of some updates now and then?
The game will be complete at launch. To be honest, we haven’t put any serious thought into DLC.

7. Will there be Co-op mode or will this game will be purely focused on singleplayer?
The game is focused on single player only.

8. What is your favorite survival-horror game and that of your brother?
For myself, I’d say the original Resident Evil on PS1. Its just nostalgic. I really don’t know about Joe. Maybe Blue Stinger on Dreamcast. It was a pretty terrible game, but he loved it.

9. Will there be combat in the game? And if there is can you share with us some of the weapons you already designed?
There isn’t really a combat system. You can use things you find on the island to defend yourself from the creature, but all you can really do is scare him away. He’s basically invincible. You can use rocks, knives, axes, sticks and torches. Even pots and pans. We want to give the player the constant sense that he is over-matched.

10. Where can we stay-up-to-date with news of IonFX and Miasmata?
Our website is www.ionfx.com. You can find a mailing list on the Miasmata page on our website. You can also follow us on Twitter at @ionfx.

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