In November 2002, we were lucky enough to conduct an interview with Ashley Bushore from Ubisoft and the Petz Team from Ubisoft/Mytho. We received answers to many questions about Petz 5, the community in general, and the future of the Petz brand. We thank Ashley and the rest of the Petz Team for taking time out of their busy schedules for the interview. And now on to the interview...
Ashley, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview.
Ashley: You're very welcome Abby! Thanks for organizing this and compiling all the questions. Mythos, Sarah and I like to answer the fans' questions. We get an average of 30 emails a day and many of the fans have similar questions. It's great that they can find the majority of their answers here, on petz.com and within the Petz Community.
It must be a very exciting time right now with Petz 5 just one week away!
Ashley: We're very excited indeed! The Petz Community means so much to us on the Petz Team and we're really looking forward to hearing their thoughts. Speaking on behalf of the Programmers, I can tell you diving into other people's code is very, very difficult to do. I'm extremely proud of what they were able to accomplish in such a short time!
There are a ton of questions the community is clamoring for. Just answer these as you can.
Ashley: Many people at Mythos, as well as Sarah and myself contributed to the answers.
How many people have been involved in the creation of this new era of Petz?
Ashley: There are 2 core people at Ubi and 17 core people at Mythos. Many other people have been involved as well, such as the people who make the CDs and box or who have provided advice. It is definitely a team effort to make a video game! If you count everyone who's helped in some way there are 23+ Ubi people around the world as well as those who have provided support with Mythos.
What made you decide to reopen the Petz product line after so long?
Ashley: Wow, that's a really tough question for me to answer because of all the history and people involved with getting a project started. I'll try to keep a long story short, but to answer your question in one word, it was - timing!
So, many of you know that the Petz games were started by a development company called PF.Magic. They agreed to be purchased by Mindscape, who published Petz 3 and 4. I started working on Petz as the Production Assistant on v4. Around the time of v4 The Learning Company had purchased Mindscape. Shortly after that Mattel (yup the big toy company) bought TLC. That's when Petz dropped off the radar. Mattel wasn't really interested in the brand for whatever reason and before long they sold TLC. Getting back to your question, while I was working on Myst III during that time, Ubi Soft bought the 'Entertainment Division' of TLC and they were in fact interested in the Petz Brand! Yahoo! If any of the fans happened to have seen the press release, Ubi Soft listed Catz and Dogz among the top brands they had acquired in the purchase of my group. Before long we were looking for a new developer and I was thankful that I'm a packrat and kept so many things from the Petz brand!
BREEDZ QUESTIONS
How did you choose what breedz to put in?
Mythos: Our decision on what new breedz to put in Petz 5 was based on many things. We wanted to have more unique breedz, but still add some common ones that had not been in previous Petz versions. Keeping that in mind, we did research on various breeds of dogs and cats and many online Petz fans' sites and message boards. So you, the fans, had a lot of input into the new breedz without even knowing it! The breedz had practically been decided before the game had even been announced.
Are the new breedz going to have new personalities/new barks or meows?
Yes, the new breedz have new personalities and sounds.
Why are the 5 new breedz all based off the original 10 breedz?
Mythos: All breedz are based off of two core models. There is one for Dogz and one for Catz. It did of course make sense for certain breedz to use previous models since the body types are so similar.
Will the new breeds come in different colours, like the Great Danes, poodles and bulldogs do?
Mythos: Yes, the new breedz come in various colors and body types. If you look carefully there are slight body proportion variations just like in real life. Some Petz have a little longer back or slightly shorter legs.
Have existing breedz been improved or changed? For example, new colors.
Mythos: No, previous breedz have not been changed.
Are the breeds that were polled on Petz.com going to be possible future downloads or will they be considered for a Petz 6?
Ubisoft: We are certainly planning to take that information into consideration for either future downloadz or a Petz 6. As of right now however, there are no definite plans to make a Petz 6 or create downloadz.
COMMUNITY QUESTIONS
What do you think of some of the websites people make about petz?
Mythos: We think the fan sites are great! Very creative! They are one of the many factors that keep Petz alive.
Do you mind that people "hex" and create new breeds to go on Petz?
Mythos: Yes and no. While we are flattered that our fans enjoy the Petz games that much, there is also a downside. Since hexed breeds are not "officially" created, if something goes wrong with the game because of them, the user will not be under warranty and therefore cannot ask Ubi Soft to help fix their game.
WEBSITE QUESTIONS
Will the old Petz Downloadz and the Petz Adoption Center become available once more from petz.com as Petz 5 is released?
Ubisoft: Many of our fans are curious about these! :) Yes, we do have plans to make these available, but right now cannot offer an ETA.
Will downloadable breeds/toys/clothes/playscenes be released periodically on the website, as for past Petz games?
Ubisoft: We definitely have been considering to make these things available and know how important downloadz are to the community. Unfortunately there are many factors that go into getting the approval to proceed with these extras and things are still up in the air.
LITTERZ/NURSERY QUESTIONS
Will each petz in the litter look different or will they all look the same?
Mythos: Each petz in the litter will look different, having traits from both of the parents. Unique litterz and breedz are part of what makes Petz 5 so much fun!
Will you be able to have more than one mother petz with a litter at the same time?
Mythos: Yes, you can have multiple pregnant mothers at the same time, but you can only visit the Nursery with one mother and her litter at a time.
How do the mother's carry their young into the room, each at a time?
Mythos: The mother will carry her first born into the room and the rest of the litter will be already in the room resting on the carpet.
Why did you make the nursery look so much like a baby's room?
Mythos: We wanted to make it very homey looking and have a warm feel to it.
How does the mother suckle all her babies, if she has more than one? Does she sit down with them all, or one at a time?
Mythos: She plays and takes care of all of her babies one at a time.
Is the number of offspring in a litter random, or is one number more common than another?
Mythos: The number of offspring in a litter is random from 1-4.
Will the fathers of the litterz be able to come into the nursery with the mothers?
Mythos: No, only the mother and her litter can be in the Nursery - this allows the game to support more than one baby. Dad can play with them when they are old enough to be on their own and explore outside of the Nursery.
Why did you decide to put in litters, why not something else?
Mythos: When we started to develop Petz 5 we spent a lot of time looking at all the Fan websites and reading emails and discussion boards. A common feature that fans wanted and liked about Petz was the kittenz and puppyz. We really wanted to give the fans more of what they loved about the previous Petz versions.
Can the light in the nursery be turned on and off?
Mythos: The light in the Nursery can not be turned on and off, however there is a new toy that will work like a light and you can turn it on and off in the Nursery and other rooms.
How long will it take for Petz to grow up? Will each game day (the ones that you can set) count, or will it count real days, like previous Petz games
Mythos: The time for the Petz to age is still the same, though each pet grows at a different rate. The games counts real days, not day and night cycles within the game.
WEATHER/DAY-NIGHT CYCLE QUESTIONS
I know there will be night, day and rain, but will there be seasons and snow and changes in the environment to show season change? How random will the weather be?
Mythos: Yes the seasons change from rainy days to sunny and snow. The weather is very random which gives more variety to the Petz' world.
How fast/slow can days pass?
Mythos: In the option menu there are a few settings you can choose from. One lets you have normal time, where days are based on your computer clock. Compressed time speeds up day and night cycles, but this does not affect the aging of your Petz. There is also a setting for it to always be night time.
Will the weather be able to make petz sick (being out in the rain, ect.), like going sweaterless in the Snow Scene in Petz 4?
Mythos: Petz always need love and affection, and depend on you for their warmth and well-being. They can get sick for many reasons, just like in real life, and look to you to help them to feel better.
Will some petz like the rain, and others run and hide? Will there be places in scenes where the rain can't get?
Mythos: Petz love playing in the rain and we did not want to make any too scared that they would run and hide.
Will there be temperature changes? Can your petz feel too hot or cold?
Mythos: In the snow scene you Petz are subject to the cold. You'll need to take care of them to make sure that they are dressed properly.
AVAILABILITY QUESTIONS
Your website says that Petz 5 will ship November 19th in the US. When will it ship in Canada, Europe and Australia?
Ubisoft: Canada will also be November 19th, Europe and Australia will be early December.
When would Petz 5 be available in Singapore?
The English version is expected to release in Singapore just before December pending import procedures. It is also expected to release in Brazil, Hong Kong, China and a few other countries! You can expect a lot of newbies to the community soon! We sure bet they'd love to know all your tips and tricks about Petz that you've learned over the years.
Where can I buy Petz 5?
Ubisoft: Petz 5 will be available at all major retailers that carry software and games. Toys R Us, Electronics Boutique, Amazon.com, and Ubi.com, etc.
Will Petz 5 be available in a package containing both Catz and Dogs 5?
Ubisoft: No, each game is sold separately. However, you can purchase both games as a bundle at Ubi.com and receive $10 off at checkout (unknown how long this offer will last). For those that prefer to shop in a store, we're offering $10 off, via mail-in rebate, if you buy both games. See the homepage of www.petz.com for details on this!
MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS
Will all the old features of Petz 4 -- Pigz & Bunniez, Playscene Editor, Petz Profile, Voice Recognition, etc. -- be in Petz 5?
Mythos: All the features of previous Petz versions will be available except adopting Pigz & Bunnyz and Voice Recognition. The Pigz and Bunnyz have moved into the Backyard.
Will bunnyz and pigz be able to breed in Petz5?
Mythos: They are now host characters for the Backyard scene.
Are you ever going to create a petz patch, so people don't have to install a completely new program, just for the new features?
Mythos: Well, something like this would be very close to the same size as the new program anyways so there isn't a benefit to the user. It's not like it would ever be 5 MB or anything. We're sorry.
How "replayable" will the minigames be? After you win, will they stop being fun? Can they be turned on/off?
Mythos: The Mini Games are how you collect toyz, treatz and other surprises for your Petz! They are only activated when you click on part of the environment to start them.
The case thing isn't in the screenshots of the backyard at night or rainy day adoption center. Can it be completely hidden?
Mythos: Not completely hidden, but now it can be minimized even more! In addition, it now acts like the Toy Closet so there's no need to make multiple trips to get the toyz you want into the different environments. Instead, once you collect an item and place it in the case you can pull out as many of that item as you want!
Will there be a new Web Fun Pack, with the new breed and stuff?
Mythos: Yes, the Petz 5 Web Fun Pack has new clip art for the new breedz and toyz as well as new backgroundz and buttonz.
Can you tell us anything about new toys or clothing?
Mythos: It's a surprise! But from the box cover we're sure you've seen at least one of our favorite new toyz.
There were a number of bugs in both Petz 3 & Petz 4 (especially the imported pets no longer able to do tricks). Will Petz 5 be more stable?
Mythos: We fixed a number of bugs from both versions to make Petz 5 more stable.
What is that notice board used for in the adoption center?
Mythos: That's the Lost and Found board. When one of your Petz runs away you now have the chance to go to the Lost and Found board to readopt your pet. Remember if you keep mistreating you Petz they will not be found and you will not be able to readopt them.
In some screenshots the supply case is yellow, but in others it's silver, can the color be changed?
Mythos: Absolutely! The graphics of the case can be changed. We have provided a Skinz section where you can choose from the Skinz we have provided or create your own. Petz.com may also host your best ones for others to download for their very own.
Are all the old playscenes still in the game?
Mythos: Yes, all the old playscenes are still in the game. We just upgraded the graphics, and added a few mini games to some of them.
What is the optimum resolution for Petz 5?
Mythos: Well, there's only one resolution 1024x768. So the optimum resolution would be anything that size or larger =) If you were to try and run the game on a smaller resolution, you wouldn't be able to see the entire scene.
Are all the old toys still in the game? Will there be new toys and treats?
Mythos: Yes, all the old toyz (except the Sunflower seeds that were accidentally left out of v4) are still in the game and there are new toyz and yummy treatz too!
Will the Petz Player be included on the CD?
Mythos: It's installed with the game like before. If you want the Petz Player all by itself, you can download a new one from Petz.com soon. In the released version of Petz 5, we found a bug where the Petz Player doesn't let crossbreds work in the web pages. The new Petz Player coming soon fixes this. Though honestly, we haven't found any fan sites that put their Petz in their pages. If you know any, we'd love to see!
Can petz "remember" their past experiences with other petz and react accordingly? (fight, run, purr, growl, ect.)
Mythos: The Petz behaviors are the same as in previous versions. For example, some Petz will only fall in love one time (because there's no one like your first love!). Others only fall in love with that one other special petz over and over, while others find beauty in everyone. Even though there are some traits exclusive to certain breedz or even found very frequently within a breed, all Petz are unique.
Will there be uses for the wall outlets, or are they purely cosmetic?
Mythos: The wall outlets are for the Nightlights. When you find one, plug it into a wall outlet and see it light up during the day and night!
THE FUTURE
What does the future hold for the Petz series?
Mythos/Ubisoft: We have learned a great deal from making Petz 5 and feel that after all the research and development we would love to make a Petz 6. We are brainstorming on our end to come up with all news ideas. You can help too! We love to read your thoughts on your websites like we did for researching v5. Please don't stop showing the world what you love and want more of!
Are there thoughts of changing the game engine?
Mythos/Ubisoft: As part of our research we are looking for new ways to make the Petz game more fun and a new engine could be part of that plan. If there are features or aspects of other games you like, discuss it on the message boards, on your webpages and share it with your friends. Don't worry, we'll see it! (You can email too, but we already know you don't need any encouragement from us to do that =D )
Has a "Breedz Editor" (like the Playscene Editor) every been considered for release?
Mythos/Ubisoft: Everything is open right now and we are watching the fan sites to see the reaction to Petz 5. We're also looking to read your thoughts on new ideas.
What about the other games in the line -- Oddballz and Babyz, is there a future for these games?
Ubisoft: Currently, there are no plans to continue with either of these franchises.
From Ashley to the Petz Community:
So today is the big day! Can you believe it? The Petz Team and I, really hope you enjoy playing Petz 5. You wanted Litterz - you got it! You wanted weather - you got it! You wanted nighttime - you got it! You wanted to be able to get your Runaways back - you got it! You wanted new breedz - you got it! You wanted new Playscenes, toyz and clothes - you got it! You wanted Petz 5 to be different from Petz 4 - you got it! True though, we don't have leashes and collars, but it's not because we don't want to. It's a limitation of the technology.
Now I'd like to hear from you. I know you all have great imaginations and play lots of other games too, and that YOU know what makes the Petz game, Petz. What is it you like about other games that you wish Petz could do? What more do you wish you could do with other games and with Petz? Go ahead and let us know, and please forgive us if we don't always write back. But do know we read each and every email. Even those that just say 'Thanks!'.
Best wishes and thank YOU,
Ashley
page last updated Nov-04-2024