[ad_1]
Assassin game series “Hitman” turns 20 this year, and developer IO Interactive is in the process of finishing the latest trilogy. The company’s new office in Malmö is involved in the work. – We are growing and we need more space, says human resources manager Sandra Smedegaard Mondahl.
Agent 47 ranks very high in “Hitman 3.” For those who want to expose themselves to the fear of heights, the title also becomes virtual reality. Press the image.
Since 2000, the “Hitman” series has allowed players to kill various targets in more or less imaginative ways. Behind the series, which follows Agent 47, is the Danish IO Interactive (IOI), which last year opened an office in Malmö.
The fact that the company has established itself on the other side of the bridge has to do in part with the fact that it wants to attract the expertise of one of Sweden’s leading game development cities.
– We want to be where the talents are, and be an alternative for the best to apply, says Sandra Smedegaard Mondahl, adding that the Malmö office is growing and they are looking for new staff.
The company has had a slightly different journey when it was acquired by Eidos in 2004. Eidos, in turn, was acquired by Japan’s Square Enix in 2009, and in 2017 it was announced that the company had bought itself.
The game series itself has also taken a journey. Four sequels were released between 2002 and 2012 before IO Interactive began again with “Hitman” 2016, followed by “Hitman 2” 2018. The new beginning, in turn, will end with “Hitman 3” next year.
The combination of hideouts and costumes and memorable locations around the world are some of the factors behind the show’s survival, according to communications manager Travis Barbour.
– Previously, we have had games in which we have introduced very interesting environments and characters. But by the end of the game, almost everyone was dead. There was nothing to hold the story together, no cliffhangers and no reason to watch the next part.
The current trilogy was originally intended as three games, which made it possible to build a more coherent story and world.
– The mere fact that we have people who have survived the first two games, is an achievement for us, he says.
“Hitman” allows the player to experiment with physics, objects and figures, what in the game world is often called the mechanics of the sandbox. It can be technically difficult to create, according to game designer Emma Lintvelt.
– If you shoot something and it creates a spark, how far do we let that spark go? Can you set something on fire that causes an explosion? Can that explosion in turn create side effects? It’s definitely challenging, but it’s also what makes the game fun, he says.
The first track in “Hitman 3” takes place during the unveiling of a giant skyscraper in Dubai. The player may be outside the building.
– It has some really interesting parts, says Emma Lintvelt.
Sunshine and glamor are exchanged for a rainy mansion in England. There has already been a murder committed there as a change.
– You can choose to try to solve the murder, it will help you with your intermediate goals. It is unique to have a murder mystery in a “Hitman” game. “Hitman” is in many ways a reverse murder mystery, rather than figuring out how a person died, it’s usually about figuring out how to kill your target, without anyone finding out it was you. Now you have both, says Travis Barbour.
In January, “Hitman 3” will be released, including for Xbox Series X and Playstation 5. Console quick discs will benefit “Hitman” by making it easier for players to dare to try things, as it is quick to reload the game if you fail. thinks Emma Lindvelt.
– Hitman has always been a very demanding game on hardware. Before you don’t understand the big difference this extra power and fast charge times make until you test it, he says.
“Hitman”
“Hitman: Codename 47” was released in November 2000 and introduced the bald assassin with a tattooed barcode to the world of video games. They were followed by “Silent Assassin” (2002), “Contracts” (2004), “Blood money” (2006) and “Absolution” (2012). In 2016 came the first game of the trilogy called “World of Assassination”, a kind of new beginning that was simply called “Hitman”, followed by “Hitman 2” (2018). In January 2021, “Hitman 3” will be released for Playstation 4/5, Xbox One / X / S, PC and later for Stadia.
