“The online leaderboards will be tracking top players, so you’ll both have some incentive to keep the diner running; but it doesn’t take long for things to get amazingly chaotic!”
By the end of the current generation, there will be more games available for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 than any other consoles before them. Part of this is due to the increased number of players, which opened the market to more developers. Another part comes from the creation of WiiWare, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, three services that let you download hundreds of smaller, lower-cost games.
One of the games set to benefit from this service is Diner Dash. Based on the popular PC franchise, the game caters to the mainstream market console manufacturers have really been pushing for. “The digital download movement in this generation of consoles has enabled an entirely new audience to game on consoles,” said Sabine Duvall, VP of Product Development. “With the immense popularity of Diner Dash and the sequels and off-shoots it’s created, we wanted to get this new audience into the crazy addictiveness that is the gameplay of Diner Dash. Throw eight-person multiplayer on top of this and the game becomes a perfect fit for the new services.”
How is the Diner Dash gameplay being adjusted/upgrade for the consoles? It’s clear that the graphics and gameplay perspective have changed from 2D to 3D…
Sabine Duvall: The most noticeable adjustments are upgrading Diner Dash gameplay into a more social experience. Co-op gameplay Diner Dash is here as you and a friend can take on the classic “Endless Shift” mode. It’s the single player gameplay, but tackled with a friend! As you continue to manage the diner, you’ll be able to get upgrades that will make running the diner a little easier, but at the same time add in new gameplay elements you’ll have to tend to as well. The online leaderboards will be tracking top players, so you’ll both have some incentive to keep the diner running; but it doesn’t take long for things to get amazingly chaotic!
Will we notice a distinct difference between the controls of this edition and its predecessors?
SD: Naturally, the transition from mouse and keyboard to controller will be different, but you’ll have just as much control over the action. We implemented hotkey functionality on the controller so certain buttons are mapped to specific tasks you’ll need to do in the diners. You still have full control of the character Flo with the analog sticks, but you’ll be able to breeze around your diners with ease.
