Gaming Age: First off, thanks for doing this. Just for the record, could you state your name and your position with Paradigm Entertainment/Atari Games?
Jim Galis: Jim Galis, Executive Producer.

GA: How large is your development group, and how long has Mission: Impossible - Operation Surma been in development?
JG: The project team is about 55 people at this point, and has been in development for just over two years at PEI.

GA: Stealth-adventure games have really exploded onto the scene in the past five years - titles like Splinter Cell, the Metal Gear Solid series and Hitman 2 have all set high standards in this genre. How does M:I - Operation Surma plan to meet the challenge?
JG: Operation Surma extends the stealth action game genre by utilizing the Mission:Impossible license to the fullest extent. We have the ability to showcase “mission moments” that were inspired from M:I movies, use Ethan Hunt in extreme situations with his outrageous stunts and include missions not previously experienced in typical stealth game.

GA: Do you find working with a high-caliber license a help or hindrance when diving into the gameplay design process?
JG: For the Mission:Impossible license, it was a help in the design process. There is so much to work with within the Mission:Impossible universe, and we were allowed freedom to take the game in many directions.

GA: When creating the characters for new game based on an existing series, how do you flesh out the people to make it believable while staying true to the license? Are professional scriptwriters employed for this process?
JG: Yes, we used professional scriptwriters to bring the story to life. The story line and basic plot were created internally with our design team, and help from existing Mission:Impossible properties. Characters were added to incorporate the right amount of tension, surprise and romance.

GA: What kind of assistance does Paramount provide when creating a title based on their license?
JG: Viacom Consumer Products offers insight into the license that was definitely needed. Their input helped keep the gameplay and story line true to the Mission:Impossible universe.

GA: Your Atari label-mate, "Enter The Matrix", enjoyed great sales success, but took a severe drubbing in the gaming press - our site included. Do you see the gameplay in M:I - Operation Surma providing an experience that stays true to the movie license, while still providing a proper challenge for gamers?
JG: The challenge for players will definitely be there, not to mention a solid amount of gameplay hours. Use of the Mission:Impossible license only made the content more exciting and cool for the player.

GA: Are you planning on providing console-specific tweaks to each version? Higher-resolution textures for Xbox, greater particle-effects in PlayStation 2, etc.?
JG: The gameplay is basically the same for all platforms, and we have been able to take advantage of specific graphic features on each.

GA: Character animation - are you using motion-capture, animating by hand, or a mixture of both?
JG: All of the animation in the game and the cutscenes is hand keyframed. We felt it necessary to get the right look and feel for the characters.

GA: How will the use of sound be implemented in M:I - Operation Surma? Any chance of Dolby 5.1 support for the audiophile gamers out there?
JG: Audio has always been a key component to PEI games, and is a huge part of the Operation Surma experience. Creative use of sound effects enhances the players’ experience, and is incorporated into the Digital Binoculars gadget (BCM) which allows Ethan to hear conversations at long distances. Dolby 5.1 is incorporated and helps to bring the player closer to the action.

GA: Will you be using in-game cutscenes to move the storyline along, or filmed/rendered sequences?
JG: Operation Surma uses a combination of in-game cut scenes, in-game cinematics and pre-rendered cinematics to bring the story to life. There are over 30 minutes of total cinematics in the game.

GA: Who's on the list of voice actors for M:I - Operation Surma?
JG: Atari was fortunate enough to gain rights to some of the Mission:Impossible characters: Ving Rhames, the legendary Luther Stickell and John Polson as Billy Baird. Mr. Rhames provides a great performance for voice over used in-game, and his likeness is incorporated in the game as well.

GA: Will there be a simultaneous release for all platforms?
JG: Sony PS2 and Microsoft Xbox are due for release this holiday season, and Nintendo GameCube will follow early ’04.

Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing the finished game!