We recently had an opportunity to interview Tero Virtala, CEO, and Antti Ilvessuo, Creative Director at RedLynx, to get some details about the upcoming Trials HD Big Pack DLC.

What was the basic premise for this pack of DLC?

The basic premise is that for a DLC it’s a really BIG package, with lot of new stuff, and with 400 Microsoft Points, it should be definite high value for money. 35 new tracks, over 50 new physics object providing new type of gameplay, 5 new tournaments, new achievements, etc –it’s a big package. As we have had such a great success already, we thought that when we’ll make the DLC it has to be big and guaranteed value for money.

What are the new skill games?

The amount of Skill Games is doubled. Their basic ideas are like they have been in Trials HD, but each new track brings some new gameplay angles. And of course with the experience we had from Trials HD, skill game track designs have gone some steps further.

What new achievements have been added?

There are three new Achievements worth 50 Gamerscore:

-Piggyback (15G):  Catch a ride and surf on top of a car in Dangerous Ride. Can you go the distance?
-Ride on top of a car in Dangerous Ride DLC track.
-No Deal (15G): Which box to choose and when to bailout?
-Bail out and land the rider inside a lucky box.
-Look ma I can fly! (20G): Bounce 5 trampolines in succession in Skyway to reach new heights.

And btw, theirs is also a free Title Update released 23rd, and that will simplify the original Ultimate Endurance tournament.  This change makes the close to impossible Marathon achievement possible for much wider audience.  The tournament will include beginner/easy/medium tracks. So bit more gamerscore bit more easily available.

What was changed to make the marathon achievement easier?

Tracks included are easier. There is still challenge and skill is needed to get the achievement. But people can now get it, if they are good riders and they have the patience to ride carefully.
Radat mitkä siinä on on helpompi kautta linjan.

Was the complexity limit changed in the create-a-track feature?

It’s the same as it has been. However, some small polishing has been done to develop this further, and they are included in the free Title Update.

What are your favorite new physics objects?

Well it’s the car. You can create good accidents, and there are cool motors, and other things, which you can also attach to the cars...there are number of fun things that can now be created.

Give us some detail on the new tournaments, what can we expect?

New Tournaments include new tracks. We have also followed a lot on the player feedback and have checked that the tournaments aren’t too long.

Is there any support for user track leaderboards, even if just between friends planned?

We didn’t go for that. That would have been quite a development. Instead we focused on having the big DLC out for the players, with most of that stuff included that players had been asking – new type of physics things, new tracks in the right difficulty-spot, and new type of tracks, etc.

What about support to download maps from outside of your friends list?

We didn’t start developing that further, there so much work already in making this really big DLC. Adding big new features into that, would have been such a big task, that the DLC would never have been out even this “soon”.

What is the future of Trials: HD? Will we see more DLC or is a sequel in the works, or maybe a full retail game?

Let’s first see how players welcome the DLC.

In relation to other games, there are some smaller games that we have done years ago. They were really addictive, and always had something unique. But back in those days we were mainly making bigger game projects for publishers and did not focus on making those smaller own games into polished sellable games. Planning some of them further, making them bit bigger and really polished, that sounds one interesting thing (among many interesting opportunities there are). But anything that we’ll do, we’ll focus on the one core game play things that we know is great and is also different. And make that as good as it can be. And make it for online distribution. So let’s see. And of course we’ll be thinking how Trials could evolve further.

We certainly appreciate your time, is there anything else you would like to add?

For all the readers, have a great ride for 2010 and keep the helmet fastened! We try to make games in a way that we as gamers would like them to be done, as we play so much games also ourselves. Hope this comes across to players also in our future games!