Deluxe Doings 1

Pretty pictures - by Andrew Ellard

11 August, 2006

We seem to have talked endlessly about the all-new Holly footage created for Beat the Geek. But what about the other half of this interactive undertaking? What about Deluxe Digital?

You will, of course, recall that Deluxe have been with Red Dwarf on DVD since the beginning, creating breathtaking menus for all eight series. Meticulously detailed sets, lit to match the style of each series, packed with detail and all shot with a sweeping, graceful virtual camera. (Except when it deliberately wasnt.)

Their return to Dwarf is a peculiar mix of old and new. Those classic sets have been dusted off, polished up, re-ordered and photographed from new angles - but they form part of a much bigger Red Dwarf, to be shown from the inside as red-on-black wireframe.

You might have noticed that Deluxe have also created a brand new location for us - the Observation Dome. Seen in Series II of the show, the glass-domed platform has been specially built for this release. We love it.

Each of the eight quiz levels is located in a specific area of the ship, and those areas will provide backdrops to the questions. The examples below should give you an idea of how this works, and why weve picked the camera angles and set details we have.

What we arent yet showing you is what happens next.

Beat the Geek takes place in a virtual environment, and the design reflects that. After the level ends, the colours and textures will 'unrender' before your eyes, leaving a wireframe version of the room behind. And then we're off.

The camera will zoom out of the door, slam down miles of corridors, weave around cargo, sneak into elevators, slip up into vents - all over the shop. Powering along until you reach the next level. At which point, of course, a computery effect will layer in the colour and the questions begin again.

Edited amongst all this, you'll be shown a map of the ship pinpointing your location, you'll be given your score, and Holly will introduce and conclude each level.

It's all fitting together beautifully. We can't wait to show it to you.

More DVD Details will follow soon...

Red Dwarf: Beat the Geek will be released in the UK on October 23rd, 2006.