Hey /r/IAmA! I’m Jens Matthies, Creative Director for Wolfenstein: The New Order. Get psyched because I’m here to answer your questions! AMA!

Hi Jens, who came up with the idea of the referee shooting a soccer player in the "Nowhere To Run" trailer and Nazis destroying Mount Rushmore in "Boom Boom" trailer ? I want to hug them.

That was the talented people at trailer house G-Net. They've been awesome, and I'm sure they would love some hugs :)

So... about Fallout 4...

Do you know anything about it? If so please tell?

Excellent question! Keep the excellent questions coming :)

How long is the campaign going to be? Especially if a player takes their time and collect's everything, how long on average would it take to complete the game?

If you collect everything and explore everywhere I think a single play through could end up close to 20 hours. But there's also lots of incentive to make a second play through, especially to explore the alternate time line.

Is BJ Blazko still the grandfather of commander keen and the ancestor of the doomguy?

I certainly hope so!

What do you think about the alternate Version of your game for germany? Since its not the thrid reich attacking the world, does it take away anything from the story? And how do you think about games being one of the few forms of media, where its not allowed to show any swastikas and other third reich related stuff?

We will celebrate at MachineGames the day the passionate German gamers convince their government of the obvious fact that games are indeed an art form.

Both RTCW, ET and Wolfenstein (2009) all had traditional Allies vs. Axis style multiplayer with Wolfenstein twists (amulet powers, venom gattling gun, ect). If Wolfenstein: The New Order is a success, which I hope it is, and Bethesda greenlights a sequel, which I hope they do, is a multiplayer component or stand-alone like Enemy Territory possible? What would you do differently to make it Machine Games own unique experience?

Can't really speculate about how the future will play out. I'd love to do a sequel. I think it would be a lot of fun to make an Enemy Territory style multiplayer game. But MachineGames will never make both at the same time. We find that the best possible results come from having the whole team focused on a singular experience for the duration of the project.

If Carmack or Romero played this game, do you think they would be proud? I mean, i bet you guys replayed Wolfenstein 3D to capture the original feel of the game.

I think so. This game is our love letter to id Software and the shooters we grew up with, so I hope they'll like it. I don't think they will be expecting such a developed story line though ;)

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There will be no spoilers :)

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I'll take that as an "I'll maybe preorder" ;)

Will we see what happened to the Japanese after the war in Wolfenstein: The New Order?

It's not something we go deeply into in this game, but if you explore the game world you will discover some information on the fate of Japan.

What was the biggest challenge when making Wolfenstein: The New Order? What kind of veggies do you like growing? how long have you liked doing that? Also I have to say that the panzerhund in that proof pic is amazing! Looking forward to the release of the game~

Biggest challenge was probably the scope. The game is huge and it was a monster to build. This year it's all tomatoes. But I like any plant that produces food. Except zucchini. Bleh. Yeah, it took days to get that Panzerhund into the office, but now it make the conference room a happy place :)

You take back what you said about zucchini!

Never! It tastes worse than water! :)

How much concern is there over how you approach the Nazi enemies? In terms of brutality you administer towards them, or just being historically sensitive. Does it make making an FPS easier?

Well, above all we wanted to make the best Wolfenstein game possible. The game is of course completely fictionalized and over the top, but we wanted the sense of oppressive Nazi horror feel authentic.

What is the highest speed you have every reached while riding a bicycle? Do you have documentation of this?

Clarification needed. Do you mean propelled by my own muscles or while holding on to a vehicle?

Riddick EfBB - director's cut audio commentaries (often podcast length) and videos were one of the best (if not THE best) special edition bonuses ever to happen in video games. You should consider doing someting like that with this or future titles by MachineGames. :)

Thanks! As you can tell once I start talking, I don't stop :) I would love to do it again, it's more a matter of finding room for it in the schedule.

Just wanted to say hello!

How are you doing today? Did you drink some coffee this morning? What is your favorite kind of coffee?

Thanks!

That's awfully friendly! Hello! I don't drink coffee. I find it to be a vile, bitter drink :)

What do you prefer then? I cant go a day without coffee!

I'm good with all good tasting caffeine delivery systems. Coke, Red Bull, something along those lines. Wish they would weaponize that stuff ;)

What can you say about the development of the game on the consoles? Did the eSRAM cause any issues for you guys on Xbox One? Basically will the graphical difference be minimal across both platforms?

Compared to the last console transition this one was a breeze. There are always tricky technical problems when developing games, but we have some amazingly skilled brains on those problems and I'm happy to report that Wolf will run with minimal visual disparity at 60fps/1080p on all platforms.

What was it like designing parts like the prison camps in the game? Considering it revolves around the holocaust and the final solution.

For me personally, this was one of the reasons I really wanted to make the game. I think video games are uniquely powerful in that they can put you in places you cannot go, or would never want to go in real life. You're in for a ride with this game, that's for sure.

You had previously worked on Riddick and The Darkness which were two favorite good games of mine which had an awesome soundtrack by the way. I think a good game always have to have a good soundtrack. Riddick and darkness had Gustaf Grefsberg which he really made a fitting sound to the game, would ever consider him composing your games soundtrack in future titles?

Of course! Gustaf (or Grappo as we call him) has worked with us for about 15 years now, and he's a key sound designer on Wolf. For the music in Wolf we worked with an amazing composer named Mick Gordon as his musical style is more appropriate for this game than Grappo's. We also have some special music contributions by Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah (looove that band).

Whoa!!!! Meshuggah contributes music, that's awesome. I hope a soundtrack comes out. Is it a new song made for the game?

Yeah, Fredrik made some custom music for the game. All of the music in the game is amazing, I'm really psyched about it.

From the gameplay we saw, you can choose to kill either Wyatt or Fergus at the very beginning, how does it affect the game in the long run? Different locations? Dialogue between characters? What would it be?

Well, I don't want to give any spoilers, but it changes the vibe of the story to a degree and alters the gameplay somewhat. We think of it as an alternate ending, but instead of it just affecting the final cinematic, it affects the tone of the whole game a little bit.

Can you make the main character Lt. Aldo Raine?

No, but I think B.J. Blazkowicz and Aldo would have a fun night if they had some beers together.

Hello! How do you keep a series that's been around since the early 80's relevant and fresh in 2014?

Thanks for the AMA!

Thanks for the question! I think this is the beauty of making video games. For example, the opportunities available to us developers these days are vastly different to what id Software had to work with when making Wolf 3D. Our goal has been to make the best Wolf game ever, and you'll see plenty of both old school and fresh new stuff when you play it.

Why do you censor the game in Austria when the swastika is only forbidden in Germany?

I honestly don't know the details of that. I could come up with a few hypotheses, but I'd prefer not to speculate. Sorry, wish I could answer that for you :(

Will the new game be story driven (many hours of gameplay) with long term replay value, or will we have to rely on multiplayer to get any value out of it?

This game is exclusive single player. But we've built in lots of replay value. Most notably is that the player makes a choice early on the outcome of which opens up an alternate time line which changes the vibe of the story. It's recommended to do a second play through and see what would have happened if you chose differently.

Is Stealth going to be forced or will it be optional in Wolfenstein?

On the rarest of occasions you'll be forced to approach a scenario either using stealth or armed combat, but at all other times the player is free to decide for themselves.

Why is the hard drive requirements so high? Is it just texture bloat or did you figure that you can now afford to have audio bloat as well with blurays?

Yes, whenever we can bloat we will bloat! :) There's an obscene amount of content in the game, and all that good stuff eats storage.

How does it feel to have a plural name?

Well, could be worse. Our CEO/Executive Producer is named Jerk.

Hello ! I just wanted to know how did that feel to jump from Riddick to The Darkness, which were 2 very good games mind you but still in a sort of "niche" position, into that franchise that is Wolfenstein. Wasn't it scary at first ? will you be willing to do another game if that one turn out to be successfull (which I truelly hope :D)

Also there's quite a lot of words here and there about a gamemode you can unlock by findin all the collectibles in the game so there you go, since its not possible to find a clear info about it : what will it be ? :D Wolfenstein 3D with the engine of new order ?

I mean as in, a second wolfenstein !

We loved getting to work on Wolf. It was daunting for sure, because it's a game that blew our minds when we grew up, and we've been idolizing id Software since before we started making games. We've worked extremely hard to make sure the id guys wouldn't feel like their trust in us was misplaced. We have lots of ideas for a sequel and we'd love to do one. It hinges on the financial success of this one, of course. There are many game modes you can unlock :)

I really cant wait to play The New Order! The team did an excellent job. My question is: what are you most proud of in Wolfenstein The New Order?

I'm really proud of the fact that the game we set out to make is the game we ended up with. It's exactly the Wolfenstein game I would want to play.

Hi Jens.Will there be an another Twitch stream before the game comes out? If yes, when? Thank you.

Yes! There will be a final one on Monday, the 19th.

What do you think is the MOST badass thing in the game?

Sooo many options! A fully upgraded Laserkraftwerk is very, very badass :)

Hello, Jens! What are the influences of the previous Wolfenstein games? Could we see some places from Wolf3D, RtCW or even Wolfenstein in the new game?

We've been deeply inspired by Wolfenstein 3D. Many of the choices we've made have been extrapolations based on the foundational ideas in Wolf 3D.

So, how open is the game? When I think of old school shooters, I think of the complex maze like level design. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q6UQ2QlRH0

Also, thanks for reviving Wolfenstein :)

The openness of levels is one of the old school things we're bringing back with Wolfenstein: The New Order.

If you could have worked for id software closer to the beginning of your career? Or are you satisfied with how your path set you with starbreeze?

I regret nothing :)

What is the key to success of the story ?

Killing as many Nazis as you can :)

Hi, can't wait to play the game, it sounds awesome. I'm hoping to get into the industry myself, I'm just about to graduate my first degree. I was wondering if you've got any tips for people who want to get into the industry?

Specialize your skill set and practice, practice, practice. Pick one thing and try to become the best in the world at it. Don't forget that games are made by people working together. Your ability to communicate, deliver and receive criticism matters way more than you think :)

Jens, how often do you get questions about Fallout and The Elder Scrolls from fans who confuse Bethesda Softworks with Bethesda Game Studios?

Often! ;)

It looks absolutely bloody fantastic so far, but I have reservations -- mainly, I've found that many/most modern multi-platform games seem to have a control scheme designed for a controller, with PC/keyboard controls slapped together as an afterthought (ie, Mass Effect 3, where one button did five different things, or Bioshock where certain keyboard keys were "reserved" for no reason).

Is this something that people who get the PC version instead of the console version will need to be concerned with/aware of?

Wolfenstein: The New Order allows complete key binding freedom to PC players.

Hi Jens! How much influence from the original Wolfenstein 3D went into the making of The New Order? Are you excited that your game will be coming out soon? I sure am!

Wolf 3D is for us the true origin of the series, so we've been very inspired by it. I'm super excited for the release! But I do have some degree of separation anxiety, since this has been my baby for so long and now it's moved out of the house.

I'm an IP attorney at a software company, but I struggle with my own company's investment in "loss prevention" and "rights management" tools. As a software developer, what's your plan to address (or work with) software piracy that so many other software vendors and studios worry about?

Do you think that investing man hours in development of and implementation of DRM systems is a healthy use of limited software development time and resources?

I'm sorry, I don't care about any of that stuff ;) All I care about is making the best possible video games I can.

Is there potential for Machine Games to work on a sequel for The New Order, will it have an ending that allows for sequels?

We would love to do a sequel and we have lots of ideas. We'll see how this one does :)

Hey Jens. I'm playing through RtCW in anticipation of The New Order. Will there be as many hidden switches and gold bars behind paintings of Hitler in The New Order?

Edit: And awesome work by the team on the whole meta extended universe with the soundtrack and Nazi world influence etc.

Oh yeah, it wouldn't be Wolfenstein unless there was tons and tons of hidden stuff to find :) Thank you for the kind words!

Have you played Wolf ET?

Yes.

Does The New Order follow the events from Return To Castle Wolfenstein(my favourite!), Wolfenstein 3D or is it a complete reboot? Also a friend of mine worked with Mick Gordon on the soundtrack and has refused to tell me anything for the last 8 months! (other than that you're quite the metal fan) What kind of music can we expect in the final soundtrack?!

Wolfenstein: The New Order is constructed to play as a complete stand alone game, but it will also work as a sequel to previous titles in the series where possible. Mick surrounds himself with amazing talents, so I'm sure you have a highly skilled friend. The music is very varied and there's loads of it. The game is intricately scored from moment to moment with almost no repetition. A lot of the score features odd time signatures yet it's all very groovy. Can't wait for you guys to hear it.

Hi Jens! I remember reading about W:TNO when you were first revealing it, and being very excited about an opening scene involving a Nazi officer interviewing you with a deck of cards. It sounds like a very tense non-combat encounter not unlike the opening of Inglorious Basterds, one of my all time favorite scenes in any film. My question is this: is this encounter still in the game, and will there be more of these tense, non-combat encounters in the game?

Yes, and yes! I don't want to give spoilers, but we work a lot with the pacing of the game. We think of it more as an action adventure than a straight up shooter. Although it is very heavy on the action ;)

What type of vegetables do you grow?

Also, the viscosity of the blood splatter in the trailer for The New Order was very satisfying.

Over the years I've grown, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, leek, jerusalem artichoked, artichokes, asparagus, chards, lettuce, all kinds of herbs, blue berries, raspberries, strawberries, soy beans, fava beans, string beans, peas, zucchini (bleh), melons, grapes, peppers, chilis... Probably more things that slips my mind at the moment :) Thank you for the kind words! Our effects artists will be happy to hear that. They've worked a lot on that viscosity!

Do you by any chance know what yhe soldiers are yelling out when they see you in the original Wolfenstein 3d?

Well, the one thing I remember is the line "Mein Leben!" which (unless my German fails) means "My life!". Which of course makes little sense, and I fondly speculate that this was John Romero's made up German back in the day. And I'm happy to inform that under very special conditions, you can get the enemies in Wolfenstein: The New Order to say "Mein Leben!" when they die.

Hi Jens, can you elaborate on why there is no multiplayer? Cheers :)

We knew that we'd make the best possible game if the entire studio was fully focused on a stellar single player experience. Adding multiplayer would split our focus and reduce quality over all. It was not a sacrifice we were willing to make.

As a dabbler in MMA, how do you think you compare to CCP Games vs Gunnar Nelson?

Gunny would destroy me in less than a minute.

Hey Jens,

Are the Elite guard in the game?

Yes!

It sure doesn't look this way, but please assure me this won't be another Duke Nukem: Forever...

You may rest assured.