Shara Miller Interview
An article by RemiO, posted on July 21. 2003.

Interested in the Playstation2 Version of EMI? Remi Olsen interviews Shara Miller, the person in charge of converting our beloved game to the Playstation2!

Interview by Remi "RemiO" Olsen
Editing by Heather "Chariset" Oglevie

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Please tell us a little about yourself... what other titles have you worked on?
I'm fairly new to LucasArts, having previously worked in the Interactive Media division of a huge software company. Since I started at LucasArts, my two main titles have been Force Commander and all 8 international versions of Monkey.

Can you please tell us what extras the PS2 version will have over the PC version?
The PS2 version has re-rendered character animations with 9 times as many polys as the PC version, vibration function, smoother controls, a less intimidating version of Monkey Kombat, a new Easter egg (am I allowed to say that?), and a Concept Art section.

Will the saving system be like the PC version (save anywhere in the game) or the standard PlayStation/Resident Evil style (save only in certain locations)?
You can still save anywhere.

Will the PS2's force feedback feature be taken in use? For that full Monkey Kombat feeling?
Yes, vibration function is in full effect.

The PC version seemed to have sort of fuzzy sound, probably due to compression. Any enhancements to the sound quality?
Did you think so? I was personally very impressed with the PC version's rich palette of music, ambience, and sound effects. To preserve that richness, a lot of work went into the sound engine for the PS2 version. Some tweaks were made to the overall sound environment as well, and of course the added space on the DVD allowed the team to use files that weren't as heavily compressed.

Any plans on releasing a PC version containing all the PS2 enhancements? Like Escape From Monkey Island SE?
Not at this time. But as soon as someone puts out a keyboard with force feedback capabilities, we'll get back to ya.

Aditional Links: LucasArt's EMI Page Mixnmojo Review EMI Section

The Giant Monkey Head has changed from gray to brown - what's the story behind the change?
Maybe you need to readjust your RGB settings on your TV? No, actually the team looked at all the original artwork on a TV in the early stages of the project. NTSC does some interesting things to certain colors, and changes were made accordingly. Some extensive work was indeed done to the Giant Monkey Head, for example.

Will it be released for any other consoles like X-Box and/or GameCube?
There are no current plans to port Monkey 4 to additional platforms -- the amazingly hard-working development team are all taking a well-deserved hiatus from all things Monkey.

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	Sir Inyasha February 09. 2004

Cheating is just here to enliven the game after you beat it the right way. because who wants to beat the game the exact same way twice. i wonder if there wil be more cheats on mi4 on ps2 than on PC, and on mi5

	BlueSun February 05. 2004

In my opinion, Monkey Kombat wasn't that hard. But I would have loved to see Insult Sword fighting make a re-return, it was a blast of fun indeed!

	PiratePrincess September 11. 2003

Oooooh! i wonder what the new easter egg is?

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