With Ubisoft’s next open-world driving game set for release on 14th September, members of the Ivory Tower development team have spoken to Traxion.GG discussing the title’s scope, features and development history.
It’s that last point we were most intrigued about, as this particular release utilises the ‘Motorfest‘ suffix for the first time, eschewing the numbered nomenclature of its prior release, The Crew 2.
It turns out preliminary work started back in 2018, and it was not initially planned to be a game in its own right.
“At the beginning, it was a DLC,” explained Stéphane Beley, Senior Creative Director on The Crew Motorfest to Traxion.GG.
“A long time ago, when we kicked off the project, it was not called Motorfest while it was DLC for The Crew 2.
“More and more ideas came through the process and after a year’s work on the project, we decided to create a full game of it.
“So we created The Crew Motorfest four years ago and now we have been working on it [since then].”
Part of the reason for the switch was the team’s desire to upgrade the game engine and introduce new gameplay mechanics or structures. It decided this would be too much work just for a downloadable addition to the existing game, but, at the same time, the team didn’t want to let a good idea go to waste.
“When we started discussing it, even [then] the progression system was a playlist,” highlighted Julien Hummer, Content Director on Motorfest to Traxion.GG.
“We started with the conception to make sure that the progression and the way it was working with the activation of playlists with IRL footage, working events and the overall progression. [This was] not compatible with the main game [The Crew 2].”
Once development was in full swing, the game wasn’t necessarily always going to be called The Crew Motorfest, either. In fact, up until relatively recently, it was revealed during our conversation that it was going to be released as The Crew Motorcamp.
“The name’ Motorfest’ for us, it was really so obvious,” opined Beley to Traxion.GG.
“Calling [it] ‘The Crew 3’ or ‘Motorfest’, Motorfest was perfectly fitting the idea that we had in mind. It was six to eight months ago that we decided that… At the beginning, it was Motorcamp, and we renamed it to Motorfest.”
“The brand ‘Motorfest’… It’s clearly nurturing the whole experience of the game,” concurred Hummer.
“[It’s] talking about car culture and the way that it’s going to be happening on this beautiful island of O‘ahu.
“As soon as we’re working on it, the path and importance of Motorfest in terms of [the] visual aspects, in terms of world presence and in terms of progression for the player, it was obvious that it was going to be around a motorfest.”
It’s not just the name that’s different this time around, as no more is The Crew franchise chasing overall scale. The Crew 2 tried to procedurally generate the entirety of the United States of America, whereas the latest instalment ditched that technology in favour of a crafted environment, on a smaller scale, that has more variety and greater detail.
There are also Toyotas for the first time, upgraded engine technology for enhanced lighting and vehicle physics plus the first five hours will be free to play for all players. All the aforementioned topics are discussed in greater detail on the latest episode of the Traixon Podcast with the development team, which is available to listen to right now via your favourite podcast app.
But, one key question remains. Which name do you prefer? The Crew 3, Motorcamp or Motorfest? Vote in our poll below.
[yop_poll id=”10″]
