GS: How did you approach the multiplayer modes in the game? Will they offer both ad hoc and infrastructure connectivity?
PC: Multiplayer is one of the most exciting features of Heroes. We have 32-player infrastructure support with continuous joining so players can simply pick a server and jump in anytime. There are 15 different maps and six different multiplayer game modes, which are mostly team based. We also have a new innovation on the PSP that allows players to download a user-hosted server to their own PCs and run their own dedicated servers. Both user-hosted servers and EA Nation server games are fully customizable, and we have very detailed leaderboards and stat-tracking. Players can also play all these multiplayer game modes and maps with up to eight of their friends in a local ad hoc multiplayer game.
GS: How have you handled the PSP's control limitations?
PC: The default control scheme, Commando, plays the most like a console game, but we have three alternate schemes that cater to different styles of play, including Elite, Pathfinder, and Sniper. We've also added the ability to adjust the speed of aiming so players can customize this and other options, like inverted look.
GS: Will you support voice chat?
PC: While we don't have voice chat [via the PSP headset], we do have in-game chatting with a new simple alphanumeric keyboard, as well as preset quick commands allowing teammates to quickly communicate with each other with commands like "Enemy spotted" or "I need backup."
GS: Will the multiplayer maps be original, or will they reuse content from the single-player game? PC: All of the maps for the PSP are new, and the multiplayer maps are shared from the campaign mode.
