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Imagine
being able to drive around the capital in a black cab, rally drive
across Hyde Park or speed round Marble Arch in a Le Mans car, all
without paying the congestion charge!
The
makers of the new Playstation 2 game, The Getaway - Black Monday,
spent 18 months recreating the streets of London.
They've also created some special features which allow game players
to take the wheel of a cab, speed across Trafalgar Square on a motorbike
and ride a scooter around Soho.
Using still cameras and video Team Soho digitised 25 square miles
of the capital including street furniture and shop fronts.
They started out taking pictures of hundreds of buildings between
Mayfair and Shoreditch.
Then using computer software they created wireframe models of the
areas on top of virtual Ordnance Survey map.
Once this had been completed they wrapped the images around the
digital framework.
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Liberties
takes shape
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A
lot of the work had been done during the making of the first Getaway
game but the team wanted to make sure the capital looked more realistic
and that street furniture was exactly where it should be.
They also added in congestion charging symbols and shop front branding
to the sequel.
Senior producer Peter Edward said: "The street sites are like
a western movie. They don't have wooden slates at the back but they
are just the fronts.
"If it's got columns on the front then that will be made into
the geometry of the building.
"An enormous amount of effort has gone into them. To give it
an authentic London feel."
They also used some distinctive London landmarks in key sections
of the game.
Crossness Pump Station, the All Stars Gym on Harrow Road and disused
Tube stations all house villains who need dealing with.
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The
All Stars Gym(left) becomes Shoreditch Boys Club (right) in
the game
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Peter
added: "We had location scouts. If we said we wanted a warehouse
they'd find us one that would be fantastic.
"There's a whole section behind the scenes in the Underground.
Users can go into the shafts and disused tunnels."
"In terms of gameplay and feel it's absolutely authentic. Piccadilly
Circus is Piccadilly Circus", he added.
Writer/narrative producer Katie Ellwood said:"It's not Hollywood,
it's London realism with a gangster story.
"In the city the people {in the game} are suited and booted.
In Soho they're more funky types." Everyone speaks with either
a London accent or one of the many foreign accents."
Also you access the special features you can race around the capital
in a number of vehicles or become a black cab driver and pick up
fares.
These added extras were included to allow people who have limited
time to get a quick 20 minute fix of the game.
Click here to find out what the BBC London Travel presenters thought
of the look of London in the game
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Crossness
Pump Station is another location that is used in the game
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Listen live
Click
through amazing shots of London from high up in a helicopter!