'CSI: Hard Evidence' Mixes Work And Play

It's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation--with controllers.

The video game publisher Ubisoft created CSI: Hard Evidence, the latest CSI game for the Xbox 360. "We work so closely with CBS and CSI Productions," said Tony Van, executive producer from Ubisoft. "We work with the cast and the crew. We make sure everything is authentic from the way that we light it to the sounds that we use."

Lead designer Greg Land explained that the creative team paid close attention to CSI when creating the game. "We did a lot of work upfront researching the details. We worked with a technical advisor, and we just tried to come up with some cool cases that would match the quality of the show." That meant creating cases that relied on scientific know-how. "CSI isn't about solving cases with car chases and shootouts," said Chris Farriter, Ubisoft producer. "It's about science and deduction."

The game creators didn't just construct cases for Hard Evidence. They also had to reproduce and include the forensic team in every step of the game. Farriter said that "one of the coolest things" they were able to do with the 3D engine was have the "ability to make these characters act and really set up the cameras and the shots in the game the way that they would do it in the show." With realistic cases, the main characters from CSI and a set-up that mimics the show, rather than simply being a game, Farriter said that "it's almost a cross between the show and a video game."

You can watch the making-of video on YouTube here thanks to gamerstemple. CSI: Hard Evidence can be ordered from Amazon.com.

Discuss this news item at Talk CSI!
 Add CSI Files RSS feed to your news reader or My Yahoo!
Also a Desperate Housewives fan? Then visit GetDesperate.com!