MotoGP 14 races onto PS3 and PS4 today

When we started work on MotoGP 14 there were really three things that we wanted to achieve. Firstly – authenticity, to have a videogame that was as close the sport as we could possibly achieve.

Second, we wanted a level of photo-realism that would, if you didn’t know it was a game, would make you look twice to check if it was real.

Lastly, we wanted players to feel as though they were bringing the sport into their living room. That once the TV coverage stopped, they could ‘live’ what they had previously only been watching.

I hope that players will feel that we’ve achieved all those things when the game arrives on PS3 and PS4 today (with the PS Vita version to follow on 4th July).

Perhaps the most exciting thing for us here at Milestone is that this is our first next-gen racer. The most obvious benefit that the PS4 brings for us is a visual one, of course. Increased resolution, the models are that much more complex, as are the riders themselves – the level of detail we can put into the game now is amazing.

We’re also using the Yebis 2 lighting engine – which is being used by Square Enix in some of their next-gen titles. This is a very powerful lighting tool that has helped MotoGP take a real step up in delivering that goal of photo-realism.

The additional power has also allowed us to make big leaps forward in elements that you can’t necessarily see in video or in screens – you have to feel them in game. By this I mean in terms of physics and AI.

The AI is much improved. Different riders will display different behaviour – you’ll also notice that when you have many riders close by they behave much more realistically than ever before – they take a more realistic racing line and now ride more intelligently. They also react to you, and each other very well – and this makes a big difference to the overall experience.

We’ve really worked on the handling models too – setting everything to pro is a real challenges and is bound to please hardcore biking fans. We’ve also added more in the way of options, so you can tune the handling to your preference, whether you’re a beginner of a more skilled player.

Essentially, the increased power of the PS4 allows us to make considerably more calculations per second, and this has improved many aspects of the look and feel of MotoGP.

I’m also very pleased with the level of content we’ve managed to include this time around. Real Events and Challenge the Champions are great additions this year. The 2013 season was incredible in terms of racing and excitement – Real Events will allow you to relive some of those great moments and great battles.

Challenge the Champions is my favourite mode though. This allows you to race as classic Champions from MotoGP history. The challenges in this mode ask you re-enact certain key battles from MotoGP’s past – or in some cases, change the course of those events altogether.

Another thing I also wanted to do for MotoGP 14 was to improve the Career mode as this always provides the biggest part of the single player experience.

You enter Moto3 on a wild card and have to progress through to MotoGP. There’s much more in the way of player choice and control now – you can speak with your manager in game, define what your objectives are, which teams you want to ride for and chart your progress to achieving those goals.

We’ve also added in some very cool new elements. As you get better, for example, your motor-home – one of the staples of any MotoGP paddock – will get increasingly lavish as you rise up the ranks. You can also now unlock data packs for your bike, where you can test and improve your ride as you race though every season.

I’m very pround of what we’ve achieved on MotoGP 14 this year. There’s so much more content to MotoGP now – new online modes like split battle for example, and the improved career mode – but I think mostly, we are happy that we have created the most authentic, most accurate depiction of the MotoGP sport ever made.

We worked very closely with Dorna, we had real MotoGP riders like Jorge Lorenzo come and test the game and give us lots of feedback on handling and the tracks themselves. We always strive for maximum authenticity – that is always our goal and something we want to give our fans.