Ratchet & Clank studio head sees 'controlling scope' as its biggest challenge

Controlling the scope of each game is still a challenge 10 years after Insomniac Games released the first Ratchet & Clank title, the studio's president and CEO, Ted Price, told the PlayStation Blog.

"Controlling scope was (and still is) our biggest challenge," Price said. "We were moving onto a new platform with a new IP and we had very little time to get it done. We knew we needed to be ambitious for the game to stand out; but we also knew that if we spread ourselves too thin with too many features, the game would be half-baked. Dealing with this conundrum hasn't gotten any easier over the years because players' expectations continue to skyrocket for all platforms."

The original game grew out of a concept called Girl with a Stick, which Price said established some of Ratchet & Clank's mechanics.

Insomniac knew it was onto something when it built Metropolis, one of the first worlds in Ratchet & Clank. Even though it was a rough mockup, it included some series-defining features like platforming, multiple weapons and a living game world that convinced both Insomniac and Sony of the game's potential.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault, the next installment in the decade-old series, is set for release Nov. 27. The game will support Sony's Cross Buy program, meaning purchasing the game for $19.99 on PlayStation 3 will unlock the Vita game and vice versa.