Call of Duty: Ghosts is one of the most anticipated games of the fall, and both current and next gen console owners are eager to get their hands on the latest edition of the franchise. Infinity Ward executive producer Mark Rubin told the Associated Press several details about the making of the game, including how Riley, the first canine squad mate in the series, will fit into the game's plot.
Since Riley has been introduced, Infinity Ward revealed that the dog will act as a character players are meant to get attached to and serve as a more emotional component for the game. Many fans have taken this as a sign that Riley will die over the course of the game to cause an emotional blow to gamers. Rubin revealed that most gamers expect the dog will die, but did not confirm what will happen to Riley:
"Everybody thinks we're going to kill the dog...Maybe that's the expected thing we would do, so maybe it's not what we'll do? We'll see. People around here didn't know, and they had that same sentiment: 'We better not kill the dog.' The emotional investment for the dog here has been just as strong as what's happening out in the public."
Riley was featured in the official reveal trailer for the game and at the Xbox One reveal event and quickly became something of an iconic image for the game. With the unexpected surge in popularity, some felt that Infinity Ward should give the dog more screen time, but this was ultimately rejected according to Rubin:
"There was a risk of shoehorning the dog into scenes where he wasn't originally going to be...Fortunately, that only lasted for a few weeks and everybody got back to concentrating on making the game. It's great that Riley is so popular, but let's focus on the game. Let's have Riley make sense and not just put him in space or in a scuba suit."
Rubin also stated that the motion capture sessions with the two dogs who played Riley (which was played by a German Shepherd and a Belgian Malinois, so eagle eyed players will be able to spot the difference in movement) were some of the most difficult parts of development:
"In this environment, we didn't have trees or grass...It was like, 'OK, Ruger. Pretend we're in a desert area and act accordingly.' Ruger (one of the dogs) is like, 'Dude, this is a studio with mats like people do exercises on at the gym, and there's white lines on the ground.' Just trying to get him to act as if it was a real environment was the hardest thing."
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
