Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat lead multiplayer designer Todd Alderman

When we're conducting an interview with a developer, the bulk of our time is generally spent discussing their current project. But after the voice recorder is turned off and the liquor is flowing, the conversation almost inevitably shifts to videogames made by other teams working in the same genre as that developer. For us, it's always fascinating to look at games through the eyes of those who make them, because they sometimes see things differently than does the typical gamer; the same can be said of reviewers who are very knowledgeable about a certain genre, or people who have become experts at a particular game or genre.

As part of our ongoing quest to take the best conversations that are occurring in the shadows and bring them to light, we offer you the new occasional series Make or Break, which asks prominent developers, reviewers and expert gamers to share with us via email the five key features, details, techniques or flaws that they look for in games in the same genre. One of the best reviewed games of 2007 is Infinity Ward and Activision's Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat, and much of that praise stemmed from its superlative multiplayer component. In today's installment, lead multiplayer designer Todd Alderman tells us what he looks for in an online multiplayer game.

1. Fun.

Why It Matters: I know it sounds blatantly obvious and simple, but it's the most important thing to have in your game as well as the most difficult to get right. Great gameplay and good controls go a long way into making a game fun, it's really a sum total of a lot of different pieces that have to be matched just right, but when a game is fun you know it. A good litmus test for knowing if a multiplayer game is fun are the stories that you can tell after you play.

Who Got it Right: Excellent controls, great balance of weapons and racers, and maps made Mario Kart a blast to battle on.

2. Community.

Why It Matters: If you build it, they must come. There have been a lot of great multiplayer games that have died off because the people just weren't there. A great multiplayer game has to be community friendly within and outside of the game. There have to be tools for enhancing the community aspect within the game, be it party systems and private games for the social gamers, or leaderboards and rankings for the competitive folk. Outside the game, you need forums and stats, places for people to talk about all the great stuff within the game. Mod support and developer-to-community relations are also really important. If the community is voicing an opinion and the developer reacts and solves the problem, it makes the game much stronger.

Who Got it Right: The modern multiplayer scene is almost a direct result of the Quake series. Popular gaming web sites, hundreds of game developers (including myself) and even some high profile games were spawned from Quake. Level editors, code releases, and developers active in its game's community made Quake one of the largest gaming communities of all time.

3. Depth.

Why It Matters: A great multiplayer game has to have legs. Once the surface has been scratched, you need a lot of options and customization underneath to keep me around. We put a lot of effort into making sure Call of Duty 4 had tons of maps, modes, weapons, options, customization, rewards, etc. Once we got the fun part down, we dug deeper and deeper and created a robust system that gives the player the ability to customize and choose the game that he or she wants to play, tailor made just for you. I want to look forward to playing my favorite multiplayer game and it needs to have a lot there for me.

Who Got it Right: The Xbox 360 multiplayer mech combat game Chromehounds was loaded with really impressive features: persistent war, design your own mech, a rich painting system, tons of weapons to buy, a lottery system, even faction elections. The biggest problem with Chromehounds was the massive learning curve which made it very inaccessible. I spent more time in the menus than in the actual game, but there was so much fun stuff to do that it was worth it.

4. Accessibility.

Why It Matters: The barrier to entry is crucial in getting a multiplayer game played. Multiplayer games by their very nature lean towards the more hardcore gamer, but when you make the game accessible to everyone it pays off. We added an experience system to Call of Duty 4 to help make the game more accessible. You start the game with just a few options and unlock everything at your pace. If you're hardcore, you'll get into the new stuff quickly. If you're new, your head won't explode with an overwhelming number of options. It's the best of both worlds. Making your game open to as wide an audience as possible is a good first step to success.

Who Got it Right: Who knew MMORPGs could be accessible? World of Warcraft is an enormous game with an immense number of features and complex systems, yet Blizzard made it all so accessible that today everyone knows about it. Simple controls, an easy to understand interface, and a charming universe made it the juggernaut it is today.

5. Atmosphere.

Why It Matters: During the development of Call of Duty 4 we made new levels that were basically giant boxes representing buildings. Why? Because at that stage, our priority was making the levels fun and balanced. But as soon as the details were added--textures, geometry, effects, models, lighting, and sound--each level became a believable place. It's really surprising how much atmosphere affects the quality of a game, but it's definitely the case. Atmosphere is the icing on the cake that immerses you into the world and creates the attachment to a game that keeps you coming back and loving it.

Who Got it Right: I've battled starships, hauled freight across galaxies, and been in the lonesome cold of deep space. At least it felt like it in EVE Online. This game makes you Han Solo; it's a hardcore sci-fi gamer's dream.