11) Are there any current plans for online competition for prizes?

Clinton
That is Microsoft's call.

12) Why was Chicago chosen as the city the game would be modeled after instead of some other city?

Clinton
Chicago was the first city for FlightSim, so it got some attention. Chicago is well known, has all sorts of weather, and is the location for some great city racing scenes (Blues Brothers and French Connection).

13) Any last comments you would like to add?

Robert
The many technological obstacles that we successfully overcame resulted in more than an immersive, fun game. Sure, the detailed simulation of the city includes photo-realistic neighborhoods, dozens of Chicago landmarks, weather changes, and interactive objects. And the crafty cops, uncanny vehicle and collision physics, and variable traffic to really bring the city to life.

But the whole is greater than the sum of the techno-miracles. The sheer detail and realism of Midtown creates more strategic depth than we originally dreamed of: Should I take the alley or cut through the park with traffic the way it is? Which vehicle should I choose for a race in the snow? How can I lose those pesky cops when I'm cornered on the Navy Pier? In what order should I clear the checkpoints in this particular race? In short, the strategic challenges in Midtown Madness are much like driving in a real urban environment. Ron
To make the city as much like Chicago as possible, Michael Limber, Ryan Trenhaile, and Kiki Wolfkill went to Chicago, took a multitude of photographs, and filmed lots of video tapes of Chicago streets. From this, and books like "Above Chicago," we analyzed each building form many views, to formulate as correct a representation of Chicago as possible.

Building a representation of Chicago as an actual "living city" enabled us to solve the problem of a racing game in a city, in terms of the 3D layout of the city itself, as opposed to a series of different levels that represent sections of the city. This way, the player can drive anywhere, anytime they please—just like in the real Chicago.

We would like to thank the people at Angel Studios in taking the time to answer our questions concerning Midtown Madness.

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