An Interview With Paul Bellezza of The Odd Gentlemen

Not long ago I wrote a review of the Xbox LIVE Arcade title, The Misadventures of P. B. Winterbottom. Recently, I got a chance to ask some questions about the game and gain some insight into The Odd Gentlemen, the studio that developed this quirky adventure. Below is the Q&A I had with Paul Bellezza. Paul is listed on the site as Producer/CEO & Janitor. I guess being multifunctional is a plus in The Odd Gentlemen.

I have read that the idea for P. B. Winterbottom started as a student project at USC. Can you tell me more about that?

PB: The project was a graduate thesis project of our creative director, Matt Korba, at the University of Southern California's Interactive Media Division in Los Angeles. Matt originally obtained his undergraduate degree in Film, and wanted to bring his love for old silent films into games.

How did the idea of a pie-eating chap come up?

PB: When it came to finding a motivation for Winterbottom's character, we wanted to keep his goal simple akin to some of our favorite characters from Pixar shorts. Late into the night on a spring evening, we deliriously blurted out that Winterbottom loved pie. It was probably the result of drinking 12 Red Bulls apiece.

For a new studio, this game is very polished and unique. Did the concept always include using the black and white graphics? What about the flickering lighting?

PB: We're all great fans of the silent film works of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Charlie Chaplin. In terms of art design, we definitely were inspired by films like Metropolis, A Trip to the Moon, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. We aimed to have each of the levels resemble a silent film set.

It certainly does give the game a fantastic old film feeling, as does the music. Your site mentions the composer was discovered from a chance audition. What can you tell me about that?

PB: Our composer is David Stanton. We met him in school; he was a student in the music department, and he is amazing. His audition piece was basically [what turned into] the title track for the current game. He took one look at the concept art and was off running.

The Misadventures of P. B. Winterbottom has been compared to other classic, innovative puzzle games like Braid and Portal. How do you feel about that comparison?

PB: That is mighty fine company to be in. Portal did a really great job of making the player feel freedom, but the puzzles still had one solution. We spent a great deal [of time] on the recording system in Winterbottom, striving for the most open system possible. This led to the user being able to solve puzzles in any way they choose; [also] this led to many more nights drinking more Red Bull and head scratching.

Many players who enjoy the game have said it would be great on PC. Others would like to play it on Playstation 3. Are there any plans to release this game to other consoles or the PC?

PB: Releasing the game on other platforms is definitely a possibility in the future.

I really like the creative name of the studio. Where did the name ‘The Odd Gentlemen’ come from?

PB: On a breezy fall evening, we huddled around a laptop and typed names into an Excel spreadsheet. Around entry 303, we had written 'The Odd Gentlemen', which was quite better than 'Dudes with 'Tudes.'

I agree with that! What can we expect to see next from The Odd Gentlemen? Will future titles be puzzle games as well or do you hope to explore other genres?

PB: We do have a few more ideas baking in the oven and they aren't all puzzle games. All we can say at the moment is that all of our ideas are as crazy as Winterbottom, and just as hard to explain in one sentence.

I look forward to seeing what the guys from The Odd Gentlemen can dream up next while hyped up on Red Bull. I appreciate the time Paul Bellezza took to answer my questions and I encourage you to visit their website and explore it thoroughly; it gives insight on the team and shows their sense of humor. If you haven't already checked out The Misadventures of P. B. Winterbottom, I encourage you to at least try the demo [available on XBLA].

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