(continued from previous page) ...the controller. There's the Plasma Beasts, which are slimy goo-like monsters that spring up and tackle enemies that are in range. And we've got the Groovitron, a disco ball grenade weapon that when thrown out causes the enemies to hypnotically dance to a groovin beat. Though it's a strategic weapon that stuns enemies, many players will probably watch them dance and forget that they should take them out!

PSU: What is most exciting about building the game for PlayStation 3? Anything that you are able to do with the game that you could only do on PS3 hardware?

Anthony Yu, Lead Gameplay Programmer: The PS3 is a powerhouse if you know how to play nice with it. If you think of the PS2 as a shovel, the PS3 is a bulldozer. You have to invest the time to figure out what levers to pull when, but once you do, you're ready to move mountains. The most exciting thing about it all is the revival of hope and inspiration that it brings to the Ratchet and Clank franchise. The boundaries are new and relatively uncharted, which gives us an opportunity to try to push all the boundaries again. A perfect example of something that we couldn't have done anywhere else was the Tornado Launcher. The designers wanted a natural disaster in a box. It had to consume everything around it and spit it in a flurry. On top of that, they wanted the player to be able to control its path of destruction, but not affect Ratchet's move set at all. On the PS2, we would have run out of processor time and run out of buttons, but on the PS3, it has become a reality. It's instances of performing the impossible like this that revitalize the team and reinforce why we're here. The PS3 gets people excited about making games, and nothing excites me more than excited people.

PSU: What resolution and frame rate will Ratchet & Clank be set in?

Brian Allgeier: For one of our recent demos, the game was running at 45 fps in HD mode. This is a good sign in that it is so early in production and we still have a lot of room for optimizing and improving the game's overall performance. However, at the same time we're also putting more and more stuff in the game like enemies, weapons, and environment details that can affect performance. This has always been the tricky balance for game development and as we get closer to our Alpha deadline (where we'll have all the gameplay implemented), we'll have a better idea of what we can optimize and tune to determine the game's resolution and frame rate. So check back with us later on this topic!

PSU: Will there be online multiplayer? Co-op?

Brian Allgeier: I can't answer that question - it's too early to say right now plus Ryan, our Marketing Director, would probably kill me. He’s quirky like that.

PSU: What is the planned release date for Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction?

Brian Allgeier: It's coming out this fall.

PSU: Rumors have been circulating that Rise of Man will be the sequel to Resistance: Fall of Man…any comment on this?

Ted Price, President and CEO: Rise of Man is a logical guess. But we're not making a Rise of Man.

PSU: When should gamers expect to hear more on the next installment of the Resistance franchise?

Ted Price: I've already gotten called out for "confirming" a Resistance: FOM sequel. I've never done that overtly. What I've said is that Resistance: FOM is the first chapter of a bigger story...so for now we'll leave whatever's next shrouded in mystery

And who doesn't  love a bit of mystery! We'd like to thank Insomniac for taking the time to answer our questions, and wish them the best of luck with the continued development of the R&C and R:FOM series.