The Telegraph recently sat down to chat with creator Tim Schafer about his upcoming Brütal Legend, discussing the influences and the passion that have shaped what he describes as ‘the most personal game he’s ever made’.

As it turns out, the love of heavy metal which is so plainly in evidence throughout, dating back to his adolescence, was in part fostered by Shafer’s elder brother.

‘My brother caught me listening to Supertramp in the sixth grade and said “what are you doing?! C’mere!!” and he pulled me down to his room and he played me “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath,’ he recounts.  ‘It’s good to have an older brother who does things like that!’

Years later, he’s found himself in the enviable position of crafting a game predicated entirely upon the music and the community that he loves – yet it could have been a very different story.

‘When we first started pitching the game, people suggested we base it around hip hop or country and western music. It could have been done, but it just wouldn’t be the same’

Thankfully the setting was left intact, even attracting actor and comedian Jack Black, on whom Brütal Legend’s protagonist, Eddie Riggs, was in large part based.

‘I saw School Of Rock with Jack Black and something about that character connected; about how much he really sincerely loved metal and rock and there’s nothing ironic about it all.

‘We never thought we’d get him and then we heard that he was a fan of Psychonauts. That gave us the courage to contact him and show him this new game, and when we did he signed up right away.’

While it’s obviously too early to make anything like a final determination about the game, Shafer’s enthusiasm comes through loud and clear, which hopefully bodes well for his opus amoris.  Be sure to hit up the Telegraph for the full text of the interview, and all the juicy details on the metal-heavy title’s development.

Source: Telegraph