- 007 First light Art director Rasmus Poulsen has responded to the limited Dualsense criticism
- He says the design is inspired by the game’s user interface and “light” theme
- Poulsen adds, “I actually think it’s very telling that it’s not a straight-up gun race”
IO Interactive has addressed criticism of the design by 007 First light limited edition DualSense wireless controller that confirms it’s not what some fans think.
Last month, Sony revealed the fantastic new DualSense, which launches alongside the game on May 27 for $84.99 / £74.99 / €84.99. The gold and black design features a ‘007’ logo on the touchpad and is surrounded by straight lines that flatten out across the controller.
The design was believed to be inspired by the iconic opening of James Bond films, which typically shows 007 walking across the screen from the perspective inside a gun barrel, before cocking his gun.
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However, after the announcement, some fans criticized the design, reasoning that if that was the case, the lines should actually be curved and spiral, not straight.
“I was immediately bothered that the design, which clearly tries to mimic the iconic opening, didn’t have ‘rifling’ (the swirling bit in the barrel that stabilizes the bullet),” said one user on Reddit.
Another responded saying: “The idea of a 007 themed controller, with a design inspired by the inside of a barrel, NOT referencing the 007 intro, is stretching my credulity a bit too far lol.”
Now, in an interview with Eurogamer, 007 First light Art director Rasmus Poulsen has set the record straight and confirmed that the design is not simply meant to mimic a gun barrel.
“The thing about the straight lines is that anybody can just make a gun, right? But in that sense, I think it’s actually very telling that it’s not a straight-up gun, because it’s an icon of the franchise,” Poulsen said.
“It’s not actually anywhere,” he added, suggesting that you don’t see rifling in the real world or in Bond films beyond the iconic title cards. “I mean, of course it’s in every weapon – but now I’m getting ahead of myself.”
The art director goes on to explain the real intent behind the design, revealing that it’s a reference to the game’s user interface and its “light and shadow” themes. First Lightdo you understand that?
“What we were trying to do with it was refer more to how the in-game UI feels,” Poulsen explained. “So instead of just making a franchise stamp, it relates to our product, in the sense that it has that UI feel — and then it has more of a, dare I say, ‘Sol’ flavor, referring back to the title. And you’ve seen the title sequence. So there are some things about light and shadow that we wanted to play with.”
If you want to get your hands on it 007 First light limited edition DualSense wireless controller, pre-orders are now live.
The game’s launch is just around the corner, and TechRadar Gaming has already had the chance to preview it.
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