We recently had the opportunity to ask Assistant Producer Sam Thompson of SCEA a few questions about Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc.. Here's the scoop.

SAM: My name is Sam Thompson, and I am an Assistant Producer at Sony Computer Entertainment America. Before Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc., I have had the pleasure of working on a number of past Disney titles, including Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge, Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire 3rd Edition.

SAM: Disney Interactive and SCEA have had a solid working relationship for several years now. I have worked on several titles that are geared towards a predominately younger audience. When you make a game for the 6 to 12 age group, it is very different from the games you see that target older teenagers. The level of complexity and time it takes to complete tasks within the game should be subtlely decreased, while graphically keeping pace with the more mature game standards.

SAM: At the very beginning of the process we worked with Pixar and Disney to make certain that the game would reflect the world of the movie. Pixar spent over four years developing the characters and the story that viewers see on-screen. We wanted to make certain that we were true to their vision, both artistically and from a technical standpoint.

SAM: From a technical standpoint, Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc. appeals foremost to the younger gamer, but I think the more experienced gamers will also enjoy this title. Pixar's wonderfully crafted characters and story make this game enjoyable for gamers of all ages and experience levels.

SAM: I think the most exciting aspect of Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc. is the magic of Disney/Pixar bringing the actual characters from the movie to life right in front of the gamer. We take the player into an environment where scaring is a good thing.

With this game, we introduce players to "Scare Island." It's an original environment created specifically for the game, but inspired by the movie. Scare Island takes players into a world of Monster training, where they learn how to become "Top Scarers." But being a monster isn't as easy as it looks. You've got to watch out for toxic human toys as you travel across regions from all over the world with the objective of scaring "Nerves," special robots used for scare simulations. Nerves must be scared with a variety of scare tactics using a random combination of buttons.

SAM: Yes, there are multiple playable characters in the game. The user can play as "Sulley," a big blue furry monster with purple polka dots, or "Mike," a round, green, opinionated monster. Each character has a unique set of moves and scare animations based on his personality. Together, Sulley and Mike have 36 different scare animations. Sulley's scares are very large and intimidating, while Mike's scares are very comical and playful.

Before each level starts, the player has the option to select either character. Sulley and Mike's different action moves also allow for a wide variety of gameplay experiences. Sulley has a powerful tail whip, a jarring claw swipe, a double jump with a sommersault tuck, and a body-slam pounce. Mike, on the other hand, has his arm swing, bowling-ball roll, a double jump with a little flutter for extra distance, and a ball pounce that can break multiple crates in a single pounce.

SAM: We decided to take the player into a different part of the Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc. storyline. While keeping true to the theme and feel of the property, we took players to the place where monsters actually become "scarers." We take them through different environments which ensure the monsters are ready to scare any time, any place, anywhere in the world. Within the levels, we also introduced human toys as an obstacle to the monster training, as anything human is known to be toxic to monsters.

To keep the feel of the property consistent, we worked closely with Pixar on all character models, power-up items and level environments. As seen in the Sphinx level, the monster hieroglyphics consist of claws, eyeballs and tentacles to keep the fun, monster feel.

SAM: The producers from Disney Interactive worked closely with Pixar to capture some of the most memorable moments within the film. These film clips act as special bonuses within the game to unlock and collect. Each bonus film clip that's unlocked is stored in a cinema viewer within the Monster Orientation building located on Scare Island so the user can go back and watch their favorite clips over and over again. There's a total of 19 film clips within the game. The teaser is played at the beginning of the game and the other 18 film clips from the movie are hidden within the game. There's a total of 13 minutes of video footage.

SAM: There is a PS2 version currently in development which will follow the storyline of the movie more closely.