"For PS3, no idea is too big or too small."

Game industry legend David Jaffe lifts the lid on Calling All Cars!, the hot new game available to download from PlayStation Store.

Can you explain the concept of the game?

Calling All Cars! is designed to be a multiplayer party game, the kind of game that will have you screaming at your television. It's meant to be played with friends (and enemies!) and it’s meant to be played together.

In essence, it’s basketball but, instead of human players, you play crazy cartoon vehicles driven by bounty hunters. The bounty hunters are trying to capture a criminal (i.e. the basketball) who is on the loose in the level, running around.

Capturing the criminal is as simple as ramming him with your car. Keeping him- as other bounty hunters try to ram you and attack you with weapons in order to dislodge the criminal - is much harder. You have to keep the criminal long enough to get him to one of the prison entrances or the moving police paddy wagons and helicopters.

What kind of multiplayer options are there?

As it’s built for multiplayer, we tried to cover the bases here. Calling All Cars! supports offline split-screen (up to four players), online split-screen (with two players in the same location going online to battle it out with others), and pure online. All game modes support headset, for all your competitive needs.

What kind of modes will be featured in the game?

At this point, the game only focuses on the core experience. In the future, we’re eager to add new modes, maps, and features.

What size development team did you have working on the game?

About 10-14 people for about 11 months. So small compared to making a full-on Blu ray Disc title.

What are some of the major challenges you’ve faced in making a game for PlayStation 3?

From a design standpoint, the biggest challenge was (and remains) trying to figure out what an audience wants from the PlayStation Network in terms of content. We took a risk with a cartoon theme that we would have never embraced had we been a 60 dollar title; or even a 20 dollar title.

With a less expensive title, we felt we could be a bit more free in tackling art styles, themes, and play styles that have fallen out of favour in the current market. Also, we struggled with how deep the game should be. Do we design something that is- in essence- a sorbet to the bigger games like Resistance or do we try to go head to head and compete to steal time away from those larger games?

So doing games on PSN has been - from a design philosophy standpoint- a huge- but very exciting- challenge. I think we have much more to learn and we’re really eager to see how this game does now that is has been released all over the world.

What did you enjoy most in making a game for PSN?

The design freedom to try new things; the fact that we got to make a game that was much more pure in the gameplay and less about story and cutscenes and epic adventures. The greatest thing about PSN for me is that the sky really is the limit now in terms of ideas. For the PS3, no idea is too big or too small; the only criteria now is: is it fun?

Do games on PSN provide an opportunity to try things that you couldn't do in a disc-based game?

For me, as a 36-year-old father of two, they are perfect little bite-sized gaming sessions for when I don’t have time (which is often) for a longer play session.

Do you only want to work on original games, or is there a dream license you'd love to work on?

Mostly original stuff. I would love to direct an Indiana Jones game, assuming I could have a good amount of control. I would love to do a Marvel or DC Super Heroes RPG. And I would love, love, love to make a kick-ass Dukes of Hazzard game. But for now, I am so grateful I get to direct original content. I know how rare that opportunity is in this business.

Finally, anything you’d like to say to PS3 owners thinking about trying the game?

I really hope you give our game a shot. We’re not doing a demo and I know that annoys some of you. Sorry about that but with such small games, we’re having a hard time finding that sweet spot between giving away the farm and giving away too little. So if you dig the multiplayer/party game/competitive scene, then read some reviews and see if it sounds like your cup of tea. If it does, I hope to see you online!