Tag Archives: rhianna pratchett

Tomb Raider writer Rhianna Pratchett has discussed the impact of her #1reasontobe and #1reasonwhy hashtag campaigns, which called on females working within the games industry to reveal moments where they felt they were being ether harassed or treated with inequality due to their gender, and to raise awareness on the positives of the industry respectively.

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Tomb Raider writer Rhianna Pratchett wanted to craft a human story, not a story about being female – without robbing Lara Croft of her femininity.

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Tomb Raider’s lead writer, Rhianna Pratchett, has said the brouhaha over the supposed “attempted rape” scene involving Lara Croft by one of the rapscallions inhabiting the island she’s shipwrecked on was the result of “limited information” available at the time.

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Tomb Raider attempts to reboot a long-established character. VG247′s Dave Cook speaks with lead writer Rhianna Pratchett on the task and the state of games writing today.

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Tomb Raider will have a more relatable Lara Croft who is a step back from the “aristocratic ice queen” she has been portrayed as over the years, according to the game’s writer.

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Crystal Dynamics has released Episode 2 of The Final Hours of Tomb Raider, which discusses the creative process behind the game’s story.

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Tomb Raider is widely expected to kick off a new series of games, but writer Rhianna Pratchett is firmly focused on the task at hand rather than far-flung franchise goals.

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Crystal Dynamics has announced that BAFTA nominee and Writers’ Guild of Great Britain award winner, Rhianna Pratchett, is the lead writer for its 2013 Tomb Raider reboot.

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Rhianna Pratchett has said should Mirror’s Edge 2 ever come to pass, it’s unlikely she’ll write the narrative for the game.

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Those interested in a five-day course on interactive game narrative may wish to attend a workshop being held January 30 through February 4 at Hepstonstall in West Yorkshire. The workshop will explore “the practicalities of storytelling in everything from card games to console games”, and will be tutored by professional games writers Naomi Alderman and David Varela, with Rhianna Pratchett making an appearance as well. To attend, you need to contact Arvon communications manager, George Palmer, for more information. Details are listed over on Develop.

ThinkServices has confirmed a couple of new lectures for GDC in a month’s time.

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Rhianna Pratchett has discussed the merits of cutscenes and interactive storytelling over on Gamasutra.

While she is a firm believer in “artfully crafted” cutscenes, the last thing she wants is a game turned into a “wannabe movie”.

“There’s no denying that given the fan-base of games like the Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy series, many gamers enjoy cutscenes, even incredibly loquacious and lengthy ones,” she told the site.

“Whilst, personally, I’d rather a game wasn’t turned into a wannabe movie, I believe there’s still a place for artfully crafted, well timed and smartly paced cutscenes. Granted, the games that manage to do all three are fairly rare.

“Putting interactivity aside for a moment, there’s still a lot we can do to improve our linear storytelling. There are exceptions (there always are) but our strength in this regard is by no means across the board. It is improving though, title by title.

“Cutscenes are still an important tool in our narrative toolbox, and we shouldn’t throw out the hammer just because we keep hitting our thumb with it. We just have to learn how to wield it a little better.”

Pratchett goes on to discuss cutscenes vs. direct during-gameplay storytelling and how each can co-exist.

Overlord and Mirror’s Edge writer Rhianna Pratchett has told That VideoGame Blog that development studios are starting to take the plot of the games more seriously than in the past.

“Writers and narrative designers are still relatively new positions on development teams.” she said. “This means there’s still a level of uncertainty about how best to use and integrate them. I know from talking to lots of fine people in my field that the writing process can often be done too late, without proper access to the team and under extreme pressure.

“Thankfully, things are starting to get a little better and more writers are being contacted in the first few months of a project’s lifespan, rather than the last few months … A little more variation in concept and content would be nice, as well, which is something writers and narrative designers can help with.”

She does, however feel that the “tuff-guy” syndrome is alive and well in the industry when it comes to gaming plots, and it needs to dump this sort of Hollywood mentality.

“A little more variation in concept and content would be nice, as well, which is something writers and narrative designers can help with,” she added. “Although they have their place and god knows I’ve enjoyed them on occasion, I could do with a little less ‘Gruff guy with super powers/large weapon kicks assss!’ tales.

“The medium has huge potential, so I’m not sure why there’s this constant desire to keep rooting around in Hollywood’s action-movie scrapheap.”

Via D’toid.

Overlord and Mirror’s Edge writer Rhianna Pratchett’s launched her new site, giving info about what she does, how she does it and other Rhianna Pratchett-related stuff.

See it here.

“After over a decade in the industry, I thought that it was about time that I had a little corner of the internet to call my own,” said Pratchett.

“An online home where I could highlight the projects and teams that I’ve been lucky enough to work with.”

Press release after the break.

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As one of the hottest tickets for this year’s Christmas rush, EA DICE’s Mirror’s Edge is a potential groundbreaker. Based on the premise of “runners” – near future, free-running post-people – the game casts Faith in an action conspiracy like no other, and has had gaming’s glitterati blabbering since it was first shown at GDC earlier this year: Mirror’s Edge could be the start of a radical shake-up of first-person gaming as a whole.

The title’s looking to stretch gaming’s story-telling rut as well as it’s gameplay, looking to a mix of 2D cut-scenes and environmental narrative to keep players informed. Rhianna Pratchett was announced as the script writer recently, and also confirmed as the author of an accompanying DC comic.

She’s finished writing the game now, so took time out to answer our questions on Mirror’s Edge’s plot, the challenge of working with DC and stories in games in general.

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EA’s signed a deal with DC to produce a comic based on anticipated first-person action game, Mirror’s Edge.

Rhianna Pratchett will write the book.

“This partnership with DC Comics sets the stage as readers explore Faith’s world in Mirror’s Edge,” said DICE’s Owen O’Brien.

“The unique graphic style offered by the comic book genre is perfect for taking fans through her back-story. Frame by frame, page by page, we’ll learn more about the events that shaped both her and the city.”

It’s due out this winter. Press release after the break.

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According to this 1UP story, Rhianna Pratchett’s landed the script-writing job on EA DICE’s Mirror’s Edge.

“It was a great experience working with the team at DICE to help breath life into Faith; her world, relationships and backstory,” said Pratchett of the announcement.

“My heroines and heroes have always been the ones who were ordinary, but through the events of a story, became extraordinary. Faith is skilled, but she’s certainly not a superhero. She has her flaws, like all of us. In short: she’s real. That’s her appeal.”

Congrats, Rhianna. Good work.