I've read in a few spots that people think the character of King in Sleeping Dogs a one dimensional racist stereotype. That sucks, because that was definitely not my intention in writing him.
Now, I haven't played the final version of the game yet - I've been busy with other projects since leaving Sleeping Dogs in the wake of the Activision cancellation debacle - so I don't know how he ended up. I'm very curious to see whether what I envisioned for the character was implemented but that the vision missed the mark, or whether the character of King shifted to something else (or, I suppose, whether the critics in question are being unfair; but I suspect they probably have a point).
I'd like to set out what I thought King was about as a character.
King was supposed to be a talented and very successful producer of gangster rap. In spite of a carefully cultivated reputation as a gangster, King is a happily married middle class guy. Not just that, but he's tired and jet-lagged and just wants to get back to his hotel and get a good night's sleep before going to work the next day. Of course, he has a reputation to maintain so since he's there it's ideal if he's seen living the high rolling crazy party lifestyle; but for King the ideal situation is to get it over with so he can call his wife and go to sleep.
The whole deal is that Sonny - the unmitigated obnoxious asshole that he is - is buying into the worst excesses of rap culture 100% and is trying to impress King on those terms. Wei, of course, is there to do what his boss tells him even if it's a little cringe worthy, and King goes along with it for the sake of his reputation and because he's doing business with Sonny.
Perhaps not a super complex situation, but it is a little more nuanced than what's being said about King right now. I'm looking forward to playing the game to see if any of that shines through or whether it got lost in the shuffle as production went into the home stretch.
The point I'm trying to make here is that I was aware of the potential pitfalls for King when the character was conceived. If the character did end up falling into them as critics say, then I am as disappointed as they are.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Bully -> Sleeping Dogs -> Ruby Skies?
How do you get from Bully and Sleeping Dogs (not to mention Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3) to Ruby Skies?
The first two are open world console games. Bully is a high school romp while Sleeping Dogs is all about cops and gangsters in Hong Kong. Ruby Skies is a romantic exploration and treasure collection adventure on iOS.
So how did I end up taking the jump from a game featuring cleaver wielding maniacs and mass murder to one about looking for love while floating through pink clouds?
Really, they're not that different. They're all about characters and their relationships. The focus in writing them is to identify who the characters think they are, how they think they're being perceived; everything derives from that. Then you add airships, kung-fu, or slingshots as the environment requires.
At the core, it's all about the relationships. You may notice that there are dating components in both Bully and Sleeping Dogs; I pushed that as far as I could and would have gone further if I could. Ruby Skies, of course, has romantic relationships at the very core of the gameplay; it's a casual game, so it's still fairly simple but I hope to push it further as we continue with the game.
Human relationships too often end up trite and perfunctory in games. In some ways that's due to various limitations of the medium itself or the pitfalls of the production process. It's not easy, but it's what I'm trying to do. I hope it shows at least some of the time.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Sleeping Dogs Out
I'm going to indulge myself for a moment, and post some positive reviews of Sleeping Dogs' story. I spent a long time working on it, and trying to keep the tone and characters true to the vision. It was sometimes pretty hard going dealing with the politics at Activision (to put it mildly), but I think it came out alright in the end.
Props to UFG for giving me my credit even though I'm not working there any longer (this isn't standard policy in the industry, which is frankly slimy as all hell). Further props to Jeff O'Connell for name checking me in this interview. Thanks man, I appreciate it!
Also thanks to Eddie and his crew in Hong Kong. You guys were phenomenal, and you can take credit for a big chunk of any authenticity Sleeping Dogs might have.
Here's what some people have been saying about my work:
"Sleeping Dogs’ story is by far its strongest quality... it’s a gripping drama. It feels real. You wonder what’s going to happen, whether Shen will finally go over the edge or what. Wanting to know what was next was what kept me playing."
"Sleeping Dogs’ melee combat and gunplay provide plenty of thrills, the driving is extraordinarily fun... but at the end of my nearly 20-hour experience, none of that mattered to me as much as the story did. It’s that story, coupled with rock-solid mechanics and a task-heavy world that sets Sleeping Dogs apart from its competition."
"Characters more integral to the storyline are just as charming as the city they dwell in.... Dialogue is straight and to the point. Nothing felt like excess fat."
"Sleeping Dogs’ story serves as the perfect wrapper for the wealth of game mechanics, offering up memorable characters and moving tale of vengeance, betrayal, and conflicting loyalties."
"Gameplay and the writing are deep and engaging from start to finish"
"...solid voice acting and writing that convincingly blends English and Cantonese make it a narrative that's more than capable of supporting the gameplay, providing context for many a dramatic mission and building up to a cathartic climax..."
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