Making your mark

Scriptwriters Sean O'Keefe and Will Staples talk about their work on PlayStation 3 title Lair.

Sean O'Keefe and Will Staples write scripts for both film and video games. In film, their work has included such projects as KING TUT for director Roland Emmerich and Columbia Pictures, the movie adaptation of the comic book FATHOM for 20th Century Fox and the sequel to NEW JACK CITY for Warner Brothers. In games, they are currently working on a number of projects for both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable.

Without giving away too much of the plot, what is the story behind Lair?

Lair takes place against the epic backdrop of a massive war between two rival civilisations, who are forced to compete for dwindling natural resources. The world of the game, while medieval in nature, shares many of the same issues that our own world is starting to face. The protagonist is a member of the Sky Guard, an elite group of warriors who defend the skies on giant dragons.

What were the first steps in creating the script?

The first step was meeting with [game director] Julian Eggebrecht at Factor 5 and discussing his vision for the world of Lair. These initial conversations were very exciting, as it was clear Julian was shooting for a high level of story sophistication and something players haven't seen before. We then constructed a high-level story outline and cast of characters that we felt could bring the tone and themes of the game to life.

How collaborative is the scriptwriting process for games in comparison to the movie industry?

The process is more collaborative than film. In film, the script is typically finished by the writers before any production begins. In games, the projects are often already in early production when the writers come in and the script must constantly adapt to suit the gameplay. In many cases, the writers will be working with the developer to modify the script almost up until release.

What is IGC and CG? How are they different?

In Game Cinematics [IGC] are pre-rendered cinematics that are built using the game engine. They are relatively inexpensive to create, but are greatly influenced by the capabilities of the game engine. Computer Graphics [CG] are pre-rendered cinematics created by a professional animation studio. The cost is much higher, but there are very few limits to what you can create.

Which character did you enjoy writing dialogue for most?

There are several, in large part because Factor 5 and Sony decided early on to take a very sophisticated approach to the characters and politics of the world. The characters not only struggle physically in this war, but also emotionally. If we were forced to pick one character as our favourite to write however, it would be the son of the enemy General. Raised a warrior, he's cynical and tough, initially viewing his world in black and white as opposed to the shades of gray it truly is.

What direction would you like to see a sequel take?

We would love to see a sequel that takes our characters beyond the world of Lair, to unexplored lands inhabited by unimaginable creatures and cultures.