Episode 56 - With host Craig Norris, and co-host Taylor Lidstone.
First Broadcast on Edge Radio, Friday 1 Dec 2023.
Join us as we dive into the world of gaming and explore the fascinating universe of multiplayer survival horror video game Dead by Daylight. We analyse the IGN interview with Behaviour Interactive on their approach to adapting iconic horror villains into their game - Dead by Daylight. From their creative adaptation of original characters to the use of iconic characters from horror films like Michael Myers, we hear about it all. We also bring you some interesting news from the gaming world - from Zack Snyder's obsession with Fortnite to Skyrim players finding emotional ways to retire their characters and the amusing reaction of one of the voice actors to the companion romance speedruns in Balder’s Gate 3.
Links:
How Dead by Daylight Summoned Horror's Most Iconic Characters - IGN https://www.ign.com/articles/how-dead-by-daylight-summoned-horrors-most-iconic-characters
Zack Snyder Plays "Too Much Fortnite," Staying Up Until 3 AM - GameSpot https://www.gamespot.com/articles/zack-snyder-plays-too-much-fortnite-staying-up-until-3-am/1100-6519535/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f
Sentimental Skyrim Players Booting Up Xbox 360s and PS3s to 'Retire' Original Characters - IGN https://www.ign.com/articles/sentimental-skyrim-players-booting-up-xbox-360s-and-ps3s-to-retire-original-characters
Baldur's Gate 3 Players Are Speedrunning Companion Romances - GameSpot https://www.gamespot.com/articles/baldurs-gate-3-players-are-speedrunning-companion-romances/1100-6519501/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f
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Transcript
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CRAIG NORRIS
Explore how media can shape our understanding of the world around us. We unpack some bizarre case studies of media phenomena and look at how they matter, why they matter, how they're possibly affecting even something as bold as to say. Reality we're streaming, of course, over multiple platforms, as these are once we're on edgeradio.org dot AU, we're on YouTube streaming live as well as Twitch. You can find us just by searching media mothership. If you do want to reach out and message us with your own examples or thoughts of some of these phenomena as we talk about them, you can SMS us directly in the. Video on 0488811707 or drop us a message on the YouTube or Twitch chat. And we'll certainly respond to it. So I'm your host today, Doctor Craig and Co. Host Taylor might be around at some point. Today's topic we're picking up where we stopped off last week, which was look. And video game adaptations and some bizarre. Media phenomena linked to that, what I might do hold off on some of the news and go straight into a little bit of that little sound bright from a video game which I think presents a really interesting example. Adaptation, right? Taking one media source and adapting it to a new medium, last week we looked at some ideas used by theorists like Henry Jenkins and Dana, and we're going to apply some of those ideas today in particular. Looking at the hard game called Dead by Daylight recently, IGN did a little interview with some of the production team behind it, talking about how they began as. A game with their own. IP characters. But then they grew in popularity so much that they're able to actually draw upon licenced properties. You know your classic horror figures, starting with Michael Myers from the Halloween movie Scream Face and. I think Bubba. Says his characters name from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Most recently, of course, they've just secured the licencing rights for Chucky from the Chucky Horror series. They've got Freddy Krueger from 19 Elm St anyway, what I want to do is play a little bit of that interview with IGN and the production team of Dead by Daylight as they unpack well, were their thoughts as they were taking these classic IP characters and taking them into the game. The game is. A competitive cold game so you can play as survivors. Or you can play as the iconic villain. You know, the Freddy Krueger character. Others. So we're. Going to look at how they developed that idea, and we'll pause it and unpack some of the points that are that are brought. Up in it so here. Is a little bit of the interview from IGN. On the dead by daylight, developers and their ideas around it.
Speaker 3
Inspired by the horror archetypes of the 80s, Golden Age of Slasher cinema, as the game quickly grew in popularity, developer behaviour Kickstarted an ambitious plan to see if they could bring together Horror's most iconic villains under its umbrella. It set out to do for horror what Fortnite did for pop culture, creating a terrifying metaverse. Unlike any other, they like to get to the bloody heart of how they overcame such challenges and over the following years, Summon Horrors most iconic villains into the game.
Speaker
Just a bit of a.
CRAIG NORRIS
Set up there as they're unpacking the idea. Of how they went about doing this. So then we go into the interview, which we'll hear. A bit from now.
Speaker 3
Behaviour didn't begin dead by daylight with a cast of recognisable faces before Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, the studio launched the multiplayer survival horror game with four original killers and five survivors that were created in house but designed to evoke the style of the iconic 80s horror Golden.
Speaker 4
Age the 1st.
CRAIG NORRIS
So it's really interesting that they started the game without securing any licenced character. But the monsters villains they did put in them were evoking and in the spirit of in the style of recognisable, I guess in terms of the vibe aesthetics of classic contemporary horror villains. So. There's a short sound bite here where he talks about one of the developers, talks about what their initial. Motivations were with those characters they created themselves and how it was evoking specific models of cinema, of villains, of horror villains in cinema.
Speaker 4
Originals. These guys up there were really inspired by obviously the the the classics. Of the the horror world, the slasher movies of the 70s and the 80s, so for us it was always the sort of part of the DNA of what we were building.
Speaker 3
The meticulous designs of dead by Daylight's original character spoke to the admiration the developers had for the evil movie creatures of that era. Importantly, they were a hit with those playing that game, and the developers were flooded with fan art and fan fiction, all based on these original characters.
CRAIG NORRIS
So it's interesting to hear that participation idea, of course really key concept that. Fans uh, that you want to create a media text which fans can engage with. They can participate in. So it's interesting in that article that the journalist refers to a games journalist refers to the the fan art that started to emerge around those original characters that were in the series that. They that clearly the fans were get. It it was evoking that connection and they were very interested to participate in that space with fan art and and other spaces.
Speaker 3
Made by loyal fans hooked on the lore created by behaviour as dead by Daylight's, popularity began to grow, behaviour was finally in a position to take a stab at a very special collaboration it had been. Lying for a long.
Speaker 4
Time we were able to to leverage some of the long standing relationships we have with a lot of licensors out there and and secure the rights to to Halloween. The the very original Michael Myers. And Laurie throat, and that was the first foray into sort of that licencing world that we did in DVD.
CRAIG NORRIS
So that's really interesting. Again, the idea that, OK, so they're developing this game where the principle is you've got survivors and horror villain in the mould of your your classic slasher. Films like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday 13th and so forth, but they began with with original characters that kind of evoked that movie world where where players could play as some of the survivors trying to hide and defeat the monster, or or the monster. The horror monster that was trying to to prey upon and and kill all those survivors. So through that success and I guess as they developed that kind of adaptation of the genre, that slasher genre, and they made connections with people that were holders of the classics that inspired them. They were then able to secure the licence rights. For what many? People regard as one of the ground 01 of the mothership texts for the slashes on your John Carpenters Halloween and get that kind of classic shape. The body with the. You know, painted white William Shatner mask and the blue denim overalls and that that knife. So again, the idea that they're in conversation with these adaptations, but you can see the idea of adaptation going through 2 levels there already, the first level is they're adapting the genre but not specific IP texts or stories. You know, they're not literally adapting Halloween into a game, but they are drawing upon the board aesthetics, genre tropes, conventions of slasher films, and and kind of horror stalking films. And then they move into that next stage of adaptation, which is actually licencing goods. Now the interesting thing here is is, would this be what Henry Jenkins would refer to as transmedia storytelling, where it's taking one mediums text? In that case, the Halloween movie, the Mothership, the original text being the. John Carpenter, Early 80s film Halloween and specifically the Michael Myers killer and they licenced. Also Laurie Stern, one of the survivors. The main survivor actually from the first film. Come on. And so those two characters, do they do storytelling within that, or is it just a kind of spin-off text? Does it extend, does it pick up from the original text in terms of its story? So you could think of the matrix, for instance, you had that first. Film. Then you had the into the matrix video game, which picked up some ideas about the the the crew of the nebulae in Alaska, the nebula. And that story only existed in the video game, and for those that played the video games, they had a little bit of background knowledge. When the second movie came out and the never call loser I'm so close was mentioned. Anyway, going back to my download interview, let's hear what they're unpacking next.
Speaker 4
Which was great.
Speaker 3
Getting Michael Myers was a huge coup. Both behaviour and the fans loved the collaboration and crucially, it opened the door for even more crossovers. While it began with Michael Myers, behaviour wasn't content to stop there, the studio branched out quickly, scooping all of the big 80s horror franchises like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Nightmare on Elm Street. But with the pantheon of classics, complete behaviour looked towards the modern hits. Next, one of the earliest collaborations was between. Behaviour Interactive and Lionsgate for the film series saw, though maybe not the character. You might expect, I think.
CRAIG NORRIS
So now they're moving, of course, from, you know, almost generations of horror game adaptations. So classic 80s. Texts that they started adapting, so starting with Halloween nightmare on Elm Street and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, films that were part of that first match. Establishing some of those key tropes of the horror villain antagonist and the the victim survivor protagonist. Then it's interesting. Here they here, they kind of. I I think it delivered a much more complex challenge of how they adapt into this video game world they've created. We are playing as when the villains. Or one of the survivors in this kind of open world. You know, battle Royale space. The saw film, so again skipping ahead now to the A next generation in the late 90s of of video game horror. So you're playing as the survivors or the horror killer. If you take the text saw, what would you presume as being the villain that people would want to pay for the DLC character for? It's surprising their answer. Let's let's hear how the interview goes on as they talk about the saw franchise. Being adapted into the dead by Daylight Video game.
Speaker 4
I think the obvious answer for most people was Jigsaw right and you should have been the killer and we didn't think so.
Speaker 3
Instead, behaviour chose Amanda Young, John Cramer's apprentice from the saw films or the pig, as she's known in dead by day.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. So interestingly, they didn't choose Jigsaw, which is the kind of iconic mastermind killer in the Saw franchise. They instead chose a kind of side character, the side kind of kick villain Ananda, particularly the costume she has of the. The kind of pig face costume she puts on. It's really fascinating to. Understand why that is, and I think this goes to the heart of. When you're adapting, creating an adaptation of of a work from one genre to another, genre, you're wanting to make sure you're taking advantages of the platform. Now what is it about the video game platform which meant and specifically within the video game platform, a kind of open world survival game like? Dead by daylight. What? Is it about that platform of video game mechanics in dead by daylight, which meant Jigsaw didn't make sense and and a side villain Amanda made better sets in terms of how it fitted within the mechanics of the video game? And so forth. So let's jump back into the interview and listen. To that.
Speaker 4
Jigsaw wants to test people to essentially give them back their will to live or or the the appreciation for our precious life is, which is almost a noble goal. Whereas Amanda Sheets Amanda wants people to suffer and wants people to die and. And doesn't play the game fair, which made her a great prospect, a great candidate to be a killer, right? Because she's she's bad. She's a really bad person. Plus, it was kind of a a nice little way to to surprise people by bringing an interesting. Actor, that is, that is very core to the saw, but that fit better within our universe.
Speaker 3
Behaviour didn't want to just add a famous character for the sake of it, but wanted to incorporate a horror franchise in a way that made sense for both dead by daylight and saw Amanda was a more natural fit as her film counterpart was a true sadist. Compared to John Cramer's more philosophical teacher plus.
CRAIG NORRIS
Again, just unpacking video game adaptations and joined by my wonderful co-host Lord Taylor. Wonderful. And of course, we are streaming on YouTube, so to help the the people see little Taylor on the YouTube you. Might want to shuffle TV. That's perfect. Yeah. There we go. Yeah. So again, of course, we're we're, we're streaming on YouTube and Twitch and Daylight creators have you do you know the dead by daylight game?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I do know of it, and I've seen people play it, but I'll play. It myself, but it seems.
CRAIG NORRIS
Pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. So what we're looking at is this interview where. They're breaking down. The challenges they faced when they were adapting particular characters into the game, so at the moment we've talked about how their they went through a kind of three phases of adaptations of our first phase is adapting the genre of the slasher film. So they had original characters, no IP goods, but people could kind of guess. The the tropes that each one of the the killers they had was evoking, so they were adapting the style, genre, and tropes of the slasher. And then the. They secured the licence for that first generation of of slasher film icons, so.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, Spiderman, you're horrible oho.
CRAIG NORRIS
No, not Spiderman. That would be a great mod, weird mod, multiverse type mode. No, no, no. So Michael Myers from Halloween, Freddy Krueger from like Random St and I think I think. Married. His name is Bubba. From Texas Chainsaw massacre. And then they they were. Presented this challenge of then adapting the next generation of horror. Stalker violent films, particularly they started with the Saw franchise and they were saying that they didn't choose to do the jigsaw character because the motivations just didn't fit with the type of game they were creating in dead by daylight, Jigsaw's character is almost a kind of benevolent figure in terms of wanting to make the victims that he's punishing. Overcome, maybe not overcome, but certainly recognise their faults and maybe overcome them. But it's a much more kind of, you know, torturous anyway, so instead of using that character, they choose a kind of side character. That's a kind of trainee killer linked to Jigsaw called Amanda and the Pig Face costume. Wars because Amanda is a much more straightforward, you know, sadistic killer that just wants to punish and. Kill which fits. More into an open world survival game.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
So the breaking.
CRAIG NORRIS
Down this. So we're going to pick up listening now to to their their next franchise or then just going to finish talking about that. And then the next franchise and how. They adapted that.
Speaker 3
Us choosing Amanda meant that as part of Amanda's kid, she's able to put survivors in the trap that she herself survived. The reverse bear trap.
Speaker 6
Yeah, it's it's it's the most iconic track.
CRAIG NORRIS
Do you have the reverse bear?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Bear trap? Well, I know what.
CRAIG NORRIS
A bear trap is. Yeah. So for feet, right, the bear walks in it. And it's this clamp thing.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
OK. Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
That's a bear trap, right? Clamps over the. Is that the wrist bear trap? Is that one you? Put some pictures. Of the guy that has this kind of bear trap on his head.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Not seeing much.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's just kind of class thing. Over his head with this. Anyway, reverse bear trap. So what's interesting here is again, they're. They're doing this adaptation, not necessarily. It's more of a spin off, I guess, where they're taking tropes and visual icons from saw. It's type of storytelling. I guess it's that moment where you've got victims and they're running away, but there's not really much to the story. Nevertheless, they are adapting key key moments that fit with this platform of video games like the iconic torture devices, and also within this I guess we can ask. You know, if you were to create a game like this, what would be on your shopping list for villains to put in it? And part of that question we're seeing in this interview, hearing this interview is that it also has to have weapons that work within the game mechanics and that.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
So have you played it?
CRAIG NORRIS
Before I've, I've literally played. Like the opening 10 second. And then I thought ohh. I gotta do my homework before I. Start playing driven. It's a very minimal story. It's more of a open world game, a small kind of, I guess, hunt zone that you're in. Multiplayer. Yeah, and the multiplayer is split between only one player can be the killer.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Right. OK. Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
And then. The rest of the players are survivors. You can Co-op as survivors so you can be on team chat and so that. That killer is is a known non Co-op character, right? You can't be. On a chat. Saying OK, let's min, Max this so. Yeah, yeah, but it's. Really, really popular and it's, you know, just recently have announced have secured and you can get the Chucky character, OK. Before that, they had. The alien one. We're still getting round two. So. UM. Yeah. So it's interesting here to talk about the weapons. So let's pick up now.
Speaker 6
App I think people will think about and thinking about stuff. There's there's a lot of great other traps, but they're not as practical as the Reapers. To being able to move around with this on your head and having the the pressure to go play that game and to get out was a perfect fit for our rules as well. In in the game.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. So, yeah, he's talking there about how not only does it need to be iconic and and sellable. Also the weapons. Linked to that character needs to be able to work within the mechanics of the game, right? So they're saying, OK, we're going to go reverse bear trap and other ones, but not all of them, because they just wouldn't work as. Weapons in the game.
Speaker 3
The saw collaboration proved that behaviour was capable of rewriting the horror cannon to its will, subverting expectations by focusing on Amanda Young rather than John Cramer, and taking the reins of a franchise with the blessings of the licence holder. However, integrating other characters wasn't always that simple. The rights to some horror franchise are tied up in a. All sorts of limbo in scream, for example, goes faces iconic look is actually owned by the original toy company that created the mask. Fun world rather than the movie studio behind the films and so to get the iconic massage behaviour reached out directly to fun World.
Speaker 4
They were super excited and as long as we created.
CRAIG NORRIS
So that's interesting. In terms of the IP ownership of properties that the saw mask wasn't owned by the saw. Franchise. It was owned by the manufacturers of that Halloween mask, the the famous Ghost Mask. So when they were licencing it looking to bring that into the game they were negotiating with the costume manufacturers or the mask not. The franchisees, I mean it's of the cinema franchise. Yeah, so sorry, screen screen other S1 and it's here. They talk about what the caveats that meant were because obviously if you're not dealing with the cinema story of scream. You know you're not adapting the story of scream and the other characters, the other victims and so forth, and the the DNA of that script. Instead, you're you're literally just dealing with the icon. Graphy of of the screen.
Speaker 4
Character brand new character that wore that mask. They were happy to collaborate with.
Speaker 3
Us with the licence to go spaces, iconic looks secured behaviour. Had the fun task of creating an original killer to hide behind the mask, although it didn't have the rights to the movie, it actually worked in the developer's favour. Because Ghost faces identity changes each time, as such behaviour was able to give its own spin on creating a new killer, a freelance journalist named Danny Johnson.
Speaker 6
It was a perfect fit for us. The costume is more important than the person underneath, so it was a great opportunity for us to create that original. Structure and what was important. For us to recreate those that even though it's always somebody different under the costume, there's some element of the Ghostface persona that is always kind of the same from character to character. We wanted to create these cool moments from the different stories that we've seen in the past, that very tongue in cheek using. Committee in the.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Freelance journalist. I told you it was Spiderman.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, well, you don't know who's. Wearing the mask, I guess. Because it's interesting here. Yeah. So they're talking a little bit about the story, right. So that kind of tongue in cheek character of. The movie screen, but they're not adapting the actor or the the the character. Sorry, from that Scream franchise that wore that mask, right? So.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
It's just the look.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. Just look. And underneath that look is is the the game designers own creation, but because it's that. Iconic mask that it's wearing and the licencing is through that manufacture of the mask rather than the. Movie movie franchise can't remember the director Wes Craven story? Yeah, it means that they're they're kind of in this grey zone where it's like, well, it. It acts like the character from the Scream movies, but they've got to be careful that they're not. Actually ripping off that because then they'd have to licence it via that as well. So very. Then they will. Talk about the the next franchise they're adapting.
Speaker 6
Horrible things that Ghostface is doing.
Speaker 3
Indeed, a lot of the humour for Ghostface appears in the description for his ability add-ons, whether it's his camera, Philly or an add-on called cheap Cologne that makes his presence known to survivors while at the same time marking them. Furthermore, Ghostface is able to lean around corners, which makes any encounter with him terrifying, if a little ridiculous.
CRAIG NORRIS
So you know, Ghostfaces key iconic tropes, a camera, and in the game you can take a. Selfie of yourself with the. Victim to kill them. And this Cologne right there again, going into this trope that typically in the movies he's this you know. Bro A2 sometimes. So again, that idea that he's got this cheap noticeable male clone as as part of his his trope his his his character DNA. That's kind of I guess away enough from the script but aligned enough with the. The mask and what people.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Know of it? So do you ever see the character in the? Movie. Yeah, well, at.
CRAIG NORRIS
The end of the movie, it's kind of a Scooby Doo ending for these movies where it's like the big reveal of who the killer really is underneath the mask. So you always see it, and it's always A twist. And it always pays off in terms of the story. But it's interesting here the dead by daylight game. Of course they're not.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
OK.
CRAIG NORRIS
Licencing and adapting that story so and again they've they said, yeah, part of the deal was it's it's the mask and within the mask anyone. Like Peter Parker. Surprise surprise, that would be a. That would be to. Us. OK, the next genre they're talking about adapting is a video game. So this one is a video game that they adapted into another video game. Wow. So instead of movie to video game, it's video game.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
That's very fortnight, isn't it?
CRAIG NORRIS
We're gonna get out, hopefully. 436 we might. Again, we'll see how we. See how long this takes and we might do part three of. The adaptation series. This text because I want to leave a little bit of time to go over some news.
Speaker 3
Wild behaviour featured guest characters from another video game in 2017 when left for Dead's Bill made it into dead by daylight. 2020 Silent Hill chapter was a full blown collaboration that brought the killer pyramid head and survivor Cheryl Mason. To the game.
Speaker 6
If there's one licence that, like I was obsessed with, it was Silent Hill.
CRAIG NORRIS
So Silent Hill. So they're adapting Silent Hill, and particularly the character of of Pyramid Head, a kind of iconic. Have you played Silent Hill?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
No, I've never watched nor played any horror.
CRAIG NORRIS
Game. Wow. You could be a neutral observer, yes.
Speaker 6
I played those games many, many times and it really, you know, struck my heart and my imagination. So being able to give a chance for these characters to be alive again in a video game and especially to be able to control parameter, the character that you were not able to control before. It was an amazing experience.
Speaker 3
But Silent Hill being what it is, the collaboration wouldn't have been complete without incorporating the iconic location of the title, which behaviour incorporated into the DLC as a special map with an acute attention to detail.
Speaker 4
It was not the.
CRAIG NORRIS
Since yes, here they're adapting. Location as well as cactus. So again, one thing that I mean locations. Has come up in in all the DLC's they've done, they're the setting for the Halloween. One, for instance, is this is is similar, very similar to the setting from the Halloween film that suburban, everyday suburban Americana. Back here, particularly in saw the the particular attention to the location that you've not played, yeah, also.
Speaker 4
Like we would not have done Silent Hill without Silent Hill, right?
Speaker 6
Yeah, you usually when we go, when we go for for a chapter, we want to be able to feature as as much as we can and Silent Hill is a very rich universe. And yes, it's it's Silent Hill. It's a place. The place is very important. So I think the map in there was like. You say map non-negotiable.
Speaker 3
Over the years, Silent Hill has had many different incarnations. In the earliest games, Silent Hill's other world was something that just happened. You'd be in a normal version of the town, one moment, step through a door and come out the other side into the nightmare realm. In later games, Silent Hill changed in real time and effect that was borrowed for the live action film adaptations. Behaviours take involved a Silent Hill that was both normal and nightmarish at the same time.
Speaker 6
I think that in the early days of the level design of this.
CRAIG NORRIS
So important because it is interesting to. That moment, I mean, he had this multiple adaptation moment where they began adapting their adaptations around the video game series, and in particular, this idea of when this nightmare realm comes into play and not. And then they refer later here. I've not played the Silent Hill Hill adaption for dead by daylight, but it's interesting. Hear, hear them say that then they they.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
The movie, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
They they later on started adapting the idea of this nightmare room presented. In the movie, yeah. Where it bleeds into the everyday as well. So yeah, interesting that kind of. You know where the. Meaning of the text. Is that that? At this point, what is Silent Hill and how is the nightmare of nightmare realm and Silent Hill demonstrated? Is kind of fluid, right? Well, do you mean the movie version? The video game version, and so forth and and? It seems like. It's by daylight decided to have it.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Both ways, yeah.
Speaker 6
Map we wanted to go. Through a narrative so that the the level would actually change, and so that there's some. Actions that you'd be able. To do that would change the level to the. Dark level and maybe back. Suddenly was just out of scope, something that we couldn't do at a time. So the best other thing. That we could. Do is to make these two worlds live side by side and in our universe. That makes sense. It's all recreated out of the memories and it's it's a nightmare of of this of this place so both can coexist. We've also implemented that that secret. In play, right? That you can discover, make that the the clock. Bell ring and discovered a secret and that was also another way to show a bit of transformation or to wink at the original transformation that. We seen Silent Hill.
Speaker 3
First Silent Hill. The location was just. As important as. The characters behaviour set to incorporate into dead by daylight, but for the studio's other video game collaboration.
CRAIG NORRIS
We'll pause it there so again. Really interesting to hear. About how location was central for Silent Hill. And and I'll, I'll leave. The the discussion there. So we've had a number of key points around adaptation that's been read. Not only in terms of how significant character was, so getting the licencing for character, but then also the the weapons and so forth and and location. In the case of Silent Hill. Now I want to I don't have that queued up music queue. Shift gears to talk a little about news. Zack Snyder, please too much fortnight staying up until 3:00 AM. This is great because my kids are totally too obsessed with Fortnite at the moment. They're cranking 90. These and they're full of complaining about the sweats they play against and they're trying. To be goats. Yeah, well, these are. More language terms I'm learning. Anyway, it's that it was. Weird to hear that, Zack. Snyder does. It is a short clip. That I'll. Play now, Zack Snyder, of course, is the director.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Who is that?
CRAIG NORRIS
Of many, many films, including the. You know, Transformers films, all Justice League, Batman High concept director, very stylistic. We want to keep his fandom on on site. OK. Anyway, here he was interviewed again my age and where this big
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
No, it's OK. It's OK. He's a bad director there.
CRAIG NORRIS
Have you all mapped out which has been his fortnight gaining?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yep, I'm ready.
CRAIG NORRIS
For it, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hold on. No.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Just talking about yourself.
CRAIG NORRIS
I remember I've got it playing through this. Computer and here we go.
Speaker 7
My son and I got into Fortnite. I kind of wanted to play it with him and then he didn't like it, and so I ended up just playing it by myself. I went down a bad rabbit hole with Fortnite in the sense that I I took. A pretty deep dive, way deeper than no.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Are you bill? No, bill. Bill.
Speaker 7
No built, no built Sky was minks. He's from.
Speaker
What's your skin?
Speaker 7
Rick and Morty, my son and I got into Fortnite. I.
CRAIG NORRIS
Mr Macy and Morty? Yeah. So it's fun. Actually, it's interesting, isn't it? Wanted to start by playing with his kids and his son didn't get into it, and he did. And he just.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
He plays Mobil, which is the better.
CRAIG NORRIS
What is new build? Don't know.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
So in build mode, that's where you see people and they all like flip around making the structures. In no build you. Could build any. You can't build any structure.
CRAIG NORRIS
Cranking 90s. Right, so you can't crank 90s.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I don't know what that means, it's.
CRAIG NORRIS
My daughter was showing me it's. So you're kind of. Building a structure straight up and and you kind of jump a bit and you build a a kind of ramp or something and you jump a bit more like to 90° jump and feel feel yeah so you.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
All right here. Lowe's ramp floors ramp floors tramp.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, alright. No, build gameplay and play Mr Miss 6.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
He's got my respect back again.
CRAIG NORRIS
I think the thing that really stood out for me of course, is at beginning as a family, father, son bonding. Bonding. But he really gets into it and plays. I I would love. To do field research now in Fortnite. And trying to find, I'm sure, like everyone else at the moment. Zach Snyder, do you know who Zack Snyder is? As I'm playing in chat and when good clues to his ex Snyder is. And I'd be doing it is like, hi, I'm Craig nourish me. And mother ship. Trying to interview next night or in game and die constantly. Probably. Yeah. So yeah, there you go. And the next news story is sentimental. Skyrim play is booting up Xbox Three 60s and PS Threes, so that's what 2 generations ago.
Speaker
Ohh yeah I.
CRAIG NORRIS
Saw to retire original characters. You were.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
A Skyrim player? Absolutely great. I'm playing. I'm. Playing it through now, wow as we speak.
CRAIG NORRIS
So do you know this phenomena? It it. It came from a Reddit post in the story they're talking about. What's your story of? Retiring characters. What? What is this? Well.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I don't. I have never personally done it and will never do it, but it's people that have like grown up with Skyrim and. They played it. All throughout their teen years and then decided to retire their character and when they come back 1020 years later and. Yeah. Give them a nice home. Give them like a carrot plantation out the front of their houses and then give them nice clothes and. Put them to bed and then close the game forever.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. It's so the article talks about how this guy on Reddit posted this story saying, you know, he suddenly had this desire to, to boot up this game again, that he played constantly, you know, whenever it launched, how long ago was that? Five years ago, he he really right.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
A bit longer than. Five years. It's it's either 10 or 20, but I think. It's probably 10, so yeah, they're.
CRAIG NORRIS
In Reading was pacing. Yeah. He spent too much of his college years doing this in. His first job. And he realised that he'd never kind of. Closed it, right? How do you end that?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Game cause yeah cause it is a constant. It never ends. You can never finish. Well you can finish the game like through the storyline, but then you just after the credits roll you come back again and you can infinitely. Clear out dungeons and kill bandits.
CRAIG NORRIS
Because there's never a kind of screen that pops up and says the end. Well done.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
The the kind of you can you can end off the story, but you can never like but fully 100% complete the game because people will always keep on respawning. The dungeons will always respawn. There'll always be something to do.
Speaker
Right there.
CRAIG NORRIS
So in the Reddit post, the guy was saying, you know, so he he booted up the Xbox 360 and the the best clothes for his characters are character are.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
And for his clothes.
CRAIG NORRIS
And his clothes. And he, you know, took one last look around this, this field that he had and put the character to bed and then shut the game down. And yeah, that that sense of finality, that sense of closure, that sense of, like, wanting a story.
Speaker 8
End almost like the panels.
CRAIG NORRIS
Panels at the end, right? You wanted the snap. Did the snap did the adventure. And then we have the next movie where you. See, OK. He's just chilling out.
Speaker
You know.
CRAIG NORRIS
On that farm. And so yeah, you want that sense of closure. It's really, you know, such a human desire. And also it's interesting because it raises that question of how do you end these procedurally generated constantly. In motion games.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
The answer is you don't, and that's what mods are for. You always just get mods and. Play completely different game.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. So but again, you you don't have time to play everything. So it's interesting when you say, OK, I'm. Playing Red Dead Redemption 2. Or I want to get around to the the the next big boulders gate 3 to do those 6 speed runs.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
No, no, just Skyrim, just Skyrim.
CRAIG NORRIS
Look, I agree, I mean. I think that really there's enough enough depth in that game that you can.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I'm trying to 100% complete everything because I've never done that before. So yeah, complete all of the storyline and it's really difficult cause I've got it on switch and so there's no mods that I can put in there. There's no sort of like what's it called, console commands or anything like that and it's a. Really really buggy. Broken game, so I'm just crossing my fingers. Yeah, they won't come up a time where I won't be able to progress through the game because it's broken.
CRAIG NORRIS
It sounds like Reddit post material there. If it does happen regardless, are you? Are you documenting it? No. Well, maybe we can document it on this game. Sorry, radio.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Show this isn't OK.
Speaker
The game.
CRAIG NORRIS
I'm not playing a game, I'm. Trying to unlock my game over here so. What's your if you got? Like a project management thing and you if you set a a timeline for this.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Or not specifically, I'm trying trying to get all of the good weapons in the game, so even if it's like making choices, I wouldn't normally make like killing particular character that I actually like, I'll do it. Just so I can get the special reward at the end of it because I'm trying to get. Everything amass everything that I can.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Collector and that's is that in switch they have that kind of completionist reward thing that ticks over or like I know the PlayStation has trophies and the Steam game has achievements.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I I don't know if it will do that. Nothing's popped up. Well, I've.
CRAIG NORRIS
What I've been playing so how are you tracking the completion narrative? Is it just in game? There's yeah. Things that say that you are X percent. Yeah.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
And I know all of like the Daedric Princess that I need to go and kill people for so.
Speaker
Can you play?
CRAIG NORRIS
It through already on another platform.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, I've played it through on PC. I've played it through on PS3PS4.
CRAIG NORRIS
Really. And I played through, you've completed the story.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Mode. I've never completed the story. Right.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. So how far did you get through on the news platforms like you got through far enough to feel?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, yeah, I I became the strongest character.
CRAIG NORRIS
In the game, right?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Like I'd like level 100.
CRAIG NORRIS
Is it cold or is it just single?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
120.
CRAIG NORRIS
Player and there's no.
Speaker
Single player.
CRAIG NORRIS
Co-op no.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Wow, there is mods to make Co op but. It's very buggy very.
CRAIG NORRIS
Very well, right. I know there's Skyrim VR and. The PC, so yeah there this. Is incredibly vibrant mod space. So all right. What? What? What percent are you right at the moment?
Speaker
Do you?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I've done quite a fair. Few I've done a lot. I've spent like 40 hours on it.
CRAIG NORRIS
So far I I do want to document this research you how many hours a day, right? So what's your like? It's a job, really. I don't mean to put it that way. It's a routine.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, yes, 4 hours, I'd say.
CRAIG NORRIS
That you don't stick to so. Mornings after the evenings.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
And afternoons and then just before sleep.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. And I'm gonna. Get a whole set of questions. It's great. We'll check in. What's your characters name?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Ohh just my name. OK, Little Taylor exactly.
CRAIG NORRIS
Trying to think if you've got time to do the next.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Thing Nichols do.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, alright, well well. It's been an on running story for. The last two. Weeks. The boulders gate. Three players been running. Companion romances? Yeah. There's another story on it. On GameSpot now developed Larian Studios has hired an intimacy coordinator. To ensure the games romance scenes were top notch and intimacy coordinator, so part of the game development staff included an intimacy coordinator because it's been meaning to me. I mean, it's not playing boards get 3 the. Characters commenting, commenting on it. So here's her her opinion on hearing about.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
On the story.
CRAIG NORRIS
Particularly the sex. Speed runners and speed runners that are looking to. Cool and you know, character lazelle characters name in the three lazelle reacts to sex speed runs.
Speaker 8
It's come to my attention that some of you are having competitions to see who can romance the characters the fastest square. Aye, layzell of creche. Collier condemned this behaviour for what is romance without intimacy. And what is true romance without dare I say it love. You might think that you are being more clever and interesting by doing these speed romance runs, but let me tell you that is not how you will win my respect. And once you have lost my respect, once you have lost it. Do what you like. I shall not influence your choices, but remember what I said. And if you want to keep me around in your party and remain in my good books, then I sincerely hope you consider your path to romancing me very carefully in the future. That is all. That's all I have to say. Goodbye from Maisel of Creche canare.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
And that was the actress. And she she wasn't in.
CRAIG NORRIS
Character. Obviously not that odd sound effects it is reading the comments. It's interesting to hear some people kind of unpack it in the spirit. I guess you delivered it as well in character and saying how well actually in. The game her character is not into love. They're kind of pleasures. So, you know, I'm confused. Like, wow. Commentaries probably engaged with the broader discourse around. Romance. Yeah. So fascinating. So not only do we have an intimacy coordinator, but now some of the key voice acts really unsatisfying to watch, right, particularly, you know, the narrative of romance and so forth. It's just clipping out. We're not clipping. It's just kind of quick resolving. Or the the dialogue wheels speeding into somewhere, speeding through dialogue and and allegedly. Yeah, a lot of these. Posts like New world record.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, it's just people with too much time again.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, says the Skyrim completionist hobby. It's 5 to the hour, so media mothership for another week. I'm gonna call. It's been a great journey. I feel I've quite enjoyed unpacking some of the adaptation issues around dead by daylight. We'll be picking that up on not next week, but the week after that will be the. Last live show for media mothership. Well, no.
Speaker
For this year.
CRAIG NORRIS
At least certainly. But I think our lives continue. After then two to perform at life, and so we'll pick it up at that episode and next week's episode will be a classic episode from the archives that I'll put in to the system. What's coming up on K pop and limited next.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Right.
CRAIG NORRIS
Is it best off?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Hits. No, it's just good music.
CRAIG NORRIS
Good music from Korea.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah. And one from the United States of America.
CRAIG NORRIS
Alright. Oh wow. Is that K pop? No adjacent. No. OK.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Black Eyed Peas.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wow, confusion abounds. So listen up next to K Pop unlimited. So thanks for listening again to media and mothership on Edge Radio. Show notes are going to be available on the episode description on YouTube or your podcast. Player you can listen to previous episodes on YouTube and Twitch and edgeradio.org dot AU. You can find out more about Doctor Craig N Taylor on Facebook and I'm on Instagram and there's little bits of me on Snapchat from a few years ago, not Snapchat, TikTok.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
There we go. And Snapchat.
CRAIG NORRIS
Disco, we have disco page. So so do check those out and again. Keep listening to edge. Radio as coming up next is. K Pop and limited.
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