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Interview: Rhianna Pratchett

With Rhianna Pratchett's most recent projects -- a trio of Overlord titles -- complete, the game scribe took some time out to discuss what it was like to write for three games at once, what she's looking forward to in the future, and why Faith in Mirror's Edge wasn't quite as talkative as originally planned:

Did you have any difficulties writing for three different platforms? What are the differences and limitations of writing for one platform over another?

It was mainly a question of age ratings. I'm sorry it's not more of an exciting answer. The Wii and DS, Dark Legend and Minions, were aiming for a lower rating than Overlord II, so there were certain things that I couldn't talk about in the scripts -- mainly to do with excessive violence and debauchery. You know, all the really fun stuff.

You can certainly get away with more by taking a comedic angle, but games ratings are actually pretty stringent. I don't think it impacted too much on the Overlord feel, although it was a shame to lose things like drunken minions and mistresses. Okay, in Dark Legend the lead character is only 16, so a harem might have been rather wishful thinking.

There was a definite need for economy of language when it came to the DS, which was a little more restrictive. Condensing a loquacious character like Gnarl was quite a challenge. Other than that it was really just trying to capture the right Overlord tone.

GoGamer.com breaks out some new PC game sales deals

It's Friday and while some are working for the weekend, some of us are also working to find new PC game sales deals and then reveal those price reductions to you. Our favorite retail gaming site GoGamer.com has their usual massive price cuts on a number of older and more recent PC games. The prices stick around until 3 am ET on Tuesday.

Among the games on sale are Mirror's Edge for $5.90, the original ArmA: Armed Assault for $9.90 and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for $4.90. More recent games are also on sale like Terminator: Salvation for $27.90 and X-Blades for $17.90.

Unseen64: Backbone made Mirror's Edge demo for Wii, PSP, DS

We love our Mirror's Edge as much as the next group of guys, but we don't really know what to make of this one. Unseen64 reports that Backbone Entertainment was asked by EA to make a demo for the game on Wii, DS and PSP, though the status of it is currently unknown.

Judging by the couple of pieces of concept art Unseen64 is sporting, the project looks suspiciously third-person, which is puzzling at best. But who knows? Maybe we're just old men set in our crotchety ways. Maybe it could have been awesome. But with less-than-stellar sales numbers for the flagship, we're doubtful EA will be willing to spend the cash to let Faith leap onto other boxes.

Mirror's Edge 2D - Time Waster

Mirror's Edge is a successful 3D first-person platformer where players take control of Faith, a runner who's job is to transmit messages without garnering the ire of government surveillance. If you're not familiar with the franchise, it doesn't really matter; Mirror's Edge 2D is still a fantastic 2D flash game based on Mirror's Edge.

In the 2D version, you control Faith by using keyboard keys to run, duck, slide, climb, wallrun, and jump. The style of the game reminds me of a classic version of Mission Impossible on the Commodore 64. The most charming element of Mirror's Edge 2D is the rapid yet smooth way that Faith moves. The game is all about maintaining momentum, and it's easily to see why after playing the game for only a few minutes.

Mirror's Edge 2D has both a story mode and time trial mode, giving it considerable replay value for a free online game. This game feels like what I wish side-scrolling platform games had been like in their heyday.

EA shatters our faith in future Mirror's Edge DLC

Mirror's Edge fans are going to have to wait for the sequel before experiencing any new leaps of Faith. EA has told ThatVideoGameBlog that there are no "immediate plans" for more DLC. A downloadable map pack was made available this past February.

Although not a runaway smash, Mirror's Edge did find success and some awards -- even from our little corner of the internet. Hopefully a sequel will address the multitude of frustrating gameplay issues found in the original -- like the combat system. We have fai... ahem, we believe DICE will do right next time.

Mirror's Edge DLC now free on EU PSN

All of you Europeans who enjoy a bit of the parkour-inspired gameplay of Mirror's Edge now and again, we've got a treat for you. PSN now has all of the Mirror's Edge DLC content available at the low, low cost of free. The news comes courtesy of TheSixthAxis, and we've logged on ourselves to confirm that, yes, you can now nab all of the game's content with no need to spend anything. If you don't own Mirror's Edge, it's got to be on sale somewhere around you -- and honestly, there is no suitable excuse for not owning it.

Oh, and before you US residents go rushing to turn on your PS3, know that we already checked PSN for this and the content is still priced as usual.

[Thanks, Josh!]

Next Mirror's Edge game in the works

Digital Illusions already has a full plate. It has several Battlefield games at some point of development (including the recently revealed Battlefield 3). But according to Videogamer.com the next game in their other major franchise Mirror's Edge is also in the works.

Patrick Soderlund, the current senior vice president at Electronic Arts' Games Europe division, stated, "You will see another Mirror's Edge for sure. It's just a matter of when that time is and what we do with it. We have a small team on it and I'm excited about what we do." He didn't say if this would be a full-fledged sequel, a spin-off or what form the new game will take.

EA VP: 'Small team' working on more Mirror's Edge

Joy be thine, as EA has confirmed Joystiq GOTY Mirror's Edge won't be the last we see of Faith. In speaking with Videogamer back at E3, EA's senior VP of EA Games Europe, Patrick Soderlund, stated, "You will see another Mirror's Edge for sure. It's just a matter of when that time is and what we do with it. We have a small team on it and I'm excited about what we do."

Of course, one mustn't jump to conclusions and automatically label this as a sequel. Soderlund could've meant anything based on that comment. EA could be working on a full-fledged sequel (something we desperately need), sure, or could be adapting a port for some other system. Or, the company could be making a spiffy new Flash game for all we know. Only time will tell, but the important thing is that no matter what this project turns out to be, we all have more parkour-based gameplay to look forward to down the line. And that's a very good thing.

[Via VG247]

Gorgeous Mirror's Edge inspired photo set leaps into view

Savage Land Pictures have revealed a gorgeous photo set inspired by the 2008 Electronic Arts action title, Mirror's Edge. The shoot, which Savage Land Pictures notes took months to plan, includes sixteen images of a model dressed as Faith traversing rooftops and interacting with armor-clad enemies. The set isn't completely realistic however, as "Faith" is shown holding a pistol and the image doesn't completely break... like the game did when she picked up a weapon. Just kidding, kinda.

[Via SlicedLime Twitter]

Real first-person parkour to make Faith blush

Fans of the first-person parkour simulator Mirror's Edge are bound to enjoy this video discovered by the BBPS (embedded after the break). In the video, you'll see a very talented man perform all kinds of parkour antics, all shot from a first-person viewpoint. He even managed to find some surprisingly colorful surroundings to make it feel more like the game. It's all very impressive until around 2:05 into the video, at which point we realized it was filmed by a wizard.

To think such a powerful man would waste his time making silly videos.

[Via The BBPS]

PC game weekend sales deals hit the Net

As we work for the weekend, we all need a second chance to go off the deep end . . . and find some great PC game deals. Over at GoGamer.com the have a number of retail box copies that are for sale, including Overlord for just $5.90 and Mirror's Edge for just $19.90.

Direct2Drive has a few titles of interest that are on sale until Sunday including Major League Baseball 2K9 for just $9.99. The recent Midway action-driving game Wheelman is on sale "for a limited time" for $29.99. GamersGate has Kane and Lynch: Dead Men on sale for just $14.95 this weekend. They also have the upcoming RTS game Stalin Vs. Martians on sale for 20 percent off before its release next week. Finally Steam's weekend sales deal is for Worldwide Soccer Manager 2009 which has had its price reduced 50 percent to $14.99 this weekend.

Gitcha SecuROM de-authorization tools! Git'em ova hur!

EA's perpetual joke -- on you -- comes to an ironic end on April Fools' Day with the release of de-authorization tools for each of its 19 PC games with SecuROM copy protection (full list and download links after the break). If you've been working on that class action lawsuit against EA for bundling SecuROM with The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff, you can drop it now -- your flat-pack furniture can finally be moved to a new machine.

In the spirit of generosity, EA's giving you two options for managing your authorizations:

Option 1: Download and install yet another "tool" in order to scan your computer for EA's SecuROM games and find out how many computer authorizations you have (or don't have) left for each title.
Option 2: Cut to the chase and download the game-specific de-authorization tool you need.

Mirror's Edge vs. Age of Conan at Nordic Awards

Nordic Game 2009 is fast approaching and, like you, we're gearing up by listening to loads of ABBA, driving Volvos and wearing nothing but H&M clothing. That's all they do over there, right? Anyway, with the conference comes the obligatory awards show, though this one comes with a uniquely nordic theme. While über nordic games like LasseMajas and Englekræsj show up on the list, EA DICE-developed Mirror's Edge and Funcom-developed Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures are duking it out for two major awards: Artistic Achievement and Best Nordic Game.

We can't speak to the ... ahem ... games we've never heard of running against Mirror's Edge and Age of Conan, but retro remake Bionic Commando: Rearmed is also competing for the Best Nordic Game award, while Watchmen: The End is Nigh takes on the two for Artistic Achievement. The awards are set to be a veritable smörgåsbord of gaming, if you will. (Those are Swedish, right?)

[Via Edge]

GDC09: Rhianna Pratchett says games should forget about making people cry

Rhianna Pratchett, the woman to blame for the dialogue of last year's EA experiment Mirror's Edge, says that game writers (not, erm, us, mind you, but the type that write the stories in the games we all play) are doing the wrong thing trying to make gamers cry. She tells the Guardian's game blog, "As an industry we get very, very obsessed with making people cry. What's so great about crying?!" Rather, she says that they should be focusing on turning those frowns upside down, citing her work on the Overlord franchise.

"The world is dark enough, especially at the moment. Overlord, I think, was successful because it made people smile, it made people laugh. That seems to have resonated so much that I say 'Make people smile, don't make people cry.'" It's no secret that we are suckers for the lolz around here, so we're rather inclined to agree with Ms. Pratchett. In the eight minute interview with the Guardian (found after the break), Pratchett also touches on the importance of getting game writers into the development process early enough, calling shoehorned stories in gaming the result of "Weekend at Bernie's" processes, where a plot that doesn't really exist is "made up" to look like an actual plot. Rather than naming culprits, we'll leave the finger pointing to you fine folks -- and we're willing to bet you can name more than a few, no?

EA is 'very, very pro independent development,' says DeMartini

In what seems to be a multiple year-spanning sea change on the side of EA, the company is not only reaching out to independent developers like Grasshopper Manufacture and Valve, but also working with them to keep their properties autonomous. Chris Remo of Gamasutra sat down with David DeMartini, General Manager of EA Partners, to discuss the idea behind EAP and, in doing so, revealed some interesting truths about the EA initiative.

"I think that there is very much a renaissance within the EAP based on the leadership of Electronic Arts ... John Riccitiello and Frank Gibeau are very, very pro-independent development," says DeMartini, referring to titles like American McGee's Alice sequel and Suda 51's upcoming game (still untitled), as well as Valve-developed Left 4 Dead. The "renaissance," he believes, isn't spurred by the way in which the EA Partners program has been set up, so much as it's been a focus on "great quality."

While last year's Mirror's Edge and Left 4 Dead might not have sold huge numbers out of the gate, there is no doubt that their critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive. To add credence to his argument, sales of both titles have held steady as time goes on."What we've proven is that there is no one model. What we have also proven is quality and innovation always win." Not a terrible truth to arrive at, if we must say so ourselves.

Rhianna Pratchett launches portfolio website

Rhianna Pratchett, the British game writer behind Heavenly Sword, Overlord (and its upcoming sequels), Mirror's Edge and Viking: Battle For Asgard has launched her portfolio website, making it easier to keep track of her various projects. The website showcases all the games that she's worked on, as well as her contributions to some game writing textbooks and her ongoing series of Mirror's Edge comic books.

There are also links to interviews (including one of ours) for those who want to get a little more insight into the person behind the words. From the look of things, the site won't be updated for a while as Rhianna's being kept fairly busy with Overlord 2 and the Wii and DS Overlord games. Now that she's set up home on the internet, we wonder if she'll be joining us on Twitter soon, too.

Swedes honor their own: Mirror's Edge wins Swedish GOTY

Little known fact: Swedes love a good pat on the back. It's true, all of us like to be congratulated on a job well done, but for them it's in a league of its own. This year, they've heaped the honor for the best Swedish-made game at the annual Dataspelsgalan award show onto DICE's parkour-inspired first-person scoot-er, Mirror's Edge. When asked why it was so special, top Swedes commented to Joystiq that the "graphics on level three were really tight," among other things. One thing is certain: Mirror's Edge was definitely one of the better games from last year.

Previous Swedish GOTY winners:

2000 Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter
2001 Ground Control
2002 Headhunter
2003 Battlefield 1942
2004 -
2005 Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
2006 Battlefield 2
2007 GTR 2: FIA GT Racing Game
2008 World in Conflict

EA sees success in Dead Space and Mirror's Edge ... after a 'lifetime performance'

EA's European Senior VP Patrick Söderlund has expressed optimism about the long-term success of new IPs Dead Space and Mirror's Edge in a conversation with Gamasutra. "If you analyze games like Dead Space and Mirror's Edge for their lifetime performance, I bet you'll find them to be seen as successful," said Söderlund, communicating a commitment to both franchises.

Söderlund went on to echo Glen Schofield's remarks regarding the not-too-brilliant plan of releasing both titles during the extremely competitive holiday season, admitting that EA could have "done a better job" scheduling its release calendar. Still, EA seems determined to forge ahead with both franchises in tow. We have a hunch gamers will support that decision -- so long as Dead Space doesn't turn into this and Mirror's Edge into that.

[Via guardian.co.uk]

Mirror's Edge Giveaway Winners Announced

Thank you to all the participants who made the Mirror's Edge Giveaway a success. 10 winners were selected at random to receive a retail boxed copy of Mirror's Edge for the PC, which includes a bonus soundtrack CD.

The winners are: Justin Duke from Ft. Mitchell, KY; Tommy Rutledge from Temple, TX; Peter Mann from Tacoma, WA; Terry Olaes from Keller, TX; Josh Buonocore from Winter Spring, FL; Michael Harling from Summerville, SC; Matthew Lyon from Worcester, MA; Eric Grygier from Newark, DE; Any Schott from Dearborn, MI and Paul Goodrich from Pleasanton, CA.

Congratulatons to all the winners and a big thanks to EA for providing the prizes.

Check out the Mirror's Edge downloads
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Mirror's Edge 2D gets more fully developed

Around the time that the console versions of Mirror's Edge were released back in November, Borne Games launched a Flash-based 2D version of the free-running themed action game (with the full support of EA and Digital Illusions). It was just a one-level demo but there was the promise of more to come. That promise is now closer to reality as Borne Games has now launched a more fully featured version of their Flash game.

Technically Mirror's Edge 2D is still in beta but there are a number of new levels as well as time trials you can play with in the game, along with leaderboard support. More features are promised including support for videos, downloads and more. They are also planning to hold some kind of contest with an ASUS gaming laptop as its prize.