DeRpY ReViEwS

Derpy: How do you think of these in-depth characters?

Gard: Now that’s an interesting question because you would not believe how different the reviews on my characters are. Some think they’re deep and others say they’re shallow.

And I think – maybe – it comes down to how hooked each reviewer is on modern video games.

So, think about Phoenix and Dakota. How old are they, really? What life experiences do they HAVE? More important, what life experiences do they LACK? What stories could I tell about their past?

We gamers have common games, so we kind of know those guys and girls, don’t we? What their lives must be like? Who hasn’t played Halo? Who didn’t think maybe that was Master Chief in the first scene, throwing that sticky grenade?

But if you don’t play games, the characters are a blanker slate. Not that that’s bad, it’s just different for those of us who run around in games a lot compared to those who don’t.

See, there are a couple of hidden little things in Game Slaves about how it reads and how it “plays.” They’re not too important, but fun if you think about them. Like Easter eggs… but more like gamer eggs. I won’t give them away. You have to have played some games to notice them.

Derpy: What is your favorite part of your job?

Gard: I don’t know yet. I’m very new. All great video games are simply great puzzles, no matter if they’re action or shooter or RPG. Publishing Game Slaves a puzzle, and we solved it. That may be my favorite part right now.

Derpy: Are you thinking of making a series out of Game Slaves?