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EA signs top British writer Morgan News

PC Xbox 360 PlayStation 3
News by Robert Purchese

5 November, 2009

Award winning British author Richard K. Morgan has been hired by EA to oversee the stories of three new games.

Morgan, author of Altered Carbon (Philip K. Dick Award) and Black Man (Arthur C. Clarke Award), confirmed that the projects will all be science fiction, and he's rather over excited about his new position.

"Video-gaming is the only thing in my life that I would fully qualify as an addiction. I like a fairly limited number of games (there's an awful lot of dross out there), but those I like, I really like, and will play them until the game paths, enemy spawning points and scripted incidentals are graven into my synapses," wrote Morgan on his blog.

"One producer I'm working with at the moment likens what we're doing to working in Hollywood circa 1920, when everyone was still working out what you could do with this wild, new medium called film; the only difference is that the rate of evolution in technique for video games is running at about a dozen times the speed it ever did for film. The field is open, the potential huge and, in story terms, only just beginning to be properly tapped

For a writer, that's a pretty close definition of paradise," he added.

Morgan stops short of clarifying what the games will be, although EA has a stable of science fiction-based IP he could work on: Command & Conquer and Rage, for instance.

The writer could also be consulting on the mysterious Project RedLime, in development at Starbreeze Studios, as well as helping pen the confirmed continuation of the Dead Space series.

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M_of_the_sys
05/11/09 @ 15:03
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"Video-gaming is the only thing in my life that I would fully qualify as an addiction."

Did you know that there's a rehab for that now Morgan?
Normski
05/11/09 @ 15:10
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Is the only requirement for being a top sci-fi author having a middle initial?
udat
05/11/09 @ 15:20
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Oi, Richard, Syndicate!!!!
TriggerHippie
05/11/09 @ 15:35
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This is great news. The involvement of qualified and talented writers in the production of games can only be a good thing. Plus, I love his books so personally I'm very interested to see what comes of this.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 05/11/09 @ 15:36
Farfarer
05/11/09 @ 15:41
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Interesting stuff. Altered Carbon is a fantastic book, many times whilst reading it I figured that'd be a good basis for a game.

Let's hope he manages some good stuff without being stifled by EA too much...
Wolverfrog
05/11/09 @ 15:51
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I've never heard of him, I rarely read Sci-fi. Still, it should be good.
Chazmeister
05/11/09 @ 15:52
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@ Normski

Actually they leave his middle initial out on his book covers.

Anyway Morgan's a damn good writer, so I look forward to seeing what he comes up with.
Roarster
05/11/09 @ 16:01
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Little known fact, I once viewed this guys flat when I was thinking of moving. Decided against it in the end though, no security entrance was a bit of a deal breaker for us.

Carry on...
Eraysor
05/11/09 @ 16:19
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"EA signs top British writer Morgan"

For a second there I almost thought it meant Piers Morgan, which probably would have resulted in my suicide.
Grayvern
05/11/09 @ 16:21
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Sweetness Altered Carbon and the Steel Remains were great, both funny cynical and brutal. Looking forward to finding out what hes working on.
TOOTR
05/11/09 @ 16:32
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Altered Carbon FTW! Really liked some of his other stuff too but haven't read his fantasy novel steel remains yet.

This could be awesome news ... then again the untouchable Douglas Adams (RIP) helped write a game once didn't he (starship titanic or something like that?) and I believe the results were mixed. Happy to be corrected by someone who remembers better though!

Stoatboy
05/11/09 @ 16:50
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@Farfarer: Yep - also thought Altered Carbon had some great ideas for games. Cracking book, that.

Black Man and The Steel Remains were ace too.

This has reminded me I've still got a couple of his to read too...
Doctor_What
05/11/09 @ 16:54
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Altered Carbon was superb, but I can't help feel that he's been slowly losing the edge since then. Still, it's good that EA are taking authors seriously and not just thinking about screenwriters.
tomkuryakin
05/11/09 @ 17:18
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EA should be applauded for hiring a professional to write for their games, although personally I'd have chosen someone whose style was more streamlined. He does write doorstops and the last thing games need is more text to wade through or listen to.

Perhaps film or TV scriptwriters would be better?
BritishBlue1
05/11/09 @ 17:23
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EA doing the smart thing by signing a professional to pen their material, I hope this guy is good, I've never actually read any of his material. I think I'll take a trip down to the library and check him out.
RedPanda
05/11/09 @ 19:15
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@TOOTR Douglas Adams also helped with the awesome Infocom text adventure version of Hitchhikers.
iWolf
05/11/09 @ 21:48
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Terrific news, love his sci-fi stuff (Altered Carbon especially)
HeinzHarald
05/11/09 @ 21:50
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Awesome! I own five of his books and love them. They are fast paced yet lengthy which is a good base for a game.
coomber
06/11/09 @ 00:26
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Look forward to seeing him working on FIFA Spaceball 2011, FIFA Spaceball 2012 and FIFA Spaceball 2013.
HuggyAtHome
06/11/09 @ 08:13
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An Altered Carbon type game would be great - Maybe EA will milk the Broken Angels/Woken Furies books too.There was quite a good premise behind Market Forces which would meld nicely with a Syndicate follow up too. Hopes.

Comments: 1-20 of 20 in total

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