latest podcast
random quote
“The "It was tough but we were tough too" type monologues get tiring after a while. Especially when it comes from someone who sounds like they woke up confused and mixed up the rice bubbles with gravel from the garden path.”

'Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron' Review
by Anna









most recent on forum
Immigration by Dreamer4Evar at 4:57am
Favourite Radio station in GTA4 by Roy_the_gamer at 4:14am
GTA IV by Roy_the_gamer at 4:12am
Your latest purchase by Roy_the_gamer at 3:50am
Patriotism by Dreamer4Evar at 3:24am
Type of work - enjoyable? by Jack Sheehan at 3:04am
Homosexuality by Coxster at 2:16am
NEWS [ AustralianGamer at GAME ON this Sunday ] by jd_ at 1:59am
Opinions on used games. by Heinlager at 12:30am
NEW NIN ALBUM by El Taco at 12:16am
Introduce Yourself by BrisbaneGamer at 9:07pm
NEW TBE ALBUM! ZOMG! by EdgeCrusher at 8:12pm
Satanism! by Dreamer4Evar at 7:44pm
Fleeeks 18th by bighead at 6:26pm
Site Errors by netjunkie at 5:50pm
rss feeds

Australian Gamer Content - All
Australian Gamer Podcasts - All
Australian Gamer Updates, Reviews, Previews, Features
what's new
10 questions :: 10 game industry questions - leanne taylor

10 Game Industry Questions - Leanne Taylor

AUSTRALIAN GAME INDUSTRY Q and A - 10 Questions with Leanne Taylor - Scriptwriter for THQ and Teacher at Qantm College


view profile


Fullname: Leanne C. Taylor

Nickname: Leamatron (I got adopted by the Autobots as a child)

Gender: Female

Age: 23

Current Company: THQ and Qantm College

Current Project: : A secret known only to Level 1 and my African Violets

Gaming Systems Owned: Wii, PS2, DS and one heck of a PC




1. What is your job role where you work and can you explain what it entails?

I work as a scriptwriter/dialogue co-ordinator/general nuisance, on contract, for THQ. This means I’m responsible for all the fun stuff, like cutscenes and character interaction, and all of the things that make me pull my hair out, like writing 250 variations for different characters saying “I’m on fire!”. It can be pretty interesting, trying to figure out an adjective for the right type of voice direction for a line, and having to repeat it ten times in ten different ways to get the read you want. This is best done on my own, in an enclosed room, though – for some reason, other people don’t find it nearly so interesting.

I also teach part time at Qantm College, in Brisbane, covering such topics as suit my skills, but mainly focussing on interactive-and-otherwise narrative and characters; so the practical stuff, like applying the Three Act Structure and drawing storyboards for cinematics.



2. What games have you been directly involved with previously?

Destroy All Humans! 2 and Nicktoons 07: Attack of the Toybots for DS. It was a big change, going from a console production to a DS-only release, but each genre has its challenges and benefits, so I enjoy them both equally



3. How did you get your start in the gaming industry?

I was one of the lucky ones – I met Gordon Moyes (from Pandemic) at the Brisbane Writers’ Festival a year before I graduated from my creative writing degree. I happened to e-mail him around the time he happened to need a writer, I met Tom Abernathy, the lead writer, and the skies turned red. Six months later I was on my 4th 6-week contract and enjoying myself horrendously.



4. What has been the most positive experience of working in the games industry so far?

Absolutely getting to listen to my own dialogue, spoken by characters who had, until then, been mute, or better yet, voiced by the hilarious QA guys. There’s something about sitting down and watching a cutscene, or listening to dialogue, and thinking, “Wow, that’s really cool!” then realising you wrote it! Sometimes things just come together so well, it’s even better than you imagined. Being able to see the animatics for my most recent console project as they developed was an unreal experience, too, and I’m so grateful for it.





5. What has been the most negative experience of working in the games industry so far?

Oh, gee, y’know?  You have ups and downs in any job, and at the end of the day, I’m doing what I love and getting paid for it. My main complaint would be that, like in any industry, no one’s really sure what to do with writers just yet – we’re somehow seen as vital, but confusing. We’re just people! Crazy, eccentric, sometimes difficult people, but people nonetheless. I think as the industry evolves we’re going to see a lot more companies comfortable with the idea of hiring a writer for their specific purpose, whether it’s to imagine, then document, then create an entire game world, or to just fill in the dialogue blanks. And whatever they need, that’s good. Any step toward involving writers is a positive one, in my opinion, provided they don’t let story get in the way of a good game! But that’s another topic. :)



6. What advice can you give to other people looking to get into a position such as yours?

Play a lot of games, write a lot, watch movies and figure out why the dialogue is good or bad, but always be analysing the things you see or play. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them; it means there’s always that little piece at the back of your mind, cataloguing brilliant ideas and faults for later use or consideration. Life’s too short to learn everything from your own mistakes, after all!

One other piece of advice: game first. This has two applications: be a gamer before wanting to write for games, and don’t let your own personal agenda get in the way of a game’s development. Sometimes your favourite joke will get cut – in fact, it happens a lot – so make up a new one and move on. You’re a creative individual. Ideas come easily, and take many forms. Be aware that what you think, no matter how brilliant, may not be the best idea for now, and taking criticism will come a lot easier.



7. How do you see Australia as a market when compared to the rest of the world?

I’m pretty excited to be living and working in Australia. The fact that we have so many blossoming developers and publishers here is kind of like finding out someone’s set up a free ice cream stall in your backyard. I think we have a decent number of informed consumers, and a good gaming base that doesn’t yet border on the frightening. Games are accepted; they’re even kind of cool, but they’re still enough of a sub-culture that, when gamers get together, it’s just a whole lot of fun. I love that. That mentality seems to have worked its way into the companies I’ve worked for, too, and it’s so wonderful to see people passionate about their jobs. I find it really inspiring.



8. Got any good stories you want to share?

There was one week when I was working crazy hours to get a bunch of grunt VO done and updated – the office had a coffee machine, you see, and this was at the end of a week of long days. To keep myself going I had a couple of coffees... Then another couple... And then three in a row... All of them double-shots. By midday, I went to speak to one of the designers and he made me sit down. Apparently he couldn’t understand me at all. I quit coffee after that, but it was a slow process.

My only other story that makes sense out of context happened on the 8th of December, 2003. If you know what it is already, kudos.  I’d just finished the first year of my writing degree, with the goal of working in the computer games industry, and finally found the time to beat Irenicus in Baldur’s Gate 2. Full of triumph and sadness, I logged out to discover Interplay had, just that day, disbanded Black Isle studios, my dream employer. I’ll admit it – I cried. I think everyone did. But now Fallout 3 is on its way, I can’t help but be hopeful, and I wish those clever guys and girls at Bethesda all the best.





9. What are your favourite games and why?

  • Planescape: Torment
    I played this through over two solid weeks, and, corny as it sounds, it changed my life. I got so immersed in the universe that I started collecting the AD&D rulebooks to better understand the world I fell in love with, and it’s still my favourite setting.

  • Baldur’s Gate
    This is the game that made me want to work in the industry. It was everything I wanted at the time, and it still brings back fond memories. One of my favourite lines has to be, “You are amusing, in the ‘what the hell is wrong with you?’ kind of way.”

  • Bubble Bobble!
    Oh, those little dragons. I used to collect EXCELLENT just to get to that field of flowers.

  • King’s Quest IV
    A Dangling Participle? Surely you jest. :)

  • The Curse of Monkey Island
    “It’s made of *shudder* porcelain...”

  • Project Zero 2: Crimson Butterfly
    One of my favourite games that I’ve never played. It’s too scary for me! But I love the storyline, and the extra information you pick up. The ending always has the same effect on me, too – I highly recommend it, although the perfect ending is only available in the Xbox Director’s Cut.

  • Bioshock
    Wow. Okay, another one I admit to having someone play for me, but the scene with Andrew Ryan made me so angry I had to get up and walk away, then laugh at myself. It was an incredible feeling, to be so angry at being used like that. I was really impressed.

  • UT2004
    This has had a resurgence at Qantm. My favourite map is Facing Worlds Classic and, of course, low grav with sniper rifles.  It’s a great way to wind down after a day of class, and to let the students get back at me for the tutorial exercises I make them do!




10. If you could meet any gaming character in real life, who would it be and why?

Morte, from Planescape: Torment. I really want to give him a hug. His backstory is so amazing, and so sad. Other than that – Haer’Dalis! My biggest regret of Baldur’s Gate 2 is that I played a male character. “Yes, my raven?” “Once more unto the breach, dear friends!” A Tiefling who’s not only charming to a fault, but quotes Shakespeare on his way into battle? I’m ruined for the rest of the world. 

If you have any questions for Leanne she will be available for a limited time to answer them in the forums here

home  |   reviews  |   previews  |   features  |   podcasts  |   search  |   the team  |   history  |   faq  |   forum  |   myspace  |   youtube  |   links  |   contact us

AustralianGamer.com © 2008