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“So, you’ve seen the board game hall.” I indicate to where we’ve just come from. “I’m assuming your brother will show you around the other two areas. I’m going to take you somewhere he won’t.”
“Lead the way.”
Batman follows me toward a door marked Staff Only, hence the lanyard I gave him before. We hold up our staff passes to the rent-a-cop standing outside the door and slip through to the staff common area. People sit around a few circular tables, most in costume, eating or chatting. Exchanging stories and ideas. A creative buzz fills the room.
Day one, when everyone is at peak energy, is always the most exciting.
“This area is mostly for vending staff, but it also leads through to the media lounge where we have a green room for VIP guests of the convention.” I motion to a room that’s decked in cool concept artwork and has a few comfy couches and chairs scattered around.
“Any big names?” Batman asks.
“Big in my world, but possibly not in yours. We have a couple of major voice actors visiting from overseas. Troy Baker is coming tomorrow and he’s done somehugevideo game franchises likeThe Last of Us,BioShock, andUncharted. He’s a capitalBbig deal. In fact, he didyourvoice onBatman: The Enemy Within.” I pause, biting down on my lip, realising that my voice had been getting faster and faster. “Sorry, I totally nerd out at these things.”
“You’re passionate, that’s more than most people can say.”
“Yeah, I love all types of games.”
We head along the corridor where all the media rooms are set up. Some have their doors closed with signs saying Quiet Please on the front, and others are open with interviews that are just wrapping up.
“And you get to turn your passion into a job,” he says. “That’s pretty awesome.”
“It’s true.” I nod. “This is what I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a little girl.”
“Make games?”
“Yeah.” I grin, a memory bubbling up to the surface that never fails to make me smile. “I used to make my own games out of anything I could find around the house like pieces of egg carton that I would paint or figures I’d make out of my mum’s craft paper. Then I would force my whole family to play even though they didn’t know the rules.”
Batman chuckles. “I was like that, too. I wanted to be an artist and I’d try to force my mother’s cat to sit still so I could paint her.”
The image makes something warm settle in my stomach. “How did that work out?”
“Terrible. Cats are awful at following instructions.”
Chuckling, I lead Batman into one of the smaller interview rooms. It’s covered in artwork from board game companies, including a big poster from my first game,Containment. Eric’s phenomenal artistry is on full display, the mix of acid green tones with a slash of red and cold steel grey are absolute perfection.
“This was my first game.” I point to the poster.
“Really? Wow, the artwork is amazing.” He leans closer to have a look. “What’s the game about?”
“It’s a cooperative game, so all players work togetheragainstthe game. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic environment where a zombie outbreak has occurred and you have to secure the town by completing a number of activities. Each player has a role with slightly different abilities and weaknesses that make the game feel different each time you play it.”
“Sounds fun...and challenging.” He cocks his head. “And different to the kind of games I remember playing when I was younger.”
“Modern board games are really fucking cool, if I do say so myself. You should give them a chance.”
“And you work with an artist to come up with all the visuals.” He’s looking at Eric’s digital painting again.
“Yeah, one of my team members did this. In the early stages of development, we come up with concept drawings that capture themoodof what we’re going for, and then as we get further along the process, the designs become more intricately woven into the game itself.” I point to a spot on the poster. “This guy ended up becoming one of the playable roles within the game, but when we first started working on this concept, he was just a vague idea.”
“You light up when you talk about this stuff.” Batman is standing close to me now, the heat from his body seeping into mine. The giddy passion I feel for my work starts to darken, becoming lush, and my attention is dragged away from the artwork and toward the man standing in front of me. The interview room is small, not much bigger than the bathroom of an average house. “There’s nothing more incredible than seeing someone talk about their passion.”
“What’s your passion?” I ask and my voice is husky, low.
“Right now? Mysterious women in assassin outfits who like to nerd out over games.”
“That’s very specific.”
“I’m a specific kinda guy.” He reaches for my plait, which isn’t my real hair of course, and takes it between his thumb and forefinger, running them over the bumps created by the woven shape. “Truthfully, art has always been my passion. My father is an artist and I got myself a Bachelor of Fine Arts, thinking I was going to follow in his footsteps.”
