Charting a Course for Adventure
On finding that spark of inspiration, and knowing that even the most epic journey begins with a single step
Writers occupy a role that’s fundamental to the gaming experience. Though often overlooked, they are the unsung heroes of our industry, combining their craft of the written word with an eye for engaging the audience.
Our very own Lead Writer and magician of fiction, Brian Alexander, helps inject a flair for the dramatic and the personal into the Big Time universe. Here’s Brian’s story on how he came to Big Time Studios and how he’s helping us chart our course.
Brian Alexander began his career in film and television with a wild assortment of projects including 24, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, Law & Order, Moneyball, and Blade Runner: 2049. He finally got the chance to indulge his love of video games (and cross-platform storytelling) with Defiance, serving as a writer/producer on the TV show as well as primary liaison with Trion, makers of the Defiance video game. Most recently, Brian was a writer at Blizzard Entertainment, writing cinematics for Overwatch 2, comics for Starcraft, as well as additional narrative development in the worlds of Starcraft and Diablo.
Charting a Course for Adventure
Picture this: Someone approaches you to write an adventure spanning all of time and space. Go anywhere. Do anything. The ultimate blank page. No pressure, right?
When I joined Big Time Studios, I wasn’t sure what to expect. This scrappy startup with a team spread throughout the world. What was I getting myself into?! Then I learned what Thor and the gang were cooking up. It sounded crazy. It sounded wildly ambitious. And to be honest…that’s what hooked me.
The moment I saw Tom Zhao’s image of a hero standing at the base of a lighthouse, my imagination lit up. Who was this lone adventurer? What was at the top of that staircase? What lay over that horizon? Imagine my surprise at suddenly being asked “Well, what do you think?”
Embarking on a project this big can be daunting, but it’s important to remember that every journey begins with a single step. There will be challenges along the way… many unforeseen. But with the right team in place, anything is possible.
I’ve been lucky to have played a role in some very big franchises. And shepherding someone else’s vision can be an awesome responsibility. But being given the chance to build entire worlds from scratch — to play with some of the greatest figures in history and create even more of your own, to infuse them with heart, humor, and a sense of purpose — it’s the ultimate playground. Take a million inspirations from history books, Saturday morning cartoons, theme parks, toys, comics, and games and put them all in a blender.
When it comes to storytelling, I’ve always believed in “dynamic range” — the loud and the soft, the big and the small, the familiar and the unexpected. Big Time is all about these collisions. And boy, do we have some surprises in store for you. Maybe the best compliment I can pay this team is that we’re having a lot of fun. And believe me, that’s not something you take for granted. I hope it comes through in our game, and I can’t wait to share these worlds — the familiar and the new — with all of you.
See you over that horizon.
