VR & Video Games
Empire of Sin, the strategy game from Romero Games and Paradox Interactive, puts you at the heart of the ruthless criminal underworld of 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago. It’s up to you to hustle, charm and intimidate your way to the top of the pile and do whatever it takes to stay there. This character-driven game puts players smack dab in the glitz and glamor of the roaring ‘20s all while having them work behind the scenes in the gritty underbelly of organized crime. - Steam
I worked as part of the development team at Romero Games on Empire of Sin and the follow up DLC Make It Count, creating characters, and breaking and writing story missions with branching dialogue and mission paths for the player to choose to follow.
Amongst others this included story missions for central characters like Frankie Donovan and Goldie Garneau on the main release, and the story mission for central character Maxim Zelnick in Make It Count.
Halcyon
Role: Writer, 15 episodes
Produced BY Secret Location/syfy
Interactive VR/BroadCast/webseries
(sci-fi/crime drama, 2016)
Police Detective Jules Dover and her Virtual AI Partner Asha battle to solve an apparently impossible crime: a murder in VR that caused a death in the real world.
I worked closely with producers Secret Location to develop story and characters from initial concepts before writing the scripts for the linear narrative episodes and contributing dialogue and concepts to the VR episodes, where the viewer donned their VR headsets at home to explore the virtual crime scene themselves.
A first-of-its-kind short form hybrid series developed in partnership with Syfy International, Halcyon brought audiences together across broadcast, web, and VR, spanning 80 territories globally, in many languages and on multiple channels, consistently exceeding viewership expectations.
Halcyon was featured in Playback Magazine, the Hollywood Reporter, and online through sites such as CNet and Engadget. The series was recognised for excellence by the London Design Awards, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, AToMIC Awards, Webby Awards, FWA, the Banff World Media Festival, and was nominated for a Eurovision Rose D’Or.
Read more and watch on the Halcyon Official Website.
Teaser trailer for ‘Halcyon’
Awards & Nominations
WINNER: ATOMIC AWARDS, Silver - Best Transmedia
WINNER: ATOMIC AWARDS, BRONZE - Best VIRTUAL REALITY
Winner: London Design Award (Digital: New Service or Application – Gold)
Nominated: Webby Award in Film & Video/VR Category - Gaming, Interactive, or Real-time
Nominated: Rockie Award in Interactive Content
Nominated: Rose D'Or in VR Category
Project Literacy is a travelling art installation and awareness campaign, exploring the fact that one in ten people internationally secretly have literacy issues.
I worked closely again with Secret Location to write dramatic pieces from the point-of-view of a person from totally different walks of life each dealing with literacy issues in their own way, using VR to place the audience inside the head of a person who cannot read.
View the Project Literacy website.
Project Literacy
Role: Writer of vr segments
developed by secret location
travelling vr installation
(awareness campaign, 2016)
VR segment from Project Literacy
““Working with Mike on Empire of Sin was a great experience. He brings a native curiosity for the subject matter, a willingness to research and dive in, and an ability to work within a team. All of these things make for an excellent space for creativity to occur. Add to this Mike’s writing, and you have exactly what you’re looking for — gameplay and missions that give the player agency and provide them with rewarding gameplay.””
““Mike = magic. You need a scene that will convey all the backstory and exposition for an entirely fictional world PLUS make audiences cry? Go to Mike. You need a finely structured who-dun-it that ALSO provides ample opportunity for non-linear, progress-as-you-choose audience engagement? Go to Mike. You need someone to talk to for 3 - 6 hours about how frightened current political events make you AND you need some wry gallows humor to lighten your mood and make it all tolerable? Go to Mike. Your one stop shop for all writerly and “our world is ending but please make me feel OK about it” needs.” ”
““Mike is an all-star. He’s a great writer, creative collaborator, and all-around fantastic human being. Having Mike on a project means I not only get what I asked for, but I usually get some creative twist to the script that simply elevates the project.””
