RSVP and enter our raffle for awesome prizes, including a chance for YOUR likeness to be included in Tiger Eye Part 2!

Get more info and RSVP here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=24167

UPDATE: Stuck? Get help from fellow detectives in the UnFiction Forums.

We used 2 random number generators (human and machine, heheh!) to pick these raffle winners, who will each receive one of the following: a signed Tiger Eye novel, an advance galley copy of “A Wild Light” (to be released July 28), a collectible variant cover of  the “Black Widow” Marvel comic book, a framed signed cover of the next Dirk & Steele novel (“In the Dark of Dreams”), or Tiger Eye merchandise.  Here are the winners – there are 11 of them, the same number of people that comprises the PassionFruit team ;)  You should be receiving emails from us soon!

• Julie S.
• Megan W.
• Colleen T.
• Nicole H.
• Dian C.
• Charlotte C.
• Sharon K.
• Jennifer E.
• Rebecca C.
• Amy S.
• Alice S.

Congratulations!

The trailer features our romantic cut scenes, lush soundtrack, and fun puzzle activities.

We’re excited that the game is really coming together.  We’re currently finishing up and tweaking various gameplay elements, art, and audio while also addressing all the suggestions and bugs our beta testers found.

As the game’s release month begins, be sure to check back often for more news on the game!

Design Principle #1 – Fun

Games are supposed to be fun, right? So, one of the most important things is making sure that the player is having FUN. To make sure that there is more “fun” than “not-fun” in the game (I haven’t used fun enough in the last few sentences – fun fun fun), these are a few of the tools that I use:

• Researching the demographic – what does the target audience look for in the type of entertainment that they choose and enjoy?  How can I apply this knowledge to the types of activities that go into the game?
• Past experience – there are some things that have a kind of universal appeal as far as gameplay goes and these are things I can most certainly lean on.  In general, most people seem to enjoy word puzzles, for example, while things like slider puzzles can be very divisive.
• Instinct – this is an instance when I think something is fun or I have a feeling it will be fun and I just go for it.
• Testing – this is the MOST important tool that I use to ensure the fun ratio in the game is high.  I rely very heavily on making paper prototypes and having everyone in the office test puzzles and activities before any art or programming is done (this also helps catch any instances in which my instincts are very wrong, see above bullet point)

Of course there are exceptions to every rule. These are just some of the things that help me tip the scales of fun in our favor.

Happy Valentine’s Day from the team at PassionFruit Games!

Note: Comments submitted below are public

Four of our artists created four different character concepts for Long Nu after reading exceprts about her in “Tiger Eye,” the book our game is based on.  We thought it would be fun to let our fans decide which concept best matched their own vision of “Long Nu.”  These were the candidates:

And the winner, carrying more than 50% of the vote, is…

Long Nu #3!

Long Nu 3

We did get a lot of comments that this Long Nu was almost perfect, but looked too old.  We’ll work on incorporating that feedback into her final character model.

Thanks to everyone who voted and/or commented!

1.       What’s your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of any acting job, voice, tv, film or stage, is the chance to be something I’m not.  I find that especially with voice acting, where what you look like doesn’t matter at all, you can stretch yourself in so many different directions and become people you have no chance of being in real life.  Getting to voice a tall, buxom, blonde bombshell, for example, when in reality I’m a bit of a mouse, standing just under five feet tall, is kind of exciting.  Or reliving my childhood by voicing a whiny child is so much fun.

2.       What’s the most challenging voice character you’ve ever had to perform?

My first voice acting job ever was a video game.  I was playing the lead and hadn’t seen the script beforehand.  I showed up at the studio and basically had one take on each line – and the lines were out of context.  I only saw what I had to say, not what was being said to me before or after.  It was total on the job training!  There I was trying to cold read each line in one take and actually try to figure out in the split second before I read the line exactly why i was saying what I was saying!

3.       As a voice actor, do you do certain exercises or lead a certain type of lifestyle that keeps your voice in good shape?

I started off as a singer, before becoming an actor and then a voice actor, so yes, my lifestyle very much revolves around keeping my “instrument” healthy.  Singers notoriously carry two things with them at all times:  a water bottle, and a scarf – and I’m no exception.  When I’m working, I do a vocal warm up every day, and when I’m not, I usually do some kind of vocal work or singing a few times per week.  I also try to squeeze in a singing lesson at least once or twice a month.

4.       What are some differences between voice acting and stage acting?  Do you find one more challenging than the other?

The main difference between the two is subtlety.  With stage work, you can show so much more through means other than your voice.  Your eyes, your posture, your costume even, can add so much to what you are expressing.  With voice work, you have your voice, and that is all.  Every nuance in your voice counts, every detail.  I once had a director tell me that he wanted to hear more optimism in my voice.  He said that on a scale of 1-100, I was at a 6, and he needed me at a 7.  That’s how subtle it can be.  And of course, with stage acting, you are always limited by what you look like – with voice there is much more scope for possibility.  However, much like with film and tv vs. theatre, voice work lacks the adrenaline linked with live performace – something I just love about live theatre.  In that way they are very different crafts – one is much more about responding in the moment whilst the other is more about perfecting your creation.

5.       Any general thoughts on being the voice of DELA for Tiger Eye?

I’m thrilled to voice someone so well developed, who is both sexy, smart, sassy and vulnerable – it’s a gift to an actor to play someone so three dimensional.  I will also never forget recording all the love scenes with the producer, Melissa.  That was hilarious.

6.       It seems like a ton of people think they can voice act, but once they give it a try, it’s much, much harder than they thought.  What is some of the training you’ve had to go through to get where you are today?  What are some of the challenges voice actors face?

I’ve been extremely lucky when it comes to voice acting.  I was literally in the right place at the right time when my career really took off.  I did take a few classes, but most of my voice acting training was “on the job”.  I have also found that my background in singing has helped immensely – I’m very in tune (no pun intended) with how to work my vocal tone and where to place things in order to create different sounds.  Voice acting becomes a lot like finding the right notes to speak.  I think the main challenge voice artists face at the moment is an oversaturation in the market.  It’s a fantastic industry – talent is treated really well – and everyone wants a piece of that.  I don’t blame them. The hardest part is making yourself stand out in the crowd.

7.       Do you have any tips for people who’d like to get into voice acting for games?

I started my career in London, and over there it is a lot more complicated to get started as you have to really market yourself with a gimmick – something that sets you apart.  It involved a lot of cold calling which wasn’t fun at all.  But here in the USA it seems fairly more clear cut.  Cut a good voice demo – something that really shows off all you can do – and get yourself an agent.  It’s also worth calling smaller game companies to let them know you are out there and send over your demo.  You never know.  From there it is really just about whether you are right for the job or not.  That is one of the greatest parts of this aspect of the industry – it is so rarely personal.  With voice work your sound is either right or it’s not – there is rarely an in between.

Check out some of the sites/people who have written articles, blogged about, or mentioned Tiger Eye!

• IGN.com
• Yahoo! Games
• Barnes & Noble – “Unabashedly Bookish Blog”
• Dorchester’s home page
• Publisher’s Weekly – Barbara’s Vey’s “Beyond Her Book”
• “Just Adventure” game review site
• Michelle Buonfiglio’s “Romance B(u)y the Book” Blog
• Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
• Gamezebo
• AOL’s “Sphere”
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (video clip)

And, of course… Marjorie Liu’s own blog ;)

And let me close with this lovely quote from Jimmy Fallon:

Jimmy Fallon, moments after saying "I was so excited when I played [the game