Google Stadia's Crayta Is Getting Its Own Comic Series
Crayta, an upcoming 'collaborative game creation, sharing, and play platform' developed by Unit 2 [...]
DAN ABNETT INTERVIEW
ComicBook.com: How did you get involved with the Crayta comic? Was it something you pitched, or something you were pitched?
Dan Abnett: Unit 2 asked me to develop the project for them. Aside from my work in comics and novels, I do quite a lot of work for the games industry, and I've worked with the people at Unit 2 several times in the last decade or so, usually world-building for other games. They invited me in to look at their new project - Crayta - and asked me to brainstorm some ideas. That was an interesting meeting.
What about Crayta made you think, "this story is the one I want to tell?"
I was immediately impressed with the game, because it's very unusual and very innovative. Crayta (the game) isn't really a 'game' at all, it's a way of making games, both simple and complex, and playing games that other players have devised. It's an incredibly simple and brilliant idea, and encourages creativity and collaboration. I was impressed from the outset, as I said, but my first question was, "what am I doing here? Crayta is amazing, but it has no internal 'world' to build, so I don't know why you've brought me in."
How does the comic fit into the overall intention of the game itself?
In very over-simplified terms… some gamers just like to play, and have little interest in story or 'world lore'. Other gamers care very much for the lore, and like to be immersed. When you work on a game, you have to maintain a careful balance so it caters for both of those inclinations. Crayta - the game - has a distinctive style, but it has virtually no internal world-building. It's more of a tool, or a game-making instrument. So Unit 2 was interested in imagining a context for it, something that could exist outside the game in the form of comics or stories or supporting data, and which could build a world in which Crayta the game might exist… specifically for those players who look for and relish the immersive feel. That's what we're doing with the comic: it creates a world in which Crayta can exist.
For lack of a better term, is the comic somehow "game"-ified in some way, or does it mostly eschew that to do its own thing?
It generally does its own thing. From the outset, we wanted the comic to be an entity in its own right, to tell its own story. It's not - it can't be - a tie-in, and we didn't want it to be a flimsy piece of marketing content either. We wanted the comic to be a good comic, full stop. Just a great story that could be appreciated for its own qualities, where you didn't even need to play the game, or even know about it, to enjoy it. It's a SF techno thriller set in the near future, imagining a world that appears to be a technological utopia but which has darker problems beneath the skin. Crayta - the game - is a key component in the story, and the comic explains why the game exists and why it matters. Our hope is that the comic is good, compelling, well-executed and involving, and that people can read it simply as 'a great new SF comic'. It just happens to connect to a game. You can read the comic and then, if you like, you can play the game and, in a way, become part of the story.
How involved was Unit 2 Games with the comic?
Very. Presenting the world-building 'off site' in a comic was their (very meta!) idea, and they've been very excited about publishing a comic alongside the game. We've recruited some fantastic artists, and a great designer, to help us put the project together, and it's been enormous fun starting from the ground up. Unit 2 is a games company, so they have no prior experience in publishing comics, but they have learned fast, well, and with immense enthusiasm. We're very proud of what we've been able to achieve. I think Crayta is a fine comic that deserves to be published on its own terms, whether a game exists or not.
In terms of work you've done previously, how does working with Unit 2 Games and Stadia compare?
It's been great, and I hope we can continue to build on this. In some respects, it's been very liberating. We've been able to really focus on the story, on the characters, on the look and feel, without having to worry about how it fits into an established comic universe continuity or a publishing plan of other titles. There's a kind of creative strength to that - what matters is this story, and how it stands on its own two feet, and how it compliments the game. I think we've made a properly good, compelling and thought-provoking series, and I can't wait for people to read it.
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