In a Deadly Premonition post-mortem summary at GameSetWatch, game director, SWERY, discussed the title’s protagonist, Francis York Morgan, and why he feels that players can relate to the character and find him so likable.
“York speaks his mind with no regard for the feelings of those around him while constantly muttering to himself … In other circumstances, it would be no surprise if players grew to dislike him, wondering, “Who the hell is Zach?” [York has a second personality, named Zach, living within his mind.] There is a strong argument to be made for Zach being “the player.”
Yet everyone who plays the game seems to love him. Why? Perhaps it’s because players recognize that he’s extremely charming and reliable—a friend worthy of admiration. Of course, we don’t think we gained that recognition for free. There’s an important device at work: the invention of the “Zach as Player” relationship. Agent York pursues his murder investigation in Greenvale, the player munches popcorn in his living room, and Zach is the bridge between them.”
There’s additional information on budget and schedule management, as well as the more technical aspects such as memory allocation, so if you’re into development talk, the post-mortem summary is recommended reading. The full version of the piece can be found in August 2010 issue of Game Developer magazine.
