I sent R3D star a message Via Xbox Live and he was happy to answer some questions for us! R3D star is a strategy guide author at Prima Games. Read the full interview for some really interesting info on the process of writing strategy guides!

Live-360: How did you choose your Gamertag?

It’s actually one of my tattoos. I have two matching tattoos on my arms. Inside the stars it reads “eating paper” (left arm) and “drinking ink” (right arm). It’s a testament to how much I love to write. Of my 9 tattoos, people really seemed to notice the red star on my right arm (even though I have a matching black star on my left). Eventually, it became a nickname and it stuck. Odd. isn’t it?

Live-360: When did you first start gaming?

Way back when… My first actual system was the NES. I got it on my 6th or 7th birthday. Before then I had played Intellivision and the numerous Atari systems.

Live-360: What is the process you have to go through to finish a strategy guide?

To put it simply: play, write, play, write. Ha! There’s quite a bit to it, to be honest. I usually begin the process by playing the entire game, then doing some research on whatever the game is about. I like to include as much as I can in the book. But you’d be right to assume that I have to play the game over and over again before I can settle on a strategy. Once I’m satisfied with my knowledge of the game, I start writing.

Live-360: What roll do you play in that process?

I’m the author. That means that I’m responsible for the text and every screen you see in the book. Though, we also get support from the devs. After all, they know the game best.

Live-360: How many people usually work on each individual guide?

That depends on the guide, actually. Minimally, I’d say 5. That would be the Product Manager, an Editor, a copyeditor, myself and a dev contact. If the game is hefty, it might require two authors and multiple editors.

Live-360: How long does it usually take to write a guide?

That also depends on the game. We usually like to start the process a few months before the game’s release and continue wokring with updated builds up until the last minute if possible. That way we can ensure the guide is as accurate as possible.

Live-360: What guide did you most enjoy working on?

I’d have to say, that since I really do love my job, I tend to enjoy every project I work on. No lie. Recently, however? I’d have to say I loved working on the Official Xbox 360 Handbook. I got a chance to see a lot of upcoming features before they were implemented and got to talk to a lot of the minds behind the design/development of the Xbox 360. Can you imagine knowing about the Xbox Live Video Marketplace before it was released and having to keep your mouth shut about it? Needless to say, some of my friends wouldn’t stop asking about what I saw at the MS offices while I was there.

Live-360: Is the process of writing a guide more enjoyable if the game well……doesnt suck?

Hahaha! Of course! I’ve been lucky though. I’ve had the chance to work on games I’ve liked. That’s not to say that every title I’ve written a guide for has been recieved as well by the media. I think the fact that I’ve had fun with every book is due in part to the fact that I just love to game, y’know?

Live-360: Do you work on guides for all the consoles?

Yup! So far I’ve worked on GBA, DS, Xbox, PS2, PS3, and Xbox 360. I’ve yet to work on a Wii title, but I’m sure I eventually will.

Live-360: How do you figure out what needs to be done to beat each level, where each power up is ect… Are you the only one that plays the game? Do you have people play the game for you and tell you where everything is and how to beat the level or do you obtain your info another way?

It is all me, baby! Well, sorta. It is, actually, a mix of good ol’ exploration and developer help. More often than not, devs will say, “there are so many Xs in the game” and we have to find them. Sometimes we luck out and the devs will give us maps, item locations, etc. As far as playing the game? I play it as much as I can before I even start writing. I think there would be a certain “something” lost if we had others play for us and we only wrote.

Live-360: Do you ever contact the developers for the answers or help for certain game?

Abso-freakin-lutely. We try to get as much developer help as we can. That way we’re not misinterpreting something in-game or having to draw our own conclusions on things. It is always best to get the answers straight from the devs.

Live-360: What happens if there’s a mistake or a faulty written paragraph? Has there ever been a critical mistake when you or someone else wrote a guide and it got published?

I wish I could say “no.” Unfortunately, there are mistakes. Every hand that goes into making the book is human, so we can all make mistakes. And even though the book goes through a series of checks before we publish, sometimes errors can slip through. That’s not to say that every book has gross errors in it, just that on occassion, things do get by. As for critical mistakes in my books? Of course not! Haha! Actually, there is one bit of erroneous info that I know of and it was just a minor change that was made to the game after we published. Needless to say, some people weren’t happy with it….

Live-360: Do you Drink a lot of coffee

Hahaha! I used to. Because we’re usually working hand in hand with the developer’s deadline (though one step behind) we tend to have tight, fluctuating schedules. When that’s the case, the need for coffee is great. I’ve since changed my work behavior, though, and cut down on the coffee. Now-a-days I try to work out more often. Because my job requires me to be in my office, at my desk, or on the couch playing for hours upon hours, I spend a lot of time being sedentary. That’s not good for the gut, so my workouts provide me my energy. Ironic, no?

Live-360: How much time do you spend gaming?

Tons! When I’m working, I probably spend 6-8 hours a day gaming. In my down time (when I don’t have a project), I don’t game as much. Maybe about.. 2-3 hours a day, 3 times a week.

Live-360: What consoles do you own?

I actually had to go and check to see what I still have. Haha. I have an Xbox 360 Elite, a Premium Xbox 360, PS3, original Xbox, DS Lite, PSP, and a Wii.

Live-360: What is your favorite Xbox 360 games?

Depends on the genre. Lately, I’ve been loving Guitar Hero 2; it provides a nice break from standard gaming, y’know? Before that I was horribly addicted to Marvel Ultimate Alliance. If I had to pick an all time Xbox 360 favorite, I’d probably say Gears of War. That game was amazing.

Live-360: What is your all time favorite game?

Of all time, across different consoles? That one is easy, Legend of Zelda: A link to the past. I still play it on my Wii.

Live-360: What is your setup like?

Well, I have two setups. One is in my office. I have two PCs sharing two monitors. One PC is specifically made to take HD screenshots for the books. The other one is my writing/gaming PC. In my office I also have a 37 inch flat screen LCD with my Wii, one Xbox 360, my original Xbox, and some random debug consoles I’ve used in the past. I currently have a PS3 Test unit and a PSP test unit hooked up the the HD screengrabbing PC in my office.
My living room has a 42 inch LCD with my Xbox 360 Elite and my retail PS3.

Live-360: Do you ever use your own guides? Haha

Hahaha! Actually, I can’t say that I have. I spend so much time with each game that when I do end up playing it after release, I tend to get through them much quicker. Actually, I did use my Prince of Persia 3 and Crackdown books for the maps.

Live-360: Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions for us! Any last comments or interesting info you can give us?

Yeah. Wait until you guys get your hands on Mass Effect. *nudge nudge* If everyone thinks hour 1 is awesome…

Thanks for having me!

-Darkhunter139

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 1:40 am and is filed under Xbox 360. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.