Hollywood Goes Gaming

Family Guy Writer Gets Into Games

Steve Callaghan is one of the writers behind the hit Fox animated comedy, Family Guy, the first of several new shows to be given a second life in prime time thanks to record-breaking DVD sales. Now, gamers can look forward to even more of Family Guy's unique humor courtesy of a Family Guy game from 2K Games for Xbox®. Callaghan and two other Family Guy writers contributed to the game's script, as well as the entire cast of voice actors.

Step into the shoes of your favorite Family Guy characters.

The game allows gamers to explore Quahog, Rhode Island, as three of the show's main characters, Stewie, Brian, and Peter. Even better, each of these characters have their own storyline, and the three stories intertwine as you progress through the game. Stewie's story gives him the power of mind control, allowing the player to jump into the shoes of even more of the show's characters, like Cleveland and Quagmire.

"What's cool about the game is that it will parody other videogames, as the TV show parodies other shows," said Callaghan. "We are constantly referencing older games through flashbacks, which allow players to jump into new variations of classic games."

From TV to Console
Callaghan said the new game takes elements from various TV episodes and blends them into an original story, which will give players plenty of new things to explore and enjoy while retaining a familiar environment. Callaghan worked with fellow show writers Patrick Meighan and Kirker Butler in crafting the story for this interactive version of Family Guy.

"It was a collaborative process among the writers and the game company, trying to find something in the middle," said Callahan. "We tried to find something that would satisfy gamers as well as fans of the show. I hope we came up with something that fans will really enjoy."

As for Callaghan, the whole videogame experience was fairly new to him. "I played Pong a few times," said Callaghan, half-joking. "I played videogames a lot when I was younger, but I don't really play much now. I was shepherding the writing. Patrick Meeghan and Kurt Butler worked with me and they know the game world inside out. And of course the people at the Take 2 Interactive and 2K Games, that's their living."

Giggity Goo!

Toeing the Line
Callahan observed many differences between working in the TV world and diving into the game world. "One thing I really noticed is that we try to cram each episode with as many jokes as we can, but with the video game, there was an even greater opportunity to do that," said Callahan. "Things are spaced out a little more, so you can make the whole environment lush with jokes. You can have things happening in the background and visual gags in addition to the lines that we're writing for all of the characters."

Callaghan said videogames don't have the time constraints of TV and they allow writers to fill in all of the gaps with as much comedy as they can. It requires structuring the story a little differently and having the story lines intersect more often than they would on the show. Brian has his objectives and Stewie has his as well, but the two will often cross paths during the game.

"It was a neat writing experience," said Callagan. "It was very similar, because you were writing for all of the same characters, but a little different because the structure is different than the show."

Ever since the FCC clamped down on TV shows after a certain Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction, it has been a challenge getting every joke into Family Guy.

"There's some edgy stuff in the game," said Callaghan. "But then there were times that we were told that we probably couldn't do this or that. Sometimes it was a question of content, but other times it was legal concerns. If we wanted to do a parody of an existing character, it gets tough. That's the same thing that happens on the show. We wanted to do a mini-game with the Trix rabbit, but the legal department pulled the plug on that. It felt very similar to the show. We definitely got away with some things, but other times they said it was over the line. The tone and style of the show is a good indicator of what to expect from the game."

Take on Stewie's ongoing quest for world domination.

Cross Promotion
With the growing number of TV shows heading to the game space, Family Guy follows in the footsteps of other shows turned games like Futurama, The Simpsons, and South Park.

"I think TV shows introduce videogames to people who might not have much exposure to them," said Callahan. "In this case, people who know Family Guy will probably buy this game. If people watch the show they might want to buy the game and if people play the game they might want to watch the show. I think it all just reinforces the brand. What's cool about our game is that it gives people a way to experience Family Guy in another way. They can explore the universe with these characters and get another type of experience."

Article by John Gaudiosi