OR: Donald M. Murray once wrote “All my writing- and yours- is autobiographical.” What of yourself do you see in GHOSTS?
JS: Oh wow, all of it. Genuinely, all of it. Like, I like to think someone would be able to see a single still from GHOSTS and know that I made it. And for those that know me, this is just totally in my wheelhouse. This entire thing is like- when I announced it, people were like ‘Of course Jed’s making this.’ And that’s only from the people who know me. It may seem kind of left field from the people who don’t know me. But those that do- ‘Yeah, this is the kind of thing Jed would do.’
So it is- I mean, I know the cast are playing versions of themselves, but they are also playing aspects of my characters because I’m writing it and I can only write what I kind of know. It’s just a really fun kind of exploration of horror and also of myself and the different aspects of my personality.
So yeah, I just want to make things that I would enjoy. If other people like it too, that’s cool. That’s really cool. But I’m kind of being really selfish and making the type of game that I would like to play- the kind of game I would like to play is where I am apathetic and imperfect towards the protagonists and I think I’ve achieved that with GHOSTS.
OR: Last few questions. Does this game come with a replay value? How do you ensure that players won’t want to just play through the story once to achieve some sort of ending and then just cast it aside?
JS: Because there’s multiple ways to play this, and it’s actually impossible to- well, maybe not impossible, one person will do it- but there are so many different ways to play this. So many different, almost infinite, because you are the producer of a TV show [and] anything could happen. There are adverts- you have to go through adverts in a live TV show. You can pick whatever adverts you want. There’s film trailers, you have to pick the film trailers. You can choose to keep the camera solely on one of the girls if you wanted to. There’s so many ways you can play this, and you will miss a whole bunch of stuff the first time you play it, and you will see other people discovering things and you’ll want to go back and try that yourself because it’s very, very cool.
And also, with the very unique way this game is played, there will be updates as well. Things can happen throughout the years which will bring you back to this game time and time again. And I know I’m being a little bit cryptic, because I have to be- I want people to experience it themselves. But this is a game you will be able to pick up in 10-years time, and still have a unique playing experience just with the way that this game works and how it ties into the greater world.
“And I think preordering the game, and showing your support to an independent game like this, will just fly the flag for independent games, because I’m not Nintendo, I’m not KONAMI, I’m just me.”
OR: Adverts? Trailers? Can you tell us a bit more about this?
JS: Yeah. So GHOSTS is a TV show on a cable channel called Fright TV, and if you think of Fright TV as a mix between the Discovery Channel and a horror channel where GHOSTS is their main show. But you have to think about what else is on this channel, what are the adverts like? The adverts aren’t going to be Coca~Cola, they are going to be slightly weirder ones- more low budget ones. The film trailers will possibly be trailers that aren’t big blockbusters, but are [for] smaller films. So beyond the world of the game, there’s a world where all of these products and films exist. And that is really, really, really interesting to me.
And the adverts are not just plug-in adverts, they affect how the game progresses as well. So you can choose to experience, based upon these adverts and trailers- they can affect how the game ends up for you. So the adverts and the trailers are intertwined within the game. And that’s all I can really say about that, but you just have ultimate choice in a lot of things. And that’s what I don’t want this game to be like other full-motion video games out there [where] you have a choice: go through that door, pick up a gun, and writing just appears right on the screen. It takes you out of the game.
Here, it’s an open world where you can choose to do a whole load of things- you can choose, if you really wanted to, just not watch what is happening in the house and do other stuff. You have a bunch of audio you need to decipher, you have a bunch of files you have to go through, you can go off to the neighbors and find out what’s happening with the neighbors and their experiences with the Long Lady and what they’ve seen throughout the years.
It’s so many things you can do, but obviously, you have a show to run and so that’s your main goal. And you have to keep an eye on them, because a live show without someone running it can really go out of control fast.
OR: When can we expect to see GHOSTS released, and on what platforms?
JS: So, GHOSTS is going to be released at the start of next year and there will be physical versions in every format, I believe. Maybe not Xbox actually, but I think Limited Run Games is looking into that. And we’ve just announced the physical PC version as well as Switch, PlayStation 4 or 5, et cetera. And yeah, you can get it on Steam, digitally on all formats as well. And it doesn’t have to be [through] Limited Run Games, it just gives you the option to reach as many people as possible.
OR: Does that mean we will see [GHOSTS] coming to Stadia?
JS: That conversation is something that Limited Run Games is having. I would like it. I would like it on Stadia, but we’ll see how it works out.
The cast from HOSTS reunited for GHOSTS under the same writer (and this time director), Jed Shepard. (Images courtesy of Visible Games).
OR: Now, the Kickstarter campaign is over. You successfully funded, but is it too late for me to try to get a physical copy of the game at this point? Are there any options for people?
JS: So we are going to launch a new preorder site through Backerkit, which we will announce next week. And you will be able to preorder the game through there now that it’s fully funded. That, plus certain merchandise. If you backed it through Kickstarter, you have the luxury of having the Kickstarter version that no one else can get, which is very beneficial to you and you will see why in the future.
But if you want to still preorder the game, and you didn’t preorder the game, then now’s your chance. I know a lot of people don’t want to back a game until it’s definitely going to come out, which isn’t very helpful for Kickstarters, but now it’s funded [so] people will want to buy the game, and they can do it through Backerkit. And we will launch that next week with a whole host of stuff- new merchandise as well. And I’m keen what people think of this merchandise, I think it’s pretty incredible stuff that we’re coming out with.
And yeah, you have the chance to preorder it all the way up until the game comes out. And I think preordering the game, and showing your support to an independent game like this, will just fly the flag for independent games, because I’m not Nintendo, I’m not KONAMI, I’m just me. And if I see people giving that level of support and preordering as much as possible, then it will just make me do more games that are kind of unique. And again I’m very thankful for people who’ve backed it so far. And obviously, we have a long way to go before this game comes out. And the more people [who] preorder, the bigger the game will be, because I’m still in the process of making it.
OR: Last question: to someone who may not have heard of GHOSTS before this interview, and is interested in picking it up when it does come out, what do you have to say to them?
JS: I would say to them: if you have available money, and you like horror games, give this a chance. If you like something a little different than the norm, then take the chance on it. If you like HOST, then obviously this will be the game for you. And again, only do it if you have money. I know money is tight all around, so don’t do this if it’s a choice between this and doing something for yourself. But I think the experience you’ll have playing this game will be a really unique experience and one that will justify you spending your hard-earned money on it. And also, thank you for taking an interest in GHOSTS– I really appreciate it.
OR: Thank you.
What kind of adverts and trailers do you hope to find in GHOSTS? Are you going to pick up a physical copy from Backerkit?
Let us know in the comments below!
