SSX Character Inspiration Blog #1: Zoe and Mac
dmcdonagh
2011-07-29
Today we kick off our first in a series of SSX Character Inspiration blogs written by Producer Sean Smillie looking at 2 fan favourites with Zoe and Mac.
Zoe:
She's always been my favourite. My first development experience with the characters was back on SSX3, at the time I was really intrigued by Zoe's character and what she represented: wild girl, punk rocker, crazy face paint, insane clothes. I always looked at her as a character I would like to do more with - but in SSX the characters only have a bit of dialogue and a lot of riding (which is good...it is a snowboard game after all).
With the new SSX I got my chance to give her a stronger role, pull her out of the cast and give her something to do (she's the reason the new SSX is formed, she's the one that makes this crazy adventure happen). But then there was the challenge of what she would look like...
I used to think of Zoe as a warrior who charged hard to her own soundtrack, who wore what she wanted, did what she wanted, and took no prisoners. In this new game she represents the X in SSX and that stands for moto-cross. We looked at all manner of dirt bike equipment: Armour, goggles, boots, and pants. A lot of it looked cool but I always thought she would be the type of person who would make sure that no one else looked like she did when wearing it.
She would mix moto-cross with snowboard fashion and tap into the functionality of protection with her wicked armour. She would bring her distinctive rock vibe to everything and look hot doing it. But at her core Zoe is still a woman - she's not some butchy punk rocker who doesn't care about her appearance. We looked at all sorts of body types and hairstyles trying to find that look that wasn't too hard or too soft.
She should be lean and athletic but look like she could take the physical punishment of riding a bike all summer and a board all winter. Her face and hair had to scream UNIQUE but have a certain degree of beauty. We ended up taking a lot of inspiration from old SSX Zoe, mixing it with some real life rocker girls, threw in a dash of dirt bike and added it all together with a solid helping of classic beauty. We came up with a lot of variations (some you can see in the digital comics) and settled on something I believe is fun, true to the character, and fits in our new SSX universe.
Mac:
Mackenzie Fraser always reminded me of riders I knew while living in Whistler, BC for six years as a professional snowboard bum. These guys were absolute naturals at snowboarding. Could literally talk about a trick until they had it burned into their brains and then would hit the terrain park endlessly until they mastered it (or broke themselves trying). I always thought of Mac as having that 'super-natural' talent. Of being that guy who wasn't even aware of how good he was.
Mac's look is classic shredder. He embodies the guy whose every piece of clothing has something to do with snowboarding. Clothing that's baggy so he can drop into something at any point in the day and start busting out spins and flips.
But Mac has grown up a bit from the last games where he was always having a good time and hitting the slopes with his buds. I saw Mac evolving into a rider that won EVERYTHING. He became unstoppable and eventually there was nothing else to strive for. I like the idea of him leaving 'The Tour' and agreeing to set out with Zoe to conquer the world's deadliest descents.
I see his clothing style still a bit baggy, colours that represent the coolest and newest in the snowboard industry and especially the importance around his hoodie. Always thought he would wear the hood up so he could crank music through his headphones and focus on the challenges in front of him completely - because for the first time in ages he's riding for himself. He still represents fun and natural-talent, but I think his character has a vibe around him that hints at Mac knowing he is one of the best and his confidence is evident.
