Raphael: What has been, in your experience in working in games, kind of, the games that you most dislike doing? Without giving titles or I mean, without, you know, calling out the guilty. But what are the things that, what are the games that are …

Jennifer: Yeah – games where I’m asked to play a role, and not a person – do you know what I mean? Like, I’m just a nurse, or I’m just a girl in distress, you know. Or an ass-kicker, you know? Well, who’s the person? And games where the writing isn’t there, like the time hasn’t been taken to really get it in the writing. Where the writers have been rushed, or dismissed, so they couldn’t give their best-quality work. Those are the hardest ones. Or where people are vague, in a hurry and not concerned with specifics. Which, quite fortunately, happens less and less and less. There’s just such good work going on right now, it’s really great.

Raphael: I guess … and it’s such a competitive market, I guess. Everyone’s sort of pushing each other to the very best.

Jennifer: Yeah, and they’re realizing that the quality of acting that goes into it is gonna affect people’s experiences. People get attached to these games; it’s awesome. It’s like an epic movie they get to be in.

Raphael: It’s really true. It’s really true. Have you – I mean, obviously, seeing as that you get to go work in a dark room, essentially, with the microphone most days, you don’t necessarily — considering how much you work — you wouldn’t necessarily be recognized, sort of on the street, per se. But do you get voice recognized, when you call – say, the phone company or something?

Jennifer: You know what I do get? Is people look at me and go, “Do I know you – from somewhere? Where’d you go to school?” Like, it doesn’t register that my voice is familiar, because I also do a lot of commercials and cartoons, and I’m doing promos for an ABC Daytime show right now called The Revolution. So the voice, you know, the voice, this voice that I have is out there. But nobody really ties it in that specifically. They’re just like, “You … you look familiar.”

Raphael: Not realizing that you actually sound familiar.

Jennifer: People don’t – that’s not in our paradigm, though. “What?” But, if you’re walking down the street, and you hear somebody behind you that sounds like, let’s say an ex with a very powerful resonance – a good one or a bad one – your whole being will physiologically … you’ll feel it in your stomach, you’ll feel it and kind of get a little quivery in your limbs and stuff, and woah! Who’s that? And you’ll whip around to see if they’re there.

Raphael: Right, it has almost like a physiological response in your body. I know exactly what you mean.

Jennifer: It’s so powerful.

Raphael: Yeah, that’s really cool. What do you make of, essentially also the relationship – I mean, I’ve been so knocked out since we’ve been doing these audioblogs with how powerful these characters have really reached into people’s imaginations. What a deep place it is in them.

Jennifer: I credit BioWare’s commitment there. I can remember recording stuff with Caroline on Mass Effect 3 – Caroline, our director. And just one or two moments out of what – some 7,000 lines – we would stop and go, “Hold on. That writing’s not working. Let’s fix that.” You know, their commitment is so strong, and she would say things like, “OK, I played through this section, and I wanna have a look at this, and you know this is what I saw.” And I’m like, my gosh. You spend how many hundreds of hours working your butt off on this in your regular time, and then you play it in your free time, just to make sure it’s perfect and right? That’s what I credit it to – just the way they bust their butts to get it just right.

Raphael: It’s true – it’s almost like they’re game makers with a mission.

Jennifer: They are – that’s exactly what they are. That’s so funny.

Raphael: And I follow them on Twitter, and it’s incredible. Now, they’re saying, “I’m stepping into game play. My first time at ME3,” and you know, they’re stepping in. It’s like going into hallowed library, hallowed ground.

Jennifer: Yeah. I’ve been lucky enough to go to a couple of events because of the launch of the femShep specifically this year. And they have a whole display there at like, PAX, you know, the convention in Seattle last year, and things like that. Where they’ve got this huge sort of room set up, you can go in and play it – I know that’s fairly common. But they’ve just done such a tremendous job, with the trailers and the whole setup and the anticipation and the artwork. It’s just gorgeous. … It’s such an incredible experience, just being in there. It totally transports you.

Raphael: That’s spectacular. That’s just spectacular.

Raphael: So I’m sure everybody wants to know, I mean people who haven’t necessarily gone and researched you, but how did you find your way, as an actress, to doing games? Was that something that you were aiming toward?

Jennifer: You know, I came out here like all the rest of us, you know, pursuing the on-camera stuff. And it was going fine, but then I went, ‘You know what? I need to actually make a full living at this — and right away.’ And I’d done a bunch of voiceover back East, before I moved here, and so I …

Raphael: Was that in New York, or was that …?

Jennifer: No, actually it was in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Raphael: Wow.

Jennifer: Yeah. And I went in and made a tape, and got you know, SBV, my agents now – your agents … our agents – took me on, and within a month I booked my first cartoon series. Which was just crazy to me, ’cause I never even really watched cartoons as a kid. And then I had another one, and another one, and another one, and that ball just started rolling really fast.

And out of that first cartoon series, several years later came my first videogame, which belonged to that series, which was Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? And then more and more games came along, and I don’t know. The art form just suited me. It was intense, you know. It was high drama, it was battles and butt-kicking, adventure and action, which I love.

Raphael: That’s great.

Jennifer: My hobbies are like, rock climbing and riding horses and you know, being outside and going and traveling and doing stuff, so, yeah. Yeah.

Raphael: Wow. That makes you think of personal ads, of what people like.

Jennifer: Oh, right, isn’t that funny?

Raphael: Rock climbing … long walks on the beach…

Jennifer: “Enjoys saving the universe, rock climbing, riding horses, quiet nights at home.”

Raphael: Right. “Kicking Geth butt.” Right, yeah.

Jennifer: That’s right. “Shooting multiple legions of bad guys at once.”

Raphael: Yeah. And then, do you still sort of foray into – do you have time – to foray into essentially doing on-camera stuff as well?

Jennifer: I do, actually. Actually, I’m just starting to get back there now. Last several years, all I’ve done basically has just been, like, projects for friends – small little independent stuff here and there, because it’s all I’ve had time for. But I’ve kind of had a jones … to get out there again lately. And so I started doing that – I actually just worked on The Office last week. Ironically, it ended up being a voiceover, which is hilarious. But the beauty of that is, I auditioned for one thing, and then they gave me another on set, and I ended up doing both of the parts for them. Because it was voiceover – I could. And I’ve got, you know, I’m going in to read for something today. It’s fun. It’s really fun to get back into. I did a great reading of a screenplay last week. And, yeah.

Raphael: That’s really neat. So it’s sort of … the voice acting has sort of given you a base, and now you can keep just sort of exploring sort of everywhere else, I guess?

Jennifer: Yeah, exactly. Just getting out and having a good time. Yeah.

Raphael: That’s really cool. When you get — I mean, this is more, sort of process-oriented, and I guess I’m just sort of interested in this because I think about this as well, I mean everyone has their own way in, but: When you get a character, say, you get a call and, “Hey, can you lay this down for us? Wanna hear what you sound like.” And you get, essentially, the specs, that is kind of the outline of the character, and you read it, and then you look at maybe, sometimes they have a drawing, sometimes they don’t. How do you find your way in? What’s your way into finding the voice for that character?

Jennifer: You know, it’s all in the script. It’s all in the script. I’ll read; I’ll see how that person makes their way in the world. How they get what they want; what they’re not willing to do, what they are willing to do, what their boundaries are. How they present themselves. You know, it’s really just all in the script; I … you know and … let me think about this for a sec. Like, I don’t go in voice first. I look at the description. I will look at the description, just to see, because somewhere in that description, is someone’s dream of what that person would end up sounding like.

And quite often, there’s a reference there, and out of that reference, I sort of go, “OK. That’s the archetype they’re thinking of.” You know, it’s the action hero, it’s the doctor, it’s the scientist behind – the mind that solves all the problems, you know. Or it’s the person who’s constantly screwing up, you know. What is the archetype? And then, what’s the universal humanity inside that soul? Inside that person? Also, what are their restrictions? What are they not allow… how are they not allowed to sound? Like, there’s certain, I don’t know, we all had parents who were like, “Don’t do this, and don’t do that, and don’t sound like this, and don’t sound like that.” Well, what were theirs, you know? And what matters to them? And how hard are they willing to fight to get it, and when they do fight, what does that look like? For some people, fighting means crying: “I want that” – that’s how they fight for what they want.

Raphael: Right!

Jennifer: But for some people, fighting means, “Just shoot it,” you know? I mean, I just did a game called Bulletstorm last year, that uses some of the craziest language that has ever come out of my mouth, because that’s how she was written. She gets what she wants by saying whatever the hell comes into her mind, and just barreling her way through stuff, you know. Shepard is, on the other hand, is more strategic, more … thinks about things. Like, for Shepard, one of the great structures that helped me define her was her military background. That’s a very specific, rigid, extremely defined boundary around a person. There’s things you do and don’t do. You do not get emotional, if you come from that background. That is not how you get what you want, you know?

Raphael: Right.

Jennifer: Just sort of things like that. And then, it’s just a lot of instinct. It’s just a lot of instinct, because a lot of what we do is cold reading, I mean, you know? We don’t get to see these scripts ahead of time. You know, we have to walk in, and boom, it’s there, and you just jump in and follow your instincts and go. I ask a lot of questions, too.

Raphael: Of the writers, or the director who is there?

Jennifer: Whoever’s on the phone. Like, if I go to do something, the more obvious example is, you know, you get hit. Oh, Ok. Where? In the head? Sounds very different from the stomach, sounds very different from the arm or in the shoulder. And then, is it an electric bolt, jolt, is it a bullet, is it a blade of some kind, or an arrow? You know, what is it? Is it a machine that hits me, is it, like a Reaper throwing a mechanical arm at me? You know, what’s the visual thing, so I can best match that. And how far am I from my teammates I’m calling to for help? It’s all those specifics – I ask a million questions when I’m in there.

Raphael: God, that’s great. They must love you for that, because obviously, then you just provide that sort of higher level of specificity for what they’re drawing.

Jennifer: Yeah, well, otherwise, I mean people hear these sounds a million times in the game, and otherwise it just all sounds the same. And I can’t imagine how tedious that must be, you know? So I try to get as specific as I can, yeah.

Hi. This is Raphael Sbarge, and I’m so excited today, because based on the success and the response of all the audioblogs that have sort of gone before this, and people have written such wonderful notes of appreciation. I wanna sort of bring to you, for the first time in actual present time, my friend Jennifer Hale and I actually speaking live together.

We’ve spent hours and hours and hours speaking together in Mass Effect, and have never actually done so in real time – of course, because we recorded on separate days. So I wanted to, with no further ado, bring and introduce you to Jennifer Hale. Hold on one second.

Raphael: Jennifer, are you there?

Jennifer: Yeah.

Raphael: Hey, we’re on.

Jennifer: Awesome!

Raphael: How are you?

Jennifer: I’m well, how are you?

Raphael: I’m good. I just was saying that this is sort of for the first time in actual, sort of present time, that we’re actually sort of speaking live together, as opposed to being on separate days.

Jennifer: We’re actually really talking to each other.

Raphael: We’re really talking. I just went online and watched a scene, sort of the, I guess the final, romantic farewell between Kaidan and femShep [Editor's note: It was a video on YouTube. NOT a spoiler.]

Jennifer: Oh … how was it?

Raphael: It’s pretty uh … it’s pretty uh … It’s a hot scene!

Jennifer: Awesome! Awesome! I remember that, I remember recording that scene. OK, now it’s weird talking to you.

Raphael: I know! It’s sort of: Hello!

Jennifer: Yeah, that was fun. That was fun. You know, there’s such a certain safety in what we do, because you know, there’s that iron curtain of actually no one else is in the room.

Raphael: Right [laugh]. It’s sort of you alone, in a room with a microphone; you can kind of go anywhere.

Jennifer: Right?

Raphael: So, amazingly, and I didn’t know this until just recently, I guess you now have the distinction of being in the Guiness Book of World Records as the person who has recorded more videogames than anyone else. Is that right?

Jennifer: I guess so! That’s what someone told me. I had no idea. It’s a trip.

Raphael: Incredible; so if you’re not in a videogame, either it’s not been released, or they haven’t even thought about it yet.

Jennifer: Hey, I like that. I like that. There’s room for all of us. We all need a break.

Raphael: That’s great. That’s great. Well, you started, obviously back with Mass Effect 1. When you came onto it, did you just audition for it, like the rest of the world? How did they find you?

Jennifer: Yep. Just auditioned along with everybody else. Yeah.

Raphael: And what did you make of this whole idea that essentially, that you would be the female version – someone would effectively be sharing the part with you?

Jennifer: You know what’s funny, is I only realized like, probably a few days ago that I never even thought about that. You know, to me, I get so focused on whatever it is that I’m doing, I don’t – the big picture is important to me in terms of context, and what the writer wants. And then I just don’t think about the rest.

Raphael: Yeah, yeah.

Jennifer: I kind of threw into the femShep 1,000% because that’s what’s required, and I don’t even think about manShep unless it comes into the moment of recording and I need to. Or broShep, I suppose we’re calling him. Yeah.

Raphael: Is he referenced in the game?

Jennifer: Um.

R: As an alter-ego? Or is it just…

Jennifer: Nope. Never. You either are female, or you are male. One or the other.

Raphael: Right. Right. Right. Has femShep, in a certain sense – from a character development point of view – has she changed from 1, 2 to 3?

Jennifer: Yep. She has totally evolved.

Raphael: How?

Jennifer: She’s become … you see her humanity more in 3. You know, I can’t, I don’t want to give anything away, but you definitely see her humanity a little bit more in 3. And things have just gotten harder in 3. There’s so much more going on, and it’s so much more intense. And it just keeps coming. And she’s tired. And she’s maybe not always 1,000% confident. She has to proceed as if she is, but for the first time doubt is really rearing its ugly head.

Raphael: Hmmm. You know it is the thing that I’ve found so – and you really are the expert in this because you’ve been in so many games, but I’m curious, from your point of view … I mean, from the games that I’ve done, which is far less: There are characters that they’ve written, that they’ve sort of crafted, in Mass Effect anyway … they seem more like real people, as opposed to just superheroes, in a way.

Jennifer: Yes. You know, I think that’s part of the evolution of the whole business. I think that graphics are coming along, and the animation’s coming along so much that you’re seeing more and more nuance, visually. Which allows us as actors to back off, and just be. We don’t have to dress it up that extra little bit to carry over maybe what the animation’s missing, because technology’s just not there yet. Technology’s there. The nuance is getting more and more refined. And we’re allowed to do less and less, and therefore be more and more human, and more real. Which I think is elevating the whole thing.

Raphael: That’s really cool. That’s really cool. I’ve never heard anyone say that, but that makes a lot of sense.

Raphael: Are there any sort of noticeable differences in the characters that you voice for videogames, versus the characters, you know, screen roles, or other stuff you do on camera?

Kimberly: Well, I feel like you can have a lot … well, obviously because, there’s so many, you know, characters can go in so many different directions, and you have to record alternate endings, and different paths that the way the character can go. So it gives you an opportunity to stretch your acting, because you have so many different choices. But I have noticed that the technology in recording has gotten a lot better. I don’t know if you … I just feel like when I’m recording alone, which we do most of the time in games – all the time in games…

Raphael: Yeah.

Kimberly: It’s just a little bit more challenging. And you don’t exactly know what the other character’s reaction is going to be, and the proximity of the person next to you and the way you talk … But now with the technology being that, if you, or let’s say Jennifer Hale, for instance (female Shapard) has already recorded a scene, that scene will be played for me in my recording session, so I’m actually acting against her.

Raphael: Right.

Kimberly: And I love that – I really, really appreciate that technology.

Raphael: So what I understand – because we record at Technicolor – is that this is, I think, maybe even a proprietary software, I guess.

Kimberly: Yeah.

Raphael: That BioWare has created, called Veda, I guess. You know, for anyone who doesn’t know, essentially, when we walk into these rooms, we’re there, you know, essentially locked in a room with double-paned, bullet-proof glass…

Kimberly: For four hours, by yourself.

Raphael: For four hours, all alone, you and your bottle of water and your imagination.

Kimberly: With your bottle of water, or in Jennifer Hale’s case, her hot water.

Raphael: Right, right, right. Running to the bathroom, because you keep trying to keep your voice, you know …

Kimberly: Lubricated.

Raphael: So it doesn’t get too dry, because you’re talking, talking, talking, constantly. And there’s, with this new technology, the, David, who’s at the board for us, essentially, he’s the mission control, man at the controls, who does the recording and ships it to Edmonton. He’s able to play in cues, set up and record it, and so, that’s what you’re talking about. It makes it a lot easier, doesn’t it?

Kimberly: Oh my goodness. It just, it really does. I think game three is going to be … the performances are going to be even better than the first two games, because of that technology. I really think so.

Raphael: It’s great. It’s great.

Kimberly: Yeah, it’s incredible.

Raphael: Well, I know it’s coming March 6. And we’re all really, we’re excited to see it. I’ve gotta start playing one and two, so I can get up to speed, so I can enjoy three.

Kimberly: I know, yes, please. You can play the version with me, you know. You could just…

Raphael: Oh, that would be so fun!

Kimberly: And I’ll play the version with you.

Raphael: Sweet. I love that. Well, what can you tell us, for the fans who want to find you, what your Twitter name is, and what your Facebook address is, in case they…

Kimberly: OK, well, I’m just – you know how I am, with the, the whole social media thing. I’m just kinda catching up with that. But I guess if you wanna email me, you can do it at …

Raphael: No, not your email, but your, what’s your Twitter name?

Kimberly: Oh, the Twitter name. So that would be twitter.com/kimberlydbrooks.

Raphael: OK, great. Great. And then on Facebook, do you have a fanpage on Facebook?

Kimberly: Yeah, I do. [Editor's note: http://facebook.com/officialkimberlydbrooks.]

Raphael: OK, great, well people will find you then that way, for sure.

Kimberly: Excellent. Cool! I wanna be found.

Raphael: [laugh] That’s awesome. Kimberly, thank you so much.

Kimberly: Thank you, Raphael.

Raphael: You’re great, and we loved your letter, everyone did. And more to come. We’ll find more chances to chat some more. But thank you, for taking the time.

Kimberly: Thanks, so much. Your letter was the inspiration for me, so, thank you.

Raphael: All right, thanks everyone, and we’ll all talk soon. OK.

Raphael: Someone wanted to know how – you know, we both were hired, or brought on. Did you read for Ashley, what did you know about the character? How did you find your way there, I guess.

Kimberly: Right, well, I – like I do every day – I’m a hustler for the job, and I auditioned, just like everybody else. Actually, it’s pretty interesting, I think: I was brought in a little bit later, and the game had already been cast. I believe I was actually replacing an actress – I don’t really know what happened.

Raphael: Oh, no kidding.

Kimberly: Yeah, I don’t know what happened with that whole situation, but I was brought in a little bit later; the game was already kind of going, so I didn’t … You know, we had the drawings, there were some drawings of her, and I thought, “Oh my gosh, she’s so hot. I gotta play her well.”

Raphael: [laugh] You’re hot.

Kimberly: [laugh] Thanks. It’s just been really fun. I love it, because she’s tough; she’s a military chick; she’s, you know, all the weapons; she’s an officer; and she just grows, and you see her whole life story. But, then there’s the other side of her: She’s vulnerable, and she’s a woman. It’s just, it’s really cool to get to play that kind of duplicity in a character.

Raphael: That’s neat. That’s really neat. That’s wonderful.

Kimberly: Yeah, it’s great.

Raphael: I auditioned for it, just like you, and just like you said, you know, we walk into these rooms. It’s funny, you know, I have a son, who, I dropped him off at his preschool – he’s now in second grade – but I remember dropping him off one day, and his teacher apparently said to my son: “You know, your dad looks familiar. What does he do?” And my son thought for a second, and he went: “Um. He auditions.”

Kimberly: [laugh] Oh my gosh, he told the truth! That’s what we do! Oh, that’s brilliant.

Raphael: So, for all intents and purposes, that’s what we do, right?

Kimberly: That’s so true. So do you remember your audition, your actual, specific audition for Mass Effect?

Raphael: I sort of … I don’t remember the specific audition. I remember when I got the call: “Oh, you’ve got this game, called Mass Effect.” And I remember thinking, “Oh, this seems kind of interesting.” And then I remember when we first went into the first sessions, and the very specific notes were: “We don’t want to create a game like any other game. There’s not a lot of screaming; we want it to be more like an episode of 24.”

Kimberly: Exactly. Oh, I remember that, definitely.

Raphael: Right, “And we want to keep it really conversational, and real. We want actors; not voices. We want your personality to come through, but we want to really create a style for the military. There was a lot of … Ginny, the director at the time, was really, really on me anyway, about trying to sort of create, kind of a style, sort of the vibe of the game, and I thought was wildly successful in kind of holding the line for me, which I appreciated.

Kimberly: Oh, definitely. I mean, gosh, games have evolved so much. You think back to some of the first videogames I worked on, where it wasn’t really actor-driven, as they are now. Now, it’s just all about the characters, and the characters’ relationships, and making it very real, like you said: Like an episode of 24. And that’s really exciting, I love that, I love that part, being involved in that.

Come back tomorrow for part 3!

Hey, it’s Raphael Sbarge, and I have a special treat: My friend Kimberly. Hey, Kimberly, you there?

Kimberly: Hey, I’m here. Hi.

Raphael: [laugh] Hey. So, through the marvel of science, technology and conference calls, we’ve brought Kaidan and Ashley to you.

Kimberly: Together, at last.

Raphael: Kimberly, you and I have known each other a long time, I mean, just from walking in and out of rooms and having a similar agent, and from just sort of the world of voiceover. It’s so funny that we’ve both done Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3, and we have this sort of parallel universe together.

Kimberly: I know. It’s actually kind of weird – it freaks me out a little bit. We are – we’re living parallel lives. It’s really neat. I can’t believe that we are playing the same character – the female and male version. I just think that’s really cool.

Raphael: Yeah, well, I mean – you’re Ashley, I’m Kaidan. The letter [Editor's note: Ashley's Horizon letter], I know, that of course you read…

Kimberly: Yeah.

Raphael: People went crazy for what you did; it was so beautiful.

Kimberly: Thank you!

Raphael: So great. What was it like doing it?

Kimberly: You know, it was really special because I know that’s a really pivotal part of the game. There’s a lot of unanswered questions, still. But I think it’s really cool to put a voice to that because I know a lot of people are really interested in where the relationship is going. So, I think it just makes it a little bit more intriguing.

Raphael: There were some questions, I guess, that they wanted to, I guess, ask you. And some of these may be relevant, some of them – I mean, I know, you, like me, are not a gamer. You, like me, have not played the game. I just got a copy of the game, and I’m about to get into it.

Kimberly: Yeah, I know.

Raphael: I’m excited about that.

Kimberly: I know – it’s, I don’t play the games. Really, usually, I mean, just because I don’t have a whole lot of extra time, it seems like. But, I have just, I got a new console, so I’m gonna to start…

Raphael: You’re gonna dive in!

Kimberly: I’m gonna try to dive in, and I’m sure I’ll be drawn in, because you know, what I’ve seen, and now that they’re showing us a lot more, during the game, during our actual sessions – it just looks so cool, and I just, I really wanna play it.

Raphael: It’s amazing what they’re doing at BioWare.

Kimberly: Yeah.

Raphael: So one of the things, one of the questions that they asked, was: As far as your character, what was your sense of how – David wanted to know – your general thoughts on the character of Ashley, and how she’s changed over the three games.

Kimberly: Well, I think, you know, she’s definitely changed quite a bit, and evolved – which is always a great thing for a character. But I think the one constant about Ashley is her dedication to the cause. She’s only ever had a military life, and that’s sort of all she knows. So, I think she’s been pretty constant with her beliefs. I think what’s changed is her belief, basically, in Shepard. I mean, she doubted Shepard so much in game one and game two.

Raphael: Yeah.

Kimberly: And her evolving in game three is just huge. I think it’s a really pivotal part of the game – without giving too much away. And I think it also depends on how you played Ashley. She could have evolved more or less, depending on how you played her, I think.

Raphael: Right, of course, I think that’s the way for all of our characters, I guess, depending on…

Kimberly: I know – that’s what’s so cool about the game.

Raphael: That’s the beauty part.

Kimberly: Yeah!

Raphael: What do you, someone wanted to know – Matthew – wanted to know for both of us: How was it reading the final lines of your characters in the Mass Effect series?

Kimberly: Um …

Raphael: Do you remember having that moment, like: This is your last line!

Kimberly: This is, oh yeah! Oh – you mean, just actually in the session?

Raphael: Yeah, like when you got to the, like, suddenly, like: Oh, hey. We’re done.

Kimberly: We’re done. I know. It’s, well, because it’s such, a huge, massive, project. Yeah – there’s definitely a feeling of “Wow, this is over. I can’t believe this is over.” It’s been a journey – a huge, journey. It’s definitely the most evolved game that I’ve ever been a part of. So, it was kind of sad.

Raphael: Yeah.

Kimberly: So, hopefully, who knows? Who knows what could happen in the future.

Raphael: Yes, indeed. It was voted, I guess, the most anticipated new game of 2012. Certainly, there’s a pretty excited audience, I guess, waiting for it.

Kimberly: Oh yeah, oh yeah.

Raphael: And who knows what could happen. I mean, I know reading some of the last lines for me were, I know, I was feeling kind of like … you just sort of feel like a wave kind of crashes over you. You go: Wow. Wow. Wow. OK. So, now we’re done. I don’t know…

Kimberly: I know, it’s a bit overwhelming because, yeah, like I said, it’s just, it’s a real world that we belong to. I mean, just like the characters in the game, you know, you don’t want to see it end.

Raphael: Yeah, yeah.

Come back tomorrow for part 2!

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Hey there. This is Raphael. I guess you know that, ‘cause you called … or you’re listening.

I, first of all, wanted to say thank you to everyone who had gotten into the auction for the outgoing message and for the donations to GreenWish to support local green charities. Really appreciate it; thank you so much, and I really look forward to doing that for all of you. That’s the first order of business.

The second thing I wanted to mention is sort of a wonderful surprise that I’m so happy to kind of bring to you.

There has, I guess been so much noise around the [Horizon] letter that got released on Thanksgiving weekend, and so much sort of strong feeling about it, that I was out and about. And I ran into a friend of mine, Kimberly Brooks – a.k.a., Ashley Williams. And she said, “Oh, my God, what has happened? This letter? And, gee whiz, everyone’s been asking me, would I do the same thing?”

Well, I’m so excited to tell you that we’ve worked it out, and I have Ashley’s letter for you. And to introduce, also, Kimberly to the blogosphere. But, obviously you know her. But she’s really excited to be reaching out to folks as well.

I have another exciting thing that’s also brewing, which I’m going to hold onto for a bit, and then I’ll tell you very soon. But in the meantime, enjoy this letter. She’s fantastic, and I’m so excited to share it with you.

Anyway, sending my best. Bye.

Kimberly Brooks reads Ashley Williams’ Horizon letter:

Shepard-

I’m sorry for what I said back on Horizon. When I lost you two years ago, it tore me up. I prayed for you every day. I read a lot of Tennyson, thinking about you, just like I did when my dad passed. And then you came back, and it was like my prayers were answered. But I’m not who I was then, and neither are you.

I don’t know what’s true anymore. Part of me can’t believe it’s really you. I keep going back to that night before Ilos, our night… I haven’t let myself think about those memories in over a year.

I wouldn’t have expected you to work for Cerberus, but I know why they sent you to Horizon. I saw how many people were lost there, and if anyone can stop the Collectors, you can. I can’t go where you’re going, but I can wish you luck.

Just stay alive out there… Skipper. I don’t know what the future holds, but I can’t lose you a second time.

–Ash

Death closes all: but something ere the end
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

Transcript coming soon.

Transcript to come.