We're not too sure just how far along Atari is in developing Alone in the Dark: Near Death Investigation, but perhaps this new press wire will shed light on the matter. The publisher has just announced that in order to enhance the authenticity of the game's New York setting, they have picked author Lorenzo Carcaterra to write the game script - that's him on the right.

Born and raised in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, Mr. Carcaterra has had extensive experience in writing graphic depictions of the harsh realities of New York's darker side.

Most readers and moviegoers will probably best remember his writing style from the Sleepers (1995) novel, which was later adapted into a 1996 movie of the same name, directed by Barry Levinson. Mr. Carcaterra's recent literary works include Street Boys (2002), Paradise City (2004), Chasers (2005).

Outside of his novels, Lorenzo was also a reporter for the  NY Daily News in 1976, and eventually became a TV consultant and writer for shows like Law and Order. As the author's remark on this ongoing project:

Alone in the Dark was a challenge which allowed me to bring a realistic feel to an apocalyptic situation facing New York City and really dig into the Central Park conspiracy idea. It also allowed me to write for hard-edged characters, some good, some bad, all forced to confront a force whose power they could never imagine. The story never stalls, always moves in overdrive and the characters zoom right along at warp speed, stopping long enough along the way to say a few lines that keep driving the plot forward. The end result is, I hope, a roller-coaster of a thrill ride that should be tons of fun to play.