Are Video Game Writers in Demand? Is it a good path to follow?
So after almost 2 years of being unsure of what path I should take to get into the industry, I decided that I want to focus on designing levels and writing for video games (Specifically story, characters, and game mechanics). I want to finally get my feet wet after 2 years of inactivity since graduating and I wanted to know how much in demand are video writers in the industry. I hardly see anything on the subject and if I do, its an article that usually doesn't cover much. Is there a way to focus on both without having to give up on the other?
Replies
https://www.idlethumbs.net/tonecontrol
"Writing for videogames" http://www.bayareascreenwriters.org/writing-for-videogames/#more-582
"Finding a Writing Job in Videogames" http://www.bayareascreenwriters.org/finding-a-writing-job-in-videogames/#more-480
"Narrative Design fo Company of Heores" http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/129954/narrative_design_for_company_of_.php?print=1
yeah I know! knowing how games work when you write for them, who needs that!?
EDIT: ok, assuming your right, and he is just confused, this makes me look like a douche...buuut...they actually do have a lot in common. hmm, now Im confused:poly105:
So, uh...
???
(You may need to further narrow down what you want to do. Do you want to write narrative, dialog and quests etc in detail? or do you want to draw out the overarching plot and focus on how that conveys urgency and gameplay mechanics to the player?)
When we are talking about writing in games, we are talking about things like story, quests, dialogue, narrative, character development. When we are talking about game mechanics, we are talking about designing games and sitting in Excel spreadsheets doing math magic all day long.
Video game writer? depends on the style you want ,
Sam Lake, ( max payne, alan wake, quantum break)
well there are also tons of non AAA indie games that has great story and writing
Kan Gao - to the moon , the game made mostly with rpg maker
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_the_Moon
I know
but saying you dont at least need a basic knowledge about game design when writing for them is not true at all.
http://gim.acanaday.com/?p=80
If you want good writing you gotta look past AAA blockbusters this year. Imho the best storytelling this year was in Styx: The Master of Shadows, relatively unknown stealth action game. It's pretty great.
Oh absolutely, its hard to look at anything AAA these days without cynicism. I'm eager to get my hands on Styx when I can because it just looks criminally underrated.
First and foremost, you have to be really good. And you have to have a huge portfolio of samples.
A few of the writers I work with actually started in Game Journalism, and made their connections that way.
My advice is write a LOT. There are great writing forums that are similar to Polycount.
Most importantly, write dialogue/dialect. Not essays.
Write what people actually 'say', don't write what is grammatically correct (unless you are writing for a Star Trek game, and need to write lines for Spock).
Write!! WRITE!!!!
GO WRITE NOW DAMNIT!
Actually you can even practice what some of first tasks writers have to do. "Barks".
Imagine you are writing for a stealth game, and you need to write the various NPC dialogue that conveys 'Alertness', gives indication they are aware, and has indication they are moving towards the noise they just heard, and sounding the other NPC's in the vicinity.
Then give a resolution Bark (oh, it must have been my imagination)
Then an 'Alert' (I FOUND HIM! HES HERE).
Give 10 types of context Barks:
- HES UP ON THE LEDGE
- HE WENT INTO THE SEWER
- HE WENT UP THAT LADDER
Then give 3 'Attack' Barks (YOURE DEAD MEAT)
Ground the dialogue into a dialect of some kind (ancient Greece, Ireland, Sci Fi America), and make it obvious it is from that world.
Make around 10 variations of those barks so the NPC's don't keep saying the same things over and over again.
Then redo the entire exercise with:
- Old veteran
- Young Spry soldier wanting to prove his worth
- Un-confident Person
- Sturdy leader
I think we may want to break this cycle when inspiring next generation of game writers
Alternatively, if you want to keep it simpler, you could look into TWINE and make some choose your own adventure typed games.
Very true.
Axe that last part!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/omocat/omori
Well then, just learn gamemaker, RPG maker or some other simple engine and get going!
stuff like that is a lot easier to do then to break into AAA and do writing there.
if you want to focus on more indi style stuff there are no excuses! just start producing, make something