Comments on: Game Writing Awards: Suspicious & Confusing

By: Rock, Paper, Shotgun: We’ve Reticulated More Splines Than You » Blog Archive » Games For 2008: Prototype

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:54:40 +0000

[...] compelling. Radical Entertainment’s most recent game, Crash of the Titans, may be nominated for a game writing award of dubious democracy, while The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Scarface may be fine examples of Here Is Your [...]

By: raton-laveur

raton-laveur — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:40:22 +0000

world in conflict was written by a guy that scripted some movies before. So here’s the wga autofellating, like the simpsons game.

that said, I loved the game and its storyline. For a title that was multiplayer-oriented, the single player campaign did a lot more than just being a tutorial.

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:32:08 +0000

(Generally speaking, I’m pro-unionisation. I’m just not sure whether the WGA is the right guild for games writers to belong to.)

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:31:20 +0000

I must admit, I worry about the unionisation of games, just because of how games actually are created isn’t like films – or, at least, I suspect the very best examples of games storytelling don’t work like films or anything else the WGA cover. If you hire a writer at the end of the project to tart stuff up, it will only ever lead to fairly mediocre stuff – pretty dialogue, at best, but you haven’t a chance, because you don’t control structure. Writing is primarily a structural thing, of knowing how scenes, in order, will create the desired aesthetic response. If you don’t control that, you’re only hanging wallpaper.

(This is one of the reasons why games with writers who are famous outside the genre aren’t normally that actually interesting.)

In other words, in gaming, the designer take the majority of roles of the writer – and if your Project Lead is also a damn good writer, you may be able to get something worth playing (Cross-ref: Chris Avellone). Alternatively, getting a writer in as soon as possible to work hand in glove – which, of course, required a full time writer on staff rather than someone external (Mostly, anyway). If you’re getting a writer to provide something else… well, the designer has to be pretty clever. I’d look back at something like Hostile Waters, and show how its structure allows them to essentially pay Ellis for very-effective window-dressing – that is, ideas, and cut-scenes which just contextualise the story rather than tying into the mission.

In short, writers aren’t the source of ideas in the games industry, in the the way they are in the areas the WGA normally operate…. unless they’re the designer too (Avellone) or really close to the designers (Wolpaw).

By: j

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:53:26 +0000

You can’t write a movie as you go

You can, just see some improvised stuff. Plenty of films have rewrites, even on the set.

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:54:48 +0000

Surely standardised rates come into it? And a certain level of payment and employment are important demands in any union, any writer working outside of those limits wouldn’t be covered by the union and would be viewed by them as undercutting other writers, effectively betraying them?

I honestly don’t know how the details of the union works but have been a member of unions in the past.

I think a union is a good thing and writers like any other member of any industry needs certain protections and rights, the prevailing attitude in the posts I read seemed to be very much against the idea of a union and writers joining one I wanted to convey the difficult position writers would be in at the start before it becomes standard.

By: pJ

pJ — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:33:01 +0000

“Being a member of the guild will in no way limit a writer from types of employment”

I’m guessing you targeted my comments.

Okay.

I suppose that is partially true – however, the guild applies pressure to its members to NOT accept non-union work – in which case, if you do – you end up going on as a “consultant” or “producer” I work as a television writer and this is how it goes.

And during non-strike periods, you can be fined or even black listed. I’ve worked with WGA writers who get hit all the time when their name pops up in non-union shows.

So, that information you have above, while somewhat correct (yes, you could work non-union while being Guild) is a big NO NO for the WGA.

So, if they decided to force publishers to go union (gonna take some doing, WGA), then the publishers cannot go to non-union talent – in which case, if a game is being made cheaply by a big publisher, then they would HAVE to pay into health and pension, as well as whatever the standard rates are.

So, who benefits from this? The guy who just writes cinematics? Or, the lead designer who breaks story? Or the LD or wrote the story for the path? Or the puzzle writer? Which one will be in the guild? They aren’t credited as “writers” – but they write. That guy who wrote X3? I’m sure he was a in a room full of people breaking story, generating scenes and basically, writing the game with his help.

I agree that there is a total benefit to being in the guild – And I fully support the writers during the strike – hoo ra I suppose.

But video games aren’t covered – and it’s going to take more than dangling an award to get people on board. They tried this with editors a few years back – and we had no interest. For now, many video game “writers” haven’t asked for their help.

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:43:05 +0000

World of Conflict: I liked the bit with the troll.

By: Dragon

Dragon — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:59:58 +0000

I’m not going to pick on anyone in particular but there’s a lot of crap being written about this and about video game writers being members of a guild. The WGA currently doesn’t include video game writers as members at the moment. They want to open their doors to them hence these awards. Being a member of the guild will in no way limit a writer from types of employment – they are still free to take on whatever work they want to – but being a member has advantages – primarily in the areas of healthcare provision, pension, legal aid and so on.

It’s probably worth pointing out that while the WGA is only just getting around to video game writers, the WGGB already has agreements, rates and guidelines in place and accepts video game writers as members (for example, Andrew Walsh who was one of the writers on X3: Reunion)

By: Anthony Damiani

Anthony Damiani — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:49:28 +0000

I’m sorry, World In Conflict was just awfully written. Really. It was ham-fisted and manipulative, with events that followed not from any logical progression or outgrowth of the characters, but from how they wanted to make you feel. It’s nice that they at least CARED about the audience’s emotional reaction, but when their attempts to do so are so transparent and ill-flowing, they’ve generally failed to achieve their objective.

“Hey! Let’s make the annoying guy sacrifice himself heroically to redeem him for pissing the player off through the past 12 levels!”

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:08:34 +0000

Without bringing in a writer and a songwriter portal would have been half the game it was. Writers can be very useful if used correctly and if they are good at their job. And good writing is about more than just writing a story. Most game focus on game mechanics though so writers are bound to be secondary, anyone can write a story, you don’t need a good writer for that.

As for a union or guild, it will be a difficult thing to start as basically all writers have to join or writers basically will put themselves out of work by joining and not agreeing to be paid nominal fees, not many writers could find the project or have the reputation to get away with it.

By: Okami

Okami — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:18:56 +0000

I’m not going to risk RPG-fan wrath by taking another pop at the Witcher here

wise choice….