Why Writing in Games Matters

Ars Technica has published a three-part feature that looks at the importance of writing and storytelling in video games. The article isn’t specifically geared toward role-playing games, but since our genre is probably the most affected, I thought it would be worth posting about. Here’s a snip from part three, which features an interview with video game writer Susan O’Connor:

Q: A lot of the games you’ve worked on have some strong personalities behind them: Ken Levine with Bioshock, Cliffy-B with Gears of War, and of course everything in games like Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed has to be in line with the wishes of George Lucas. Explain the challenges of working on projects like these that have such a public face attached to them.

A: I don’t envy those guys. It’s their names at the top of the credit list, not mine. They’ve put themselves on the line, creatively. The amount of pressure they’re under it’s inhuman. I learned a lot, having worked with these guys day in, day out. They’re all brilliant in their own ways. They’re very different, but they have one similarity: they have faith in themselves and in the process. Game studios are like sausage factories. The process is pretty gross; you can’t believe that anything tasty will come out in the end. But these guys don’t lose faith. And, frankly, it’s a gamble there’s no sure thing. But they keep their eyes on the prize.

Be sure to check out parts one and two, as well.