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Video game writing is the art and craft of writingscripts andnarratives forvideo games. Similar toscreenwriting, it is typically afreelance profession.[1] It includes many differences from writing for film, due to thenon-linear andinteractive nature of most video games, and the necessity to work closely withvideo game designers andvoice actors. There are many differing types of text in video games in comparison to stage shows or movies, includingwritten text,foreign ormade-up languages, and often situation-based information. Especially when developingTriple A games, more than one writer will be required to create the game, split into different roles.[1]
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People who write video games are part of thedesign team, duringpre-production,[2] and create the main plot of avideo game but can also focus on the dialogue, thecharacter creation and development or theworldbuilding.[3]
During the game development process, the design may change, and a video game writer can also be asked to fix the eventualnarrative issues.[4]
The importance of the plot can be minimized by some video game designers, for instanceHarvey Smith ofArkane Studios claimed that "The world is very important. The characters are very important. The plot? It can be thrown away. Because each gamer will build his own story."[5] Moreover, according to academic and video game designerIan Bogost video games can be much more than narrative media, by putting together, in a non-linear structure, elements of everyday life, as inWhat Remains of Edith Finch.[6]
One issue specific to the medium is that priority is given tointeractive play mechanics over narrative[7][8][9] which could lead toludonarrative dissonance: a situation when ludic and narrative elements are opposed to each other, asFar Cry 2 directorClint Hocking defined the concept in his blog.[10][11][12]
There is no specific training to video game writing and some video game writers – such asTim Schafer andSam Barlow – are also in charge of other game development tasks.
Video game writing differs from writing for other arts, due to thenon-linear andinteractive nature of most video games, and the necessity to work closely withvideo game designers andvoice actors. There are many differing types of text in video games in comparison to stage shows or movies, includingwritten text,foreign ormade-up languages, and often situation-based information. Subsequently, more than one writer will often be used to create the game, split into different roles,[1] with more specific job titles that can range from being a traditional writer, developing anoverview of the story and how it reacts to the player, or creating atranslation orlocalization.
A pitch writer specializes in writingpitches for video games to publishers.[13] They create collaborative pitch documents within agame studio that often contain designmockups orart concepts.[13] The main parts of a pitch document, in order from first to last, are theexecutive summary,audience analysis, story,competition analysis,market analysis,gameplay, andbudget andschedule.[13]
With an increasing emphasis placed on game profitability, especially in the free to play model, theF.T.U.E. (First Time User Experience) and retention metrics have also become important parts of the pitch document.
Narrative designer is a hybrid role ofvideo game design and writing that creates not only thestory, but also how it is communicated to players and how thegame mechanics work to reinforce that story.[13]Bioware writer David Gaider described the role as "the person who shapes the game's narrative, as well as the one who writes all the words."[1]
Thescript writer focuses on thedialogue said by characters and thevoice over.[citation needed] The script's dialogue can be written inflowcharts to illustrate the various dialogue resulting from both decision and indecision.[14] Generally, a script writer is less involved with the video game'smechanics, and is tasked with writing and working withvoice actors.[1]
Similarly, toscreenplay script doctors, video game writers can be brought in to assist with writing-related tasks. However, the term is vaguer than in screenplays due to the wide variety of potential tasks needed.[13]
Similar toscreenwriting, it is typically afreelance profession.[1] Writing roles may also be filled by other members of the development team.[1]
Traditionally, game writers used simple tools like Word, Excel or just plain pen and paper. Some game writers also used tools initially designed for the film industry such as Final Draft. As the field has evolved and player agency started to play a bigger role, the need for professional game writing tools has emerged.
