Comments on: The videogame writing smackdown of the month http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/ game writer thoughts on a game-crazy world Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:50:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mr. Videogame Writer Guy http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Mr. Videogame Writer Guy Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:55:49 +0000 http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/#comment-143 I didn't bring up the bottleneck - you did. In the 1st comment where you insinuate that I lack experience. So I wouldn't call it an accusation. As for dependencies, well, we could pontificate all day about the existence of upstream game writing dependencies, but I think a lot of it depends on the shape of your preproduction and concepting, no? And that's not the point of this post. I'd recommend you take down the bit on your blog where you say "they proposed that game writing could be so much better because it could occur in a vacuum." That, IMHO, is a significant misrepresentation. To respect your complaints, I'll leave my blog post, flawed as it is. Wouldn't it look cheesy if I edited it? But I don't want to continue arguing about this. It's not salient to the main gist of the post, and frankly, I blog for fun. And this ain't fun. I didn’t bring up the bottleneck – you did. In the 1st comment where you insinuate that I lack experience. So I wouldn’t call it an accusation.

As for dependencies, well, we could pontificate all day about the existence of upstream game writing dependencies, but I think a lot of it depends on the shape of your preproduction and concepting, no? And that’s not the point of this post.

I’d recommend you take down the bit on your blog where you say “they proposed that game writing could be so much better because it could occur in a vacuum.” That, IMHO, is a significant misrepresentation.

To respect your complaints, I’ll leave my blog post, flawed as it is. Wouldn’t it look cheesy if I edited it? But I don’t want to continue arguing about this. It’s not salient to the main gist of the post, and frankly, I blog for fun. And this ain’t fun.

]]> By: Anne http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/comment-page-1/#comment-141 Anne Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:17:11 +0000 http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/#comment-141 You're funny. "Can't we all just get along" then you accuse me of bottlenecking a company. Your post still says "Game writing has no dependencies," but clearly it does, both up and downstream. You're doing yourself a disservice to keep that up there. You’re funny. “Can’t we all just get along” then you accuse me of bottlenecking a company. Your post still says “Game writing has no dependencies,” but clearly it does, both up and downstream. You’re doing yourself a disservice to keep that up there.

]]> By: Mr. Videogame Writer Guy http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/comment-page-1/#comment-140 Mr. Videogame Writer Guy Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:04:50 +0000 http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/#comment-140 Ha! Well, I can't tell you how wrong you are when you claim on your blog that I said "game writing could be so much better because it could occur in a vacuum." :) Clearly I'm not claiming that. You did catch me, however, in leaving out the all-important adjective "upstream" before "dependencies." And I assumed that the context would make it clear what point I was making. But you know what they say about assuming! "Ever had to develop the story when the entire company can’t move forward until you’re done? Obviously not" Hmm. A not-so-friendly competition dig. Can't we all get along? No, I haven't ever frozen an entire company by being a bottleneck - and when you did, I doubt it was your fault - but yes, I think we've all been in situations where coworkers were waiting for our writing. Maybe I'll pursue that in a future post that is a little different in scope. Thanks for reading, Anne...! Ha!

Well, I can’t tell you how wrong you are when you claim on your blog that I said “game writing could be so much better because it could occur in a vacuum.” :) Clearly I’m not claiming that.

You did catch me, however, in leaving out the all-important adjective “upstream” before “dependencies.” And I assumed that the context would make it clear what point I was making. But you know what they say about assuming!

“Ever had to develop the story when the entire company can’t move forward until you’re done? Obviously not”

Hmm. A not-so-friendly competition dig. Can’t we all get along? No, I haven’t ever frozen an entire company by being a bottleneck – and when you did, I doubt it was your fault – but yes, I think we’ve all been in situations where coworkers were waiting for our writing. Maybe I’ll pursue that in a future post that is a little different in scope.

Thanks for reading, Anne…!

]]> By: Anne http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Anne Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:42:33 +0000 http://gamewriter.videogamewriter.com/game-writing/the-videogame-writing-smackdown-of-the-month/#comment-136 Wow. I can't tell you how wrong you are when you write "Videogame writing has no dependencies. A game’s plot and character development can be created in a vacuum." The game itself depends on the story. Ever had to develop the story when the entire company can't move forward until you're done? Obviously not ;) When game writing sucks, it isn't incorporated into the entire game, rather it is tacked on like a texture. The best story and writing plays out in the design, the art, the levels, and the AI. Here's a bunch of links on game devs working cross-discipline: http://writerscabal.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/got-cross-discipline-why-you-need-it-in-game-development/ Many of your other points I have covered over at our blog, so of course I agree ;) I won't link to it since there are so many posts on these points, but feel free to check it out! Wow. I can’t tell you how wrong you are when you write “Videogame writing has no dependencies. A game’s plot and character development can be created in a vacuum.” The game itself depends on the story. Ever had to develop the story when the entire company can’t move forward until you’re done? Obviously not ;)

When game writing sucks, it isn’t incorporated into the entire game, rather it is tacked on like a texture. The best story and writing plays out in the design, the art, the levels, and the AI. Here’s a bunch of links on game devs working cross-discipline: http://writerscabal.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/got-cross-discipline-why-you-need-it-in-game-development/

Many of your other points I have covered over at our blog, so of course I agree ;) I won’t link to it since there are so many posts on these points, but feel free to check it out!

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