Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing PDF Download

Author: Wendy Despain
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0429591764
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
This second edition of Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing is updated with new chapters and new authors, but it’s still a no-nonsense guide to the professional craft of writing for video games. Not only does the text cover story and narrative elements, but it also addresses dialogue, documentation, and strategy guides. Seasoned video game writers each address a different topic, including the best way to break into the video game industry, how to be an efficient part of a team, and the principles of narrative design. The book also offers script samples, technical writing advice, effective writing tips, and suggestions for how to innovate in game narrative. Key Features Comprehensive enough for veterans and accessible enough for novices Goes into detail about how to write tutorials, script doctoring, and writing for AAA games Delivers invaluable experiences directly from writers in the games industry Full of practical advice from industry pros on how to get a job, and then how to get the job done Author Bio Wendy Despain has more than two decades of experience spearheading digital media projects. She has worked with teams around the world as a writer, narrative designer, producer, and consultant on interactive experiences ranging from video games to augmented reality. She’s worked with EA, Disney, Ubisoft, Cartoon Network, PBS, Marvel, and Wargaming. Currently, she’s a Production Director at ArenaNet, makers of the Guild Wars franchise. Her books include: Writing For Videogame Genres: From FPS to RPG Talking to Artists/Talking to Programmers 100 Principles of Game Design

Author: Wendy Despain
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439875383
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
This book by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Game Writing Special Interest Group focuses on various aspects of working as a professional game writer, including how to break in to game writing, writing manuals, narrative design, writing in a team, working as a freelancer, working with new intellectual property, and more. It incl

Author: Flint Dille
Publisher: Lone Eagle
ISBN: 158065066X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
• Authors are top game designers • Aspiring game writers and designers must have this complete bible There are other books about creating video games out there. Sure, they cover the basics. But The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design goes way beyond the basics. The authors, top game designers, focus on creating games that are an involving, emotional experience for the gamer. Topics include integrating story into the game, writing the game script, putting together the game bible, creating the design document, and working on original intellectual property versus working with licenses. Finally, there’s complete information on how to present a visionary new idea to developers and publishers. Got game? Get The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design.

Author: Chris Mark Bateman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Video games
Languages : en
Pages : 350

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Book Description
As computer games become more and more like Hollywood productions, the need for good story lines increases. Research shows that stories are highly valued by game players, so today's studios and developers need good writers. Creating narrative - a traditionally static form - for games is a major challenge. Games are at their heart dynamic, interactive systems, so they don't follow the guidelines and rules of film or T.V. writing. Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames addresses these issues and is the first book written to demystify this emerging field. Through the insights and experiences of practicing game writers, the book captures a snapshot of the narrative skills employed in today's game industry. This unique collection of practical articles provides the foundations to the craft of game writing. The articles, written by member of the International Game Developer's (IDGA) Game Writer's SIG, detail aspects of the process from the basics of narrative and non-linear narrative to writing comedy for games and creating compelling characters. Throughout the articles there is a strong emphasis on the skills developers and publishers will expect a game writer to have. The book is suitable for both beginners and experienced writers, and is a detailed guide to all the techniques of game writing. This book is an essential read for anyone wishing to get into this exciting field, particularly for new game writers wanting to hone their skills, and film and T.V. scriptwriters who want to learn how to transfer their skills to the games industry.

Author: Evan Skolnick
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
ISBN: 0385345836
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
UNLOCK YOUR GAME'S NARRATIVE POTENTIAL! With increasingly sophisticated video games being consumed by an enthusiastic and expanding audience, the pressure is on game developers like never before to deliver exciting stories and engaging characters. With Video Game Storytelling, game writer and producer Evan Skolnick provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide to storytelling basics and how they can be applied at every stage of the development process—by all members of the team. This clear, concise reference pairs relevant examples from top games and other media with a breakdown of the key roles in game development, showing how a team’s shared understanding and application of core storytelling principles can deepen the player experience. Understanding story and why it matters is no longer just for writers or narrative designers. From team leadership to game design and beyond, Skolnick reveals how each member of the development team can do his or her part to help produce gripping, truly memorable narratives that will enhance gameplay and bring today’s savvy gamers back time and time again.

Author: DESPAIN
Publisher: New Riders
ISBN: 0133362744
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 492

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Book Description
Game designers spend their lives solving extraordinary problems and facing mind-bending paradoxes. It’s their job to make a meticulous plan for “spontaneous fun” players will want to experience over and over again. Pressure is heaped on with demands for innovation and blockbuster status. So designers find themselves facing an abyss of problems, pressure, and possibilities, armed only with their brains and an assortment of design principles they picked up over years of experience. For the first time, 100 Principles of Game Design gathers some of the best of these big ideas into one toolkit. Seasoned designers will be glad they don’t have to hold it all in their heads anymore, and beginning design students can use the book to learn the tools of the trade. When the going gets tough, everyone can turn to this book for guidance, inspiration, or just to remind them of what works. Collected from every popular school of thought in game design, these core principles are organized by theme: innovation, creation, balancing, and troubleshooting. • Includes advances from the world’s leading authorities on game design, some explained by the creators themselves • A reference book of finite, individual principles for easy access, providing a jumping off point for further research • Principles originating in fields as diverse as architecture, psychiatry, and economics, but shown here as they apply to game design • Richly designed with illustrations and photos, making each principle easy to understand and memorable • Timeless approach includes feedback loops, game mechanics, prototyping, economies of scale, user-centered design, and much more Professional designers and instructors at one of the world’s leading game design institutions lay out the building blocks of diverse knowledge required to design even the simplest of games.

Author: Tobias Heussner
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1351014374
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 413

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Book Description
The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox continues where the Game Narrative Toolbox ended. While the later covered the basics of writing for games, the Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox will cover techniques for the intermediate and professional writer. The book will cover topics such as how to adapt a novel to a game, how to revive IPs and how to construct transmedia worlds. Each chapter will be written by a professional with exceptional experience in the field of the chapter. Key Features Learn from industry experts how to tackle today’s challenges in storytelling for games. A learn by example and exercise approach, which was praised in the Game Narrative Toolbox. An in depth view on advanced storytelling techniques and topics as they are currently discussed and used in the gaming industry. Expand your knowledge in game writing as you learn and try yourself to design quests, write romances and build worlds as you would as a writer in a game studio. Improve your own stories by learning and trying the techniques used by the professionals of game writing.

Author: Michael Breault
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 042957746X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 206

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Book Description
Narrative designers and game designers are critical to the development of digital and analog games. This book provides a detailed look at the work writers and designers perform every day on game development projects. It includes practical advice on how to break into the game industry as a writer or game designer. Readers can use the templates and detailed instructions provided here to create lively portfolios that will help open the door to jobs in the game industry. Key features of this book: • An intimate look at the workings of AAA game development from someone who has spent decades embedded on teams at well-known companies. • An insider’s look at the game industry, including advice on breaking into the industry. • Detailed instructions for creating a portfolio to demonstrate narrative design and game design skills to prospective employers. • Lessons and exercises to help students develop narrative design and game design skills. • A how-to guide for college instructors teaching classes in narrative design and game design. Detailed assignments and syllabi are included. Author Bio: Michael Breault is a 35-year industry veteran who has contributed his writing and game design skills to over 130 published games. He currently teaches narrative design and game design courses at Webster University in St. Louis. The courses he creates and teaches are based on the tasks narrative designers and game designers undertake every day while developing games. These classes provide his students with a real-world view of the work they will be doing as writers and designers in the game industry.

Author: Edwin McRae
Publisher: Fiction Engine
ISBN: 047351883X
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 148

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Book Description
Do you want to turn your talent for writing into a narrative design career in the games industry? It’s never been a better time to be a writer for video games. You’re tapping into an industry that was worth more than $120 billion dollars in 2019, and it’s still growing. And it’s an industry that needs great storytellers. But there's a BIG difference between a great story and a great game story. Traditional stories are told. Game stories are experienced. That's why video game narratives need a totally different design approach. So how do you apply your scriptwriting, storylining, poetic, copywriting, prose producing skills to an audience that won’t sit still and an industry that’s ever changing? That’s what this book is about! I’ve been a narrative designer for over a decade, as well as a novelist and a scriptwriter / storyliner for TV and comics. I love playing games, and even more, I love helping game developers realize their storytelling aspirations. Nothing delights me more than a game that's both fun to play and delivers a satisfying story experience. In this book, I'll share both the evergreen principles and practical techniques that I’ve learned and developed during my narrative design career so that you can position yourself for your first game writing gig. And if you’re an experienced narrative designer already, you’ll still find plenty of insights that you can apply to your trade. I’ll say it again, “the games industry needs you!” Play is what we do, but story is why we do it.

Author: Toiya Kristen Finley
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1351651250
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
Despite its significant growth over the past five years, the mobile and social videogame industry is still maturing at a rapid rate. Due to various storage and visual and sound asset restrictions, mobile and social gaming must have innovative storytelling techniques. Narrative Tactics grants readers practical advice for improving narrative design and game writing for mobile and social games, and helps them rise to the challenge of mobile game storytelling. The first half of the book covers general storytelling techniques, including worldbuilding, character design, dialogue, and quests. In the second half, leading experts in the field explore various genres and types of mobile and social games, including educational games, licensed IP, games for specific demographics, branding games, and free to play (F2P). Key Features The only book dedicated to narrative design and game writing in social and mobile games, an explosive market overtaking the console gaming market. Provides tips for narrative design and writing tailored specifically for mobile and social game markets. Guides readers along with conclusions that include questions to help the reader in narrative design and/or writing. Explores real games to illustrate theory and best practices with analyses of game case studies per chapter, covering indie, social/mobile, and AAA games. Includes checklists to help readers critique their own narrative design/writing.