Writing video games

• Susan O’Connor lives in Austin. Game writer
• Narrative department, online masterclass
• Gamedevmap.com
• Average age of gamers is 33
• VESA.com
• Games are changing audiences
• Hamlet on the holodeck, the future of narrative in cyberspace, book
• What is a cross cut in video games, VR?
• “Nolan movies are easier to understand if you think of them as games”, solving a puzzle. Out of order. Mods? Hacks? Prisoners dilemma ? Boss battle. Alternate reality. Levels. Learning rules of a new world. Nameless dudes with guns. Playing with physics. Sending avatars to levels to solve problems.
• Chris swain (USC), Film didn’t come into its own until it learned to talk. Then it became the dominant storytelling medium.
• “Games don’t need to learn how to talk. We need games to learn to listen.”
• We need the game to respond to us, to play together.
• Eventually games won’t be called games anymore.
• Writers who understand games are ahead of the curve.
• Game writing is about helping the player create their own story
• Driven by player agency
• How much agency is enough? Players want freedom but a great story too. Each studio gives players different degrees of freedom.
• Too much freedom impacts story.
• Florence mobile game, keeps you on rails