Comments on: Anatomy of a Story Game http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game the blog about writing stories and being a better writer Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:28:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: J. Timothy King http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game#comment-97 J. Timothy King Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:53:59 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game#comment-97 Hi, Cayendi. I'm glad you both find this interesting. And I can understand why he wouldn't like that teacher. For me, it was always the social sciences, especially history. But I did great in western civ. And after college, I discovered I did like history after all, but not the part of it I remember being taught in school. The whole family's been sick all weekend. They've been taking turns getting several viruses, and now I feel a sore throat coming on. And that's why I'm behind (again) with this week's podcast. -TimK Hi, Cayendi. I’m glad you both find this interesting. And I can understand why he wouldn’t like that teacher. For me, it was always the social sciences, especially history. But I did great in western civ. And after college, I discovered I did like history after all, but not the part of it I remember being taught in school.

The whole family’s been sick all weekend. They’ve been taking turns getting several viruses, and now I feel a sore throat coming on. And that’s why I’m behind (again) with this week’s podcast.

-TimK

]]> By: Cayendi http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game#comment-96 Cayendi Mon, 20 Mar 2006 06:53:14 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game#comment-96 Well, I told my son about the nature of the podcast and blog, and he sounded interested. I explained to him what a story game was (more like an interactive story than a game) and he was still interested. Not that he doesn't like the graphic part of it, but he has realised that he isn't very good at drawing, or at least, that's what his teacher keeps telling him with the grades he gets. No matter how much effort he makes, there is apparently always something wrong. Is it a wonder he hates the teacher? Well, I told my son about the nature of the podcast and blog, and he sounded interested. I explained to him what a story game was (more like an interactive story than a game) and he was still interested.
Not that he doesn’t like the graphic part of it, but he has realised that he isn’t very good at drawing, or at least, that’s what his teacher keeps telling him with the grades he gets. No matter how much effort he makes, there is apparently always something wrong. Is it a wonder he hates the teacher?

]]> By: J. Timothy King http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game#comment-95 J. Timothy King Sun, 19 Mar 2006 12:21:03 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game#comment-95 Thanks for the kind words, Cayendi. What boy doesn't want to design video games? ;) When I was growing up, we all wanted to be firemen. Now they all want to be game designers. Most commercial games these days don't have a strong story. Rather, most of the creativity goes into cool new gameplay, things like graphics, physics, non-player characters (AI), and so forth. They say video games push technology forward now. My perspective is that of a storyteller and writer, which is very much different from that of the video game industry. I'd love to be a game designer, but the creative role I really want doesn't even exist, except in a few small studios, and in those studios it's something the founder does. Also, from what I hear, many big game studios have really screwed-up software development processes. As an experienced, professionally minded software developer, I just can't go there. Basically, the video game industry takes new programmers, chews them up, and then spits them out. So there are few senior developers to shepherd the next crop of college graduates that will be trying to hold back Niagara Falls. (At least that's what they say. And there are exceptions to every rule.) In summary, I'm not in the video games industry, and I won't be entering it by traditional means. Still, there are a lot of new studios popping up, and some of them are developing story games. (Yea!) So there's much hope for the future. :) -TimK Thanks for the kind words, Cayendi. What boy doesn’t want to design video games? ;) When I was growing up, we all wanted to be firemen. Now they all want to be game designers.

Most commercial games these days don’t have a strong story. Rather, most of the creativity goes into cool new gameplay, things like graphics, physics, non-player characters (AI), and so forth. They say video games push technology forward now.

My perspective is that of a storyteller and writer, which is very much different from that of the video game industry. I’d love to be a game designer, but the creative role I really want doesn’t even exist, except in a few small studios, and in those studios it’s something the founder does.

Also, from what I hear, many big game studios have really screwed-up software development processes. As an experienced, professionally minded software developer, I just can’t go there. Basically, the video game industry takes new programmers, chews them up, and then spits them out. So there are few senior developers to shepherd the next crop of college graduates that will be trying to hold back Niagara Falls. (At least that’s what they say. And there are exceptions to every rule.)

In summary, I’m not in the video games industry, and I won’t be entering it by traditional means. Still, there are a lot of new studios popping up, and some of them are developing story games. (Yea!) So there’s much hope for the future. :)

-TimK

]]> By: Cayendi http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game#comment-94 Cayendi Sat, 18 Mar 2006 22:45:49 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/03/13/anatomy-of-a-story-game#comment-94 This was a very interesting episode. Though I listened more from the perspective of the mother of a son interested in designing computer games when he grows up :) I'm thinking of letting him listen to this and related episodes, if he's a: interested and b: able to follow it, since English is not our mother tongue. I'll be saving them for him, that's for sure. This was a very interesting episode. Though I listened more from the perspective of the mother of a son interested in designing computer games when he grows up :)
I’m thinking of letting him listen to this and related episodes, if he’s a: interested and b: able to follow it, since English is not our mother tongue.
I’ll be saving them for him, that’s for sure.

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