Yes, but my main point here is that you have to play the game, you can't just look at a script. Is the Academy Award for best writer given by people that never watched the movie and only read the script? Nope. So why should games be different.
Also, what does the script for a game look like? The scripts for my games are a huge mess of dialog strung together by lines, arrows and conditional node notation. If I submitted my "script" to the WGA, they wouldn't even know how to begin to understand it, which brings me back to my other point.
The only scripts that will win are the boring linear ones that tend to look like movies scripts. These are NOT examples of interactive writing and should not be given awards.
Let me say that again...a non-interactive cut-scene should not be given an award for best game writing. Game writing is about interaction and how the writer manages to weave it all together. Please explain how a "script" is going to convey that? It can't. Playing the game can.
I'm sorry, but if they can't even take the time to play our games and understand our art form, then I have no need for their award.
Your Comment:
Hey! Pay attention! Except where otherwise noted, this site is
licensed under a Creative Commons License.
You are replying to this comment:
Posted by Ron Gilbert on Oct 16, 2007 three pm
Also, what does the script for a game look like? The scripts for my games are a huge mess of dialog strung together by lines, arrows and conditional node notation. If I submitted my "script" to the WGA, they wouldn't even know how to begin to understand it, which brings me back to my other point.
The only scripts that will win are the boring linear ones that tend to look like movies scripts. These are NOT examples of interactive writing and should not be given awards.
Let me say that again...a non-interactive cut-scene should not be given an award for best game writing. Game writing is about interaction and how the writer manages to weave it all together. Please explain how a "script" is going to convey that? It can't. Playing the game can.
I'm sorry, but if they can't even take the time to play our games and understand our art form, then I have no need for their award.