Getting into the Creative Developement of games?

LOG · Oct 21, 2009

So say I wanted to help on a games lore, according to Chris Metzen, on really story heavy games at least, there are alot of people working besides the Creative devlopment team, and I quote from this article: http://www.wowwiki.com/Metzen_on_Lore
"You not only have me jamming ideas, but a ninja team of quest designers, an army of freelance RPG writers, and a commando squad of red-hot novelists who are all involved in flushing out the lore and making it more than just wallpaper on a game."
I imagine that the quest designers are more full integrated into Blizzard. But how do you imagine, do companies get the freelancers and the novelists? Is it purely Blizzard, or any other developer hunting them down and asking for their assistance, or do the writers go after the developer?

YAY! 600th post!

Freelancer · Oct 21, 2009

It's very hard to get into a team like that. I worked as a freelancer writer to two great computer game publisher / developer before and I was hired because of my long resume. If you don't have something in the background, you can forget this. These companies are used to hire known and experienced writers via agents or via friend of a friend (This one is rare.).

Now, quest designers are used to be different then writers. Designers are used to be designers, designing the levels, adding the triggers, etc, etc... and writers used to be writers. Although I did both, but it's very rare when the designer and the writer is the same.

Blizzard has their designer / writer team. They're very rarely using unknown outsiders.

efkelley · Oct 21, 2009

You have to keep an eye on their websites, specifically under Careers. Earlier this year, Blizz had a Writer position open, and did Cryptic. Often these do get filled via friend-of-a-friend. As with anything, who you know can be more important than what you know.

That said, keep writing. Keep submitting. When one of these positions opens up, it's impressive to send them a resume listing your last dozen short story sales.

LOG · Oct 21, 2009

About what I expected.
Do those sort of jobs ever require a move? I don't think they would but I could be wrong.

MGraybosch · Oct 21, 2009

JJM said:
About what I expected.
Do those sort of jobs ever require a move? I don't think they would but I could be wrong.

They can, and they do tend to entail long hours. Unless you're really passionate about working in games, or like working 80 hours and only getting paid for 40, don't get into that industry.

efkelley · Oct 22, 2009

Yes, you'd be expected to move to wherever the offices are.

There's something about working for game companies that's inherently unfair. As MGraybosch states, expect to have very long hours. Now, this isn't horribly different from other production environments, but, for some reason, because you're working on a game there's less sympathy for your plight. As if working on a game is more fun than insurance software.

For my part, I can't fathom it.

whistlelock · Oct 22, 2009

http://gamedevmap.com/

Is a great resource for locating game company's in or near your town.

Cybernaught · Oct 22, 2009

Independant companies sometimes seek out writers to work on their lore for little or no pay. I did some work for one after I read an ad posted here, no less. It's a good way to network as well as gain experience writing for the platform. It really is quite different than writing novels.

I would look around sites like this for some opportunities.

SPMiller · Oct 22, 2009

efkelley said:
Now, this isn't horribly different from other production environments, [...]

It isn't? I beg to differ.

MGraybosch · Oct 22, 2009

efkelley said:
There's something about working for game companies that's inherently unfair.

Basically, unless your name is John Carmack or Shigeru Miyamoto, you can be replaced with some other sucker if you either demand sane working conditions or quit to find them elsewhere.

efkelley · Oct 22, 2009

MGraybosch said:
Basically, unless your name is John Carmack or Shigeru Miyamoto, you can be replaced with some other sucker if you either demand sane working conditions or quit to find them elsewhere.

Exactly.

SPMiller said:
It isn't? I beg to differ.

I suppose I should have said 'software development environments'. I've worked for a game company and a telecom company.

I have deadlines. They have deadlines.

I have crunchtime. They have crunchtime.

I have feature creep. They have feature creep.

Hmm... And come to think of it, it's a lot like writing. Which I've avoided long enough today.

Getting into the Creative Developement of games?

LOG

Lagrangian

Freelancer

efkelley

ow

LOG

Lagrangian

MGraybosch

Lunch Break Novelist

efkelley

ow

whistlelock

Whiskey Rebel

Cybernaught

Decker

SPMiller

Prodigiously Hanged

MGraybosch

Lunch Break Novelist

efkelley

ow