Slay the Dragon: Writing Great Video Games - Softcover

Bryant, Robert Denton; Giglio, Keith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1615932291 ISBN 13: 9781615932290

Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions, 2015

Synopsis

Writing for the multibillion-dollar video-game industry is unlike writing for any other medium. Slay the Dragon will help you understand the challenges and offer creative solutions to writing for a medium where the audience not only demands a great story, but to be a driving force within it. Aimed at traditional writers who want to learn interactive narrative as well as game creators who want to tell better, more emotionally involving stories, the book is written by two creative veterans of both Hollywood and "Nerdyhood." Through lively discussions and self-paced-exercises, Bryant and Giglio step you such topics as: the "no-act" structure of video games; writing great game characters; making gameplay emotionally meaningful; and bringing your game world alive.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Denton Bryant has worked in Hollywood in both marketing and production, and in video games as both a publisher and a developer. He has been executive producer on dozens of games on platforms ranging from CD-ROMs to the iPad, including the bestselling World Championship Poker and Pinball Hall of Fame console game franchises. He is the coauthor (with Charles P. Schultz) of Game Testing All In One. He has lectured in the U.S. and Europe on game writing, and currently teaches at The University of California, Los Angeles and at Woodbury University.

Review:

Praise for <em>Slay the Dragon</em>

“A veritable treasure trove of information. A compelling look at the development and evolution of interactive narrative and an invaluable tool for anyone who loves games!”

—Drew Karpyshyn, lead writer, Mass Effect; author, the Chaos Born trilogy

 

“Practical and original advice on narrative writing for video games that treats the world of gaming for what it is: an emerging art form.”

—Aaron Bleyaert, producer, “Clueless Gamer with Conan O’Brien” on TBS’s Conan

 

“If you’re learning how to write for games or a developer burning to create games with better stories, I can’t think of a better place to start.”

—Haris Orkin, game writer/narrative designer, Dying Light

 

“In my years of working in the industry this is the closest thing to a bible of creative video game story creation as I have ever seen.”

—Larry Hryb, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson

 

“Bridges the gap between traditional narrative and non-linear storytelling and makes it simple. A required tool in the working writer's toolbox.”

—Philip Eisner, screenwriter, Event Horizon; consulting writer for Telltale Games’ Tales from the Borderlands

 

“A comprehensive but accessible guide for those striving to relate to the medium of video games from another entertainment medium. If you’re a writer from film or TV and want to understand more about games, this book should get you comfortable quickly.”

—Dan Boutros, executive producer, The Walking Dead Assault; co-founder, Soul Arcade

 

About this edition

• Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1615932291
• ISBN 13: 9781615932290
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232