PRAISE FOR SLAY THE DRAGON
“A well needed tool in a role that’s regularly overlooked or thought of as an afterthought. In games, the player may be king, but if that’s true, then story is a prince. And this book will make sure your prince will make it to the castle to slay the dragon!”
—TIM LANG, lead designer, Might and Magic IX, owner, Brrapp Games
“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
“A great read for any storyteller, whether you’re new to writing or just new to video games.”
—GRETCHEN MCNEIL, author of Ten and the Don’t Get Mad novels
“Slay the Dragon is brimming with real-world experience. It distills the lessons learned from the long, messy process of game development into concentrated form, guiding the reader to the intellectual tools needed to craft successful interactive narrative.”
—DAROLD HIGA, PHD, producer, Wargaming.net
“Slay the Dragon is a very clear, concise, and humorous guide that every developer—or game writer—should read.”
—JAY OBERNOLTE, president, FarSight Studios
“If you ever wanted to know what narrative design was about but were afraid to ask, this book is for you. If you did ask but never received a clear answer, this book is for you too. If you are considering pursuing a writing career in games, this book is definitely for you.”
—DORIAN RICHARD, lead writer & narrative designer
“The authors have created a wonderful map to help find your way out of your vault, through the wastelands, and into paradise. Slay the Dragon is the Konami Code for writers!”
—KEITH TRALINS, founder of MegaGigaOmniCorp, Inc., producer and game designer of Lost, Twilight, The Walking Dead, and Take It All
“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
“Game writers are everywhere. Slay the Dragon helps those who pursue it at any place around the world, be it in the US, Sweden, or anywhere else. It speaks to a global audience, and deserves to be read by everyone who is serious about game writing.”
—MARTIN HAGVALL, lecturer in Media Arts, Aesthetics and Narration, University of Skövde (Sweden Game Arena)
“Having worked in both the realms of linear and interactive entertainment, the authors provide screenwriters with the techniques and insight they need to effectively cross over to a brave new world where players must become their writing companions.”
—DAVID MULLICH, development director, Heroes of Might & Magic III; I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream.
“An essential read for anyone interested in writing for video games or expanding their view of the entertainment industry. Gaming novices and experts alike will benefit from adding this book to their library.”
—SUE JOHNSON, producer, Emmy-award winning Web series, What If…; scriptwriter, video game consultant
“What Slay the Dragon does best is get to the point. Readers be warned—once you have taken the Red Pill of truth for crafting tales, you will not look at media the same way again.”
—SCOTT NICHOLSON, professor of game design, Wilfrid Laurier University; designer of Going, Going, Gone and Tulipmania 1637
“I’ve voiced-acted in over 200 games, and I’ve never found a book that details the importance of great characters to good dialogue as much as Slay the Dragon.”
—KAREN STRASSMAN, actor, HBO’s Silicon Valley, Mortal Kombat X, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
“Immerses its readers in the world of video game writing. Comprehensive, up-to-the-minute, and loaded with great “beta tested” exercises that really work, this book is a must-have for aspiring game writers and fans alike!”
—LINDA VENIS, PHD, director, Department of the Arts and The Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension
SLAY THE DRAGON
WRITING
GREAT VIDEO GAMES
Robert Denton Bryant & Keith Giglio
MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS
Published by Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (Fax)
Manufactured in the United States of America
Copyright © 2015 Robert Denton Bryant & Keith Giglio
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bryant, Robert Denton, 1963-
Slay the dragon : writing great video games / by Robert Denton Bryant & Keith Giglio.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-61593-229-0
1. Video games—Authorship. I. Giglio, Keith, 1963-II. Title.
GV1469.34.A97B79 2015
794.8—dc23
2015010503
Cover design by Johnny Ink. johnnyink.com
Interior design by Debbie Berne
Copyediting by David Wright
CONTENTS
Foreword by Larry Hryb, Xbox Live’s “Major Nelson”
A Criminally Brief History of Storytelling Technology