The Ultimate Guide To Video Game Writing And Design Ebook

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· 286 ratings · 17 reviews

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Sep 30, 2018 Jodie rated it liked it

So there are some good tips and knowledge in this book. It would be great for people interested in writing for games.
However, it is quite dated. Mostly in its really uncomfortable gendering of developers and players. In some cases it says things that are just wrong about players and the market, even for ten years ago. It also has a strong leaning towards the genre of shooter games and ignores the breadth of game genres. Whilst a book can only cover so much it would have been much stronger if it So there are some good tips and knowledge in this book. It would be great for people interested in writing for games.
However, it is quite dated. Mostly in its really uncomfortable gendering of developers and players. In some cases it says things that are just wrong about players and the market, even for ten years ago. It also has a strong leaning towards the genre of shooter games and ignores the breadth of game genres. Whilst a book can only cover so much it would have been much stronger if it had avoided pushing the reader towards these incorrect assumptions. ...more

This book should really be entitled 'Beginners' Guide to Writing for Games.' There were a lot of chapters explaining the absolute basics of characters and storytelling elements in games. The kind of stuff that anyone with enough passion for writing and/or gaming will probably know already.

By the end I still have no solid understanding of what game writers and designers actually do. This important information - what to do as a writer for games - is mostly glossed over, with way too much focus on

There were some really useful tools and templates, as well as a few good nuggets of advice. But these were few and far between, with plenty of fairly irrelevant filler content in each chapter. If you're going to read this, be prepared to skim.

Finally, there were a lot of editing issues with this book. Which, for a writing guide, doesn't instil confidence.

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By far, one of the best books I've ever read on writing, let alone writing for games. The templates and action items are enough to keep any aspiring designer busy until they're ready to get started on the collaborative process.

I've read it twice. Cover to cover. Fantastic.

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Mar 23, 2009 Michael rated it really liked it

This book plainly and clearly explains what it takes to write for video games from a business perspective and the actual writing of the game. I found it very helpful.

May 16, 2019 Kunal Tengase rated it it was amazing

This is a succint and a practical book on the subject with real examples. A great introduction to writing and design in games. It has been a while since the book came out but it is still relevant in 2019. If you can find this at a bargain price, you will not regret it. This is a hidden gem.

A decent book outlining the fundamentals of game design and creative writing, but innovative insights were few and far between.

Feb 28, 2020 Nikki rated it it was ok

Very useful even if a little dated. The practical writing prompts can help people who want to write(not just video games) to start thinking like the professionals.

This is a pretty useful and insightful book, but lets get one thing out of the way: there's nothing "Ultimate" about it. Taking just around 200 pages, the book focuses on Writing first and foremost, and for writers wanting to get into the video game industry this is clearly a good resource. But Design gets the short end of the stick, to a point where I think the entire guide would benefit from cutting out those parts and focusing on the authors' forte.

The best parts of the book concern the day-t

The best parts of the book concern the day-to-day realities of working in the video game industry. Although the book is eight years old now, and certain things have changed dramatically, most of it is still up-to-date - which is more a symptom of how rigid and inflexible the core of the industry is, than a credit to the authors' advice (while solid, there's also nothing inherently timeless about it). If there's one reason to read it, that would be my pick.

An included game proposal helps to see how all the different elements that were talked about in the book are joined to create an actual document. That's also a helpful resource, and the idea for the game they describe there isn't bad, either! (though it does strike me as amusing that what they described in 2006 as an innovative game is pretty much par the course in 2014 - they basically describe a more combat-oriented and open-world Amnesia: The Dark Descent)

Everything else is fine, but not revolutionary. Still, I can recommend this book if you can borrow it from somebody (like I did). The prices I've seen on this one are rather high, and I can't say that this 260-pager is worth it.

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Jul 12, 2014 Anushka Aritri rated it really liked it

Was a pretty solid read for me. As a newbie who was looking for a good comprehensive guide on Game Writing and Design - I got various my time's worth. The honest insight, the rich narrative full of game references, the very useful templates and milestones that the book covers, really is relevant to the aspiring game writer or design that is about to embark into the gaming industry.

The only thing - if I must be nitpicky at all about the reading experience - was that at times the writer went off

The only thing - if I must be nitpicky at all about the reading experience - was that at times the writer went off on a slight tangent, and that the content could have been organized differently. However, I still maintain that I took a lot more away from reading it than if I had opted not to.

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May 06, 2010 Janelle rated it it was ok

I read the first 20 or 30 pages and found them reasonably engaging and informative. The book faced two problems in sustaining my interest, however. The first was that it read very much the same as a million other writing advice books. The second was simply that it is hard to find advice--no matter how good--interesting in the long term unless you are faced with a specific project or problem to which to apply it. At this point in time, I am not. I may return to this book in the future, hopeful wi I read the first 20 or 30 pages and found them reasonably engaging and informative. The book faced two problems in sustaining my interest, however. The first was that it read very much the same as a million other writing advice books. The second was simply that it is hard to find advice--no matter how good--interesting in the long term unless you are faced with a specific project or problem to which to apply it. At this point in time, I am not. I may return to this book in the future, hopeful with better results. ...more

May 29, 2014 Ryan Relyt marked it as to-read

I'm very good with video games and I have a wide imagination so when I grow up I want to be a game designer. So recommend this book for people with great technology experiences, and a great imaginative mind. When I was a little younger I was always told you creative imagination of building or making is unable to do. This is what I say to that if you can think it then it's possible even if it's small like a model. I'm very good with video games and I have a wide imagination so when I grow up I want to be a game designer. So recommend this book for people with great technology experiences, and a great imaginative mind. When I was a little younger I was always told you creative imagination of building or making is unable to do. This is what I say to that if you can think it then it's possible even if it's small like a model. ...more

May 29, 2014 Adam Vine rated it it was amazing

Ultimate intro guide to story writing for games. Should be in any upcoming story-teller's arsenal, though, along with the DC Comics guide, Alan Moore's book on writing for comics, and King's "On Writing". Ultimate intro guide to story writing for games. Should be in any upcoming story-teller's arsenal, though, along with the DC Comics guide, Alan Moore's book on writing for comics, and King's "On Writing". ...more

Aug 01, 2014 Lucas rated it liked it

I enjoyed this book. it gave a lot of food on game design, I am surprised how similar it is to create writing.

May 24, 2012 Micah rated it liked it

This was a pretty good view of the process of creating a game -- from the game designer's perspective. Don't expect any code here. This was a pretty good view of the process of creating a game -- from the game designer's perspective. Don't expect any code here. ...more

Dec 15, 2015 Cortez_jk rated it really liked it

I didn't have to read much. I was only assigned to read a few chapters. What I did read I did enjoy. It's a good insight to another genre that I am fairly new to. I didn't have to read much. I was only assigned to read a few chapters. What I did read I did enjoy. It's a good insight to another genre that I am fairly new to. ...more