80°

Why Writing Video Game Protagonists is the Hardest Job Ever

WC writes: Computer game writers have one hell of a job in front of them. Not only do they have to write stories that lend themselves to the interactivity that games offer, but they have to write characters that do the same. Writing the protagonist of a game, is not the same as writing the protagonist in any other medium. Why? Because of the player, of course. The player is the ultimate unreliable narrator.

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whatculture.com
claud34228d ago

I bet its not. Claude was i guess " hard " to write for as he was double crossed and mute... simple, he was straight forward. So why can't all of them be like that

Disco Downey4228d ago

Game writing in itself is very hard to write properly.

Gamers want branching stories. In this case, its nearly impossible to put in proper foundations to any plot/sub-plot. Especially relationships.

Another problem is the structure of games. You need to break up the story with a lot of gameplay. So theres a break from a lot of the emotional impact from one scene to the next.

M1chl4228d ago

Have you played Alpha Protocol or Witcher 2? I think those games provide things you've just write about. Its possible, but you just have to have a good writer. Very few games have good writing, even the most praiced games this gen have really sub-par writing.

iamnsuperman4228d ago

I agree especially about the emotional impact. Emotional impact in games is very rare to come across because the story is often broken up by gameplay (which is needed really as it is a game after all).

abzdine4228d ago (Edited 4228d ago )

character design is for me the toughest job in gaming especially if the guy has to make something unique and different from what the others are doing.

Writer seems a little easier because there are ups and downs in all games regarding scenario and that's ok with me as long as the environment and design is solid.

Gameplay guys are also having one hell of a job. and i dont know why you are taking example of GTA it's all about bad language nothing wow about scenario and character writing but for games like Heavy Rain where scenario and interactions between protagonists is crucial i understand writing could be really tough.

We saw that with LA Noire where dialogues are boring and dont provide any excitment, that's what i felt at least.

strauser3604228d ago

How about giving the protagonist a personality. I wouldnt really call that hard.

MasterD9194227d ago

I think structuring the writing for a game is a lot harder than writing down the subject matter.

It isn't easy like a movie script. However, thinking of protagonists and/or antagonists seems pretty easy to me. Yet, we still get plenty of bland and dime-a-dozen protagonists in games these days.

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110°

Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."

CrimsonWing693h ago

I don’t think anything can compare to 2023

lucasnooker3h ago

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

KyRo3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.

Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.

CrimsonWing693h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.

Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:

- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2

I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.

Profchaos0m ago

Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.

I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.

I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution.

But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.

100°

L.A. Noire And Bully — Rockstar's Lost Gems That Deserve A Sequel As Much As GTA

Hanzala from eXputer: "I do appreciate GTA 6, Rockstar, but if I could trade it for a new L.A. Noire or a Bully game, I'd do so in a heartbeat."

Skuletor18d ago

How are they lost? You can get L.A. Noire on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch and Bully is on the PS5 and Xbox Series too.

Psychonaut8518d ago

I want a new Manhunt game. But that will never happen.

Demetrius18d ago

Mfs are too sensitive nowadays and would cry instead of being concerned bout real world problems

Demetrius18d ago

Whenever gta 6 launch we won't be getting another rockstar title for another 10 years lol but on the positive side they bou to come back n show how open world supposed to be done 🔥

Skuletor18d ago

I won't expect any singleplayer DLC like IV's The Lost & Damned or The Ballad of Gay Tony after it launches either

100°

What The Next-Gen Max Payne Remake Could Look Like

Following the remake announcement of the Max Payne remakes, the internet exploded with ideas of what it could look like.

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fortressofsolitude.co.za
isarai29d ago

Just look at Alan Wake 2, it quite literally has the exact same character. This model in This article looks nothing like any rendition of max

FPS_D3TH28d ago

I don’t think about what he’s going to look like so much as I wonder as to what he’ll sound like after James Mcaffery passed away suddenly last year. He was the voice of Max Payne and it’s hard for me to imagine Max voiced by anyone else.

mkis00728d ago

Why would they need new voice-overs? I imagine the lines will be the same. It's story is part of the appeal and the delivery of the dialogue, especially during the comic scenes is iconic to me. They may have had the idea to add more lines, but I think the path is clear with him gone now.

FPS_D3TH27d ago

It’s a remake. Not a remaster and it combines both games. I’d be willing to bet $100 a lot changes.

Auron28d ago

More like max will be changed to maxine