Why games push writers to the edge

Video game writers may still be slaves to their hardware but their imaginations can cross boundaries on the computer screen that Hollywood has to fight to match, writes JOE GRIFFIN

SCRIPTWRITERS AND novelists, artists, photographers and animators, actors, producers and directors – the videogame industry has developed into a magnet for a diversity of creative talents. Jon Paquette, a laid-back and amiable 30-something, studied screenwriting before landing a job at Dreamworks Interactive – a company part-owned by movie mogul and avid gamer Steven Spielberg.

Along the way he also penned the screenplay for a prize-winning film The Subcandidate. Having worked on the lucrative Medal of Honorseries, he's moved on to the forthcoming Resistance 3. The Resistanceseries blends sci-fi with war movies to tell the alternate history of an alien invasion. Think of it as, stylistically, a cross between Saving Private Ryanand District 9.

While the previous games focused on the military struggle, Resistance 3looks at the conflict from a civilian point of view. But, as with countless video games, the Resistanceseries revels in alternative history.

What’s the appeal? “I think it’s appealing in general,” says Paquette. “There are a lot of novels that use it. Harry Turtledove is an author who loves that genre. And movies do it too. But it’s an interesting hook to think about what if? That’s a good starting point for a story. What if aliens invaded in 1951 and came through Europe? What would have happened then? It’s a fun way to think about the world.”

Games have more success than films when it comes to mixing genres (both artistically and commercially). You need only look at the countless successful genre-bending games. As well as Resistance, titles such as BioShockand Assassin's Creed, which mix science fiction with period pieces, and futuristic horror like Dead Space. Yet when film studios try it – in movies such as Wild Wild West, Jonah Hexand the recent Cowboys and Aliens, it is less successful.

Paquette argues that “games are categorised differently, mainly by their style of game-play. First-person-shooter is a game genre and within that you can have a sci-fi western or vampire romance or something like that. As soon as players know it’s a first-person-shooter they know what kind of game they’ll play. Then we can have more freedom within the genre – the traditional film genre – from there.”

A different challenge for a videogame writer is the technical limitations. One would imagine that, because games are animated, they’re only limited by developers’ imaginations. Not so, says Paquette: “In an ideal world [anything is possible] but we’re also slaves to the hardware. So if, say, I want 1,000 guys on screen, we have to make technical trade-offs to make that happen. And the player wants to have an experience in which they’re fully in control.

“If we had control of the world, we could take more advantage of the technology, but since the player controls it, we have to make sure the world is always working correctly. In a sense we’re more worried about what the tech can do.”

Screenwriters and novelists are increasingly moving across to games (see panel) but not only is the entire creative process different, so is the way that the industry communicates with its fans. Developers of video game sequels are especially open to what the gaming community has to say; suggestions, corrections and even map designs from fans have been known to creep into game sequels.

"It reflects the interactive nature of games," says Cameron Christian, senior designer for Resistance 3. "Books and movies are one-way [conversations] but, since we're about interaction, that carries over into our community relationships."

Indeed, it’s a reflection of game development in general. Every step is collaborative, even the traditionally solitary role of writer. “With a film,” says Paquette, “when you write a script, that script is a finished product and people treat it as bible for production. They take it to the set and try to make it come to life. A game is a more organic process – it evolves because you have to play it [as you develop it] to get a feel for what’s fun. ‘Fun’ is very difficult to pin down. That’s why, when you’re making a game, you’re constantly changing things, so it’s constant rewriting.

“You’re not just working on a page; you’re working as part of the team. They’re giving you ideas and you’re giving them suggestions for various parts of the game; whether it’s sound, animation, or FX or whatever. You’re working very closely with a team to bring that vision into the game.”

One of the biggest challenges for any kind of writer is the dreaded expository dialogue (which explains the story). Writing naturalistic dialogue is difficult at the best of times, and writing that dialogue while also shoe-horning in key plot points can be a nightmare for writers. This challenge is compounded in video games, in which momentum and action are paramount. Is it hard to do convincingly?

“It is,” admits Paquette, with a knowing smile. “You have to learn the art of economy because any time you stop the action to explain something gamers throw up their arms and say ‘I hate this!’ We have different tools with which to tell the story of the game: we use the textures on the wall and the sounds of the environment. We need to lean on those rather than stopping the game and having someone talk to the player. That works, but it’s not the best way to communicate with a player. Yes, you do need exposition, but it’s one of those things that has got to be done!”

Resistance 3is released on September 9th for Playstation 3.

CROSSING OVER

ALEX GARLAND, author of The Beach, has recently dabbled in screenwriting (including Sunshineand Never Let me Go) and videogame writing. In the latter category, he delivered the acclaimed Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, a sci-fi game that re-imagines the old Chinese adventure, Journey to the West.

JOHN MILIUS, screenwriter of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Conanfilm and co-writer of Apocalypse Nowbrought his war movie sensibilities to the shooter, Homefront.

Horror writer CLIVE BARKERhas worked in the medium too, consulting on plot and character background for Clive Barker's Undying, among other games.

FLINT DILLE, having worked on numerous animated projects (including a sequel to An American Tail) now works mainly in videogames, most notably Dead to Rights.