Allen Warner

How Ginger Fox Games Ltd created games for Back to the Future, Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park… In this Mojo Nation interview, the lovely Benji Toner-Clewes discusses the development of four mini games with Universal Pictures / Universal Pictures International Entertainment and Amblin Entertainment. https://lnkd.in/e2hZkzDf

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Writing the big cinematic scene might sound like the exciting part, but games need writers for far more than dialogue. Tutorials need to teach without overwhelming the player. Item descriptions can build an entire world in a few lines. Even rules and interface text need to communicate information clearly while still feeling like part of the game. For aspiring games writers, the less glamorous writing can be some of the best evidence that you understand how interactive storytelling actually works. #GamesWriting #GameWriter #GamingCareers #WritingCareers #CreativeCareers #CareerNavig8r

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I've heard a lot of things as a writer, and even had folks say to my face that they don't value the skills of writers, but they word it in a deceptive way. "With current tech, we could have infinite dialogue and quests!" Why? For a single player game, why do we need this? Attempts to make "infinite quests" turned out to be repetitive and lacking substance. Because ultimately they do. Stories are supposed to end. Whether its for an NPC or the game itself. That is the beauty of it. I would rather short and poignant and memorable as both a gamer and creator. Key details and story is all people need to know. Respect your players time. And on top of that, respect human writers. The stories and side quests written by them are the ones that are fondly remembered. There are no short cuts to creating something incredible.

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This whole thing where writers say they can only write at a certain time, they need the right music, the right coffee, the right atmosphere. That’s not real. You could do it without all of that if you actually wanted to. I used to say I can’t write during the day. Only at night. With the right music. Guess who writes whenever now? Me. Because all of that was just excuses dressed up as a process. When writing becomes a real job and it actually matters, you write regardless of the atmosphere. The mood doesn’t have to be right. The conditions don’t have to be perfect. The job just gets done.

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Have you ever wondered why #stardewvalley​ hasn't been made into a movie yet? This is one of the most popular games of all time -- surely it'd be easy to do! .... Right? Maybe not 🤔 In my latest video, I dive deep into what makes a video game ideal for film / tv adaptation, and why making a Stardew Valley movie might be harder than you'd think. Check out the full video with gameplay and a feature film adaptation pitch here: https://lnkd.in/gaHbaUSD . . . . #adaptation #videogame #gaming #readercomments #filmindustry #screenwriting #moviebusiness #gameplay

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We shouldn't have called it Writer's Block. Scary term, like it's a concrete wall between you and the words. It's a search for a path through the vines and thorns to the story you want. It's your brain telling you, "Wait. Think. Listen." It's just another tool in your toolbox.

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You never know when that online course in Mesoamerican history you took ten-plus years ago is going to come in handy when editing a sci-fi tabletop roleplaying game. #AmEditing, #TTRPG

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Most people think the blank page is a test. It isn’t. It’s a surface. “Looking back, all these lenses—systems, voice, modularity, translation, articulation—weren’t separate lessons. They were pieces of a single architecture. And what they ultimately taught me is something I wish someone had told me at the beginning: You never have to face the blank page. Not really. Not if you understand the structure beneath what you’re trying to make.” I spent years thinking clarity was something you earn after enough experience. It turns out clarity is something you can build—if you understand the architecture underneath your work. If this resonates, the full essay is in the comments.

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