Magic Thursday: Writing for computer games with Theresa Fuller!

 

I am a writer.

I am a writer learning to write computer games.

Here is a typical game.

Link to Youtube clip

For the gamers, this is a no-brainer. The game above is an extremely popular game called Super Mario.

Here is another game.

Link

Again, an easy answer for the gamers. This is Final Fantasy. The Final Fantasy series has been going on for years.

So, what is the difference between these two games?

Basically, the first game Super Mario has no storyline. Or a very simple one.

Princess Peach gets kidnapped by Bowzer. Mario saves her.

This game is what is called a Platformer, where the character jumps and skips over obstacles to achieve his goal. There is no significant narrative or dialogue.

Final Fantasy, however, is full of story/narrative.

This second type of game is the type of game that I am writing about. I am in the process of producing a game. Which is a long and expensive process.

As writers we write books. We do a lot of research when we write. However, the actual writing is not as expensive as producing a game.

Here is an example of the difference.

I take these lines from the beginning of my first book – The Ghost Engine.

"There were times Berd wished she could speak with the dead. Today was one of them.

Light from the ormolu chandelier set in the domed ceiling of the auction house foyer fell upon the sign ‘Auction: Deceased Estate’ written in black type that crouched like spider’s legs."

Now these first lines could possibly be voiced over, but for those who work in the games industry, we know that voice actors are expensive, and this format is normally used by the AAA studios i.e. the big guns. Most indie studios do not have the budget for this.

So, most likely such lines would appear typed onto a screen.

There were times Berd wished she could speak with the dead. Today was one of them.

To do so would require a programmer or a game designer or even an artist who knew what they were doing.

Let’s look at the next paragraph.

Light from the ormolu chandelier set in the domed ceiling of the auction house foyer fell upon the sign ‘Auction: Deceased Estate’ written in black type that crouched like spider’s legs.

Now we wouldn’t want to type everything. It would be boring for the gamer. We would most likely get an artist to illustrate the above chandelier.

Artists and programmers get paid per hour and the illustration and programming would take more than a  few hours, so therefore making games is expensive.

A single person could on their own make a game. Here is the example by Toby Fox. The game that Toby made is legendary – Undertale.

But few people know how to make an entire game by themselves and even Toby had a little help. Mostly games are made up of teams. Teams generally consist of a game designer, 2-3 artists and a programmer.

Basically…

• A game designer is the person who designs a game.
• The artists produce the assets.
• While the programmer codes the game.

Here is an example of an asset in the making. The game that I am making with my team is about a mousedeer family. Here is what my artist created.

An artist will spend some time designing characters for the game. A character would need a walk cycle, a run cycle etc.

Here is a run cycle animation.

The artists will also need to create the settings. Here is what my artist created.

For those of you who remember growing up with CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE GAMES, writing a game is kinda like that.

Here is an example of part of the game that my son and I have written. Yes, my son is a game designer.

For those of you who have done script writing, you will see the similarities.

The game is meant to be played on the computer and we are aiming to release it on STEAM.

Games can be 2D or 2 ½ D or 3D.

NIGHT IN THE WOODS is an example of a 2D game.

Here is an explanation of 2 ½ D games 

An example of a 3D game

The first two characters in my game are NPCs. They are non-playable characters. The player cannot move them.

The two NPC characters talk and then the character Little May is programmed to move over to the main character – Kanchel.

This is how laborious making games is.

So why have I picked writing about games?

The games industry is way bigger than the publishing industry.

Games Industry worth = $240 billion

Publishing Industry = $132 billion

I just Googled these figures so I am sure that you will find similar results if you Google.

But who is the typical gamer?

Well, when my son was studying to be a gamer, I found out that the typical gamer was in their thirties. He was a male but now, a typical gamer is 51% more likely to be a female than a male.

Most games are made by game designers like my son – male, young in their twenties.

Where are the games for females?

When I walk into EB games the store assistants nod. They know I am just a mum. I am not their target market. Or am I?

Things are changing.

The typical gamer is now more likely to be female. Middle aged.  Yup!

Very few are writing for this new market. 

We need games written for women.

We are the new market.

Writers, there is an untapped market out there for us!

~~~

Theresa's latest release....

Where Cranes Weave and Bamboo Sings

The Write Start: A Visual Narrative Workbook for Teachers and Writers

Drawing on stories from around the world, Sydney author and teacher Theresa Fuller creates an easy to follow, visually stimulating workbook on creating narrative fiction. Suitable for all new writers from 7 years and older, it is a work that can be used by schools or individuals to learn the core elements of storytelling.

Buy

A&R | Amazon | B&N | Booktopia and all good bookshops.

Theresa Fuller 

Theresa Fuller was born in Singapore to Peranakan parents. She was encouraged in her writing by her teacher, Chia Hearn Chek, a well-known local author. Educated in Singapore and Australia, she worked as an analyst/programmer and later as a high school teacher. Her first short story THE CRICKET SON was published in VOICES OF THE PAST, An Anthology of Stories Passed Down In Australian Families.

Her breakthrough novel is the Steampunk YA THE GHOST ENGINE, published in March 2018. It won a mentorship at the Australasian Horror Writers’ Association. THE GHOST ENGINE combines her love of technology with her enthusiasm for Victorian England. 

Theresa currently resides with her family in Sydney, Australia.

You can find Theresa at her website: theresafuller.com.