 |
|
|
|
Jeff Spock's Blog
|
|
|
|
Game and fiction writer
- Kicked around three continents in three languages in the computer industry, doing everything from development to sales to management.
- In 2002 changed careers to writing.
- Currently has been lead or assistant writer on thirteen published titles across pretty much every platform and genre; one more title is coming in 2010 and (at least!) another in 2011.
Obsessions include storytelling and player experience in games, narrative design and delivery, character development, and the impact of genre (game and literary) on storytelling.
|
Expert Blogs
|
DEVELOP salary survey -- Way to go, guys! |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:19:00 EST in
Business
|
| Another annual survey is up, and I can only congratulate DEVELOP magazine for their bold decision to exclude any role that includes the title "writer" or "narrative" from the survey. |
| Read More... | 1 Comments |
|
"Short Games, Long Stories" |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:26:00 EDT in
Game Design
|
| This is a link to a an article I did for the IGDA Newsletter about writing for casual games. Its goal is to suggest some of the shortcuts that might be helpful to transmit a fairly rich story in a limited space. |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
|
Why It's Harder to Write Stories for Games Than Any Other Medium |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:48:00 EST in
Game Design
|
| Non-linearity is generally trumpeted as the biggest problem for a game writer or narrative designer. This is not always the case -- after all, there are relatively linear games. In my opinion the real complexity lies in the nature of game design itself. |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
Voice Acting and Game Development  |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:25:00 EST in
|
| A recent article in the L.A. Times dealt with voice actors in games and their working conditions. Having spent a lot of time in the studio, I wanted to point out a few errors in the article and present the game developer's point of view. |
| Read More... | 13 Comments |
|
When Designers Have Story Problems |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:31:00 EDT in
Game Design
|
| It occasionally happens that designers are frustrated by a writer who imposes 'his' story on 'their' level or game design. Here are five reasons why this might happen, and why the writer may not be the guilty party. |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
|
What Is A Good Game Story? |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:37:00 EDT in
Game Design
|
| Are the fundamentals of a good story medium-dependent, or is there such a thing as a universally 'good' story regardless of delivery? This is a question that I would like to address during the next few posts; it may or may not be answerable. |
| Read More... | 19 Comments |
[More Jeff Spock Blogs]
Jeff Spock's Comments
|
Comment In: Opinion: Because We Have Stories Too [News - 09/06/2011 - 04:26]
|
I'm happy to say that ... I'm happy to say that the Heroes of Might Magic games from Ubisoft include: - Women as lead characters and heroes of campaigns, who - Talk to other women about a lot of things that have nothing to do with men, and - Wear armor that protects them It's a ... |
|
Comment In: Opinion: Playing God - A Call For New Universe Creation In Games [News - 03/25/2010 - 05:41]
|
I'm not sure that this ... I'm not sure that this is entirely fair. If you have an established IP, be it Modern Warfare or Mario or Final Fantasy, the question is never going to be: In what world can I best tell this story Obviously, the question is going to be: What story can I ... |
|
Comment In: Analysis: The Sexual Politics Of Uncharted 2 [News - 01/04/2010 - 08:48]
|
I think that what Naughty ... I think that what Naughty Dog mastered in this game was the art of storytelling for a linear gameplay experience. The story development, timing, and presentation were evidently carefully considered and brilliantly executed. Among Thieves will not be forgotten it will be a reference when critics and reviewers point to ... |
|
Comment In: Opinion: The Sexual Politics Of Prince Of Persia [News - 11/30/2009 - 05:59]
|
I think one of the ... I think one of the most powerful comments on the PoP3 style is the fact that the lead character actually has a character, rather than the generic, bland, seen-it-six-billion-times Indy Jones clone. I think it is an interesting data point in the on-going discussion of immersion, narrative linearity, and identification ... |
|
Comment In: Voice Acting and Game Development [Blog - 12/08/2009 - 04:25]
|
At the moment, there are ... At the moment, there are no residuals that I know of for any artistic work done by freelancers on a video game graphic artist, writer, actor, etc. . The question of 'expectation' was raised by the article, and my general point is that the current structure of the game business ... |
|
Comment In: What Is A Good Game Story? [Blog - 06/25/2009 - 12:37]
|
Thanks to everyone who has ... Thanks to everyone who has been keeping this discussion active while I've been chasing deadlines... Louis, my whole premise is based on artistic constraint. Bach did pretty well even when he decided that he would limit himself to a concerto format. I am assuming that certain types of stories don't ... |
[More Jeff Spock Comments]
|
|
