GCG.com: What's the best thing about working in video games from your job perspective?
AT: The glamour! Seriously, the best part about the game industry is the people. Game professionals are more open, genuine, nerdy, and fun than most people I know. It's a pleasure working with creative people so passionate about what they do. Of course, you find plenty of people like that in Hollywood, but they tend to be a bit more ... mercenary, to put it kindly.
The best thing about making games is creating something that will delight and entertain people. One reviewer of a game I wrote said she actually burst out laughing upon hearing my dialog. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that I've been able to touch someone in that way.
SC: I wholeheartedly agree. There's nothing like the feeling of knowing that you helped create this amazing experience for a player. I fall in love with every game story that I work on, enough so that I can envision countless stories, sequels, movies, and books all emanating from within this one world. You have to love games to be in game development.
But I also love the adventure. Who knows what kind of story we'll be working on next? Each game is an opportunity to learn about so many different things. We hadn't read Sapkowski before working on The Witcher, but we soon learned why his books are considered The Lord of the Rings of Eastern Europe.
GCG.com: What's the worst thing or most frustrating thing about working in the game industry from your job perspective?
AT: I'm going to go with the fact that the industry is so spread out geographically. While I like to travel, it's very difficult to move to a completely different state every two years, like so many people I've seen. And this is coming from someone who moved a lot when growing up.
Sande and I are fortunate in that we can live almost anywhere and still provide contract services. I do think, however, that having the industry spread out makes it a lot easier to make friends when joining a new company, and may contribute to the open, less provincial attitude of those in the game industry.
SC: I wish there were more women working in game development today. That's why I've been involved with groups like Girls in Games, IGDA, and WIGI. I feel it's important for Anne and me to be visible and outspoken to show young women that it's possible to have a career in game development. We both enjoyed and knew about games, but in high school, it never crossed our minds that we could actually be game developers.
GCG.com: Any final thoughts?
AT: While both of us went the circuitous route to games, we wouldn't trade it for anything. Okay, maybe I could have used fewer canceled TV shows, but that's another story.
Our diverse education helps us understand game production, from programming to art. In today's competitive industry, being able to wear more than one hat is a definite plus. As writers and designers, our knowledge of and experience in different economies and cultures set us apart. At the time we were working on The Witcher, the books hadn't yet been published in English. Fortunately, because I had studied French in high school, I was able to read the French translation, which helped us with our job.
If I regret anything about my education, it wasn't that I studied too many subjects; it was that I didn't study enough. I could have audited or taken more classes pass/fail. I've long held to the old adage, "Nothing is wasted on a writer." These days we should say, "Nothing is wasted on a game developer."
SC: We've both worked outside and inside game companies. We understand what it's like to be under deadline. We've been there. As a producer, I've outsourced content and I know what I would want from my outsourcer. We started the Writers Cabal Blog so that developers could better understand how to deal with outside writers. We want to make working with writers not only a smart choice, but also a painless one.
GCG: What advice do you have for people who are trying to break into the game industry?
AT: I had a great formal education that I can always fall back on when I need story ideas. That said, I've also learned a lot by apprenticing myself to some great writers in Hollywood. Whether you go to a great school or end up having to teach yourself, it'll take a lot of hard work and dedication.
GCG.com: What games are you playing now?
SC: I'm playing an MMORPG-in-progress as well as a lot of casual games, also in-progress! So it goes in game development.
AT: I'm playing the same MMORPG-in-progress. I also just started with Second Life, which isn't technically a game. So I may be doing that for a few days or a few months. Who knows?
