Writers Guild Welcomes Game Writers Into the Fold
As the writers’ strike drags into its third month, studios and the Writers Guild of America still haven’t made nice. In the meantime, the WGA and gaming are getting downright cozy with each other. Early on in the strike, Variety recommended game writing work to striking writers, and in October, the Writers Guild announced plans to honor videogame writing for the first time at the 2008 Writers Guild Awards in Los Angeles this February. “Writers are finally being recognised and valued in the videogame industry. Both artistically and financially, videogames matter - and videogame writers matter to the WGA,” said WGA-West New Media Caucus member Jay Lender. GamesIndustry.biz has a full list of the nominees, which include The Simpsons Game, Dead Head Fred, and Clash of the Titans. Among those nominated for writing excellence were Sande Chen and Anne Toole, who will lead a Core Conversation titled “Creating Passionate Games: A Multidisciplinary Approach” at the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival.