I’m a gamer from way back. My dad brought home the original NES one day about twenty some years ago, and since them I’ve been hooked. In the early days, my brother and I played out our on screen adventures on a little black and white television as my parents were afraid that hooking the system to the living room TV would ruin it in short order, under the possibly dubious assumption that game systems were bad for televisions. We upgraded when my parents bought a new TV and allowed us to use their hand me down TV. Let me tell you, that was a huge improvement!
My brother and I spent hours and hours lost in the gaming world. Legend of Zelda, Mario, Metroid, Final Fantasy, and many, many more games. Eventually, when we got a computer, we got games for that as well. Point being, I’ve played a LOT of video games in my time. And I think that it has made me a better writer. That might seem like a funny thing to say, given gaming’s reputation for rotting the minds of the younger generation, but really when you look at the medium closely it becomes obvious it isn’t so strange at all.
The key is that games are interactive. Certainly, a book puts you in a character’s head and lets you see the world through their eyes. A movie does the same, although in a different way. But in a game, you get to control the story! Sure there are set points for advancement through every story, but you have to figure out how to get there. Even if it’s a simple platformer like Mario, you still have to figure out how to get through the level to get to the castle at the end (only to inevitably find the princess isn’t there!). Games allow you to explore, to play, in a way that books and movies never can. They actually encourage creativity and a sense of curiosity, especially adventures and RPGs.
Plus, games can give you a basic idea of how to put a story together. Usually the story line in a game leaves a lot to be desired in terms of depth and content (especially older games, with some notable exceptions such as Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6), but in a very basic sense they illustrate what a plot ought to be. Take Super Mario Bros, for example. The story problem is that Bowser has kidnapped the Princess. Mario has to go on a journey to save her, fighting through Bowser’s minions the whole way, until the final confrontation and the resolution, where our plucky plumber hits a switch and dumps the fiendish Bowser into a pool of lava.
Notice how Bowser is the engine of the story’s conflict. He wants to keep the princess, and Mario wants to save her. This basic conflict drives the entire game, just as the basic conflict between your protagonist and Final Boss in a story should drive the story conflict. Also, as Mario approaches his objective, the obstacles in front of him become increasingly difficult to surmount. Believe me, the last few levels of SMB get pretty hairy!
Then comes the climactic confrontation with Bowser, where we learn how NOT to tell a story. You see, it is rare for a boss fight in a video game to live up to the hype; the Big Baddie usually turns out to be a Big Wuss. Take Mario, for example. Sure there is more stuff flying around and what not, but really the battle with Bowser is no different than the battle with the bosses at the end of every level previous. In a book, you can’t let the climactic battle flop. It has to be gloves off, no holds barred, and mind blowing. You’ve ratcheted up the tension and hopefully have your reader with a white knuckle grip on your book, feverishly turning the pages to see what happens next. Make the release of tension explosive!
Once the battle with Bowser is over, the resolution comes. You finally find the princess and credits roll. Now the ending of a book has to be a bit more emotionally satisfying than that, but the principle remains. You have to tie up the loose ends and satisfactorily end the story conflict. Games have an edge over books in this department, as the pay off comes from the conquest. You fought HARD to get to the end, and even if its just a cheesy line of dialog from a pixelated lady then credits, it feels really good to see that. However, an author can simulate this feeling of payoff by really toying with their readers, by making them sweat for the protagonist all through the story. If you do your job right, the reader should be really anxious by the time the climax roles around, feeling like they’ve been through the ringer right along with the character. It might not be the same as battling through the mayhem with a digital avatar, but it’s close!
So, writers, don’t feel bad when you indulge your gaming habit. You’re making yourself a better writer, and having a blast doing it.
I’m not a game player but a game watcher. There are some amazing game stories out there! I love Mass Effect, though the 3rd one left a better ending to be desired. Red Dead Redemption made me cry! Great game! Chrono Trigger was epic! Games tell great stories and shoukd be studied just like movies and books by us storytellers!
They should be! Writers who disregard games are truly mising out. Oh and Chrono Trigger is one of my favorite games of all time. I’m probably about due for a replay, haha
I’m hoping to get my hubby a SNES for Christmas so he can play through it again. It’s also his favorite game. :-)
Do you know who Chris Kluwe is? I read an interview with him recently in which he stated that how he articulated himself in his most famous (I’d say) blog was a direct result of his Warcraft hobby. Many other factors were involved, but that was one of them. While not every blog need be so colorfully written, all of the things we partake in and interact with shape our selves and our writing–to oversimplify what you stated so enjoyable above! :p
No but I’ll have to use my Google-Fu to find him, haha. I think it’s definitely true to say that when you write, you’re mining all your experiences. That includes every piece of entertainment you’ve partaken of, books or otherwise. Oh and we still do have that original NES I mentioned in the post (the old black and white TV went the way of the dinosaur though!). It still works…kinda. You really have to WANT to play it, haha. I prefer emulators of various sorts when nostalgia dictates I game old school =D
Great post! Congratulations on being FP! :)
I agree, there’s some video games out there that are so good that I wish they were a book which I wrote. Haha! Is it just me?
You are awesome! I have searched high and low for a good reason to neglect writing so I can play Call of Duty and now I have it! Thank you!
Awesome post, by the way.
haha hey no problem! I’m nothing if not a video game enabler ;)
Die hard Halo fan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngjcAvg6TYg
O – H!
Coming up with a video game alone takes a lot of creativity so it definitely makes sense that such things would make a person a better writer. wow, never thought of it that way. Thanks for writing such an awesome post!
One of my favourite games is The Sims. The only reason I actually play it is because it gives you a chance to create your own stories through these sims. The scope with it is extremely broad and I just love making dramatic stories with the characters I have created.
I’ve never been much of a gamer, and I never really liked them, but I’m glad that you like them and that they improve your writing. By the way, what do you think of that game Super Meat Boy? My friend says it’s awesome, but in terms of story, I just think it seems just a little repetitive.
I’ve never heard of that one. Most video games really don’t have a story to speak of. Mario only has an extremely basic one, but I think part of why it is so compelling is that is has a very basic and intuitive plot everyone can understand, just like a good book.
aren’t there some plot heavy video games, though? i think the assassin’s creed games are supposed to be like that, as well as “visual novels” from japan…or so i hear.
Oh yeah there certainly are. Most RPG’s from the old days were fairly plot heavy, and more modern games are probably more so. Just many have fairly simple plots at their core, as in “The protag wants one thing, but the villain wants another thing, and they are in conflict because of this”. For this example, Mario wants to save the princess, while Bowser wants to keep her. That is your conflict that drives the entire story. At their core you can boil down most great stories to a simple formula like that.
that’s another reason why i prefer tv shows, films and novels, i guess; more depth to the plots. however, like you said, some video games are plot-heavy, and if I ever design a video game someday, it’ll be plot heavy too.
Yes, yes, yes! I’m a die hard gamer who loves writing about the medium, and this is so true; video games has helped me evolve my own style while providing me with endless inspiration. Great post!
Great post and congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
I 100% agree. I am a life-long gamer, but I’ve also dabbled in a little creative writing from time to time. I largely credit video games as the major source of my love for not only science fiction and fantasy novels, but philosophy, religion, and literary as well.
That may sound like a stretch, but when I was younger, I really loved Final Fantasy games. As many of the series’ creatures are named after real world mythological deities and monsters, I used the game to bridge myself into reading Homer and Virgil and various folk tales and stories.
Even outside of narrative direction, video games do a very good job of exposing individuals to a variety of new perspectives and situations. They can also put you in situations that a movie or book might not always capture perfectly, i.e. a rough patch where survival feels nearly tantamount to its real world counterpart. Books and movies can and do function as experiences, but not as naturally as a good video game: which I believe broadens the author’s palette from which to paint.
I love the Final Fantasy games! I was thinking about talking about Final Fantasy 6 in this post (my favorite of the series) but I picked Mario because A) it was simpler and B) more people have probably heard of it. Judging by the response so far, I chose well haha
While in my situation it doesn’t necessarily make me a better writer, I feel that games definitely help boost creativity. I’m pursuing a major in something rather abstract, theater lighting. I have to say that gaming has helped me be more open to some of the bizarre ideas of colors and types of lighting (especially recently with the amazing graphics of games). I am an avid gamer from the age of 3 (with Sonic, Mario, and many other classics) and don’t plan on stopping.
Very interesting. I can see how gaming would help you with your career in lighting. I know it’s a bit dated, but I think that LoZ: Ocarina of Time had some wonderful lighting effects, especially for its day. For you the high horse power games like Crysis and what not must really be a treat!
Very honest post. I’ve always known that you can learn a lot from playing games, but I really liked the way you linked it to writing because I’ve never thought of that before!
You’ll never quite see Mario the same way again will ya? haha
Definitely, not. But I’m not complaining!
Reblogged this on Attic Nights and commented:
In stead of indulging in games, I would suggest “live harder, that really helps you writing”.
only in the same way that smoking pot can help with your writing.
I’m a gamer, and boy, video games sure have sparked my imagination ever since I was a kid. I like games with interesting stories and flashy action, like Kingdom Hearts.
I still need to play Kingdom Hearts. We didn’t get a playstation until fairly late so we missed a lot of games on there, haha. I played a lot of RPGs and adventures growing up. Mario, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, etc =D
All’s fair in love and war! Whatever works!
Amazing. Never thought that gaming would give me more perspective for writing.
This was an encouraging post to read–I’ve had major writer’s burn-out lately, and have been playing the stories of games in place of creating my own. I hadn’t thought of this idea that I might be aiding, not killing, the brain cells that help me be creative.
I was more of a PC gamer than anything else, but even there lies an example of fun games sparking the imagination: The scenarios and campaigns in Age of Kings were a childhood favorite of mine, and even though their base in real history was loose at best, I loved imagining that I was really there living and fighting those heroes’ brave struggles.
Oh I loved Age of Kings! We played the heck out of that one, haha. I’ve become a PC gamer more so in recent years. It’s a bit easier to get a hold of them these days, and a lot of them have more staying power. I think anything that engages your brain cells can help you be creative, be it games or otherwise!
This is so true! One of the main reasons I came to love writing was because I played the Myst games so much when I was younger. They instilled in me a love of “exploring strange new worlds” and a fascination in the way things work. If it wasn’t for Myst, I wouldn’t have a great portion of my knowledge of world building and character development.
For me, it was Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy that had huge impacts. Just the wonder of exploring a huge world full of treasure, monsters, and discovery has impacted my writing since day one. Oh and Castlevania as it helped me get interested in gothic/horror themed stuff haha. Thanks for commenting!
Andrew, I’m right up there with you. The thing I’ve enjoyed most about video games are the stories. And one of the greatest parts of a video game is the tension that can be built. From the challenges you’ve completed, the toughest parts, the long parts, building up to the climax.
And though there’s the ability to control the character’s fate, you also risk the chance of losing. That fear that your character will experience death, and all the work you’ve come up to at that point can be lost, pushes you even further and more invested in succeeding.
Fear is a powerful motivator, and so are rewards. Can I recommend Gamification by Design? The idea of progressive rewards, and being able to see that progress, is a powerful motivator to continue getting better. Those elements can be worked into stories as well.
I’ve never heard of that one. Is it new? I think fear is a great motivator. Fear is fun, when its safe, be it the fear of “falling” down a cliff or of loosing all your progress!
If you mean the book, yes. But it’s a book for system design, for computers or in general (like, Reward points for grocery shopping). Progress indicators, such as exp and character levels. The book is written by Gabe Zichermann and Christopher Cunningham.
Ohh…I was thinking it was a game for some reason, haha. That might be interesting. Thanks for pointing it out!
I haven’t played video games much in a while, but that isn’t to say they haven’t influenced what I write. Growing up I played more of the cartoonish games like Gex: enter the gecko and captain blasto and I don’t remember much what the hell else. Point is, the games were freaking trippy! Some of them were like running around in a desert in Looney Toons and nothing was ever the way it appeared, crazy and out-of-this-world — i think that’s where video games got me the most as writing goes, the trippy-cartoonish feel where anything can happen, where everything seems fun and whimsical but has those looming dangers ready to kill you.
Also, that feeling in games when you want to know what’s off screen, what’s going on past the boundaries you’re allowed to explore. You have to figure the world you’re playing in is a lot bigger and more complex than the areas you’re allowed to explore, and I always wanted more than that.
Outside writing, I’d have to say video games influenced my interest in psychedelics ;)
As a fellow gamer and writer, I give you a wondrous thump on the back for this post! Great, great words!
This is truly an amazing post. I’ve played video games on any console since I was a child but I never thought of connecting writing and gaming together until now. Thank you so much! :) (Now you’ve given me an excuse to do both).
Reblogged this on Tammy J Rizzo and commented:
And now I have a valid reason to play computer games instead of working on my novel! I’m still working on my writing, see? Yeah!
(Speaking of writing, I need to get cracking on those last 10K words!)
I think that gaming, writing and art can all be combined very easily. Thanks for sharing.
I’m a gamer and even designed for PC games for a few years when SSSI was still in business. So, two things: games, in general, are a great waste of time. Take the thousands of hours you’ve spent of your life playing games, and imagine you had done something productive with it…learning an instrument, writing, volunteering etc. The other is, yes, games can also broaden your horizon and can even help you to visualize things you will probably never actually experience: flying an airplane, urban combat, managing an economy/armies, etc. Actually playing these games will certainly benefit your writing to some degree. :)
I suspect a bit of it depends on what game you’re playing. There are games with great stories which really force you to empathise with your character and those who they encounter along the way, then there are other games where story is kept to a minimum. That’s not to say that they’re inferior games, it’s just that I can’t see Doom (for example) inspiring a high quality of writing in a young mind as opposed to something like Mass Effect.
As a gamer as well, the only impact gaming has on my writing is that I have to wrest myself away from the game in order to write!
haha well, you never know when inspiration might strike! If Doom was a mind blowing experience for someone, it could inspire them to write, say, a sci-fi horror story about demons on a space ship. I do agree though that some games are better than others. I picked a very simple example, but RPGs and adventures with deep world building and an emphasis on exploration would probably be best for this kind of thing.
I have been a gamer since I was young and still holding strong at 39. I am now teaching my son the art. Love that some of the stories in games rival the ones of movies and books.
Reblogged this on Rosetteismyname's Blog and commented:
Can Gaming help your writing? I might as well say that this survey study shows – one thing – NO – what are you talking about it is ridiculous – while the same surveyor created a different similar survey with at least one seeking gaming assist one with – well any way –
Gaming can lower stress, with it incorporated a certain way just as Gaming can increase stress in a different study incorporated a certain way. Typical impacts of how it is incorporated, with a routine of ordinary or not or with no rooutine of ordinary or not can impact from writings to stress. RESULT, ing in of course impacts on the completed writing – posted on word press.com
I was instructing a couple of years ago and asked for something I wanted with the writing. One, I styled, I created specifically – artistically redundant – nonetheless corrected correctly so wrong since, stated artistically redundant. CORRECT
(we’ll argue later)
I said, I want what you bring to me in your writing to state this to college students. Anyway – could gaming assist in their writing? At least of what I specifically requested. Well, this response as a reblog to this article, with mention of studies possibly taken into considerations starts off with they are a “Gamer from way back.” One attributes one thing activity, gaming to another of at times a discipline and begins with writing times from gaming helps writing and they have been gaming ‘from way back’ (when they may have been writing ‘from way back). The title and the first sentence. A page with an inclusive 9-12 pargraph possiblity in an 8 paragraph webpage placement look. Does the 8 paragraph page of ‘gaming from way back’ with writing ‘from way back’ correlational impact significant to writing to writing or specifically this particular individuals stated choices with saying gaming impacts writing…………..
Peace out!
Reblogged Response Written by: Rosette Jones
11/29/12
You mean, if I finish Skyrim and then play the Portal 2 expansion, it’ll help me write my memoir? ;)
Thank you for sharing your very interesting experience! I’m always interested in knowing why people love gaming and what they learn from it! Congrats on being FP!
It depends. Do you live, eat, and breathe Skyrim and portal 2? If that’s the case, then that will be a big part of your memoir so go ahead ;) haha. You’re welcome! I’ve always seen games as an alternate story telling medium, although it isn’t always the case that the story is very good, haha
Great article. I can certainly say that as a screenwriter and avid gamer, much of my material has influences from the my 20+ years of gaming.
I think you make an interesting connection between the plots of games and the plots of books. One of the best things a writer can do is to read, read, read; I guess, in a way, “reading” the stories we find in games is just another way to familiarize ourselves with the act of writing (after all, someone had to write the story line, right?).
Kudos on the FP! I’m now a follow!
Thanks you for your insight. It will be my first time playing RPG. Time is gold.
Well said! I just wrote a blog post a few days ago defending video games as literature… and my primary examples were many of the same classic NES games you mention. There is tremendous merit to these games!
For so long I’ve wanted to tell people that video games are so much more than mindless self-indulgence. And you proved it so eloquently. I myself am an aspiring writer, but I was very much a gamer first so naturally, both worlds usually ended up colliding. Strangely, I’ve always felt that video games complimented my writing in a way. But I never fully realized it until now. Brilliant post. Congrats on being Freshly Pressed. Keep writing and keep gaming!
Gaming sounds like a great way to improve my writing! I have really never thought of it this way. Thanks for this, and congratulations on making it in Freshly pressed. I really should get a new gaming console and immerse myself in this new opportunity at inspiration. Here’s a piece I did on gaming before http://bluescluesnotebookblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/no-place-in-the-world-for-a-teenage-boy-who-sucks-at-video-games/
Very well stated and presented. I’ve always been a fan of RPG gaming as a creativity booster for both children and adults and this sums up my reasoning very well. My own children enjoy gaming, though they are of course limited to one hour per day of that activity. I can honestly say that after their little gaming sessions they are FULL of ideas and questions. While I cannot say whether it has improved their writing for their school work directly, I do firmly believe the boost in creative thinking does indeed aide them in its own way.
Awesome perspective. I actually like to watch other people play games with great story lines, because it’s like a movie. Finding ways to be creative in lots of other places in life always helps stem more creativity in my writing. Thanks for a great post!
I took up gaming last week to get my mind off writing and what do you know..I found your post LOL
Totally agree on Final Fantasy 6. Amazing story. I also used to love the first two Monkey Islands for their surreal humor…
This reminds me of my old sega games.
I think writing in games have improved tremendously over the last decade. And they provide some awesome vocab too.
I am a gamer and have been my whole life, not just in the world of video games but even tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons. If you have not played any tabletop RPG’s than let me tell you a little bit about how they can help you with story telling while still having a blast.
These tabletop games are made up of players who control characters in a world that is created by the DM (Dungeon Master). The characters must interact with people in the world and even do quests in this world.The DM is responsible for creating everyone that they could meet, encounter, even just see while on the road.They also create the weather and everything else about this world. In continuous practice a DM should be able to modify and create new parts of the world as the characters interact with pieces of the world. I have been DMing for about 6 years and I have to say it is just like telling a story except you cannot control what the main characters do, they are controlled by whoever is sitting around the table with a sheet in front of them that says what their character is and what it is capable of.
With my current game I am running was able to make the players cry because of the interactions that their characters were having inside the world I had created. They were moved to tears because of the way I described the happenings that were going on around them in the game to their characters. But it was a huge compliment to me about how good my story was when I could make them cry over a piece of paper that was their character.
There is a series of books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, that was written about their characters and other party members that were in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, The first book of the series is Dragons of Autumn’s Twilight. It is an amazing read, the whole series is and it shows how gaming can truly make for some awesome stories.
I completely agree. In fact, I think the video game Final Fantasy IX actually INSPIRED me to write. Ever since I played that game I have become obsessed with fantasy and writing. I tried finding a better story and while I may have found a few good ones, I still can’t find much to compare to my treasure that is FFIX. That makes me sound kinda nerdy but there was just something about that story, the characters, everything that made me fall in love with fantasy and sci-fi. Now I’m working on a couple stories of my own, I got the main ideas but need to practice my actual writing skills first.
Cheers~!
I definitely think you’re right here…I’ve been a gamer for years and am currently writing a fantasy book…I didn’t put the two together until I read your post! Good to read :-)
This is a really timely post for me! I’ve been fairly addicted to a game called Persona 4 lately and have been feeling somewhat guilty about it when I realize the time I’ve sunk into it (the game tells you your cumulative play time at every savepoint…).
The only saving grace has been that the writing is fantastic and the game is incredibly strategy-oriented, which keeps me thinking that I’m sharpening my mind (suuure I am). It’s certainly inspiring a few short pieces I’ve been cultivating.
Anyway, thanks for the writing. It’s assuaged my guilt, if only incrementally.
If you enjoyed it, it wasn’t a waste of time. Don’t be ashamed of your hobby. It’s a helluva lot more interesting than stamp collecting (no offense to any stamp collectors out there–just not my cup of tea!). I love strategy type games. I like the Total War franchise for its sweeping military and economic strategy. Some of my digital battles have inspired ideas for battle sequences on paper, and I’m toying with using Total War to simulate some scenes one of these days.
I believe that gaming helps writing because it opens up more creativity. And as a writer, you can never get too much inspiration. Great post, thanks for sharing and congrats on FP!
Thanks! And I would agree. It is a different way of thinking that can spur you to new ideas. It allows you to put on shoes you normally wouldn’t. I mean, when in my daily life am I going to be able to be a fairy hero in a medieval fantasy world? I won’t. I could read about one, but it isn’t quite the same as playing LoZ and actually BEING Link, the Hero of Time.
When I have writer’s block, video games are one of my go-to devices to re-ignite my imagination and push past the problem. Also, Final Fantasy VI remains my favorite Final Fantasy.
Yes! Good choice, haha. Kefka was simultaneously the coolest and most disappointing final boss in game history. I was actually thinking of him in the section when I mentioned how we should make our final bosses of our stories super tough, as often game bosses fall flat. I whooped Kefka no problem, even going in under powered. Same with Sephiroth in FF7 haha
At least Kefka was a giant screen-filling boss with wings.
Oh very true. He was visually impressive and absolutely insane as a character. I love him as a villain. He just wasn’t a very hard fight, at least I didn’t think so haha
Im a die hard gaming fan, and its nice to read a good post that doesn’t slate us and our community! :)
haha don’t worry. This gamer guy has got your back =P. We seriously do take a lot of unneeded crap though, as our hobby isn’t really that destructive or harmful. There’s data to suggest that gaming actually drives down violent crime rates as it gives a safe outlet for violent urges (i.e. by slaughtering hordes of [insert foe here]. Personally, I think it’s more productive than watching TV at night. At least my brain is actively involved in something, haha
I completely agree! My tv only gets used for my gaming, which for me is done on an xbox 360. I’m much calmer than most non-gamers I know because I release any stress/anger/upset in to the game and it makes me feel better. I’m glad you have my back haha! :D I am fed up of people judging me and saying “oh girls shouldn’t game” or “oh that isn’t a girls game” – i’ll play what i like thank you! :P
Some gamers are elitist, while I’m very much an egalitarian. I don’t get it–if you have something you like, it is only improved by having more people join in. This mentality against the “noob” or the “girl gamer” annoys me. We should welcome new people into the community, be they casual gamers or people who like to engage in hard core, frenetic frag fests haha
That’s a very good entry you have here, and I agree with you.
I had never thought of it before, but it makes sense. I started out my “gaming career” with the SNES, been playing since I was a kid, but also reading books etc. Never really thought it could have helped on my writing skills. Very interesting thought.
Honestly I think anything you experience can help you with your writing. It all comes out in one way shape or form. For example, I favor crazed, Joker like villains because the villain in on of my favorite games of all time, a crazed court jester named Kefka, was a nihilistic mad man. The old bit about writers having to experience life in order to write is true, but in my view books, movies, and games are also experiences and thus valid things to draw upon when writing. They aren’t substitutes for actual experiences like getting out and doing things of course, but they certainly don’t hurt!
Very true. Through gaming, reading or watching movies, one can pay attention to someone else’s stories… One of the reasons I think its a bit sad that gamers are frowned upon amongst some people. They don’t see the value in gaming.
Reblogged this on Ashita and commented:
Amazing way to find inspirations in something!
Has anyone read Ender’s Game? — best video game ever is in there
Nice post! I just recently wrote an academic paper on the use of narrative within games, specifically focusing on the Mortal Kombat series (esp. MK9). Writing can definitely be improved through the use of game. Likewise, the experience of gaming can be improved when a player focuses on the narrative aspects of the game. Ludologists are making strides in understanding how deeply narrative and games inhabit and strengthen one another. Definitely an interesting topic! Well done!
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Reblogged this on Hadibouy's Blog.
Good one – I agree. I guess most things can make us better writers, only if we’re willing to accept it.. Gaming is one of them – I get inspired as I complain about my game protagonist or rave at the awesome graphics.
I agree. Writing and gaming are both my career and it is amazing how much criticism we get just for gaming. Some people need to do more research, obviously.
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Agree with your post entirely! So tired of the game-bashers who resort to blaming everything from banana bubble gum (./sarcasm) to WoW on shootings and other crimes. Games DO have a place and CAN be incredibly beneficial. Long live WoW, say I :)
Totally agreed, Andrew! I’ve been both an on-and-off writer and an avid game player (both PC games and oldschool pen-and-paper ones), and I’ve come to recognize that the storytelling mechanics are the same for all. It’s just the means that change; the principles remain the same.
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Reblogged this on The Daily Alpeonica and commented:
Case in point!
Nice post! congrats on being “pressed.”
Thanks!
that was very interesting! i never thought about gaming that way! maybe i will start gaming too