BAFTA – Game Writers Panel

Are any of you burgeoning games writers? Perhaps you prefer to call yourselves aspiring narrative designers? Whatever the term, BAFTA will be catering for you on 26th October with a panel of very successful games writers.

Killing our heroes! Putting protagonists in the hands of a player kills traditional narrative concepts. A panel of UK games writers examine how killers, combatants and characters doomed to die a thousand times can still play the hero. Which techniques can be adapted from film, TV and other media to make game characters more engaging, and which need radical re-invention?

James Swallow, one of the writing team for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and author of Deus Ex: The Icarus Effect, will be on the panel. Lovely guy and a pleasure to talk to. We interviewed Swallow back in August, where he talked about needing to make games characters more than just ciphers to drive the plot.

Also on the panel is Ed Stern, who was recently shortlisted for the Best Videogame Writer’s Guild award for his work on futuristic sci-fi shooter Brink.

Rhianna Pratchett, the writer behind Heavenly Sword, The Overlord Series and Mirror’s Edge will be there. A few years back I attended a GameCamp session where she talked about the importance of character within the world, not just the player character and NPCs. Interesting stuff that’s very apparent in Overlord.

The panel will be chaired by Andrew S. Walsh, who has a wealth of experience in games writing and directing as well as in other media.

When: 7pm, Wednesday 26th October
Where: BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LN
How much: £5 (includes a drink)
Tickets: Buy them here.