How likely is it that I could get a career in game design doing some sort of writing? (Script, character, story design, etc...) Also, what kind of college degree would I need for that? English? Communications?

As of right now, your odds probably aren''t that great, but I haven''t searched the fields too thoroughly. Game companies don''t seem too interested in picking up new writers. Most don''t recognize the value of a good creative writer on the staff of a game company. Your best bet as a game writer would be to make an independent game to get your feet wet and to prove to any potential future employers that you know what you''re doing. Some companies might reconsider their standpoint on their need for writers if a great one with proven abilities comes knocking on their door.

Personally, I''m majoring in English and minoring in Film. I figure that gives me both the literary and visual sides of game production that I''d need. That''s just me, though. I''d imagine that there are many different combinations that one could use to boost their resume. This one works best for me, though. You gotta find something that applies to your interests and provides something for you to fall back on, if the need arises.

Of course, none of this is pretty, but game writing is a rather tough field to crack. Just cross your fingers and hope you meet the right people.

Unfortunately most gaming companies (at least the ones that I''ve seen up close) are very resistant to anyone outside, their company and their industry.

To put it simply, it is very hard to get any job other than a junior programmer, tester or (I would assume) artist unless you are either a) already employed by that company, or b) have significant expertise in the gaming industry (even if you have extensive experience in a similar position out in the real world, you are going to struggle to get anything other than a junior position.

I''m sure there are gaming companies out there that break this generalisation, but the sad fact is that this is all too prevailent.

Your best bet - and I beleive this is why there aren''t too many decent writers out there working in the games industry - is to get a job as a tester (a tough thing to crack in itself, but getting yourself experience testing independent games for free would be a good start). Once you been there 6 months or so - start putting a design doc together (team up with another aspiring tester if you want to focus solely on the writing aspect) - show your talent in that, and then keep hounding your bosses until they give you a designer job (hopefully for the game you''ve just finished designing). Once in the role of a designer you are well on your way to being a game writer... sure, designers have a lot of other work to do besides just writing... but it''s about the only way you''ll get there.

That''s my view anyway, your mileage may vary, but I beleive that''s your best hope by a long way.

Your only other option would be to go to uni, do all those english-type degrees and focus on something in the real world and hope that the situation will have changed in another 10 years or so... even if it hasn''t you''ll at least have some skills to fall back on (probably the most sensible option).

I am just about to complete my English degree, and along the way I realized that majoring in English is _not_ the thing to do if you''re only interested in writing fiction. If I had it to do over again I would have taken classes in drawing, design theory, architecture, sociology, philosophy, and psychology, and only the few English courses that actually interested me. Of course most places won''t give you a degree for doing that. :/ The best thing I would recommend for anyone starting out to become a professional writer for games or anything else is to find another writer who likes the same books/games you do and form a team with them, discussing the theoreticals of writing and trading editing.

English degrees mainly lead to academia. My lit degree didn''t have any creative writing component, only pure literary analysis, theory, and of course the Canon. If you''re serious about writing professionally, some universities offer a creative writing stream under the auspices of the English department, and this stream is designed more with things like fiction writing in mind. There are also other types of professional writing, such as technical or marketing/PR writing, but these are fairly specialized and have their own programs which tend to be few and far between.

Of course, that''s not to say formal training is required to become a writer. But it certainly wouldn''t hurt, unless you''re naturally talented in this area and already read and write an awful lot. Not all published authors obtained a formal degree in literature or writing.

You don''t need a degree, you need ability -- and luck. I used to work for a game company as a writer and designer, I got the job initially doing s**t work like plotting maps, then they needed someone to write game manuals, then they needed help with some game writing, then they needed help with some game design... etc. Having a degree in English helped a bit in the jump to writing manuals since I was still new at the company, but after that having a degree or not didn''t help get the jobs (but it sure helped in performing the jobs).

What you should realize is that there really aren''t that many game companies, so there aren''t that many opportunities (epecially in a given locale). When a game company looks to hire an outside "writer" they usually want someone whose already an established film or fiction writer -- otherwise, they''ll just pick up somebody whose readily available like a QA tester or a friend of an employee.

Joe Ward

Personally, an english major has been helpful to me in determining what the difference is between a good and a bad writer. What elements and styles different writers used and what was effective about them. It''s helped me see different ways to present my stories and has altered my way of writing to a point that I deem unique. Unfortunately, not all classes in the english major are helpful. Some are just annoying and useless.

That''s just me, though. You gotta judge where you are as writer and what sort of major would boost your particular strengths and weaknesses.