The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox continues where the Game Narrative Toolbox ended. While the later covered the basics of writing for games, the Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox will cover techniques for the intermediate and professional writer. The book will cover topics such as how to adapt a novel to a game, how to revive IPs and how to construct transmedia worlds. Each chapter will be written by a professional with exceptional experience in the field of the chapter. Key Features Learn from industry experts how to tackle today’s challenges in storytelling for games. A learn by example and exercise approach, which was praised in the Game Narrative Toolbox. An in depth view on advanced storytelling techniques and topics as they are currently discussed and used in the gaming industry. Expand your knowledge in game writing as you learn and try yourself to design quests, write romances and build worlds as you would as a writer in a game studio. Improve your own stories by learning and trying the techniques used by the professionals of game writing.

Learn how to create compelling game storylines. Four experienced narrative designers from different genres of game development have banded together to create this all-inclusive guide on what it's like to work as a writer and narrative designer in the video game industry. From concept to final testing, The Game Narrative Toolbox walks readers through what role a narrative designer plays on a development team and what the requirements are at every stage of development. Drawing on real experiences, authors Tobias Heussner, Toiya Kristen Finley, PhD, Ann Lemay, and Jennifer Brandes Hepler provide invaluable advice for writing compelling player-centered stories and effective dialogue trees to help readers make the switch from writing prose or screenplay to interactive. Thoroughly revised, the Second Edition includes updated content reflecting the industry’s latest developments. In addition to revised and updated chapters, this new edition features two additional chapters covering more advanced topics that are applicable to the lessons learned from the original chapters. Accompanying every chapter are exercises that allow the reader to develop their own documentation, outlines, and game-dialogue samples for use in applying for industry jobs or developing independent projects.

The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox continues where the Game Narrative Toolbox ended. While the later covered the basics of writing for games, the Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox will cover techniques for the intermediate and professional writer. The book will cover topics such as how to adapt a novel to a game, how to revive IPs and how to construct transmedia worlds. Each chapter will be written by a professional with exceptional experience in the field of the chapter. Key Features Learn from industry experts how to tackle today’s challenges in storytelling for games. A learn by example and exercise approach, which was praised in the Game Narrative Toolbox. An in depth view on advanced storytelling techniques and topics as they are currently discussed and used in the gaming industry. Expand your knowledge in game writing as you learn and try yourself to design quests, write romances and build worlds as you would as a writer in a game studio. Improve your own stories by learning and trying the techniques used by the professionals of game writing.

This fourth edition of Digital Storytelling: A creator's guide to interactive entertainment dives deeply into the world of interactive storytelling, a form of storytelling made possible by digital media. Carolyn Handler Miller covers both the basics – character development, structure and the use of interactivity – and the more advanced topics, such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), narratives using AR and VR, and Social Media storytelling. The fourth edition also includes a greatly expanded section on immersive media, with chapters on the exciting new world of the world of XR (AR, VR, and mixed reality), plus immersion via large screens, escape rooms and new kinds of theme park experiences. This edition covers all viable forms of New Media, from video games to interactive documentaries. With numerous case studies that delve into the processes and challenges of developing works of interactive narrative, this new edition illustrates the creative possibilities of digital storytelling. The book goes beyond using digital media for entertainment and covers its employment for education, training, information and promotion, featuring interviews with some of the industry’s biggest names. Key Features: A large new section covering various forms of immersive media, including VR, AR and Mixed Reality Breakthroughs in interactive TV and Cinema The use of VR, AR and mixed reality in gaming New forms of voice-enabled storytelling and gaming Stories told via mobile apps and social media Developing Digital Storytelling for different types of audiences

Despite its significant growth over the past five years, the mobile and social videogame industry is still maturing at a rapid rate. Due to various storage and visual and sound asset restrictions, mobile and social gaming must have innovative storytelling techniques. Narrative Tactics grants readers practical advice for improving narrative design and game writing for mobile and social games, and helps them rise to the challenge of mobile game storytelling. The first half of the book covers general storytelling techniques, including worldbuilding, character design, dialogue, and quests. In the second half, leading experts in the field explore various genres and types of mobile and social games, including educational games, licensed IP, games for specific demographics, branding games, and free to play (F2P).

In the competitive world of video game writing and narrative design, developers are losing permanent positions while freelancing careers are on the rise. Many developers don’t understand how to seize these freelancing opportunities, such as understanding the business of freelancing, how to go about finding work, how to establish strong relationships with clients, and how to sustain themselves as freelancers. Freelance Video Game Writing: The Life & Business of the Digital Mercenary for Hire offers developers guidance on achieving their freelancing goals as telecommuters. Dr. Toiya Kristen Finley presents practical insight into the profession and how to further enhance your freelancing business, whether you are a newcomer in the field or an experienced freelancer. Key Features: Two sections covering the life of the freelancer and the freelance business Fifteen interviews from narrative designers, game writers, and other developers on topics from maintaining a healthy work–life balance to figuring out your rates to working a full-time job and freelancing on the side A comprehensive list of definitions with which freelancers need to be familiar Exercises to help augment your understanding of freelancing and improve your business

This second edition of Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games expounds on the previous edition with more information on how to construct narratives for these three forms of visual storytelling media. Christy Marx’s book offers an in-depth look into scriptwriting and how to break into each of the featured industries. The text goes into detail on visual storytelling: how to compose exterior storytelling (animation, games) and interior/exterior storytelling (comics and graphic novels); as well as considerations for non-linear videogames. The advice within these pages can be used to build a transmedia career across animation, comics, graphic novels, and videogames. Key Features An insider's perspective on career rules of the road on writing for comics, videogames, and animation Written for beginners and professionals alike A nuts-and-bolts guide to script formats, terminology, networking, and valuable advice on writing for each medium Author Bio Based in Northern California, Christy Marx is an award-winning writer, story editor, TV series developer, game designer, and narrative designer. Her many credits include Babylon 5; Captain Power and Soldiers of the Future; The Twilight Zone; G.I. Joe; Jem and the Holograms; Spider-Man; He-Man; X-Men Evolution; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Conan the Adventurer; Birds of Prey; Amethyst; The Sisterhood of Steel; Sierra On-Line adventure games; PC, MMO, and console games; Zynga mobile games; and more. For full credits, visit www.christymarx.com.