Writers Guild Announces Best Game Writing Nominations

[Jak The Great]

In order to be eligible, the writers must be members of the WGA, the game must be released between December 1, 2008 and November 30, 2009 and it must have separate credits for writers.


That should explain the short list and the nominees...

 

[Hallow'sEve]

I suppose you gotta crawl before you can walk, only explanation for that list

However, at least they're trying, that's better than nothing.

 

[Bassman_2]

Maybe these guys do know what is good writing, and we are unable to tell. They are in a Guild ya know...

\slight sarcasm, maybe

 

[Caliostro]

The games nominated were Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed II, Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Bethesda's Wet and Activision's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. [...] Last year, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed won the award and the winner in 2007 was Dead Head Fred.[...]

And then they expect to be taken seriously? They better be writing comedy here...

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

In order to be eligible, the writers must be members of the WGA, the game must be released between December 1, 2008 and November 30, 2009 and it must have separate credits for writers.

Given those criteria, I doubt the shortlist was much longer than those 5 games.

No chance of an award for this little gem [http://www.ifwiki.org/index.php/Phantom_of_the_Arcade_2:_Shadows,_Darkness,_and_Dread], for instance?

 

[ffxfriek]

i dont really agree with any of these...

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Wet and X-Men? There was nobody else to choose from? Not even Batman:AA?

If you aren't in the guild then you can't get nominated. Which probably explains that.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Something tells me a bit of cash was exchanged during picking the games...

 

[Sparrow]

Good lord. What a list of shite.

I mean. I loved most of those as games, but lets face it. Uncharted? WET? These guys must have been payed to choose some of those for writing talent.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

If Assassin's Creed 2 doesn't win I will drive my fist through the planet.

Says it all really.

I haven't played Dragon Age, but it's Bioware. The superb writing in their games is what sets apart.

 

[The Atomic Irishman]

MW2 is legit, Creed just maybe. MW2's campaign was fantastic, and in light of playing it, the shortness is sorta like reading a comic book.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

MW2?
Why?

Something tells me a bit of cash was exchanged during picking the games...

Oh.

 

[ScottocS]

Unchartered 2 or MW2

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Umm...Were these games picked out of a hat?

 

[Worgen]

only ac2 should be there, altho granted I havent played uncharted 2 but where the hell is bowsers inside story or dragon age or even dow2 (granted its writing was heavy handed but it fit the source material perfectly)

 

[suzukaGongen]

Is... this a joke?

The only one on there remotely deserving of Best Writing is Assassin's Creed 2 (and MAYBE Uncharted 2 for such solid chemistry between the cast, although that's more the CAST than the actual writing).

 

[Internet Kraken]

In order to be eligible, the writers must be members of the WGA, the game must be released between December 1, 2008 and November 30, 2009 and it must have separate credits for writers.

Given those criteria, I doubt the shortlist was much longer than those 5 games.

Exactly. People who are outraged by their sections should probably remember that most video games don't fit this criteria. They probably had a painfully small pool of video games to select from.

I mean really, why else would they choose X-Men Origins: Wolverine? I haven't played the game, but if it follows the movie then it's writing has to be abysmal.

 

[oliveira8]

Wet and X-Men? There was nobody else to choose from? Not even Batman:AA?

If you aren't in the guild then you can't get nominated. Which probably explains that.

I guess. But it was written by Paul Dini who I think it's part of the WGA. Cause I'm positively sure he won one WGA award for something. Lost maybe.

 

[Ancientgamer]

Yeah, I believe Bioware has in-house writers. That said, Screed 2 wouldn't be out of place even on a proper list. It should definetely win this short one imo.

 

[Therumancer]

I don't think any of those selections really deserve it, I suspect the key point might be "membership in the writer's guild".

Uncharted 2 is pretty much every action Clique ever unleashed, Wet is the same thing channeling Quentin Tarantino with a protaganist that seems to be universally reviled by gamers despite being a hot babe (and honestly when you consider how gamers quintenseentially react to our video game babes that says a lot), Wolverine must have seen a lot of bribe money passed out becase it has a ton of nominations when the best thing most gamers say about it is "better than the movie" which given the treatment of fan favorites like Deadpool and it's general reception is sort of like saying "better than maggots crawling in road kill".

The award might be respected by the industry for whatever reason, but right now this selection doesn't give it any cred with me, and going by the responses I hardly seem to be alone.

All that's missing is for them to nominate Mario for great writing... that would make the sell out complete.