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Reading this article makes me realize how little I know about games. I've never heard of any game the writer used as examples, except World of Warcraft (which I

Reading this article makes me realize how little I know about games. I've never heard of any game the writer used as examples, except World of Warcraft (which I never played, however). The author made a lot of pithy statements, but the article feels strangely lack of substance. There's little evidence or elaboration. Just statement after statement, with a lot of repetitiveness. And the writing. Paragraphs like these: > Now let's be clear. I'm not a great fantasy writer. If I was, I'd be writing books nobody buys because nobody buys books anymore. Still, as a writer I'm simply competent. Which, by video games standards, makes me awesome. Overall, I'm good enough that people give me money, and that is sufficient. ...... are just strange, and made me grimace. He's quite plainly saying, that he's mediocre, but because everyone else is bad, he's great. And what's with the "nobody buys books anymore"? Plenty of people do. > Good story isn't what gamers are after. Which is good, because they ain't gettin' it. While not having played many games, I remember some GBA games having decent stories. They are not Charles Dickens level literature, but comparable to good short stories, definitely worthy of "good writing". --- I had expected much more---more substance, better writing---from a "successful" story writer of a game company.

watwut 5y ago
> He's quite plainly saying, that he's mediocre, but because everyone else is bad, he's great. Why is this bad thing to say? If he thinks this is true, then it is OK to say it. And earning money making games is actual achievement - most indie game makers are in financial loss and that is it. Someone who make small profit is exactly people who can say the above.
- powersnail 5y ago
  Because not everyone else is bad? It's not like he's the only one writing stories for games that make a profit. I mean it's fine to like your own achievement. Nothing wrong with that. But he's certainly not successful enough to be so cocky as to detract everyone else's work (and again, he did so without much evidence or elaboration).
  - watwut 5y ago
    Yes he is successful enough to definitely have right to voice opinion on industry state or criticise it. We are talking about notoriously difficult market to succeed in.It would be absurd to expect him to be only one who ever earned profit in order to comment on quality of stories - both his own and other peoples. And frankly, playing a game once is enough to give you right to criticism that game story. Playing a couple of popular games gives you right to comment on popular games stories. "I am not too good and I am still succeeding because bar in this aspect is low" is incredibly fair thing to say. It might be too self depreciating for some people's taste, but we should not require everyone to brag and exaggerate own skills each time they want to comment on something.
    - powersnail 5y ago
      Self-deprecating is the opposite of the article. The article “self”-deprecated others in the industry on their behalves. Of course he has the right to comment on whatever he likes to. I’m not suggesting that anyone should take away his freedom of speech. I was merely criticizing the quality of his criticism.
      - watwut 5y ago
        But you ended up taking offense on a single sentence where he says his own writing is not good enough for cheap fantasy novel.
        powersnail 5y ago
        I’m not sure what you mean by taking offense. I don’t feel offended; I’m not a game story writer, so whatever he writes cannot possibly offend me. I also am not criticizing the first part of that single sentence (“I’m not great”). I find the paragraph in its entirety distasteful, when he said others are so bad that he was awesome.

watwut 5y ago

> He's quite plainly saying, that he's mediocre, but because everyone else is bad, he's great. Why is this bad thing to say? If he thinks this is true, then it is OK to say it. And earning money making games is actual achievement - most indie game makers are in financial loss and that is it. Someone who make small profit is exactly people who can say the above.

powersnail 5y ago
Because not everyone else is bad? It's not like he's the only one writing stories for games that make a profit. I mean it's fine to like your own achievement. Nothing wrong with that. But he's certainly not successful enough to be so cocky as to detract everyone else's work (and again, he did so without much evidence or elaboration).
- watwut 5y ago
  Yes he is successful enough to definitely have right to voice opinion on industry state or criticise it. We are talking about notoriously difficult market to succeed in.It would be absurd to expect him to be only one who ever earned profit in order to comment on quality of stories - both his own and other peoples. And frankly, playing a game once is enough to give you right to criticism that game story. Playing a couple of popular games gives you right to comment on popular games stories. "I am not too good and I am still succeeding because bar in this aspect is low" is incredibly fair thing to say. It might be too self depreciating for some people's taste, but we should not require everyone to brag and exaggerate own skills each time they want to comment on something.
  - powersnail 5y ago
    Self-deprecating is the opposite of the article. The article “self”-deprecated others in the industry on their behalves. Of course he has the right to comment on whatever he likes to. I’m not suggesting that anyone should take away his freedom of speech. I was merely criticizing the quality of his criticism.
    - watwut 5y ago
      But you ended up taking offense on a single sentence where he says his own writing is not good enough for cheap fantasy novel.
      - powersnail 5y ago
        I’m not sure what you mean by taking offense. I don’t feel offended; I’m not a game story writer, so whatever he writes cannot possibly offend me. I also am not criticizing the first part of that single sentence (“I’m not great”). I find the paragraph in its entirety distasteful, when he said others are so bad that he was awesome.