"Writing for video games" by Steve Ince (A and C Black, 2006)

A book about how a non-programming writer might join the games industry. Some of the information has wider applicabililty -

• "Too many game projects fail, in terms of narrative, because they try to bring in a 'proper writer' too late in the process" (p.viii)
• "Contrary to what seems to be a general belief that ideas are ten-a-penny, my feeling is that only bad ideas are that cheap" (p.38)
• "Game players' tastes vary so much that games are almost impossible to aim at a broad demographic (the elusive 'mass market') but must be treated as a large series of niche markets". (p.6)
• "It therefore seems natural to consider all games as being part of a series of niche genres" (p.56)
• "Often, the games that are classified as having a mass market appeal are simply the ones that are so well designed and made they are in the top few percent of their genre. They draw in additional players who would normally buy that genre's 'run-of-the-mill' games" (p,56)
• "Many games have foundered because they have been created with the idea that they will appeal to a mass market that I do not believe exists" (p.55)
• "[In] first person games ... the player character is never seen ... The sole intention is to give players the impression that they become that character, or even that it is the players themselves who have entered the game world" (p.65)
• "Like many other aspects of gameplay, when handled well the player quickly accepts this kind of stylisation as part of the game world, but care has to be taken that the right balance is maintained and nothing destroys the player's suspension of disbelief" (p.82)