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Video Games Need Both Art and Soul

‘BioShock’ and ‘Battlefront’ veteran Walt Williams discusses his new book and how game writing works

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Ben Lindbergh and Jason Concepcion reflect on why video game makers are hesitant to talk about the development process publicly (0:15). Then they talk to someone who isn't: Walt Williams, who's worked on BioShock, Spec Ops: The Line, and Star Wars Battlefront II, among many other games. He talks about how game writing works (20:35), the perils of crunch (25:20), the pitfall of player choice (38:42), how to make morality interesting in interactive games (43:15), and his new book, Significant Zero: Heroes, Villains, and the Fight for Art and Soul in Video Games.

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