Game writer Lee Sheldon demands more respect for his profession, in a column for GameCareerGuide.com. He says that writers are currently misused in the production process, and that their role and the skills necessary are misunderstood by developers.

“Game studios still have a very limited idea of what writing a game means, or how writers can be used in games, and as a result rarely hire writers on staff or utilize contract writers to their fullest potential,” wrote Sheldon. “Many programs professing to train students for careers in game development share this mindset; therefore they provide limited to no training in writing for games.”

Sheldon has been involved in the industry for 15 years as a designer and writer, and for the last two years he has taught game writing at Indiana University. In his op-ed piece he addresses 10 points on why we have yet to see a prominent place for storytelling and writing in games, including the argument that games cannot balance interactivity and classical, linear storytelling.

“Non-linear stories can be found everywhere. Linear games are everywhere (and are often accused of being linear because they tell stories),” he wrote. “And boy do we need to get beyond the archaic notion that the only solution to game writing is branching.”

To succeed as a medium, games need dedicated and involved writers who understand gaming and are willing to try new things. “While writers from other media may be able to acquire it and do good work in games,” Sheldon said, “they must first understand there is a fundamental difference in writing for our medium.”

Writer James Parker adds to Sheldon’s discussion in a reply on his own blog. While a deeply involved writer can elevate a game to art, says Parker, “it isn’t the be-all and end-all of game writing.”

“There are still plenty of games that would benefit hugely from having a talented writer on board that aren’t setting out to appeal to the always vocal ‘games as art’ crowd,” he continues. “The commentary for EA’s Euro 2008 is excellent — it’s a great piece of writing, and more than that, it’s a tremendous piece of design, but what it clearly isn’t is a piece of story telling.”

“More games needs writers just to make their characters less one-dimensional, to add humor… to flesh out experiences for the player and to add realism in how the game communicates with the player.”