Significant Zero: Heroes, Villains, and the Fight for Art and Soul in Video Games

by Walt Williams, Kevin T. Collins (Narrator)

When his satirical musings in a college newspaper got him discharged from the Air Force, it became clear to Walt Williams that his destiny in life was to be a writer - he just never thought he'd end up writing video games, let alone working on some of the most successful franchises in the industry - Bioshock, Civilization, Borderlands, and Mafia, among others.

Williams pulls back the curtain on an astonishingly profitable industry that has put its stamp on pop culture and yet is little known to those outside its walls. In his reflective yet comically-observant voice, Williams walks you through his unlikely and at times inglorious rise within one of the world's top gaming companies, exposing an industry abundant in brain power and out-sized egos, but struggling to stay innovative.

Significant Zero also provides clear-eyed criticism of the industry's addiction to violence and explains how the role of the narrative designer - the poor soul responsible for harmonizing gameplay with storylines - is crucial for expanding the scope of video games into more immersive and emotional experiences.

Genres: Nonfiction, Video Games, Games, Gaming, Game Design, Technology, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published September 19, 2017

Reviews

[Kalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeply personal account that dives into some unexpectedly dark waters.

I wish the author had given more examples illustrating his design philosophy (the book's subtitle); often, "the fight for art and soul" sounds like a distant ideal, easily lost in the harrowing struggle against the multiple pressures that shape AAA game making. Still, I'm giving the book a hopeful 4 stars, because I really liked that in the end, Williams found a way out--and towards other sides of himself. I sincerely wish him the best.

Highlights:

https://choveshkata.net/forum/viewtop...

[Jason Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, a disclaimer. I worked with Walt at 2K Games, and while I'm not in this book, I am thanked in the afterwords (an honor I appreciate, even if I'm not sure how worthy I am of it).

With that out of the way, let me say that even if I didn't know Walt, I would recommend this book. I've worked in video game publishing for over 13 years, and I still have a a hard time explaining what exactly I do. If you've ever wanted to know what Crunch (caps care of Walt) is like, read this book. If you've ever wanted to know what it feels like when a project is delayed - again - read this book. Honestly, if you want to know how weird game development can be, just read the book.

It's funny, it's honest, it's occasionally brutal. It's worth reading.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIGNIFICANT ZERO is the story by Walt Williams of what it's like to be a professional game designer on some of the more important AAA games of the past decade. He was involved in Bioshock, Oblivion, Mafia II, Mafia III (briefly), and the extremely awesome Spec Ops: The Line. The book ends with his retirement from video games but he actually is returning to them as the writer of Star Wars: Battlefront II.

Walt is an irreverent snarky narrator who changes the names of all of his coworkers so he can speak about them freely. For the most part, he had a supportive and well-liked team but there's some characters which he truly trashes you have to wonder about.

For example, on Spec Ops: The Line (his baby), he told one writer to create APOCALYPSE NOW in Dubai with a heavy focus on fighting American soldiers as well as self-destruction of the mind. The man wrote, instead, about global warming and wasted a month when told to rewrite it because he believed a 1st person shooter about American interventionism was the best place to soapbox. This is just one of the many fascinating stories which is told in this book about some of my favorite games.

Walt Williams has some interesting views on video game development as well since he doesn't approve of using them to discuss "issues" but has strong feelings about normalizing violence in video games. For example, in Mafia II, he wanted to make it clear he considered the main character to be a scumbag and the things he did were neither glamorous or moral. It's also why Mafia II remains one of the best written video games of all time (even if plays like garbage).

Really, I got more than my money's worth in this book and I think anyone who is interested in the process of writing video games or the medium as "art" should check this book out.

[Quintin Zimmermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Significant Zero offers us a behind-the-screen perspective of the video game industry through the eyes of Walt Williams.

This novel is well written with fast snappy dialogue and self-deprecating wit. We are introduced to an array of outlandish characters that work in the crazy world of video games.

The author often oscillates between unbridled enthusiasm and bone-numbing exhaustion and tedium as insane deadlines have to be met during crunch time.

The one weakness of Significant Zero is that we are only exposed to this world through the singular eyes of Walt Williams, which can be rather myopic and limiting in trying to get a better understanding of the inner workings of this industry.

[Caleb Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Click the image below to watch the video review)


I want to talk about why you should feel bad buying a videogame. Okay, not really, that may be an unfortunate side effect. So, I just finished a really great book called Significant Zero: Heroes, Villains, and the fight for Art and Soul in Video Games by Walt Williams, and some interesting ideas came up about the crunch periods in videogame development. Crunch time, or just Crunch, is the period of a game’s development in which staff are working 2-3 times as many hours as normal, usually leading to work-life imbalance at best and severe mental and physical health issues at worst.

I’m not here to defend or condemn Crunch. For the purposes of this video, I’m just going to say overall the damage caused by Crunch outweighs the good. Lots of articles have been written with whistle-blower sources recently. Crunch is real and it can be damaging.

I want to talk about how we, as videogame consumers, should approach Crunch. We are, after all, the wallets. It seems easy to suggest we simply boycott games that benefit from abusive labor practices, but that would mean boycotting every AAA videogame. Really. Every single one of them. That sounds harsh, as we gamers love games, but it is technically doable, though I cannot imagine the habit I’d have to adopt to replace my crippling gaming habit.

So, we could simply not buy the games, but we have to consider which people would suffer as a result. Would studio heads--those ultimately responsible for their employees’ working conditions--would they lose their jobs. Not likely. And even if they did, the multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses would certainly cushion the blow.

The workers would suffer. The project managers, the developers, the artists, all the people who actually make the games and bring them to the world. Those people suffer. So it’s for them and their families that I pre-ordered Cyberpunk 2077. Not all heroes wear capes.

I’m only half-joking. The problem with loving something, like videogames, is that even when confronted by evidence of its evil, the thing will be defended by those who love it. It’s the reason I’ll keep buying AAA games. It’s the psychological impetus behind fanboy and fangirl-ism. It’s the reason I let my cat live despite her being evil. I’m not giving you any examples. Just know that she’s evil.

But what Walt Williams says about Crunch is incredibly interesting, as we rarely hear a defense of the practice. The entire book is great, but especially so for the chapter titled “Development Never Changes,” a title riffing on the quote “War Never Changes” from the Fallout franchise, a re-purposing that shouldn’t go unacknowledged considering Walt Williams is a military vet himself and is perhaps most well known for writing Spec Ops: the Line. For him to compare game development to war is a very conscious decision, not just an opportunity to cleverly appropriate a quote. Or maybe it is. I don’t know the guy. He seems cool, though.

First, Williams does acknowledge that:

“Crunch is exploitative (true). Employees feel their jobs are at risk if they resist the will of Crunch (also true). And, most damning of all, Crunch isn’t necessary (so true it hurts).” pg 223

But less than a page later, he undercuts this truth with some very positive remarks about Crunch, saying:

"It’s only crunch if you don’t want to do it," further explaining that:

“Crunch is a natural occurrence brought on by the creative process. Driven by passion, artists give themselves entirely to their art. When art exists in a collaborative medium, Crunch will always deal collateral damage.” pg 224

He actually likes Crunch. He feels energized by it.

“Being an artist is not easy,” he says. “Selling your soul will not always bear a profit.” (pg 228)

As a gamer, should I be okay with dismissing the negatives as quickly as Williams does? I don’t know. It feels a bit like justifying one’s own racism by claiming they have a black friend.

I want to say, no, it’s not okay to dismiss Crunch based on Williams’ justification of art as a passion enterprise, poetic though his justification may be. Keep in mind, the reason Williams is able to write a memoir is that he’s a unique person with a unique story. His experience should not be the lens through which we see and judge an entire industry.

But a person has an amazing capacity to rationalize anything when he benefits from it. If a person simply likes saying the n word, they are definitely going to claim that one black guy at work is a “friend” and insist that friend is okay with saying the n word. And the next time I read a story about Rockstar’s culture of Crunch, I’m definitely going to cite Walt as my token game writer friend who’s okay with the c word. I’m not proud of it. But I don’t know what else to do.

[Caroline Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, parts of this book really resonated with me, as someone who has been a narrative designer in games, and is currently a quest designer.

I've never had to rewrite a complete game script from scratch, but I've had coworkers who had to do that. And Crunch? Even companies that say they don't do Crunch, do Crunch. They just call it another name, or perhaps don't require you to sleep in the office. It's a part of game making that refuses to change.

Once I was given 3 days to redo the quests in a zone for a game. They knew it wasn't possible to fix them all, so the focus was on the four quests at the halfway point. I did it, barely, but I was not a pleasant person by the end of the third day. Bridges were burnt with the team who had worked on that zone, because when you're working that fast, the only option you have is to burn so bright you set fire to all you touch. I still can't play that section of the game either. Maybe in a few more years... when the PTSD fades.

I'll also never forget how years ago, a contracting company I worked for gifted us all with cleverly concealed blankets - basically, something that didn't look like a blanket until it was unfolded, just in case we had to sleep at our desks (thankfully I've never been in Crunch where staying overnight was required...)

But then there are the bits that make it all worth it. Hearing your lines come to life by a voice actor in a recording booth. Slipping a joke into the game that your coworkers not only understand, but love when they find it. Creating a character players want to date. Creating a quest that bothers people so much they don't stop talking about it.

It's been 15 years now that I've been in the video game industry, and while there have been a lot of ups and downs, there is a certain allure that keeps me there. We're all a little mad here, you have to be, to do what we do. And this book captures what that madness is like.

[fonz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bueno, esto es un caso clásico de expectativas frustradas, no sé si culpa mía por leerme las reseñas en diagonal o por la típica recomendación flipada de tuiter. El caso es que esperaba una visión crítica de la industria del videojuego y la verdad es que la hay, pero es una visión algo limitada. Limitada en el sentido de que Williams es escritor y guionista, le interesa narrar historias y tiene predilección por los videojuegos protagonizados por personajes inmersos en una narrativa convencional, al estilo del cine. Como el libro es autobiográfico, es esta visión y perspectiva la que ocupa la mayor parte del libro; la del diseño narrativo. Respecto al resto del proceso de creación de un videojuego se ofrecen pinceladas útiles para el neófito pero poco más. El problema es que a mí me interesa más una visión global del asunto y tengo una opinión distinta a la de Williams; aunque no tengo nada en contra de los videojuegos narrativos y he disfrutado de varios, creo que un videojuego es más"puro" cuanto más alejado se encuentre de la narrativa convencional (cuidado, que una partida de Tetris o una carrera al Outrun también tiene su narrativa, pero esta se genera por la acción del jugador, no ha sido previamente establecida por un equipo de desarrolladores) y me interesa más este aspecto del videojuego.

Ya digo el libro es prácticamente una autobiografía del paso del autor por una importante editora de videojuegos, 2K, y como tal abunda en anécdotas y reflexiones vitales que recuerdan mucho a un tebeo autobiográfico. Por supuesto todo lo relativo a diseño de historias y la posición moral de los desarrolladores frente al Jugador son instructivas e interesantes, así como los momentos en que revisa su comportamiento con algunos compañeros de trabajo. Porque no sé si es problema de la cultura de las empresas de videojuegos y el entretenimiento en concreto, de la industria donde trabaja mucha gente creativa sometida a gran presión, de la cultura norteamericana del trabajo en general o qué, pero parece un sector que abunda en la típica figura del capullo arrogante adicto al trabajo. El último cuarto del libro donde narra su descenso a los infiernos del crunch y posterior renacimiento, es quizá lo mejor. Y Williams es gracioso, ingenioso y se las apaña muy bien para ser ameno e instructivo (aunque no comparto sus opiniones sobre los videojuegos centrados en la historia y los personajes), pero no todo lo que cuenta me ha parecido interesante o ha ampliado lo que ya sabía.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting read in a lot of ways, and an enlightening look at the AAA gaming industry. It was reasonably well written and engaging, too. I had two main takeaways: a) this guy is an asshole, and b) I suspect assholes like him are a huge reason there aren't more women working in the video game industry. Sigh.

Addendum: I just can't give the book more than 2 stars because I essentially hate-read the last 50 pages.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe even a 4.5. I don't listen to audio books often, but when I do I usually go for video games books. They are light and interesting, and I don't feel like I'm missing out by not actually reading it from a page. Significant Zero might be the first "video game book" that transcends the label. It reads like if Hunter S. Thompson worked in the video games industry. It's crass, honest, and well written. The best book about video games that I have "read" (...listened to). Long live video games and the people that make them.

[Jay French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, a nice “business memoir” from the mail room up in a video game company. Author Williams parlays some tenuous connections from college humor writing into a gig with a video game company, starting as a gofer and ending up writing games. Williams gives details of what the projects are like from the perspective of the different jobs he held, from marketing through playtesting, game production, writing, and on-site project management (publisher liaison) at a German developer. Williams describes the people he works with, who come across as real characters, especially his boss. He also describes his days, including his daily Red Bull intake schedule. The hours are unforgiving, and he resorts to moving into his office for weeks in order to get more time on his project. He also endures a cross-country move with his company, and some of the worries normal in work now-a-days, like fear of layoff, or worrying about what to wear when doing something new. While occasionally getting perks, like meeting famous developers and playing new games repeatedly, the ceaseless drudgery and excessively long hours really make this a cautionary tale for people interested in working in the industry.

I found the last half of the book to consist of a lot of angsty philosophizing about the author’s role in the industry and in how video games impact society. There’s plenty of discussion of the presenting of good versus evil, and of choices gamers are led to make. I learned a lot from this section that explains how some of the games I’ve seen were designed to revolve around choices, and how dealing with those choices might impact the player IRL. As expected, there’s also discussion of violence in games, both realistic and cartoony. This section reflects the author learning this part of the business – the gameplay. It felt like this was something he learned over time and wanted to share, or teach, to the reader. I found this all more involving than I initially thought. After the first half of the book really making the game job look exciting and interesting and all-consuming, I expected the author to have doubts, and he expressed them in the second half. I was surprised about the repeated negative reflections on the control his job had on his life, and on gaming in general - especially the rewarding of evil choices. He resolves his career worries in a not unexpected way, by heading home and starting a new video game company without the baggage of the old company.

Overall, a great “millennial” business memoir showing how a job can devour a person’s life, while also showing the good and bad of the video game industry from the perspective of different roles within a company. Many of my college-aged daughters’ friends have told me they want to go into the gaming industry when they graduate. I think if they read this book, most would instead be looking for a nice job in insurance. For someone just starting, this has the feeling of a “this book changed my life” kind of book, like Tracy Kidder's "The Soul of a New Machine" was for me in college. Very memorable.

[Dean Guadagno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Significant Zero chronicles author Walt Williams' intriguing journey through his prolific career in gaming. From his mischievous youth, selling shoplifted pornography in the schoolyard, to working on some of the most influential titles in recent generations, right through to his (false) retirement from the industry - it's, if nothing else, a unique memoir that you'll not likely find elsewhere.

Offering his insider perspective on AAA franchises like Bioshock, Mafia and Spec-Ops, Walt gives us a snarky, and brutally honest 'behind-the-scenes' look at the oddities and realities of the oft glorified career of game development. Chock-full of wit and cynicism, you'll be taken on an exhausting ride through the monotonous grind of script writing, the politics of corporate hierarchy, and the real-life woes of the infamous Crunch.

Despite the college-esque humor, and the admirable life lessons that are sprinkled throughout, my connection with the author waned as the chapters progressed. A simple case of clashing personalities, and I couldn't help but feel weighed down at times by the pessimism and frustrations.

Now if you're looking for a less narrow view behind the industry's curtain, I'd easily suggest "Blood, Sweat and Pixels" above this one. But if you can get through the first 5-6 chapters without a few cringes along the way - then there's no doubt you'll enjoy this one. And hey, if you ever wanted to learn a little bit more about 2K's heavy-hitting roster - Chapters 6 and beyond are the perfect read!

[Ignacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Está bien esta biografía de auge y caída de un escritor que termina en la industria de los videojuegos casi sin quererlo y, después de pasar por diferentes posiciones (probar juegos en pases en diferentes convenciones/eventos; trabajar durante meses sacando las fotos promocionales del Bioshock; escribir diálogos del Mafia II), termina al mando del guión de uno de los juegos bélicos con mejor historia: Spec Ops, The Line. Permite conocer la industria desde el punto de vista de quienes están detrás de los relatos y abre las puertas al otro lado del crunch: el adicto al trabajo que sacrifica todo en el altar de su profesión. Walt Williams tiene desparpajo y no ahorra en autocrítica, aunque se pierde un poco en la penitencia y la autocompasión. Entiendo que tampoco ha querido meterse en berenjenales legales (esos NDAs) a la hora de caracterizar a algunas personas que le rodeaban, pero algún detallito oscuro de un par de creadores conocidos con los que ha trabajado habría ayudado a equilibrar esta autobiografía que gustará a los interesados en la divulgación sobre videojuegos.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can continue through the incredibly privileged position of the author and manage to not get too upset about his terrible behavior early in his life, this book actually presents some incredible wisdom about storytelling and the impact of game design on those who play video games. Part memoir/part expose, this book explores big questions such as: "Who owns the moral responsibility of a game that makes the player choose between a rock and a hard place?", "Can we empathize with a character that isn't us?", and, "Where is the humanity in video games?" At first, I hated it. By the end, I fell in love with it. It's complex, it's self-questioning. It's raw and bold and very privileged but a story I think is especially written for those who are compelled by the storytelling power of video games.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unblinking look at the video game industry

Walt is an amazing writer. He can write scripts for video games, lore for relics and memoirs of an industry that chews up and spits out so many.

I knew Walt during his time at 2K (no I am not in the book) and captures so much of what it was to work on those amazing and provocative games. I knew he suffered for his art and I was not jealous nor did I want his life. But he shares a dark underbelly of the media form that has outstripped movies and continues to enthrall and challenge players.

Anyone who works in the industry or wants to should read his book. Anyone who plays games should read this book. Anyone who wants to better understand gamers should read this book.

But be okay with dark and gritty. No fakes here.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Williams' autobiography is compelling and his writing style is a lot of fun. His personal eccentricities and demons make this a little more of a challenge than I thought it might be, but they are also what make it interesting. I wanted to read about someone who makes games, and this book will make it clear that "person who makes games" is not an accurate way of thinking about the process, while also providing an easy view into the inner workings that's accessible to people who not only don't play games that much (me) but who don't know anything about programming (also me). Enjoyable, and a must for anyone who cares about games and gaming.

[Chrisjen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. The author comes off as a bit unlikable in places (many places tbf). But for a discussion of the video game industry I am surprised he wasn't more so. The parts when I wasn't annoyed by the author were informative or funny. Some times both.

[Katie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walt's experience of writing video games is a peek behind the curtain of an industry that most don't know much about. It's a quick, interesting read.

[Sebastian H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spec Ops: The Line is one of my favorite digital experiences of all time. When I found out that the writer of that masterfully crafted tale had written a self biographical book, of course I had to read it as soon as I could get my greedy eyes on it.

Imagine my disappointment when the writer turned out to be a deeply unsympathetic person who, in his own words, thrilled to tear down the happiness of a fellow coworker. Who didn’t only lack people’s skills, but made an active effort to distance himself from others, be it by immersing himself in his job or by treating everyone else as dumb obstacles that needed to be overcome in order to reach “his” vision of a perfect game.

Picture my surprise when that same person, through self-deprecation and hindsight, manages to convey just how broken he had become in his time between AAA projects, just how much that life had take a toll on his well-being and sanity, and how excruciating the crunch can really be, when you don’t even realize just how bad it’s become and become functionally blind to the always present option of simply walking away from it all.

Finally, envision my engagement when (around two-thirds into the book) he finally takes the reins of SO:TL and details its turbulent, chaotic, messy, delayed development.

I’m just happy things turned out the way they did, and that the author keeps on writing the New Game Plus of his creative life. Because he’s a damn good writer with damn good ideas on what the medium can possibly become, if only it manages to shed away some silly mantras (like “the player is always right”, with its sinister undertone similar to that dreadful, similar adage about the customer that probably gave birth to it). And because, behind all the bravado and self-esteem issues, there lies a genuinely interesting human being who has managed, and hopefully keeps managing, to keep his demons away by the clackity clack of his keyboard.

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book if you grew up investing much of your childhood into video games like I did. Walt Williams tells his personal narrative as a writer for the video game industry and he elucidates on just how brutal that industry can be. Similar to the book Blood Sweat and Pixels, we learn that the majority of the content we see as players is most often the result of many, many revisions: entire storylines are often thrown out and re-written even when a game is in its late stages!

I also really got the sense that the video game industry is certainly one for the passions - writers and video game developers certainly aren't making the amount of money their hard work would yield in another industry. However, millions are willing to do it - the industry is still evolving today and I as a player am personally extremely thankful for all the adventures.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just really couldn't get into this one. I probably just came into it in the wrong mindset, having it recommended after reading "Blood, Sweat, and Pixels" which I thought was a much more interesting book.

To be fair, I knew this was a memoir instead of post-mortem reporting on specific games and the workings of the games industry. And I do like memoirs! But in this case, I just didn't mesh with the author. To me, he comes off like he thinks he's more clever than he actually is, and after a while I just found it grating. The detailed descriptions of basic things like what DLC is also made me feel like I wasn't the intended audience for this book.

That being said, if you're more in the mood for a memoir and don't mind the author's voice, I'm sure you can really enjoy this book. It's just not for me.

[Gunnar Brackney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only book that has the shrunken head of Pope Francis XIV and Spec Ops: The Line

[Istrakonhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Najbolje Sci-Fi RPG videoigre za igranje

S izlaskom Bethesdinog ambicioznog znanstveno-fantastičnog RPG-a Starfield koji dolazi 2023., sada je jednako dobro vrijeme za zadubljivanje u druge znanstveno-fantastične RPG-ove. Dok se drugi žanrovi videoigara odvijaju u različitim okruženjima, RPG se gotovo uvijek odvija u svijetu mašte ili ima elemente fantazije, što nedvojbeno dopušta sjajne prilike za igranje uloga. Ovdje pogledajte sve o Konvenciji znanstvene fantastike i fantastike Istrakon u Hrvatskoj!

Neki od najboljih RPG-ova svih vremena koriste fantastično okruženje, ali ni oni koji traže drugačiji okus avanture ne bi trebali biti razočarani jer postoje i neki odlični znanstveno-fantastični RPG-ovi.

Vanjski svjetovi (2019.)

Ne smije se miješati s vrlo sličnim naslovom Outer Wilds, The Outer Worlds je akcijska igra uloga koju je razvio Obsidian Entertainment, studio koji stoji iza Fallout: New Vegas. Postavljena stoljećima u budućnost, igra se odvija u alternativnom svijetu koji je u potpunosti pod kontrolom mega-korporacija koje nisu preuzele samo Zemlju, već i mnoge vanzemaljske planete, iskorištavajući ih kako im odgovara.

Mass Effect: Legendarno izdanje (2021.)

poster za igru ​​Mass Effect Legendary Edition s Garrusom Vakarianom i drugim likovima

BioWare je svojom serijom Mass Effect postavio standard za dobro napisane RPG-ove vođene likovima, a igrači još uvijek slave osnovnu trilogiju čak i sada, više od desetljeća nakon njezina izdavanja. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition je remaster prve tri Mass Effect igre Effect, s tim da se na prvoj igri temeljitije radilo, iako su sve tri dobile značajna vizualna i tehnička poboljšanja.

Za nove igrače koji žele uskočiti u ovu hvaljenu seriju i staviti se u kožu zapovjednika Sheparda, ova je kompilacija ultimativni uvod u franšizu, budući da nove značajke znače da se igra jednako dobro kao i svaka druga moderna igra.

Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)

Najveća snaga Playstation konzole leži u kolekciji izvrsnih igara koje su jedna bolja od druge, a Horizon Zero Dawn zasigurno je jedna od najboljih PS4 igara svih vremena.

Horizon Zero Dawn smješten je u post-post-apokaliptični svijet koji se oporavio od apokaliptičnog događaja, što znači da umjesto samo depresivnih ruševina, postoji puno više zelenila za uživanje, stvarajući jedinstvenu mješavinu drevne, ali futurističke estetike. Priča je prilično linearna i izbor dijaloga kada je dostupan ima malo utjecaja na priču, ali stručno osmišljen svijet Horizon Zero Dawn pravi je užitak za istraživanje.

Ratovi zvijezda: Vitezovi Stare Republike (2003.)

KOTOR je najbolje ocijenjena igra Star Wars ikad objavljena, a čak i gotovo 20 godina nakon njezina izlaska obožavatelji joj mogu pjevati hvale. Čak i ako je igrivost pomalo zastarjela prema modernim definicijama, priča i predaja čine je potpuno vrijednom toga, a na mnogo načina igra je čak i bolja od originalne trilogije.

Odvijajući se tisućama godina prije poznatijih događaja iz filmova, KOTOR prati legendu o Darthu Revanu s amnezijom i daje igračima slobodu da odaberu svijetlu ili tamnu stranu Sile dok igraju.

Serija Fallout

Opća premisa Fallout igara je vrlo mračna, ali dobro funkcionira kao postavka videoigre. Igrači su pušteni u postapokaliptični svijet opustošen nuklearnim ratom i slobodni su sudjelovati u raznim aktivnostima, od lova na radioaktivna čudovišta do izgradnje zajednica za preživjele i interakcije s njima.

Posljednjih godina, Bethesda je stekla nešto poput kontroverzne reputacije (najbolje sažeto memeima) zbog neuspjeha u pružanju svojih igara, ali čak i tada, franšiza Fallout ostaje vrlo voljena među RPG fanovima.

Nier: Automata (2017.)


Većina igrača neće biti upoznata s imenom Drakengard, koje je izvorna franšiza koja je proizvela Nier seriju, koja je zauzvrat iznjedrila lik 2B, čija popularnost nadilazi popularnost igara.

Ali osim svoje nečuvene protagonistice, Nier: Automata ima jedinstveno igranje potaknuto akcijom i dobro napisanu priču o ratu između humanoidnih androida i izvanzemaljskih stvorenja. To je jedna od onih igara koju je potrebno odigrati dvaput kako bi se istražili svi mogući ishodi i razgranate priče, a potencijalno i više puta kako bi se u potpunosti iskusilo ono što igra nudi.

[Christopher Porzenheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously” (244)

Spec Ops: The Line is a game I will never forget.

Two friends and I managed to get enough tickets from a Dave and Busters way back in the 2010s to get a copy of it, and we took turns playing it all the way through that night.

It was the most memorable story in any shooter I'd ever experienced, and that's true today.

It inspired me to watch Apocalypse Now, and read Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and then King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hothschild (a history of what inspired Conrad's novel to begin with).

So when I heard that a creative who was important to the making of Spec Ops: The Line had written a memoir about his experiences in the video game industry, I was curious about it.

This is what made me interested in reading Walt Williams' Significant Zero.

I was surprised by how willing Walt Williams is to paint an unflattering portrait of himself. Rhetorically, this makes him seem all the more honest and truthful about his own experiences. (Even if he’s also open about his willingness to lie to the reader to make amusing points). In truth, it feels like Significant Zero is an excuse for him to reckon with his own life choices.

I found Significant Zero a thought provoking memoir which was an easy and genuine pleasure to read. I got what I was looking for: information about the creation of Spec Ops: The Line.

But I also found particularly insightful Williams ideas about characters and avatars, though unexpectedly non self reflective his dissonant ideas about Crunch in video game development.

On the one hand, Williams just grants that Crunch is exploitative, makes for a miserable workplace, and is unnecessary, and arguably created by inept management. (222-223)

On the other hand, Williams claims “Crunch is a natural occurrence brought on by the creative process” that people only object to when they dislike the end result, and that some people like it. (224-225)

Williams admits to liking Crunch but is also regularly open about the fact that during much of his career he had a unhealthy relationship with work, which is to say, no life outside it.

I can’t help but feel he has confused what he feels worked for him with what he knows is generally prudent. Sleep deprived work is less inspired, more clumsy, and less effective. Crunch is foolish. It is also inhumane.

There are many ways to create something. Crunching is not necessary for all of them creatively. The mere fact that some like Williams claim to like it's martyrdom does not make it prudent.

Nor does the fact that people ignore Crunch when they like the end result make it prudent either.

Slavery can produce desirable products (people may ignore the unjust production) but slavery is hardly the most efficient way to create things, to speak nothing of the obvious immorality.

It seems to me, like Walker, in Spec Ops: The Line, that he is trying to convince himself that certain choices he made were necessary even in light of what he has learned after the fact. But it is to Williams' credit that he is sufficiently honest with his own life for me to come to this take.

Someone less willing to put themselves under a microscope wouldn’t say what Williams does. Williams exposes his own cognitive dissonance honestly, and it makes his writing memorable.

[Kate McKinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Gaming/Memoir hybrid tale. Pop-culture look at the video-game industry by a game-writer. This is an interesting book w/lots of specific gaming references, that fan-readers may appreciate. The author presents himself in a somewhat deviant way, which can be off-putting; but eventually he becomes more accessible & guides us through the steps of his young adult life, w/its various milestones: taking steps to secure a job, build his credit-rating, etc. He has a pleasingly gritty, gnarly, self-effacing sense of humor, which lifts the story up out of its technical shell in a much needed way. He's inclined to go on philosophical flights of fancy: pondering his loneliness & other personal concerns at times. This adds some balance to the book. Insidiously, we begin to realize that the author has some type of a depressive condition. The content becomes darker as the story goes on, to a point where it's demoralizing; almost demonic (Ie; "Repulse your players. Seduce them. Leave them so ashamed they want to vomit & touch themselves at the same time."). We hear his own accounts about how he dives headfirst into addiction, w/his work & gaming, utterly abusing his body & health in the service of his self-confessed compulsions ("Adderall, a bottle of water & the half-eaten remains of a large bag of peanut M&M's & can of paprika flavored Pringles. That was my breakfast, seven days a week." "The only things that gave me a warm, fuzzy glow were watching porn & eating half a jar of peanut butter in one sitting."). His many eerie rantings completely bely the book's subtitle of "Heroes, Villains, and the Fight for Art and Soul in Video Games" because the author makes clear that he's an A$$ who really doesn't give a $H1T. He seems to be searching for the exact opposite of heart & soul; instead dishing up raw, depraved nihilism. He's definitely opinionated (tho often incorrect). Reading the book imparts a negative, cynical, downbeat feeling. I hope Williams isn't portraying the general state of gaming now; if so, it's really a sad reflection on our culture. The last time I was actively gaming, I had an avatar who was a heroic crusader w/a band of loyal companions, who managed to laugh & have whimsical fun while completing their quests. According to Williams, games are militaristic, degenerate arenas of unrelenting aggression & violence, which seems to reflect his outlook on life, that people are unredeemable jerks (project much?) - ("You, as the player, are an A$$H0LE"). He's unapologetic (even defensive) about what he does, justifying it relentlessly ("You created something monstrous; let that mother roar."). Sad, that this is the state of entertainment today, at least as Williams sees it. At the end of the book, Williams purportedly has a (partial) epiphany, w/the guidance of his girlfriend (who ultimately becomes his wife), finally realizing his need for balance & social connection.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A jerk's behind-the-scenes look at designing big-budget video games. The author is a writer for video games, and he describes the long hours and work culture at video game studios. At the end of the book, his mentor tells him that most people he has worked with never want to work with him again.

There is a lot in here about video game culture. To the author's credit, he has thought critically about the violence in video games. He draws the line somewhere: he likes the dark grittiness of the games but nixes some of his co-writers worst ideas (e.g., things that evoke 9/11). It's not clear exactly why he draws the line where he does.

His self-awareness about violence does not extend to the work culture. For example, one person is hired because he has a GWAR belt buckle. This event reminded me of another book about work culture, Pedigree , where elite white-collar workers who based their hiring decisions on whether the candidates shared their enthusiasm for elite sports like polo. Imagine being a nonwhite woman and finding out that one of your coworkers was hired because he wore a GWAR belt buckle to his interview. This is a good case study for people who want to criticize the culture that develops video games. Software development gets plenty of criticism for a "toxic masculine" culture but this book shows that video games are worse than programming at places like Pixar (see Creativity, Inc. ). The author's narrow perspective on his toxic work culture reminded me of American Sniper .

So it's a terrible culture and the author has a blind spot to it, but is the book fun to read? I'd say yes. It is informative, easy to read, and usually entertaining. It feels like it is written for people who are already fans of big-budget video games (I am not). It didn't really sell me on trying any of them out. Or wanting to spend time with people who work at video games. But if you want the inside scoop, sure, check this out.

[Adam]

Recommended to me by my Screen Industries Mentor. That's right - I have a mentor now. And when you are desperate fancy enough to have a mentor and said mentor tells you to read a book...you best read the damn book. This particular one was offered in the hope that it might help shape my views on writing in the video game industry - a career path that I had never dismissed entirely, but also never taken seriously. It sounds like hell. Can't wait to get started.

Personal fears aside, Significant Zero is a cracking little read that is easy to bounce through without diminishing the crushing lows of its author. There's writing advice to be found, but this is more a memoir than a guidebook, so adjust expectations accordingly. Though, in detailing the progress of a game and the lessons learned along the career path, Williams does touch on a number of 'state of mind' pointers that feel honest and invaluable. Some of them are helpful and some of them you'll likely bristle at. But I'm glad someone took the time to note them down. For all their wisdom and messiness, they feel like a much-needed human reminder that all of us writers are not alone.

EDIT: I don’t know if it’s possible to be TMI on an account with literally zero followers, but his description of listening to the neighbours banging away upstairs has been rattling around in my head all day, reminding me of past experiences and the self-critiquing thoughts that still permeate. He says something to the effect of ‘there is nothing worse than listening to the sound of other people having sex when you are not - it only emphasises how lonely you are’ and I’m realising how unusual it is that I haven’t seen someone else put that sentiment in writing like that. Usually when we talk about overhearing sex, it gets framed in terms of being an annoyance. But for some, especially on those artistique dark nights of the soul, it can tear open a well of self-loathing. Can’t say I expected to get that kind of take in a video-game industry memoir, but there you have it.

[Paul (RinkuHero) Eres · Rating 2 out of 5]

next audiobook i listened to was 'significant zero', which was a book written about videogame writing (or about that writer's own history of videogame writing, kind of a pseudo-memoirs), by walt williams. he wrote the story of bioshock 2, the darkness 2, spec ops: the line, and various other games.

the book itself was unenjoyable to me, which is weird because i enjoy the subject (videogame writing), and i also felt it was a well-written book. it was mainly unenjoyable because i didn't like the writer (i don't mean his writing, or his games, i mean just him as a thinker and person), like he just seemed like an unlikeable person for some reason to me. he just seemed like, narcissistic, petty, full of anxieties, unlikeable, completely ignorant of videogame history, etc., but that's all possibly part of what made him a good videogame writer. but overall it's clear he doesn't like people, even the people who play his games, and especially his coworkers, he almost never has anything kind to say about them.

at one point after he finally leaves take-two, he talks about how every single team he worked with said 'he's a great writer, but we hate working with him, too difficult to work with, never want to see him again'. that this book even exists is bizarre, but it also has some valuable insights into how writing in the AAA game industry works, so, if you are interested in videogame writing, i actually would recommend the book, despite the author being not very likeable, because this book can't really be replaced by any other book in terms of how much it reveals about how writing for AAA videogames works.

i once read a book on writing by john gardner which said that to be a good writer, you have to like your audience. this book made me question that statement. this guy clearly doesn't like anybody very much (like he goes on rants about how gamers are entitled and don't deserve good stories because they complain too much about DLC), yet his games are known for good writing.

2 1/2 stars, rounded down.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a gamer ever since I was old enough to enter elementary school, but the development process behind my favorite hobby has always been beyond me. Significant Zero is a great account of the video game creation process. Specifically, Williams focuses on the writing and publishing aspect of games. That is to say, it's less centered on the technical/programming portion of development. Still, Significant Zero offers a great glimpse into the culture of game creation.

Williams is a charming personality in the book. His conversational style helps elicit a feeling of familiarity with the entire situation despite no experience in large-scale projects such as these. He's also endearingly human all throughout. I'd often find myself annoyed or scratching my head at certain actions he'd do but never to the point of disliking the man himself. His errors are easy to view with compassion and empathy, and he makes a great case of painting himself as a man excessively consumed by his work. Because of this, it's easy to understand why some things happened as they did, and it's difficult to actually hold anything more than just slight irritation against him. All in all the book is a great account of a writer's creative process vis-à-vis the relationship publishers and developers have. I recommend the book to anyone who's the least bit interested in video games, though I do think that even non-gamers would still find something to enjoy if they're looking for something to read.

Note: Background knowledge of video games isn't necessary for the book. While knowing a little bit helps contextualize some sections, Williams does his best to explain everything that may look foreign to a non-gamer. This includes terms (DLC, NPC, among others) and actual video games (some mentioned include Bioshock, The Elder Scrolls, and the central Spec Ops: The Line).

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The videogame industry is a desk—a very expensive, very colorful—desk with many sides. I've sat on two of them. On one side, I've written about games: articles, books, interviews, reviews. On the other, I sat next to developers like SIGNIFICANT ZERO author Walt Williams. I've written character bios, "bark" prattle, hundreds of quests, marketing copy.

A third side of that desk is where players sit. The nice thing about sitting there is you can put down the controller and get up anytime. The first two sides require sacrifice. Blood, sweat, and tears, often literal. Walt's account of the development side of the games industry is the most brutal and brutally honest I've read.

SIGNIFICANT ZERO offers something for everyone, and effortlessly. He covers the tedium of assignments like writing dozens of variations of "Hey, wanna buy something?" for vendors, heated arguments between creative teams, Crunch (proper noun) and the masochistic enjoyment some individuals, this writer included, get out of it. But he also delves into topics you never knew you wanted to know about, like the art of taking good screenshots that convey a sense of the game's world, character, and spirit.

You'll enjoy SIGNIFICANT ZERO if you're a consumer or involved in the industry in any way. What I appreciated most was Walt's candor. He disclosed lessons learned and hard truths about writing—not just about games; about the craft itself—that I've known but no one else has articulated or put down on paper. His conversational style and unflinching honesty made me feel like I wasn't alone. That there is at least one other person out there who gets me; who understands that no matter how well we do and how high we rise, the clouds will always be out of reach and we don't deserve to touch them.

[Nick Carraway LLC · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) "My trips to HVS would last anywhere from one to three weeks, including weekends. When planning for these extended stays, I always made sure I would have access to three essential things. The first was alcohol. Nothing takes the edge off hotel habitation like a bottle of top-shelf hooch.
The great thing about working on-site is being able to expense your meals. There was a limit to how much I could spend each day, but no regulation on what I spent it on. If my body could digest it, my report could expense it. Every bar was a gateway to experimentation; an opportunity to develop a sophisticated palate on someone else's dime. To ensure I always drank well, I developed a system built around the hotel's free continental breakfast. Every morning, I'd eat until I was full, and then stock-up on the three Bs---bananas, bagels, and bacon. I could keep these staples in my bag until lunch, so long as I wrapped the bacon in a napkin. That covered two meals per day without having to spend a single cent. Dinner was usually a cheap and greasy five-dollar burger, followed by a liquid dessert of Lagavulin 16; as many glasses as my limit would allow."

2) "We are lucky Half-Life 2 wasn't good enough to warrant a sequel, or else we'd still be subjected to this mute asshole on a regular basis."

3) "You don't get into game development if you don't love and play games. That shared passion blurs the line between creator and player. When we see ourselves as players, we design to our audience, believing we are designing for ourselves. By doing this, we forget that our job is not to give players what they want; our job is to show them things they never imagined."