As part of an ongoing series to see inside the game development industry, Gamespy has written the first part in a series interviewing those involved in all aspects of the game buisness. In this first interview with Warren Spector, creator of games such as System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex, different questions are posed from people interested in working their way into developing games. Warren draws from his experience with multiple game development cycles to discuss everything from management styles to some of the music composition types in games today. For more specific questions, he defers the questions to specialists working with him, such as musicians.

The fact is, stories ARE told in some games but they're told through interaction and player choice. Game stories are studies in collaboration between creator and player, rather than communicated cinematically from creator to viewer. The distinction may be subtle, but it's critical. In a film or television show you never think about what the viewer DOES, only about what the writer/director is trying to say, and maybe what the viewer thinks; in a game, the question, "what does the player DO?" may be the only question worth asking.

Gamespy's Warren Spector Q&A

Gamespy

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