David Gaider, the former narrative lead for Dragon Age at BioWare, recently tweeted about how writers were “quietly resented” at the game development company. Writing is often undervalued in the video game industry, which is also a sentiment shared by Hollywood writers who are currently on strike demanding better pay structures and working conditions. Despite BioWare’s reputation for good storytelling and characters, Gaider felt that the company began to rely less on its writers and viewed narrative as an “albatross” holding them back. This attitude led to a decrease in support and priority for good storytelling. Gaider left BioWare in 2016 after serving the company for 17 years and giving a significant narrative footprint, particularly with the Dragon Age series. He is currently working on a new narrative RPG for Summerfall Games, Stray Gods. His comments come at a time when writers everywhere are fighting for more stability and recognition for their craft. Ultimately, Gaider stresses the importance of valuing good writing and supporting it through prioritization and fair compensation.
