In the US, the strike of screenwriters is gaining momentum. The co-creator of the Dragon Age series spoke about the behind the scenes of difficult work at the BioWare studio.
The writers want to draw attention to the problem of lack of recognition for their contribution to the entertainment industry and pay that is disproportionate to their efforts. Game developers are also unhappy with this state of affairs, at least that’s the impression from a series of messages recently published by Dragon Age series writer David Gaider.
He stated that the writers of BioWare, which is associated with great stories in their games, have become underestimated over time. Gaider added that writers are seen as trying to enter the gaming world through the back door, even though they don’t have skills like programming or graphic design.
“Even at BioWare, which built its success and reputation on good stories and characters, attitudes slowly changed and we were treated unfairly. We were treated with dislike, and by spending large budgets on writing good stories, we were considered to be holding back the development of the studio.
The creator explained that it was because of this attitude that he decided to end his collaboration with BioWare a few years ago.
“Maybe this is a serious accusation, but it was because of this situation that I left the studio in 2016. All of a sudden, all the decision makers were wondering, “Why do we get all the worst and worst stories?”. In the end, a good story happens by itself, as if by magic, and not because the studio needs to support its writers and prioritize accordingly.”
Gaider served as Lead Writer at BioWare on Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. After 17 years, he left the company. In 2019, he co-founded Summerfall Studios and is working on the game Stray Gods, which is scheduled for release on August 3rd.