David Gaider, who was a narrative lead for Dragon Age before leaving BioWare in 2016, said in a recent Twitter thread that writers at the developer became “quietly resented” and were seen as an “albatross.”
Gaider posted the tweets just as film and television writers went on strike yesterday, demanding better pay structures and improved working conditions from Hollywood studios. Talking about writing broadly, Gaider said it’s a discipline that’s “constantly undervalued,” and it’s an attitude that’s seen among those trying to get into the video game industry as well.
“Even BioWare, which built its success on a reputation for good stories and characters, slowly turned from a company that vocally valued its writers to one where we were… quietly resented, with a reliance on expensive narrative seen as the ‘albatross’ holding the company back,” he wrote.
“Maybe that sounds like a heavy charge, but it’s what I distinctly felt up until I left in 2016,” he went on. “Suddenly all anyone in charge was asking was ‘how do we have LESS writing?’ A good story would simply happen, via magic wand, rather than be something that needed support and priority.”
Maybe that sounds like a heavy charge, but it’s what I distinctly felt up until I left in 2016. Suddenly all anyone in charge was asking was “how do we have LESS writing?” A good story would simply happen, via magic wand, rather than be something that needed support and priority.
— David Gaider (@davidgaider) May 3, 2023
Gaider was with BioWare for 17 years before he left, and his narrative footprint on the company is an undeniably large one. He served as lead writer for Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Dragon Age: Inquisition, and is credited with the creation of the world in which the game series take place, Thedas.
The next Dragon Age game, Dread Wolf, is still awaiting a release date. Prior to Dragon Age, Gaider also worked on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn for BioWare. He’s currently working on a new narrative RPG for Summerfall Games, Stray Dogs.
Gaider’s comments come at a time when Hollywood’s writers are fighting for more stability in the industry, especially after streaming upended entertainment as we know it and as emerging AI technology is increasingly being eyed as a way to devalue writers even more (for more on how AI could impact the entertainment industry, check out IGN’s AI Week coverage).
“At the end of the day, you can say you like good writing – whether it’s in a game, a movie, an online article, or whatever – but if you don’t value it enough to prioritize it and support it… and, yes, pay writers what they’re due… that’s not what everyone else is hearing,” Gaider concluded.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.