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  • Subject: Dose Bungie have a writing team?
Subject: Dose Bungie have a writing team?

Sorry if i'm posting this in the worng place (please tell me where to post it if i'm worng), but dose bungie have an writing team? Because I see that under bungie's careers. I see there are jobs for: art, audio, design, engineering playstation 3,production and, test. But are there any story writing jobs? Or are there just no job openings for that kind of thing? just curious.

  • 12.13.2011 8:27 AM PDT

Have you seen my mind anywhere? I seem to have lost it...

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They have a writing team, after all, somebody has to write for their games.

There used to be writing positions open, I guess they just got filled.

  • 12.13.2011 8:32 AM PDT
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.

I believe that over the years, due to how Bungie has a whole-house-collaboration process, even the story gets the "crucible" treatment by anyone/everyone who is interested. In doing so, various people have shown themselves to have strong storytelling traits that clearly have stronger focus in particular areas. Then, by being collaborative, they allow those members to do what they happen to do best, but working together and collaboratively/critically examining all efforts, the outcome is uniquely Bungie.

Jones seems to have a gift for coming up with a large-scale idea, McLees has a gift for filling it with specific universe-defining detail, Staten has abilities that focus on characters and their development/motivations, and so on....

Hell, I remember when Frankie was hopped up that he got to write the copy for a game's manual. I believe (based on external observation not on anything concrete or specific) that everyone is given the ability to "start small on this specific portion" and then encouraged to "think big, dream bigger and don't be afraid to try, don't be afraid to fail trying" and the team process then takes the best of everyone's efforts and uses that to forge a final product of which everyone can be proud.

  • 12.13.2011 8:55 AM PDT

Have you seen my mind anywhere? I seem to have lost it...

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I have seen you future

Posted by: Recon Number 54
But they still have designated writers, even though the story is a whole studio ordeal (note that collaboration is one of the required skills).

  • 12.13.2011 9:03 AM PDT
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.

Posted by: CTN 0452 9
Posted by: Recon Number 54
But they still have designated writers, even though the story is a whole studio ordeal (note that collaboration is one of the required skills).

I don't deny that. Frankie, Luke and I believe Urk were hired as writers.

But some of the more core writers also wore different primary hats as well. If I recall, Staten was a cinematography/cutscene director, McLees was an artist whose primary focus was weapon design, Jones was one of the founders and as such, did nearly everything including go get snacks.

  • 12.13.2011 9:06 AM PDT

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- Dawes, A little bit of everything


Posted by: Recon Number 54
Posted by: CTN 0452 9
Posted by: Recon Number 54
But they still have designated writers, even though the story is a whole studio ordeal (note that collaboration is one of the required skills).

I don't deny that. Frankie, Luke and I believe Urk were hired as writers.

But some of the more core writers also wore different primary hats as well. If I recall, Staten was a cinematography/cutscene director, McLees was an artist whose primary focus was weapon design, Jones was one of the founders and as such, did nearly everything including go get snacks.

Snacks play an integral role in the game development process at Bungie Studios.

  • 12.13.2011 9:07 AM PDT

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[*Please note that anything in my posts is likely to be filled with sarcasm, and should be taken with a pinch of salt. I tend to help people, usually*]

I believe the way Bungie works is that if you have an idea for a direction the game should go in, then voice it. I think there are specific writers who turn the concept into an actual narrative, but as for idea-generation, I'm quite sure it's a collaborative effort. Recon explained it more in-depth.

  • 12.13.2011 9:15 AM PDT
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Bungie has quite a few writers. However, each writer may do something different. For example DeeJ and Urk are community writers. Staten (aside from being the creative director) is a story writer among two other dedicated story writers at Bungie. McLees, an artist by profession, also contributes to story as well. I have no idea what Luke Smith does. Marketing perhaps?

Writers at Bungie (to my knowledge):

Joseph Staten
Eric Osborne
"DeeJ"
Dave Mongan
Peter O'Brien
Luke Smith
Robert McLees

...and pretty much anyone in the studio that want's to contribute.


[Edited on 12.13.2011 9:24 AM PST]

  • 12.13.2011 9:19 AM PDT