The video game industry is undergoing substantial layoffs, with narrative jobs being disproportionately impacted, resulting in over 30,000 roles eliminated recently. Carrie Patel, a seasoned narrative designer at Obsidian Entertainment, reflects on the increasing challenges of entering the field today compared to her start in 2013. She emphasizes the value of immersive role-playing games (RPGs) that offer deep, respectful narratives. Despite an industry trend towards artificial intelligence in gaming, Patel advocates for the necessity of skilled human storytellers in crafting compelling game experiences.
Even the director of the game Carrie Patel—a successful author and narrative developer—feels lucky she was able to start her career years ago. It just seems to be harder and harder to find a path in.
Patel expresses concerns about the scarcity of talent in the industry, emphasizing that RPGs offer players an opportunity to engage with deep stories that respect their time.
Part of Obsidian's storytelling success is its unwillingness to rely on AI, affirming that "Good game stories are going to be written by good narrative designers."
Collection
[
|
...
]