As for their manifesto…my wife and I often discuss the changing nature of the video game, or should I say interactive narrative entertainment, industry. The Screen Actor’s Guild has begun to hardball a little in support of its members, but the Writer’s Guild (that bunch of non-visionaries) has yet to jump into the mix with appropriate verve. If the WGA were to incorporate video game creators and developers into its membership, and negotiate decently (doubtful, they really are a pathetic union just ask TV writers about DVD residuals) it would be a boon to creative staff on video games.

That said, I find it interesting that the trend is becoming that creative staff (including voice/acting talent and scriptors) are beginning to dominate the “above the line” costs and that programmers are becoming the gaffers, best boys, etc. of the video game industry. Not that that is bad. Gaffer is a great career. It just goes to show that the thing that is hardest to train, and thus most valuable, is the idea itself.

What this means for Manifesto, to bring it all back together, is that their model is a good one, especially for the “creator/programmer” (the videogame equivalent of the writer/director/cinematographer) and the DIY entertainer.

Best of luck to them and I will definitely check out their games. I might even pick up Space Hack in the next few days.

As for their manifesto…my wife and I often discuss the changing nature of the video game, or should I say interactive narrative entertainment, industry. The Screen Actor’s Guild has begun to hardball a little in support of its members, but the Writer’s Guild (that bunch of non-visionaries) has yet to jump into the mix with appropriate verve. If the WGA were to incorporate video game creators and developers into its membership, and negotiate decently (doubtful, they really are a pathetic union just ask TV writers about DVD residuals) it would be a boon to creative staff on video games.

That said, I find it interesting that the trend is becoming that creative staff (including voice/acting talent and scriptors) are beginning to dominate the “above the line” costs and that programmers are becoming the gaffers, best boys, etc. of the video game industry. Not that that is bad. Gaffer is a great career. It just goes to show that the thing that is hardest to train, and thus most valuable, is the idea itself.

What this means for Manifesto, to bring it all back together, is that their model is a good one, especially for the “creator/programmer” (the videogame equivalent of the writer/director/cinematographer) and the DIY entertainer.

Best of luck to them and I will definitely check out their games. I might even pick up Space Hack in the next few days.