‘Softie in question: John Sutherland

Job title: Writer - Microsoft Game Studios

Could you explain the role of the writer in game development?
The writer develops the story and collaborates with the designer, who is often the game’s director. Sometimes we work with an outside developer who may have as many as four staff writers on a game. In that case, I work as the story doctor and oversee the writers: I help with story structure, pacing, and trimming their dialogue down to a manageable level. Other times, we work with developers who don’t have any staff writers and I’m the sole scriptwriter.

How did your career start off at Microsoft Game Studios?
I was working as a technical writer for Microsoft on error messages for Office 95 and telephony projects and that sort of thing. But, like a lot of technical writers, I had a secret life. When I wasn’t at work, I was busy as a screenwriter.

I started working in games in 1996 when a former copy editor of mine from Office asked me to create an online help system for Mind Aerobics, a new puzzle game by Alexey Pajitnov - who invented Tetris. In many ways, my first game writing job was still technical writing.

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