Videogame Writing Award
Submissions invited for Writers Guild of America gongs.
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK – October 28, 2008 – Recognizing writers as a primary creative force in today’s gaming industry, the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced the call for submissions for the WGA’s second annual Videogame Writing Award to be presented at the upcoming 2009 Writers Guild Awards to be held on February 7, 2009, simultaneously in Los Angeles and New York.
Submissions for this year’s Videogame Writing Award will be taken until November 24, 2008. Videogame award nominees will be announced on January 12, 2009.
Developed and driven by the Guilds’ Videogame Writers Caucus “to encourage storytelling excellence in videogames, to improve the status of writers, and to begin to encourage uniform standards within the gaming industry,” the Videogame Writing Award recognizes the essential creative contributions made by videogame writers. As writers are rapidly becoming more central players in this medium, the Guilds are working to bring more videogame projects under their jurisdiction to ensure writers receive the benefits of a WGA contract.
This past February, Dead Head Fred (D3 Publisher), written by Dave Ellis and Adam Cogan, took home the WGA’s first Videogame Writing Award. In an industry that has, in recent years, witnessed major cultural and critical attention, as well as significant commercial growth, marquee-title videogame sales often surpass opening-weekend theatrical box-office gross figures in their first week. Other videogames nominated in 2007 included World in Conflict, The Simpson Game, The Witcher, and Crash of the Titans.
Qualifications to be eligible for the WGA Videogame Writing Award include:
The award will go to the writer(s) of the best qualifying script from a videogame published in the previous year. To be eligible for entry, games must have been released between 12/1/07 and 11/30/08. Submission deadline is November 24, 2008, 5:00 p.m. Work that was not produced under WGA jurisdiction may be submitted. Submitted games must have separate credit for writing (i.e., Written By, Story By, Writer, Story Designer, etc.). While there is no limit on the number of credited writers a particular game may have, credits not specifically tied to videogame writing are not acceptable (i.e., Lead Designer, Designed By, Produced By, etc.). Note: Writers of source material are not eligible for awards consideration. All submissions must be made in the name of the credited writer(s), and not the game itself. Scripts may also be submitted by the developer/publisher of the game, or by writer representatives, i.e., agents, managers and publicists. Entries submitted by anyone other than the writer(s) must include an entry form signed by the submitting writer(s). At the time the script is submitted, the credited writer(s) of the game must be, or apply to become, a member of the WGA’s Videogame Writers Caucus.Preliminary judging for the Videogame Writing Award will be done by panels comprised of VWC and/or WGA members active in the videogame writing arena. Final judging will be handled by a special panel of writers from the VWC and/or Guild members who have been active in writing for videogames.
The 2009 Writers Guild Awards will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2009, simultaneously at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.
For more information about the 2009 Writers Guild Awards submission process, guidelines, and official entry forms, please visit www.wga.org or www.wgaeast.org.
Further inquiries about the WGA Videogame Writing Award may be directed to Melissa Gage in the WGAW Awards Dept. at (323) 782-4571; email: mgage@wga.org, or to Marsha Manns in the WGAE Awards Dept. at 212-767-7805, email: mmanns@wgaeast.org.
For media inquiries about the 2009 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles show, please contact Gregg Mitchell in the WGAW Communications Dept. at: (323) 782-4574, email: gmitchell@wga.org.
For media inquiries about the 2009 Writers Guild Awards New York show, please contact Sherry Goldman in the WGAE Public Relations Dept. at (718) 224-4133 or email: sherry@goldmanpr.net.
The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) represent writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, and new media industries in both entertainment and news.
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