Game Story & Character Development-the newest installment in Thomson's acclaimed Game Development Essentials series-shows how to create compelling stories and characters specifically for games. The book examines the history of storytelling, traditional and game-specific story structure, and all aspects of character development, including physical, psychological, sociological, and verbal. Filled with commentary from game industry professionals-and featuring a companion CD containing game story documentation and demos-Game Story & Character Development is an essential guide for game designers, writers, students, and professionals.

Chapter 1 The History of Story: how we've evolved as storytellers
Chapter 2 Game Genres: storytelling through style of play
Chapter 3 Building Your Story: how to construct a story from concept to execution
Chapter 4 Game Storytelling Devices: integrating game-specific elements into a story
Chapter 5 Character Types: who are your characters?
Chapter 6 Character Development: building compelling characters
Chapter 7 Verbal Character Development: effective use of narration, monologue & dialogue
Chapter 8 Gameplay and Story: incorporating challenges and strategies into a game story
Chapter 9 Putting Your Plan into Action: implementing a successful storyplay