I’m still recovering from post-GDC blahs, so I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. While at GDC, I attended a couple lectures and panels on outsourcing. While we always encourage game developers to bring in writers early, it may be the best time to bring in writers is both early and late.
According to one GDC session, there are three stages of production. The core team of any project generates the creative aspects. If you’re working on a story-driven game, a writer should be part of the core team. The second stage, agile, would include key art and tech. Finally, the scalable section includes outsourcing content, such as writing.
Of course, there’s more than one way to go about bringing in writers. Do you agree or disagree with this method?