Obviously, one of the things that inspired the story of GOOD GAME is that I’m a gamer myself. Mostly games on the PC, I dig all different genres from Simulation to FPS, although I’ve probably spent the most time indulging in RPGs. (How many PC gamers haven’t struggled with a WoW addiction?) RTSs were my first love, especially Warcraft II.
(For those newer or uninitiated in gaming acronyms, FPS = First Person Shooter, such as Call of Duty or Counter-Strike. RPG = Role Playing Game, such as Skyrim or Mass Effect. And RTS = Real Time Strategy, such as Starcraft. Classic simulation games include The Sims and SimCity.)
I found the competitive aspects of MOBAs such as DOTA II and League of Legends really fascinating though, especially the rise of the professional gaming scene and its desire to be treated as a serious sport. Lots of stuff in this world fed into the book. As an example, here is a random video from TI7 that shows some of the fun.
I also find a lot of inspiration for the plot moments and emotions in the book in music. This rather old song from Paramore hit home for this work.
Hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes look at the cool stuff that inspired GOOD GAME. If you haven’t already, you can also check out its sequel BAD GAME. We learn more Penny’s story and dig into a different kind of gaming—table top, anyone?—in BAD GAME, on Amazon now.
