The East and West organizations of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have announced the creation of the WGA's inaugural Videogame Writing Award to be presented for the first time ever at the Los Angeles ceremony of the 2008 Writers Guild Awards on February 9, 2008. The WGA represents writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, and new media industries in both entertainment and news. The new award was developed by the WGA and spearheaded by the guild's New Media Caucus “to encourage storytelling excellence in video games, to improve the status of writers, and to begin to encourage uniform standards” within the gaming industry. The guild says the award aims to spotlight a wide range of quality work by video game writers, raising their profiles and validating their contributions to this rapidly maturing medium. “Video games are written and many are written very well," commented WGAW president Patric M. Verrone. "By recognizing the skill and craft of video game writing, the Writers Guilds intend to raise the profile of these writers so that they can get WGA contracts and benefits for this work. We aim, we shoot, we score.” “Writers are finally being recognized and valued in the video game industry. Both artistically and financially, video games matter - and video game writers matter to the WGA,” commented WGAW New Media Caucus member Jay Lender. Further information is available at the WGA Awards official site.