There are stand-out lines in every game that've mutated on the Internet into memes, references and the type of phrase that becomes better known as a reference than what it meant in the game. From Mass Effect's call-and-response of "Shepherd/Wrex" to Niko Belic shouting "yellow cab" when he's had a few drinks. But what goes into a game script, especially when name talent like James Gunn pens a script like Lollipop Chainsaw over something like Portal which is purely based on a one-sided conversation from a self-aware AI or murderous turrents that squeal if turned on its back.
Kotaku explored this new emerging world of what it means to be a writer, not only for an expanding globe-trotting plot like in Splinter Cell: Conviction, but to why the infamous "Bitch" line became repeated so much throughout Arkham City. It ultimately comes down to trying not to be corny or over-ambitious with lines that can succintly boiled down to "Argh, I'm dead!" instead of the long-drawn out death throws parodied in Austin Powers by Will Ferrell.
The lines, or "barks," come from villainous A.I. as a means of alerting the player to how they're progressing whether they've been caught, in trouble, safe or so engrained in the their head that by the time in Bioshock the rather pointless question of "would you kindly," takes on an overwhelming sense of dread and plot fufillment.
So even in the upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist, if you think the enemies seem to just be shouting generic things at you that are weirdly helpful, realize that's not a mistake. And it's way better than if they shouted, "HEY, WE ARE OUT OF AMMO AND NOT ABOUT TO SHOOT YOU. FOR REALS...NAH."
