Another Peter Molyneux-ism...

I don't think so. The interactive nature generally hurts story telling IMO. It's just different that watching a movie or reading a book where you're just enjoying the story since you're actively involved. Just a different experience and I prefer the other media for my stories.

Last game I enjoyed a story was probably Mass Effect. And it was nothing great, pretty run of the mill Sci Fi/Fantasy story.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I don't think so. The interactive nature generally hurts story telling IMO. It's just different that watching a movie or reading a book where you're just enjoying the story since you're actively involved. Just a different experience and I prefer the other media for my stories.

Last game I enjoyed a story was probably Mass Effect. And it was nothing great, pretty run of the mill Sci Fi/Fantasy story.[/quote]

To me it seems that the interactivity is one of the ingredients for immersion in story, but good point.
 
As far as sci-fi goes Xenogears takes the cake for the video games. I liked Valkyrie profile 1 but that was just a modified version of Norse mythology. Final Fantasy 6 has some nice character development.

There are some decent stories out there but if anything the stories have been getting worse. There hasn't been too much improvement as far as writing goes since the SNES days. Now that the industry is more heavily focused on graphics I can only imagine the writing suffering more.

I think it is half true. There is a good chance that some videogames will overtake movies - some games can be though of as longer interactive movies. However, the writing will never be that of a good book. It just isn't the focus.

tl;dr
It is possible but highly unlikely
 
I think that gaming easily has the potential to produce the best story ever told... but that's limited by the creativity and ambition of game developers. The sense of immersion that gaming affords has worked as a double edged sword, as dmaul points out, but I feel very strongly about the evolution of gaming as an expressive medium.

Remember. Movies were once low budget escapes from the daily grind, but eventually became a venue for real storytelling (as well as assorted guilty pleasures/bad films). I'm very easily convinced that this will be the case for gaming as well.
 
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[quote name='orcus86']To me it seems that the interactivity is one of the ingredients for immersion in story, but good point.[/QUOTE]

I guess that is something that would vary by person.

For me interactivity gets in the way of the story, vs. just sitting and watching or reading.

I like a story to kind of put me in another world, in other people's shows for a while. If it's interactive it's just not the same since you have control, decisions to make etc.

I guess I just like my stories and entertainment more passive. My interest in books and movies has stayed the same or grown over the years and my interest in games has been continually waning as get older. After a long day of work I just more often prefer to sit down and veg out with a good book or movie where I can enjoy the story and not be doing something as interactive as playing a game.

I like to sit and enjoy the ride the director/screen writer or author want to take me on--that's how I see/use art. Versus playing a game where I help shape the ride and story etc. A part of it is probably that I find it harder to care about the main character when you are the character (or are controlling the character). Just feels more like game than art/a story to me I guess.

But stuff like that may not bother others, and they may have different experiences. But for myself personally I doubt I'll ever see games as art or play them for the story....if I'm playing them at all beyond this generation.
 
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[quote name='ToadallyAwesome']As far as sci-fi goes Xenogears takes the cake for the video games. I liked Valkyrie profile 1 but that was just a modified version of Norse mythology. Final Fantasy 6 has some nice character development.

There are some decent stories out there but if anything the stories have been getting worse. There hasn't been too much improvement as far as writing goes since the SNES days. Now that the industry is more heavily focused on graphics I can only imagine the writing suffering more.

I think it is half true. There is a good chance that some videogames will overtake movies - some games can be though of as longer interactive movies. However, the writing will never be that of a good book. It just isn't the focus.

tl;dr
It is possible but highly unlikely[/quote]

Modified norse mythos makes me want to play Too Human. Exactly for the story, it being a silicon knights game makes me wonder if the story is good, they have a good track record in that regard.
 
My fave videogame story was Eternal Darkness, That H.P. Lovecraft mood makes it all the better.
 
"If Peter Molyneux invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons." - Winston Leonard Spencer-Crotchill
 
[quote name='The Crotch']"If Peter Molyneux invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons." - Winston Leonard Spencer-Crotchill[/quote]

ZZZZING!
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Ah, son of a bitch. Just realized - Godwin's Law.[/quote]

Well, lets keep it rolling and see if holds true! Seeing as how satan has already come into the discussion.
 
[quote name='orcus86']Peter Molyneux Says Games Will Produce Best Story Ever Told

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3173617

Fact or Fiction, what do you guys think? What was the last game that had a story that you really liked even if it was cheese.[/quote]

Fiction, for the reasons already stated. That doesn't mean video games can't tell compelling stories, as we all know. As for your second question, I liked the story of Xenosaga even though it was perhaps a bit heavy-handed (hell, those games were ALL story at times).
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I don't think so. The interactive nature generally hurts story telling IMO. It's just different that watching a movie or reading a book where you're just enjoying the story since you're actively involved. Just a different experience and I prefer the other media for my stories.

Last game I enjoyed a story was probably Mass Effect. And it was nothing great, pretty run of the mill Sci Fi/Fantasy story.[/quote]

Generally I would agree with you, but those first two Silent Hill games offer a visceral, horrific experience. You can't get that feeling by watching scary movies.

Put it this way - watching a movie I feel a sense of predestination (he'll probably die, but he might not, but either way it's already done) Playing a game, and looking ahead to the narrow hallway where Pyramid stands leering in front of the only exit, the future is in my hands and all bets are decidely off.
 
[quote name='camoor']Generally I would agree with you, but those first two Silent Hill games offer a visceral, horrific experience. You can't get that feeling by watching scary movies.

Put it this way - watching a movie I feel a sense of predestination (he'll probably die, but he might not, but either way it's already done) Playing a game, and looking ahead to the narrow hallway where Pyramid stands leering in front of the only exit, the future is in my hands and all bets are decidely off.[/QUOTE]

Like I said, it's just a personal thing and people will have different experiences, and different things that immerse them or take them out of a story in different media.
 
I'm almost certain Peter Molyneux thinks Peter Molyneux is a fuckin awesome dude with fuckin awesome ideas.

I wonder if PM ever played Fable 2? I heard it sucked huge monkey balls from more source than one (one being a CAG who has a pretty good handle on gaming and absolutely trashed the game from tip to tail). Would PM care to comment?

PM needs to tell PM to skip out on a year's worth of conferences/pressers and design a game worth playing. It might do him some good to keep his name out of the blogs for a bit.
 
I'll disagree from Peter, only because, I don't think you can beat a book for a story. All you need to create a book is an imagination. If you can think it, you can create it.

With any other genre, whether it's movies or games or anything else, not only do you have to be able to think it, but there are other considerations. You have to create it. Next, you have to have the budget for it, etc. These are all constraints that a book just doesn't have.

I think the best story driven games are yet to come, and it wouldn't shock me if the best games at some point are more highly regarded than the best movies (since movies have 2 hours to make you care about their plot, a game can have over 50 hours and sequals, rivaling even long running tv series for plot advancement).
 
[quote name='dothog']
I wonder if PM ever played Fable 2? I heard it sucked huge monkey balls from more source than one (one being a CAG who has a pretty good handle on gaming and absolutely trashed the game from tip to tail).
[/QUOTE]

I'm playing Fable 2 now and I think it's pretty enjoyable. Story is nothing great, the sim stuff (marriage etc.) isn't my cup of tea so I haven't bothered with it.

But the core gameplay is pretty fun, I like the combat and magic in battles, the graphics are nice. It's a pretty decent action RPG/Zelda style adventure game.

And it's sitting at 88% on www.gamerankings.com, so I'd hardly say the consensus is that it sucks.
 
[quote name='lordxixor101']
I think the best story driven games are yet to come, and it wouldn't shock me if the best games at some point are more highly regarded than the best movies (since movies have 2 hours to make you care about their plot, a game can have over 50 hours and sequals, rivaling even long running tv series for plot advancement).[/QUOTE]

Yes, but you can't just look at length. Even in a 40 hour RPG how much time is devoted to plot advancement? Not really that much as most is in gameplay--exploring the world, combat, shopping for items, side quests that have nothing to do with the plot etc. etc.
 
I'll agree with Molyneux just this once, after playing Mass Effect I find that video games can be one of the highest arts in visuals, story telling and enjoyment.
 
I have to agree that video games have the capacity for remarkable storytelling, which relies on careful leverage of their interactive nature. The role of the player must be carefully controlled, and balancing story and gameplay becomes crucial; I think at the present time many game developers are not putting adequate focus on the story out of fear that gameplay is what sells, but there is a definite move toward more story based games. I hope that in the future we will see more game developers employing full time writers, as Bioware presently does.
 
[quote name='Five Seven Five']I have to agree that video games have the capacity for remarkable storytelling, which relies on careful leverage of their interactive nature. The role of the player must be carefully controlled, and balancing story and gameplay becomes crucial; I think at the present time many game developers are not putting adequate focus on the story out of fear that gameplay is what sells, but there is a definite move toward more story based games. I hope that in the future we will see more game developers employing full time writers, as Bioware presently does.[/quote]

Let me ask you this,do you think the story aspect of games will suffer because developers seem to focus, at least to me, on the multiplayer aspect of new games?
 
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