Why did video games as a story telling medium fail?
For many of us, games were especially fascinating for them being among the best and most impactful mediums for stories. The plots could be extemely simple but the interactive medium and the fact that YOU are doing it made them emotionally impactful experiences we talked about and remembered. Many people initially joined the industry because they saw video games a new medium for storytelling, not too dissimilar of an innovation as film was in the early 20tj century.
But it failed. No kid who plays video games in 2019 actually is experiencing some kind of narrative. They all play either multiplayer games online or simple mobile games. The idea that video games convey stories is actually completely dying and the games still coming out are all catered to an older audience who actually grew up with them. Children will never play anything other than stuff like Fortnite and Apex Legends.
Why? Why couldn't games be the new Netflix? Is interactive narration too complex? Are there simply no good writers in the industry? Is it a marketing problem wherein people just don't expect video games to be able to do that anymore? Is it simply less profitable?
>Why did video games as a story telling medium fail?
Time.
Society.
Charles Sanders
because people like games for the gameplay, and movie games are often common denominator horseshit hacked together by third rate morons who couldn't make it in the direct-to-video industry. Shocker, right?
video games are adequate for storytelling, it's just decent writing will blow it the fuck out every time. but only for the pure concept of a narrative, which a game already wasn't setting out to do
Noah Adams
Nier:Automata was successful
Ian Gomez
Movie games are exactly the wrong way to convey stories through video games and do not exploit the interactive nature of the game at all. Those are not what I am taking about. I'm talking about games like Bioshock.
Zachary Ortiz
Nier: Automata is stereotypical nonsensical anime bull. Stop pretending stupid nipshit is 'deep' becaue they mention a book term or two.
the best way to convey lore and writing is through text. Hence why people adore ancient sruff like Planetscape -- reading is immersive.
Grayson Hill
Because kids are stupid empty vessels. Dumb doesnt like things that remind them how dumb they are so they choose dumb media. And we got plenty of that. They'll probably grow up into actual retards.
Oliver Allen
>"are adequate"
But what's interesting about them is that they have their own, completely new way to tell stories and the interactive nature makes them great. Another example: Yume Nikki. The story is fairly simple but the presentation - the ability to explore the dreams and see what is "fucked up" about the girl - fascinated millions of people worldwide. Even though it's a simple story, because it's a video game you could make it interesting, flesh it out and make it emotionally impactful.
Brody Bennett
>For many of us, games were especially fascinating for them being among the best and most impactful mediums for stories. The plots could be extemely simple but the interactive medium and the fact that YOU are doing it made them emotionally impactful experiences we talked about and remembered Nice revisionism. Games were always terrible for storytelling; the narrative can't leave the player character and develop any other character.
Yeah, that's the point though, video games aren't interesting when used to convey lore or make a movie. Video games should be like poems. Instead of metaphors and artistic techniques telling you a tiny story and conveying a feeling or emotion about something, or evoking a certain situation, video games should give you a feeling, evoke situations etc. through the way you interact with them. Sometimes grand stories work in video games, but they're usually the best when they would be simple to tell, but they become meaningful and interesting because of the artistic presentation, the fitting, involving gameplay and the fact that you're seemingly really experiencing them.
Fallout evokes the feeling of nuclear wasteland, Vampire Masquerades is a memorable experience about nightlife, etc. when you think about it, this is what good games do.
Mason Powell
That's just wrong. You can make a silent played character and make the narration about the characters and their interactions and feelings instead of yours (Majora's Mask)
Nathaniel Powell
>the narrative can't leave the player character and develop any other character WRONG
>Why did video games as a story telling medium fail? They didn't. You're just bitter. Next question.
James Thompson
yup. Forego the cinematics and give us more text, games are for wasting time anywyas.
Jayden Powell
What I find especially hilarious is GTA. Older people buy it and play through single player and see all these political and cultural references catered to them, while kids just go online, shoot stuff and never care about anything else
David Bell
yes they did. Compare some AAA crap like Uncharted, to say, Fallout 2, and it'll be clear as day which game put more thought into fleshing the world out.
David Hall
Society can change over time
Kevin Clark
Blame voice acting. Dialogue had to be cut down considerably because of it.
Anthony Davis
The more story you have to tell the more interactivity and gameplay goes. Those things are exactly the point of video games in the first place.
Dominic Jones
side quesiton but wasn't Fo2 AAA for their day as well? i love fo2 but i think it is a bit unfair to compared both games like that, and im not even trying to defend uncharted btw (barely even play them) when hardware limitation was the problem back in the day, devs put more focus on story/world building since there are limit of what can you do with gameplay and visual but for later gens, they just focus on the other 2 much and lacking in story and world building not to mention genre has taken in account as well comparing fo4 vs fo2 would be better
Daniel Edwards
My guess is because of how story-focused games were a decade ago. What we are currently experiencing is the reaction against that
Liam Baker
I always wonder how people like this commit suicide. I imagine it will be in a very public way to try to push their problems on everyone else.
Zachary Price
This. God knows how many games have been screwed because people now expect almost every line to voice acted.
