Why games are bad at storytelling (and in general)

[Dread Pirate Phayde]

You definitely sound like you'd just prefer to watch a movie, but careful there might be plot threads that have already existed in dozens of movies or books. You'd probably like the Xenosaga games, 2 minutes game play, 45 minutes of cut scene. The whole point of a game is for mechanics to interact with the story and attempt to immerse you, some do it better than others. Maybe stop playing Call of Duty and pick up a RPG.

[Deleted]

You definitely sound like you'd just prefer to watch a movie, but careful there might be plot threads that have already existed in dozens of movies or books. You'd probably like the Xenosaga games, 2 minutes game play, 45 minutes of cut scene. The whole point of a game is for mechanics to interact with the story and attempt to immerse you, some do it better than others. Maybe stop playing Call of Duty and pick up a RPG.

Lolol. You're missing the point entirely. I've played loads of RPGs, trust me. It's not about crappy CoD games or RPGs at the other end of the spectrum. My whole point is that both of them have mechanics which are tedious. CoD has crap shooting and even crappier storytelling. RPGs are more focused on story of course, but then my whole point here is that the combat and the loot and the levelling is all inconsequntial to my enjoyment of the story. It's unncessary it's a chore to get to the next cinematic which I would enjoy

- - - Updated - - -

If you haven't caught on yet, I basically dislike the very act of playing a game. I couldn't care less about action, leveling, loot and all of it. I don't care about action games and getting an adrenaline rush and at the same time I don't care about gradually building a character in an RPG and killing loads of enemies. It's all pointless stuff which has no bearing on story.

[Jazzhands]

Guys this guy gets it. If we take all the games out of games, then they'll be good! I mean, look at how well WoW is doing.

The OP has got to be trolling. And if he isn't, he should take his own advice and read a book, because he clearly doesn't like or understand gaming, and shouldn't be here anymore.

[Deleted]

Guys this guy gets it. If we take all the games out of games, then they'll be good! I mean, look at how well WoW is doing.

The OP has got to be trolling. And if he isn't, he should take his own advice and read a book, because he clearly doesn't like or understand gaming, and shanymore be here anymore.

Top work, Sherlock. I clearly don't like gaming?

Give this man a medal. He's cracked it after 3 pages.

[Rixis]

Is it?

In an RPG you tend to start off as a lowly pleb on a mission, it's by fighting your way through the enemies and acquiring better equipment that you become strong enough to reach the end of the story.

just because you don't see these mechanics as aspect of the storytelling does not mean they cannot be seen as such.

What book has a guy decide he's gonna save the world, walks up to the bad guy, chops his head off with a sword he happens to have and that's it done, world saved in 10 pages.

There are side stories and such to books and movies that develop the characters just as much as killing enemies and acquiring items does so.

[klogaroth]

Give me less of the damn mechanics.

Games are not books or movies.

The strength of games as a medium is that the story isn't a cinematic. The more games move away from this idea and towards telling story through mechanics the more they will be playing to the unique strengths of the medium.

The more we can take the idea of the branching story and expand upon it as technology grows the better. The wider the range of actions, consequences, and future actions that are opened up by that the more we will see games able to produce a significant emotional response. When people aren't seeing "the" story, but they are seeing "their" story. When they aren't seeing the preset reactions of NPCs, but are seeing the reactions of the NPCs that have been shaped by the world that their actions as a player has shaped.

[Deleted]

Games are not books or movies.

This is what I've been saying. This is the ENTIRE point of my thread. What on earth made you think that repeating my entire point to me in that sentence was worthwhile?

[Jazzhands]

Top work, Sherlock. I clearly don't like gaming?

Give this man a medal. He's cracked it after 3 pages.

You keep saying that games are a chore. They are, for you. They aren't for the rest of us. When you aren't enjoying something, it simply wasn't made for you, that doesn't mean its bad.

You're also super defensive and on edge about this. Did someone beat you really badly in a game recently?

[Calfredd]

If you haven't caught on yet, I basically dislike the very act of playing a game. I couldn't care less about action, leveling, loot and all of it. I don't care about action games and getting an adrenaline rush and at the same time I don't care about gradually building a character in an RPG and killing loads of enemies. It's all pointless stuff which has no bearing on story.

So again, you want interactive fiction like Dear Ester and Gone Home?

[Blade Wolf]

This is what I've been saying. This is the ENTIRE point of my thread. What on earth made you think that repeating my entire point to me in that sentence was worthwhile?

Who said they WERE movies/books?

[Edge-]

Closing this down. OP doesn't really leave any room for discussion and the posts so far haven't been very productive.