Video Games, the new 'movie/book'?

[ThunderBlunder]

A discussion on various forums has led me to post this on mmochamp.

So what's it about? Video Games, the new 'movie/book'?

Numbers: Nowadays, games are getting more important in the business world. So important that they already are/will be the number 1 entertainment one can offer. Big sale numbers haven't peak'd yet and records can still be broken.

Story: Video games with more story participation are getting popular. You are a part of an intriguing story line or better yet, you create your own story!

Examples: Assassin's creed & Uncharted & Skyrim? Just examples.

Future of Video Games & Movies: People (or fanboys/girls) tend to believe that one day, movies will be interactive. Like video game interactive. Or just will develop to be a movie genre.

So my question for you is:
Do you rather play (in) a story-line or would you rather watch/read a story-line?
And is there a possibility that the future generations will favor Video Games over Movies (or/and books) for Story/Lore reasons?

*The Questions are a general approach, your answer can vary.*

[Zeta333]

A discussion on various forums has led me to post this on mmochamp.

So what's it about? Video Games, the new 'movie/book'?

Numbers: Nowadays, games are getting more important in the business world. So important that they already are/will be the number 1 entertainment one can offer. Big sale numbers haven't peak'd yet and records can still be broken.

Story: Video games with more story participation are getting popular. You are a part of an intriguing story line or better yet, you create your own story!

Examples: Assassin's creed & Uncharted & Skyrim? Just examples.

Future of Video Games & Movies: People (or fanboys/girls) tend to believe that one day, movies will be interactive. Like video game interactive. Or just will develop to be a movie genre.

So my question for you is:
Do you rather play a story-line or would you rather watch a story-line?
And is there a possibility that the future generations will favor Video Games over Movies (or/and books) for Story/Lore reasons?

*The Questions are a general approach, your answer can vary.*

Id rather read the book. Iv personally found that when i have the option of book/game or movie/book ill always enjoy the book more, the books go into detail that the movies cant reach, sharing thoughts other veiws and perspectives. I started by reading the books of Episode 2 and 3 of star wars first before the movies and it gave me greater insight into what happened when i saw the movies, also opened the universe of star wars books that I still enjoy to this date. Same thing with Halo, very good game, good storyline but the books expand on the storyline tenfold and i dont think your a halo fan till youv read the books. On a side note , republic commando books while they dont follow the squad from the game the squad that is followed interacts with them alot but is some of the best literature iv ever read and if you loved the game i strongly recommend reading the books.

[MestHoop]

*The Questions are a general approach, your answer can vary.* [/B]

First of all, thanks for adding this, it is something that should be apparent, but most MMO-champion goers take this for granted or just ignore it from second 1.

Now, I'm also slightly strunk while writing this, but I think this is an important matter, so that is why I am pointing this out, as I may end up typing stupid shit as I rant on.

So to the main questions:
Do you rather play a story-line or would you rather watch a story-line?
And is there a possibility that the future generations will favor Video Games over Movies (or/and books) for Story/Lore reasons?
Yes and yes, to a certain degree (latter one only).

First question is personal preference, not much to add or comment on that.

Second one however: I study human culture (Japanese and East-Asian to be specific) and to me, video games are going through the exact same cycle as movies were, except there's the internet now.
Let me explain. When movies first showed, people thought of them as less than books, as a movie without sound (and black and white) could not possibly display a world as a book in an imagination can. As time and movies grew however, they started to gain some critical acclaim, showing the world that they were not just a cheap rip-off of books. This is nigh identical to the current movie -> video game industry. However the game industry is facing some issues the movie industry at the time wasn't.

You see, currently the gaming industry is not focusing at something that the future will NOT call the literature of games.
What separates literature from other books? Taken from wiki, here's a definition (as mentioned before, stoned and drunk, so little patience): "Literature" is differentiated from popular and ephemeral classes of writing. Terms such as "literary fiction" and "literary merit" are used to distinguish individual works as art-literature rather than vernacular writing.

Rather, the current major gaming industry is focusing on the "romance novels" of games. These are products which as easily sold, to a large range of consumer bases, without a lot of production and low economical risk.
This is where the current "modern warfare" games come from: Easy to produce games (work on the same engine because the current console systems are not being upgraded, same weapons, etc.), base game on userbased content (in this case, multiplayer compared to a 4h singleplayer campaign), extend game length by making an uneasy to use unlock system to keep people playing.

These are just some examples, however there is good!



So why do I like games above movies or books?
Because a good game can make YOU a part of the story. A good example of this is portal. You see, they captured an important part of their (or your) character by not allowing her to talk, as voice commands (even if given through a mic) are FUCKING hard to recognize, so they made her "mute" (see intro section of Portal2). This allowed for full immersion into a game, where actions count for more than words and thus you have an actual feel of making a change to the world that is being put in front of you (instead of just picking between several options to get a specific desired outcome like in most modern games, if given the choice at all).

So I believe that, as soon as the gaming medium starts dropping (or at least toning down) their confrontational nature and accept that games can be made without resorting to guts and gore, and they start making the player more a part of the story (as opposed to a person who the story is partially being told to and partially being carried out by), that they will be accepted as a proper form of cultural media, just as movies are today.

We've got a long way to go, but I can't wait to write my first (officially recognized) paper on a truly interactive piece of literature

[Caiada]

Books are pretty timeless because of the written word, but I think eventually (as in probably decades from now) there will just be interactive and non-interactive video, likely distributed online instead of at movie theaters, with the traditional movie theater experience being replaced with something like advanced internet cafes.

I'm personally open to all three, interactive, noninteractive, and written. Sometimes I want to be in the story, sometimes I want to watch others' stories, and sometimes I want to be told the story.

[Malcor]

Your late to the party bro.

Been this way for a while.

Games are just FAR more interactive than movies/books will ever be.

[Kankuri]

A good book will absorb me far more than a video game or movie. The main problem that I have with movies and video games is that you aren't left with a lot of room to become creative. Whether it's watching a video game or a movie, you are seeing a character performing actions, having conversations, developing overall, etc. When you are reading a book, EVERYTHING is created in your brain; the setting, the characters, the background music, the tone of conversation. Other than a basic idea of what is going on, it's up to the reader to spawn all of it.

I apologize that doesn't make much sense. Work suuuuucks.