Argument against "Their shouldn't be Video Game Novels."

[Korten12]

Based on Today's question asking people how they felt about Video Games Novels, I saw some people say its stupid because its going from an interactive medium to a non-interactive medium. Now this I think is really stupid, not everything in a storyline can be a video game. If they were to have expanded the Halo Universe by making all the books into games, people would then consider them milking the franchise.

Also the thing is that, in a storyline like I said above can't be a video game. In Halo: Fall of Reach there were many times that the characters were just talking and not much action. If translated into a game it would be very boring and it would be bashed for being how it is. This is were the books come in, they allow to do all of these without it being bashed.

Now some people say "Well why wouldn't they just show all of this in-game?" Well for one the game would be much longer but not in a good way, like I said, long cut-scenes are usualy bashed for and so they wouldn't work. So you are basicaly asking them to do something you don't like.

Video Game Books, help expand the universe for those who want it, people who don't like to read, well that's their fault not the developers. Developers should be able to make book series and a lot of the time they can be really good. Sure you can find cheap-cash in ones but you can also find great one's like Halo:Fall of Reach/Ghosts of Onyx, Guild Wars: Ghosts of Ascalon, Mass Effect books, etc, the list goes on.

So what do you guys think? Also please go in depth.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Ahh very tough question, good sir.

As an avid reader/video gamer, I love video game novels. Usually, they introduce a new character or a new part of the universe, expanding it and leaving questions open that make us wonder and think.

What I like is something this characters/places/questions are integrated into the story of the game in a sequel or spin-off. Case in point and Starcraft II novels/game and the gears of War novels/game.

In the Starcraft II novel, a character named Jacob Ramsey is discussed and is in a three part novel series, and he is in the new game if only briefly.

While in the gears of war games, for the third one, they did it truly right.

They have the author writing it that wrote a books (a woman no less. WHOO!)They are adding a female character that was in the novel and that kicked-ass into multiplayer.

I believe we need them, and I am proud to say I support them 100% ^^

 

[Korten12]

Ahh very tough question, good sir.

As an avid reader/video gamer, I love video game novels. Usually, they introduce a new character or a new part of the universe, expanding it and leaving questions open that make us wonder and think.

What I like is something this characters/places/questions are integrated into the story of the game in a sequel or spin-off. Case in point and Starcraft II novels/game and the gears of War novels/game.

In the Starcraft II novel, a character named Jacob Ramsey is discussed and is in a three part novel series, and he is in the new game if only briefly.

While in the gears of war games, for the third one, they did it truly right.

They have the author writing it that wrote a books (a woman no less. WHOO!)They are adding a female character that was in the novel and that kicked-ass into multiplayer.

I believe we need them, and I am proud to say I support them 100% ^^

Yeah Novels can really help expand the universe.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

See: Metal Gear Solid. When people want stories in game, they complain about the cutscenes being too long.
See: Halo. When people want more action, they complain that there is no real story.

We cannot be pleased. Simply saying that there shouldn't be video game novels is insane. No one is making you read them and some people really enjoy them as seen here. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104742-World-of-Warcraft-Lore-Nerd-Wins-Blizzcon] There are some things that can be done with books that can't be done in video games. Have you ever seen the movie version of your favorite book? Chances are, it's no where near as good. Plus, writing novels is a lot cheaper than a billion dollar production. Imagine if all the Halo books were actually turned into micro-games in order to tell the story, even though most of it would be dialogue. It would be a waste of money for the gamers (since books are cheaper to make than games, they can also sell them for less) and a waste of money for the devs (people will spend a ton of money making a game just so they can expand the story... they have to spend more time than needed working on the games, testing it, marketing it, hoping for positive reviews, etc).

If you don't like video game novels, don't read them.

 

[DustyDrB]

See: Metal Gear Solid. When people want stories in game, they complain about the cutscenes being too long.
See: Halo. When people want more action, they complain that there is no real story.

While I agree with your overall point, the cutscene critique you offer doesn't really help. You have a game with hour long cutscenes (I sat down to play a roommate's copy if Guns of the Patriots one morning and had to cut off the game and go to work before the first cutscene was over. I expected to just get a little bit of gameplay in at least. That's reasonable, right?) vs games that I guess don't have any (haven't played a Halo). There's a very acceptable middle ground. And story doesn't have to be told through cutscenes, as we're seeing more and more these days.

 

[Catalyst6]

Book adaptations are a good thing if they are done well, and that is a big if.

For example, the Halo books. While I credit them with not doing it *as much* as I expected, they tried to give the books the same feeling of the game. That is, run run run shoot grah blooooood. While there was pockets of exposition, it was still really action-heavy for a book.

In short, book are okay as long as they actually focus on the story...

 

[oplinger]

..My issue with video game novels has nothing to do with their existence, but canonicity of the medium.

Sometimes developers have nothing to do with the book itself. The publishers can easily license it out, which causes many continuity errors as fans run around touching themselves over how canon the book series is.

Then the developer makes a new game, there's an error, and the developers get yelled at for not following their own universe. And then they become a joke for not knowing the universe they created.

Books are fine, but I think the developer gets to decide what's canon and what is not. Sadly that isn't how the system works.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

See: Metal Gear Solid. When people want stories in game, they complain about the cutscenes being too long.
See: Halo. When people want more action, they complain that there is no real story.

We cannot be pleased. Simply saying that there shouldn't be video game novels is insane. No one is making you read them and some people really enjoy them as seen here. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104742-World-of-Warcraft-Lore-Nerd-Wins-Blizzcon] There are some things that can be done with books that can't be done in video games. Have you ever seen the movie version of your favorite book? Chances are, it's no where near as good. Plus, writing novels is a lot cheaper than a billion dollar production. Imagine if all the Halo books were actually turned into micro-games in order to tell the story, even though most of it would be dialogue. It would be a waste of money for the gamers (since books are cheaper to make than games, they can also sell them for less) and a waste of money for the devs (people will spend a ton of money making a game just so they can expand the story... they have to spend more time than needed working on the games, testing it, marketing it, hoping for positive reviews, etc).

If you don't like video game novels, don't read them.

the ones I've read thus far, I've absolutely adored video game novels. they are near the only books i actually like to read these days, most of anything else i read is so boring and non fictional.

but anyways, the reason i quoted you for, was that honestly felt metal gear solid did it wrong..in my opinion, so many of the cut scenes didn't add ANYTHING to the story, all they did was have him turn a corner or something stupid that i easily could've done in game play, and even then they chopped it up so freaking much to the point you couldn't get any flow going.

if they would've made key parts that truly drove the story or gave insight into characters personality and beliefs and conflicts with the game world then i would be happy to watch and i would be very immersed by it, hell I'd watch 5-7 minute cut scenes if they did this, but i felt that they did not do this very well at all in metal gear solid that's why i did not like the mgs4, it was ridiculous in that category, (not saying its horrible just saying i could not enjoy it because it kept breaking the game so much and the immersion shot out the window)

 

[NeutralDrow]

For a moment, I thought you were talking about kinetic novels (non-interactive visual novels)...

But really, I agree with you. Nothing necessarily should limit a game story to a single medium.

 

[latenightapplepie]

Sometimes developers have nothing to do with the book itself.

This. Too many videogame novels and comics aren't done properly. They don't link up with canon, they aren't conceived by the original creators and they're just quick cash-grabs.

That said, it's less the change from interactive to non-interactive that bothers me, so much as the dispersion and scattering of the game's fiction over too many mediums and too many people.

To clarify, I loved the Codex in the original Mass Effect. It was the least interactive part of that game. It was just big slabs of text, some of which had some nice narration. And, in my opinion, it is a better way of "expanding the universe" than novelisations. It's optional, so as not to detract from the main game for those people who aren't interested, and it's been done by the developers as part of the actual game.

If there's a narrative of sufficient complexity and/or depth that the developer's are trying to subtly and non-compulsorily insert into their game, then make a damn game out of it. For example, the fall of Reach in the Halo universe.

people who don't like to read, well that's their fault not the developers.

I like reading. I just don't like trying to enjoy stories from my game's universe from multiple stories. Just like I don't want to have to read a novelisation of the great TV series Battlestar Galactica (the new one, obviously), or god forbid, a videogame adaptation.

Moreover, it costs more money to buy these books/comics on top of the initial videogame purchase. Also: I hate comics.

 

[SHIFTYMACO]

The battletech(Mechwarrior)books are awesome, Theres politcs and combat.
Another set of books are the D&D books which were great and also the Warhammer & 40K books,
You understand the history of whats going on and why they are fighting, who the characters are and how they got to be in the position of power and how they aquired their weapons, armour, and companions.
Plus, Books explain certain things with the level of detail which you cant get from a movie, Movies dont show what the character is thinking.
Good stuff!

 

[d3structor]

Ahh very tough question, good sir.

As an avid reader/video gamer, I love video game novels. Usually, they introduce a new character or a new part of the universe, expanding it and leaving questions open that make us wonder and think.

What I like is something this characters/places/questions are integrated into the story of the game in a sequel or spin-off. Case in point and Starcraft II novels/game and the gears of War novels/game.

In the Starcraft II novel, a character named Jacob Ramsey is discussed and is in a three part novel series, and he is in the new game if only briefly.

While in the gears of war games, for the third one, they did it truly right.

They have the author writing it that wrote a books (a woman no less. WHOO!)They are adding a female character that was in the novel and that kicked-ass into multiplayer.

I believe we need them, and I am proud to say I support them 100% ^^

I dont remember Jacob being in the game, did I miss something?

 

[grimsprice]

I fear video game novels for one simple reason. Genre cross overs. @_@

VG cats says it well.

Spoiler

 

[Savagezion]

Hmm, the only cideo game novels I have read are a couple of Diablo 2 ones. They were pretty good. I don't really look for much collaboration when reading the books though. I certainly don't want the book to have my charactor in it. I would get mad if I read Mass Effect and there was Shepard doing some shit that totally makes no sense how I have played him. But I wouldn't mind if say it focused on some nobady from the game and perhaps he stopped by the citadel or something. Give me familiar scenery but do not give me the same charactors. MAYBE have something like Tali goes of and has a solo pilgrimage adventure. But It would be nice to throw a nod to that in your next sequel.

Diablo pretty much gave me familiar settings. I remember the Inner Sanctum was in a book and I thought that was cool. Pretty much though, I like the books. I see no problem with them. But I am more comfortable with them when they sidestep alot of intertwining with the main story of the game if they can. Or at least keep the main charactors out of the story as much as possible.

 

[Korten12]

Hmm, the only cideo game novels I have read are a couple of Diablo 2 ones. They were pretty good. I don't really look for much collaboration when reading the books though. I certainly don't want the book to have my charactor in it. I would get mad if I read Mass Effect and there was Shepard doing some shit that totally makes no sense how I have played him. But I wouldn't mind if say it focused on some nobady from the game and perhaps he stopped by the citadel or something. Give me familiar scenery but do not give me the same charactors. MAYBE have something like Tali goes of and has a solo pilgrimage adventure. But It would be nice to throw a nod to that in your next sequel.

Diablo pretty much gave me familiar settings. I remember the Inner Sanctum was in a book and I thought that was cool. Pretty much though, I like the books. I see no problem with them. But I am more comfortable with them when they sidestep alot of intertwining with the main story of the game if they can. Or at least keep the main charactors out of the story as much as possible.

Well the Mass Effect Novels, two take place before and 1 takes place after 2 I believe.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Ahh very tough question, good sir.

As an avid reader/video gamer, I love video game novels. Usually, they introduce a new character or a new part of the universe, expanding it and leaving questions open that make us wonder and think.

What I like is something this characters/places/questions are integrated into the story of the game in a sequel or spin-off. Case in point and Starcraft II novels/game and the gears of War novels/game.

In the Starcraft II novel, a character named Jacob Ramsey is discussed and is in a three part novel series, and he is in the new game if only briefly.

While in the gears of war games, for the third one, they did it truly right.

They have the author writing it that wrote a books (a woman no less. WHOO!)They are adding a female character that was in the novel and that kicked-ass into multiplayer.

I believe we need them, and I am proud to say I support them 100% ^^

I dont remember Jacob being in the game, did I miss something?

Yes I do believe it was a side mission. ^^

 

[Flamma Man]

I just fucking hate it when they make the books only to fill in plot holes or to put in back story that should have been in the game in the first place.

The best example of course is Halo and how everyone I met continuously tells me to "read the novel."

No, I'm not going to go out and buy a bunch of novels just so that the story makes sense or to see clear motives of some of the important characters or to find out how the war actually started and why the Aliens are assholes beyond religious reasons. /rant

But if the book is just to expand the universe of the game, like some of the Mass Effect novels, then I'm fine with that.

I call those fluff.

 

[Woodsey]

As long as you're not expected to have read the novels when you go to play the game then they're fine - which I understand is a rather large issue with Halo.

Star Wars has a huge expanded universe, but I don't need to see the EU to understand anything in the films, but I can read/watch/play anything from that EU to get further insight into the universe and it's characters.