Games try to be movies. What is the point?

[IanBrazen]

Am I the only one who feels that Games trying to be movies are a stupid pointless idea?
oh except Yahtzee.

As I'm absolutely certain I've said before, a video game that manages to pull off almost being a film is like a dog that manages to pull off almost being a cat.

I can understand how it would seem like a good idea.
Both video games and movies are visual entertainment relying on imagery, and cinematics to tell a story and entertain.
Its not like a book, which relies on words and imagination, or music which relies on sound.
So movies are awesome, and video games are awesome, so mixing the two would be awesome..er.
Right?

Ice cream is good, and so are buffalo wings, but you should not mix the two together.
If you do you get Uwe Boll.
Ok this rant might be because I'm a "games are art" kinda guy, and feel that if game are going to evolve into something more than a big toy, they need to be their own thing, but hear me out all the same.

I remember seeing the commercial for uncharted 2, where a man says his girlfriend thinks that the game is a movies so she sits down to watch it with him and a bowl ofpopcorn.
How does this make me want to buy the game?
I don't want a movie I want a fucking game!
That makes me think that I would be watching the damn thing more than playing it.

I'm all for making games cinematic and visually engrossing but they should find their own unique way of doing it, like CoD modern warfare, or killer 7.
Why do we need to make something into something else when that thing was fine to begin with?

Are we the only ones who feel this way?
Come on people give me your opinion.

 

[Poomanchu745]

Um can you give some examples of games that have failed to do this?

The only game that comes to mind is Uncharted 2 and I think they pulled it off really well. The cinematic cutscenes and way it flows together to tell an engrossing story really made the game what it is. I mean it did not do anything to revolutionize gaming yet got ridiculous ratings because of the way it pulled off its story telling and made the player feel like he was watching a movie while playing it.

 

[haruvister]

It's too late for me to bother constructing a decent response but yes I agree with the author of this post. Games and films should play to their relevant strengths, not mimic each other and become mediocre compromises in the process. When I think back on my time with Uncharted, I recall it was an okay game and an okay B-movie rolled into one. In other words, perfect rental fodder.

 

[Evil Tim]

Um can you give some examples of games that have failed to do this?

Well, MGS is a good example, what with the frequent failure to integrate interactivity into the storyline. A particularly severe example would be Fortune's story in MGS2, where the 'she's lady luck / no she's got a shield / now she hasn't / no, actually she's lady luck' plot arc happens in a single cutscene with no interaction from the player whatsoever.

Other good examples would be any game where the player characters do things they blatantly can't do in the game during cutscenes, which gives the player the distinct impression the game is tolerating them rather than including them.

 

[IanBrazen]

Um can you give some examples of games that have failed to do this?

Well, MGS is a good example, what with the frequent failure to integrate interactivity into the storyline. A particularly severe example would be Fortune's story in MGS2, where the 'she's lady luck / no she's got a shield / now she hasn't / no, actually she's lady luck' plot arc happens in a single cutscene with no interaction from the player whatsoever.

Other good examples would be any game where the player characters do things they blatantly can't do in the game during cut scenes, which gives the player the distinct impression the game is tolerating them rather than including them.

thats exactly what I mean.
Wet was a mediocre game, because of one big problem, cinematics.
When I saw the guy with the swords (cant remember his name) I thought "cant wait for this fight"
But, it turns out that the "boss fight" was just a cinematic with quick time events.
The game actually sacrificed game play so it would look more like a movie.
And there was no way that I could use my sword like that in the game.
there is your example

 

[Timbydude]

One word: interactivity.

It's one thing to watch a bunch of people do awesome stuff, but it's another entirely to have the illusion that YOU are somehow involved. Watching a movie of Modern Warfare 2's storyline would have been OK, but actually feeling involved is what made it absolutely amazing, in my opinion.

 

[IanBrazen]

One word: interactivity.

It's one thing to watch a bunch of people do awesome stuff, but it's another entirely to have the illusion that YOU are somehow involved. Watching a movie of Modern Warfare 2's storyline would have been OK, but actually feeling involved is what made it absolutely amazing, in my opinion.

well said. playing a video game should be about interactivity, as cool as it is, i dont want to watch dante kill a bunch of demons, I want to do it myself.

 

[CanOfPop]

L4D does it fine.

 

[Cryfear101]

my bad i misread this lol. tired is the excuse.

Metal gear solid , movie style yet a good game . cannot go wrong!

 

[SantoUno]

Yeah I don't see the point either, and most of the time I hate it. I can respect if a game wants to tell a good and epic story so of course cutscenes are the best medium for that, but when it comes to cinematic length or depth, it's annoying. Most JRPGs, MSG 4, and Uncharted 2 do this and therefore I resent them for that.

 

[Generator]

I don't hate it, I just hate that it's completely taking over gaming. Sometimes, I just want a mindless 3D platformer that's fun, not cinematic. Unfortunately, the only way to get that anymore is by playing an old game.

 

[Evil Tim]

Your name maybe Link, Mario, Master Chief, or Nathaniel Drake but you could just as easily replace any of those names with your own and feel right at home in the game.

Um, no. Immersion is where you accept another role as your own, not when the other role has nothing of it's own. A case in point, when I play GTA: VC, I am Tommy Vercetti, but Tommy Vercetti is not me. A lack of personality in the main character leads to awkwardness like Alyx Vance's romancing-a-brick-wall scenes.

 

[blood77]

I don't have much of a problem with some designers wanting to get creative and cocky by trying to push the limits of my HD with a little in game film. But I still would like it if they included a bag of popcorn if I am just going to watch cut scenes for most of the game.

 

[geldonyetich]

So, the topic as proposed by the original poster:

"Games aren't movies, movies aren't games. Games, incidentally, are not movies. Nor are movies games. Pay attention, there will be a test on this later."

"But if we make a game that successfully captures the general spirit of the movie while being an entertaining stand-alone game?"

"SHUT YOU FACE RIGHT UP AND DO NOT EVEN TRY YOU FESTERING WRONG-MINDED FOOL, GAMES ARE NOT MOVIES AND MOVIES ARE NOT GAMES."

"But I'm not saying that, I'm saying-"

"NO, SHUT UP, GET OFF MY THREAD."

"Like Ghostbust-"

"SECURITY!"

 

[TailsRodrigez]

L4D does it fine.

the only thing that I see as cinematic are the movie posters, everything else seems like just a great video game

 

[blankedboy]

Um... can you give some examples of games that have failed to do this?

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
Silent Hill.
Tron. OWAI-

 

[CanOfPop]

L4D does it fine.

the only thing that I see as cinematic are the movie posters, everything else seems like just a great video game

AIDirector.

 

[TailsRodrigez]

L4D does it fine.

the only thing that I see as cinematic are the movie posters, everything else seems like just a great video game

AIDirector.

Screw you