Games try to be movies. What is the point?

[More Fun To Compute]

Show me these straw men, oh no, that is right, conveniently none of them use the Internet.

Yes, because Escapist = Internet!

Factually stating that some people think that games should forgo narrative elements, especially of the cinematic type, and just go back to simpler times is not setting up a straw man.

I'll keep it simple this time. Saying that losing narrative from a game makes it simpler is wrong.

 

[leady129]

I have no problem with cinematic games and in fact enjoy watching the occasional well directed cutscene to break up the action and advance the story. The reason older games didn't utilize a more cinematic method is because the technology wasn't quite there yet. Just my 2 cents but I thought Uncharted 2 hit a perfect balance between gameplay and non-interactive movies. On the other hand, Modern warfare 2 was equally as cinematic without yanking control from the player so it really depends on the game and the type of emotions they're trying to convey.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Again: there are really people who think that games should forgo narrative elements, especially of the cinematic type, and just go back to simpler times.

Do you personally believe that a game with a fewer narrative elements is always more simple than a game with more?

 

[CriticallyAcclaimed]

it's always nice to have a story in a game, but frankly i just want to shoot things. Just for an example thats already all over these forums, looks at Modern Warfare 2. I've never found CoD to be anything above an average game, but I do appreciate the small cutscenes in between levels just long enough to let you know why you're doing what you're doing.

 

[IanBrazen]

I
Something more than a big toy is the kind of statement that sort of pisses me off. Like high brow art is never fun or playful? It makes me think that you just want to get rid of all the interesting game parts of the game and just make them boring story presentations about the horror of war, a failed relationship, or some other shit.

So basically, I think that you are the worst unless I have read you wrong. And CoD MW is how to do it right? Ugh, just ugh.

yeah you did read me wrong, but that was my fault not yours.
Whenever I say something about games being a new form of entertainment, I find that a lot of people don't think so and think of it as a big toy.
Im all for games being immerseive and cinematic but they dont have to try and become movies.

because Half-Life also has non-interactive cinematics that the player has no meaningful role in; witness the infamous extended train journey that kicks off HL1 where the player has the option of looking at the precisely one thing that is happening in the area at any given time or [gasp!] not looking at it! Not only is it not an improvement, the only difference is a flimsy veneer of false interaction and the fact that you're not allowed to skip it. Um, thanks.

Sorry dude I agree with you on everything up to this point.
The train ride might be boring as all hell but at least they were trying to be interactive as if you were the one on your way to work, not some flimsy Hollywood type character who we dont care about.

 

[JohnReaper]

cutsceens are nice but if you pop a disc into the computer (( i did this once )) and look at the files you see that most if not all the space is filled with cutsceens thats taking this a little bit to far

 

[Woodsey]

If games didn't try to be movies what would Kojima fans do?

Play a game series with a coherent plot?

OT: Games -> Films. BAD.

Films -> Games. BAD.

Films attempting to entirely recreate a game - FUCKING AWFUL.

Games can pull off the cinematic experience though, which means they win (as long as it's not a direct film tie-in).

A game trying to emulate a film will still have game bits, the things that just aren't interactive will be in cutscenes. This is by no means bad, in fact it provides an enjoyable incentive to progress - as long as the story is fairly well written.

I dunno, it can work. Uncharted 2 (apparently) proves it.

Games can have a cinematic film, but films can't really have a game-y feel.

 

[IanBrazen]

I believe there are many people who enjoy a game with a cinematic feeling in it.That's more than enough to make me say that movies + videogames = not wrong.

Personally,i'm not absolute on this,it always depends on the game itself.

Making something cinematic is not a bad thing at all.
What my main gripe is: games should be played, movies should be watched.
I dont fiddle with my remote every time an action scene is in a movies, so I shouldn't put down my controller to watch a long cut scene.
You can make something Cinematic without losing the interactivity.

If games didn't try to be movies what would Kojima fans do?

Play a game series with a coherent plot?

OT: Games -> Films. BAD.

Films -> Games. BAD.

Films attempting to entirely recreate a game - FUCKING AWFUL.

Games can pull off the cinematic experience though, which means they win (as long as it's not a direct film tie-in).

A game trying to emulate a film will still have game bits, the things that just aren't interactive will be in cutscenes. This is by no means bad, in fact it provides an enjoyable incentive to progress - as long as the story is fairly well written.

I dunno, it can work. Uncharted 2 (apparently) proves it.

Games can have a cinematic film, but films can't really have a game-y feel.

apparently movies can be games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYh6hqR73V0[/youtube]

 

[More Fun To Compute]

yeah you did read me wrong, but that was my fault not yours.
Whenever I say something about games being a new form of entertainment, I find that a lot of people don't think so and think of it as a big toy.
Im all for games being immerseive and cinematic but they dont have to try and become movies.

Games are sort of like toys, if they want to look down on them like that then stuff them. I don't like that sort of talk as you can talk almost anything down like that. Movies are nothing but flashing images for half wits. Architecture is just a bunch of big kids playing with life sized lego. Track and field events are children running up and down a track with someone timing them.

Yeah, I'm not keen on how people are looking for cinematic games to try and get some of the legitimacy they see cinema having. There is too much focus on things like this from some people but I don't think that it is much better to latch onto concepts like art and narrative.

 

[CerealKiller]

I believe there are many people who enjoy a game with a cinematic feeling in it.That's more than enough to make me say that movies + videogames = not wrong.

Personally,i'm not absolute on this,it always depends on the game itself.

Making something cinematic is not a bad thing at all.
What my main gripe is: games should be played, movies should be watched.
I dont fiddle with my remote every time an action scene is in a movies, so I shouldn't put down my controller to watch a long cut scene.
You can make something Cinematic without losing the interactivity.

That's true,i preffer that too (not always though).Especially when there are too many cut scenes you kinda forget that you're actually playing a game,so,yeah.
The only thing that i don't like in interactive cut scenes though is when i'm not expecting it.I just hate it.

 

[IanBrazen]

Games are sort of like toys, if they want to look down on them like that then stuff them. I don't like that sort of talk as you can talk almost anything down like that. Movies are nothing but flashing images for half wits. Architecture is just a bunch of big kids playing with life sized lego. Track and field events are children running up and down a track with someone timing them.

Yeah, I'm not keen on how people are looking for cinematic games to try and get some of the legitimacy they see cinema having. There is too much focus on things like this from some people but I don't think that it is much better to latch onto concepts like art and narrative.

That's what brings me back to my original point.
I believe that games can become their own form of entertainment to rival movies or television, but if people are wanting it to be like a movie so they dont feel like they are "playing with a toy" then it will never evolve beyond something that trys to imitate something else.

PS. I dont know if anyone managed to see this sence it was the last post of the last page so ill show it again.

Heres how movies can be more like games

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYh6hqR73V0[/youtube]

 

[More Fun To Compute]

That's what brings me back to my original point.
I believe that games can become their own form of entertainment to rival movies or television, but if people are wanting it to be like a movie so they dont feel like they are "playing with a toy" then it will never evolve beyond something that trys to imitate something else.

I actually helped put the thread back on topic? Inconceivable.

The only problem I have with this thing about games becoming their own form of media is that in my mind they always have been. Take a game from the seventies like, oh, I don't know, say, Space Invaders and that was undeniably something that could only be a video game. That's why so many people were interested in it. It doesn't make sense to me to say that it makes games more like their own form of media by making them more like other forms of media and less like Space Invaders. Of course, there are more types of video game than just Space Invaders.

 

[Hollock]

if a game successfully feels like a movie, it's up to luck, and personal preference. I hated that uncharted two commercial too.

 

[IanBrazen]

I actually helped put the thread back on topic? Inconceivable.

The only problem I have with this thing about games becoming their own form of media is that in my mind they always have been. Take a game from the seventies like, oh, I don't know, say, Space Invaders and that was undeniably something that could only be a video game. That's why so many people were interested in it. It doesn't make sense to me to say that it makes games more like their own form of media by making them more like other forms of media and less like Space Invaders. Of course, there are more types of video game than just Space Invaders.

I agree with you that games have always been their own thing, but they are to you and me, alot of people still think games are "big toys" I actually live with one of those people.

 

[Evil Tim]

Sorry dude I agree with you on everything up to this point.
The train ride might be boring as all hell but at least they were trying to be interactive as if you were the one on your way to work, not some flimsy Hollywood type character who we dont care about.

Yeah, but come on, who buys a game about shooting aliens hoping they'd get to see how this Gordon guy gets to work every morning before anything actually happens, and have no method of skipping it?

 

[Mr.Black]

Games that successfully do the whole film thing (Uncharted 2, MGS4 to name some) usually sell really well, and coincidentally are really awesome as well.