Gaming Literature: Do you partake?

[likalaruku]

Kinda...Yes & no...

I remember encountering short comics for Dungeon Siege 2 & RIFT at Half Priced Books I never knew existed. I also found books based on MYST & Baldur's Gate, but never got around to reading them. There's also the doctor's journal for American McGee's Alice.

 

[DementedSheep]

I admit I'm prejudiced against game books and tend to automatically assume they are shit.

I don't have anything against the concept of game books though and some of he games I've played have had short stories that I read. It could be a great way to expand on the lore and background events that are never going to be in the actual game. I probably wouldn't bother reading a book about the actual events in the game though unless I really really like the story and characters. It should not be required to read a book to understand in game events.
I was considering reading the BG novels just cause of how terrible their reputation is though.

 

[TehCookie]

If it's a game I'm a fangirl for, I'll read it. Even if it's meh it's the world and characters I love so I like reading about the extra things you don't experience in game and see things from a different view.

However since most games I play are Japanese they're more likely to get a manga or anime adaption, which I'll still read/watch even if they're crap for the same reason above.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

The only straight gaming one that I've read was based in the "Diablo" universe. It was actually pretty good, and it had a Necromancer as the protagonist, which is relatively rare in fantasy to have someone who uses a "evil" type of magic to be the good guy.

I've read plenty of Warhammer 40K novels, if that counts.

 

[Haukur Isleifsson]

Was it one of those Dawn of War novels by C.S. Goto? I don't blame you if that's true.

Blood Angel something by James Swallow.

 

[TheSYLOH]

As a British-born, Australian snark once said:

"The audience should be given exposition through the art form; not handed a fucking glossary when they first step into the theatre."

Or something like that; I haven't watched ZP in a while.

No. If I have to read a 800 page manual to get to the "stats" page every time I fucking level up, I'm not going to play that game. Same with novels.

Are we even talking about the same thing?
We're talking about tie-in-novels,etc, not manuals.
Most of this stuff is just additional stuff not relevant to gameplay.

My take is that in many ways game literature mirrors DLC.

There are bad games where sections are lifted out and put in DLC.
Likewise there are bad games where major plot points only make sense with the literature.

There are bad DLC which have nothing to do with the original game and actively detract from the game.
Likewise there is bad novels which rip apart canon and have run contrary to the feel of the game.

There are just plain bad DLC which just sucks to play.
Likewise there are bad tie in literature that are just plain unreadable.

Then there is the good DLC, it says "Oh you like the game? Here more! and we added some interesting things too!"
Good literature adds to the game.
It could be tied in to the actual game. Novels handle introspection and perception better than video games and film if you ask me, this can add depth to the characters and story.
Literature could offer a different view point, like following the history of a supporting character. To do it in game would require a vast expenditure in cash and manpower, with the literature it can be done cheaply and effectively.

Or there is my favorite, expanding the setting. Warhammer 40k has some limited setting info, both in the table top source books and the video game adaptations. Its the literature that made it this sweeping universe that it is. Because of the literature we find that the heroes we see are just part of a far larger world. They are influencing it sure, but their significant people not the only people in the world.

 

[GundamSentinel]

I don't read that many game books. I've got one Halo novel (and I have only ever played one Halo game ), one StarCraft tie-in novel (haven't finished it yet) and some novels related to Star Wars games (and I can't honestly call them very good).

They're sometimes fun to read, but hardly outstanding literature. But that isn't really unique to gaming novels. Some books expanding on movies or series are basically just glorified fan-fiction as well. Just look at 90% of the Star Wars library.

Personally, I like books that expand on original lore and maybe add something new. But it isn't good if they become required to follow the story of the original medium. Multimedia franchises rarely work out well. I remember the Matrix wanting to become one *shakes head*.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

I've been reading a lot of warhammer and warhammer 40,000 books this year but they are based on a table-top game not computer games so i'm not sure how valid they are to gaming.

As a general rule i refuse to read books based on computer games, or even watch films based on computer games. I play games for the challenge of beating the enemy, i don't play them for story. I read books for story and i like them to be fresh to me, not just a re-hash of some computer game i played.

 

[Poppy JR.]

Why did you include The Witcher? Did they make novels based on a game series based on a series of novels and short stories?

I'm pretty sure collector's editions of The Witcher II: Assassin of Kings came with a small novel.

Wasn't it an artbook and a sample of one of the original novels?

That's quite possible. I don't remember, exactly.

 

[BQE]

I rarely enjoy the story in my games, so i'm not really that interested in reading books extending those stories. But i've never tried any and can't really imagine that i would at any point in the future. I read some Icewind Dale and Star Wars novels once, something i throw in the same category as video game books, and i thought it was a bit rubbish, so yeah.

Probably a bit on the snobbish side here, but i'd rather read books from authors who can come up with their own ideas, instead of books based on stories and universes that i don't particularily care for. It's also a bit of a problem that it's often sci-fi and Fantasy, as that is my least prefered genres of litterature.

I would honestly argue that a writer working on behalf of another company's lore still has to come up with plenty of their own material. I recall my reading into the 'behind the scenes' stuff with Black Library's novelization process, they don't really establish much oversight in the writing process other than to make sure important overarching story characters aren't killed, acting out of character, etc, and to make sure that the works fall within canon. Even then though, there is quite a bit of liberty for authors to come up with incredibly unique works with merely the template of the fictional universe.

I just don't believe that being granted license to expand upon a preestablished fiction discredits the work of the author to any degree.