Poll: Do you prefer open or closed endings to stories?

[Sniper Team 4]

That depends. If I know there's going to a sequel--or at least a continuation in some way--then open endings are fine. If the series is supposed to be finished, I hate open endings. Why leave it open if you're done with it? I respect that some people enjoy that, but let's be honest here: The only real reason to leave an ending open is to give yourself a chance to come back to it if you want, meaning there's still more story to tell. Not to let each person have their own take on it. Look how angry people got at the way the Sopranos ended.
In relation to games, I did not like Halo 3's ending. After everything those two have gone through, they deserve to be back on Earth and live out the rest of their lives in relative peace. Or be dead (though I would have hated). Now that Halo 4 is coming out, Halo 3's ending is perfectly fine for me.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Open endings.
Not that the story has not resolved, every one likes closure in a story.
Wrap up the story, but leave the possibility that there could be more if a sequel is ever made.
That why writing a sequel is plausible and you do not have to recon or ruin your own continuity in the process.

Hint, Hint Start Trek, DC Comics and I am sure a number of others.

You left out Star Wars, my good friend. Oh, the poor books that were written after Return of the Jedi, but before the prequel movies. They are contradicted sooooo much, they must feel like they don't belong...

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

It really depends on the series.

For instance, the Millennium series (the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), finishes in such a way that clears everything up, but leaves the possibility of sequals.

In fact, that particular series was supposed to have 10 books at least, that's what the author had planned before he died, he was also around 2 thirds of the way through a fourth book, but whether that will be finished by his wife or somebody else is up in the air.

As much as I love that series, I'm not sure if I want the others to come out, I'm kinda happy with the way it ended. Even though I'm extremely curious to know what he had planned for it.

OT: It depends, there have been a few stories that I wished weren't closed and some that I wish were. There are times where I want some closure and not see a story get whored out so much that it doesn't even make sense anymore.

 

[elbrandino]

Closed. You spend all this time telling me every detail of this story, dammit, NOW FINISH IT. I hate it when movies, books, games, or any medium end without telling what happens. I don't want to guess and speculate. I want to know what happened to this character I gave emotional investment in caring for.

On the other hand, I don't mind it as much when it offers closure to the story it has already told, but is left open enough to continue with another story.

 

[an_luas]

I dunno sometimes a closed ending is what you need, like at the end od a series or a trilogy or just a standalone book. Other times the open ending is good, it gives you that sense of wonder (mostly whether or not the author will do another book) but also about the story.
I would've voted either if that was there.

 

[onewheeled]

Go read The Giver and then tell me you like an open ending. That book was amazing, but the ending was infuriating.

 

[xcgillx2]

Sometimes on open ending is good BUT very rarely it usually leaves it for an obvious sequel. if its a closed ending that it takes some good imaginative story telling to create a sequel or it makes the writer move on to a new project with the same brilliance of the original

 

[Scarim Coral]

I prefer close endings although it depends on how much depth there is to that story. If there is some space left for a new beginning than be my guest although it shouldn't be force.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Close it.

TIGHT.

I want an epilogue that delves a few years into the future, even!

 

[toue]

I don't particularly care, but what I HATE is when an author or developer or director goes "Here, I made this ending for you, it's quite lovely, there was living and learning and I made sure all the loose ends were all tied up in a very pretty bow, but you know what? In about two years I'm going to violate this ending in horrific ways and rip it open messily so I can make a fucking sequel regardless."

For examples of this see the endings of The hangover and Halo 3.

 

[T8B95]

I like open endings, just because it leaves room for interpretation. In a book/game/movie that wraps up EVERY LITTLE THING, then while I'm left feeling satisfied, it really feels like a dead-end.

However, there has to be some sense of closure, otherwise you're just finishing the book halfway through the story.

Also, people who leave endings open just for the purpose of sequels deserve to rot in their own special hell.

So what I'm trying to say is that if you can do an open ending well, then do it, but don't just stop writing halfway through to claim that you "left it open to interpretation."

 

[darksakul]

Open endings.
Not that the story has not resolved, every one likes closure in a story.
Wrap up the story, but leave the possibility that there could be more if a sequel is ever made.
That why writing a sequel is plausible and you do not have to recon or ruin your own continuity in the process.

Hint, Hint Start Trek, DC Comics and I am sure a number of others.

You left out Star Wars, my good friend. Oh, the poor books that were written after Return of the Jedi, but before the prequel movies. They are contradicted sooooo much, they must feel like they don't belong...

No Star Wars novels aren't that bad. Anyways George Lucas stated at the beginning that expanded universe items such as the books are secondary cannon, only to be superseded by the movies since the non-movie stories are not 100% official even though they are licensed. It isn't like George Lucas is contradicting himself, other than the Trilogy series was terrible.

DC Comics and Star Trek is a lot worst. Star Trek Continuity errors with every series, and with in each series it self. Look at TOS and STNG Klingons. They went from Hispanic men with mustaches to armor forehead angry beastmen. Enterprise contradicted alot what happen in ToS, STNG and other series. Seriously Capt Archer encountered Borg 50 years before Kirk was born. Borg was supposed to be unknown until Picard's time. Also the writers can't keep track of their own series development. How many times did the Federation Wiped out the Borg, yet they keep coming back like cyborg roaches.

DC Comics, how many times they recon the whole DC universe, and left the explanation to the occasional and crappy crisis story.

 

[Total LOLige]

In games I prefer open ended endings because it can lead to sequels and DLC. Don't read that often I should though, I don't have any decent books because they cost quite abit, not as much as games though

 

[burningdragoon]

I can go with either one, generally speaking.

However, both of those things can very easily do something that, let's say, highly annoy me.

1) If you give me a nice tightly wrapped-up story, then it better stay that way. If a sequel comes out that is anything other than tangentially related to the original story than I'd be somewhat annoyed. If the sequel takes a huge dump on everything in the first installment, I'd be especially 'annoyed.' Oddly enough, Chrono Cross does almost exactly that, but I was more than happy with that game.

2) If you give me an open-ended story, it still has to actually be concluded. One of the most annoying things that they do sometimes is instead of having any sort of ending, they just leave off with a fat fuck you cliffhanger. Assassin's Creed has done this in all 3 of the main games, and it has made me reconsider playing the next one.

 

[DanielBrown]

A mix between the two.

I don't like it when a game closes off all possibilities for more stories, but I hate cliffhangers.

Perfect answer and just what I think as well, so if you don't mind I'll snatch it!
Forced ways to make sequels also piss me off a bit, like with Dante's Inferno. We get a short, bland GoW clone and when we finally get to the end we get a damn "To be continued...".

Still haven't heard anything about a Dante's Inferno 2. Wouldn't buy it even if they did make one.

 

[Scarecrow]

It all depends really. In most cases, I'm more of a fan of closed endings, but open ones are also good sometimes.

 

[sms_117b]

Closed, all the way shut.

When I finish the story arc of a game I want to feel like I've accomplished something, GTA IV and a few other leaving the game open to continue make me feel as though I've not really accomplished anything, that there is something more to do, even if I have done every side quest, found every location, done everything there is to do, it still won't feel "done" to me.

I loved the original "good" ending to FO3, the story was finished, nothing more to tell, I died, I was happy.

I felt hollow at the end of GTA IV, the first woman I truly loved killed, I chased down the killer and repayed him in kind, the game didn't finish, I knew there ould be no happy ending, but I didn't want to play that character anymore, Niko felt like a husk after that, I could play a new save and did, but the Niko that had lost his love...I couldn't do any more

 

[Saltyk]

I like them to close the story. I hate when the end of a series is just them saying "we have no idea what happened after this, now use your imagination".

And then, there's the case of what happens if the writer doesn't or can't finish the story. You're just left with a cliff hanger ending and no clue what happens.

Open endings have their place, but I prefer to know what happened to the characters that I became invested in.

 

[itsausernamewhatofit]

Open endings.
Not that the story has not resolved, every one likes closure in a story.
Wrap up the story, but leave the possibility that there could be more if a sequel is ever made.
That why writing a sequel is plausible and you do not have to recon or ruin your own continuity in the process.

Hint, Hint Start Trek, DC Comics and I am sure a number of others.

DC Comics? I wasn't aware their stories ever end.

I like an ending that wraps everything up nicely and ties up everything, but ends on a note that the characters will keep going. A closed open ending of sorts.