Poll: gameplay vs story

[Rand-m]

Both very important, but I'm surprised that many people have voted story. The GAMEplay is what GAMES are built on. Storylines and graphics are a plus.

 

[Axolotl]

Great gameplay can change the way I view games.

Great story can change the way I view the world.

 

[Gruchul]

Depends. What's the point in an RPG with a poor story? Likewise, what's the point in a great story in any party game?

 

[Bato]

Both are very important.
But story tips the scale a bit.

Morrowind: has horrible graphics, iffy controls, but amazing story. I say that game rocks.

 

[Xeros]

Gameplay, above all else. If it really needed a story, I'd make up my own in my head, which I do for most games anyway.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

So you play racing games for story?

EDIT: Sorry for double post.

I don't play racing games.
Racing games are dumb

Lol, touche.

 

[WayOutThere]

Well, if the story is told only through cut-scenes I'd have to go with gameplay. However, if it is possibly to have a game that tells the worlds best story through its gameplay (that may otherwise be subpar) I'd definitely go with story.

I hope that answer is coherent.

Great gameplay can change the way I view games.

Great story can change the way I view the world.

Dude, that's awesome.

Somehow I can let a good story and good looking game past some gameplay issues.

I was a hippy in a previous life

same here

Go Psychonauts!

Gameplay + Story/(1/Gameplay*K) = Total Fun (where K = unknown constant)

The idea of having an equation for this intrigues me, but what is meant by having an "unknown constant"?

Despite a game should always have gameplay and story walking hand in hand, isn't it necesarry to have a good gameplay to play the game? Isn't gameplay somehow the point of a game?
When I first read the thread I found this poll kind of ridiculous. But now I'm not quite sure about it. The only thing a game seperates from a movie is its gameplay. There are many games with almost pure gameplay. Left 4 Dead works perfect with not that much story.

BUT there are still some moments where I want a game to tell me a story. Fahrenheit isn't a game which builds up on great gameplay. And man, I love that game.

Damn. It's hard to pick if you think about too long.

Yes, gameplay is the point of a game. However, as Fahrenheit more or less did, it is possible to tell a story through the gameplay as to make them inseparable. The point of story as told through cut-scenes is nothing more than to give the player's actions context and meaning. To say you want a game with poor gameplay but great cut-scenes just makes no sense. The only sensible way for story to beat out gameplay is illustrated by Fahrenheit.

 

[Hollock]

tottally depends on the game.

 

[Pingieking]

I think the question stated in the OP is completely loaded and should not even be asked. It allows the reader to assume that whatever option they didn't choose can be assumed to be very very badly done (i.e. If I choose gameplay, I can assume that the story is totally shit/non-existent). Therefore, a lot of people can vote for gameplay simply from the argument that "If I wanted a good story, I'd read a book".

I think a fairer question would be; "If you can choose a game to have a the best gameplay or story ever created, while still scoring 80% on the other factor, which one would you take?"

I voted for story. Gameplay is the fun, while story is the added incentive. Fun by itself ,while being the most important factor, is not enough incentive for me to play games. Even a game with the best gameplay ever invented would not be on my personal list of favorite games (multiplayer games of over 64 players being the exception). If we're talking purely in terms of fun, then I can find a lot of other things I may enjoy more than games (I prefer sleeping and floor hockey over Wii Sports and Flower, for example). However, few of those activities can offer me the experience that a well told video game story can (I am perfectly willing to skip out on 6 hours of sleep for some more Dragon Age or Ratchet and Clank, but wouldn't even consider doing the same for Mario Bros Wii or LBP).