Seriously? You can almost win an award for THIS?!

[Atmos Duality]

It's an experiment in atmospheric (non-exposition) storytelling. Nothing more, nothing less.
Is it award-worthy? Well it didn't win, so the bitching is largely pointless hyperbole anyway.

When you don't have access to 20 million dollar budgets and human resources large enough to populate an island, you just try to create things to get your name out there. Also, many of these off-kilter indie-games are *not* made for the benefit of the mass-audience, and given how many pretentious-asshole posts I've seen in this topic alone, it's not hard to imagine why.

 

[LostTimeLady]

And The Graveyard is actually a very good piece of programming. Whether it could be called a game is difficult, but it's certainly a powerful interactive experience.

I agree with Root about this, whether it's a game is debatable but what's invovative is creating an experiance with an interactive medium. Baby steps, baby steps. Who ever said that all 'games' need to be games. Maybe 'games' will one day encapusate in a word all interactive electronic media. It'd get confusing but it's an interesting thought that just poped into my head.

I'd be interested about playing 'The Graveyard' actually.

 

[TheGroovyMule]

Yeah, from the same dev's as The Path, why am I not surprised?

These guys seem to just cram a bunch of artistic cliches into a game and declare it's art, despite the fact it's nothing more then a clusterfuck of annoying music and completely bland, arbitrary story.

 

[Danik93]

le snip

Have you heard of Amnesia, Octodad, Magicka, Polynominal or Adiosurf? these are all excellent indiegames!

 

[Vankraken]

I think the hang up people are having with this is the fact that its going under the label of a game when there doesn't seem to be any real challenge, goal, or any real winning condition that makes it a game. Its interactive media and as such it should be judged but by calling itself a game it kinda misses the mark.
Bad analogy incoming but its like calling a box full of different colored rocks a game. The the idea of having colored rocks can lead to many different ideas and experiences but it fails to serve the purpose of being an actual game.

Note: I am basing this on the descriptions i have read and have not actually seen or played this game.

 

[Leviathan_]

How have you not heard of Minecraft?

do not bring up minecraft in the same sentence with this shit

minecraft is an example of an indie game that makes up for its lack of funds with great ideas. I would point out that while new ideas are a good thing, the ideas themselves need to be good.

This is the problem with trying to push games as being art, rather than being enjoyable and entertaining, you get crap like this, with people giving a tedious concept presented with purple prose.

Again, I was not comparing Minecraft with the game in the OP.


I just answered the question the OP asked.



I couldn't care any less what others think makes a good game or not, a game is a game and there will always be people whom think it's good and others whom think it's bad. If only people would learn to accept this and not just think about their own tastes rather then someone else's taste when ripping on a game, the world would be a better place.

 

[Lullabye]

the term 'interactive art' comes to mind.
And does the OP seriously think he can make that game in a day? i would love to see him do so.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Its amazing how many people are saying Dwarf fortress or Minecraft. I mean these are first page comment posts, let's at least review a few post before posting ourselves mkay people?

I know that sound terrible but its an experimental stab at the medium. It may not seems good but It could be the first step in exploring whole new types of games. Innovation is good but not all innovation leads to something interesting. The Indie market heads no master and does not bend to the goal of making money as much as the major players. It also allows anyone to try. Sturgeon's Law already predicts that most of it is going to be crap. It's a matter of finding the good gems buried among the heaps of rip-offs an uncreative messes.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I think I would actually like that game. its got a message, which most indie games should.

 

[zehydra]

You're right. It shouldn't have won the award. Usually games are supposed to win game awards.

 

[cgentero]

I kinda like the idea of "interactive portraits", put about 1000 or so on a disk and I'll pay money for it.

 

[silent-treatment]

Sounds to me that "The Graveyard" is kind of like David Lynch's short films...okay and a few of his feature lengths, but his short films reinforce my point better. When it comes to high concept art there are those that get it, then there are those that don't. Then there are those that do not really get it, but pretend to and then proceed to mock people that do not get it. We call those people pretentious. Google "Lumière et compagnie" it is one of David Lynch's shorts (really short, less then a minute) I would post a link, but there is a shot of a women naked, so I do not feel comfortable linking it to this site. When watching the film, pay attention to how it makes you feel, and the various film techniques. What is going on is not necessarily important.

This is what "The Graveyard" is also trying to accomplish. What Tale of Tales is trying to do is prove that one can be moved emotionally by a video game.

 

[PurplePlatypus]

It seems interesting. It is not a game however; the only shame is that we don?t have a commonly used title that it might fall under more comfortably.

I found it interesting maybe a little sad. I was rather intrigued when she died and I realised I would not be able to quite the game in an elegant manner. For instance existing through the gates she entered by like the instructions suggested. You also could not explored, not that I expect the old woman would want to explore. I don?t think it was handled well though, all that happens is she goes out of range of the camera and you need to try and find your way back. It?s tricky and awkward; if that was their intent then they should have found another method. It just seemed wrong.

It was not fun, but I?m not sure it really has any business being fun. It seems to be about old age, frailty and death. I suppose the problem is this medium has not found the proper way to engage it?s audiences with subject matter like this in the way other mediums have.

Also, it didn?t win, you?re annoyed when it didn?t win.

 

[Ekonk]

Yeah, from the same dev's as The Path, why am I not surprised?

These guys seem to just cram a bunch of artistic cliches into a game and declare it's art, despite the fact it's nothing more then a clusterfuck of annoying music and completely bland, arbitrary story.

Tell me, what things do you consider to be art? Just out of interest.

In all honesty and none of that passive aggressive snobbery: Am I actually missing something? What makes this a game?

Oh, I don't know, perhaps the fact that you play it?

 

[Klepa]

I don't see why this couldn't have been a short movie..

Why does it need any kind of player input, when all the player can do is ruin the experience?Press ESC, and you get a screen that'll remove what little anticipation you had in you, by telling you exactly what you need to do. If you try to stray from the path, you are stopped by an invisible wall.

 

[JoeThree]

It's like the Sword of Truth of video games... crap, with an inexplicably douchey, immensely over-inflated creator.

 

[Rivers Wells]

"Games should be considered art!"

*Artsy game comes out. Gamers do not understand*

"WTF is this shit!?"

That about sums it up, amiright?

I don't think that's fair though. I think its a very interesting idea, I think the people behind it realized a complex vision very subtly, and I'm happy to see people experimenting with the medium.

I'm just not sure if this is a game. Is there a defined goal? A conflict built into the mechanics?

 

[Rivers Wells]

Yeah, from the same dev's as The Path, why am I not surprised?

These guys seem to just cram a bunch of artistic cliches into a game and declare it's art, despite the fact it's nothing more then a clusterfuck of annoying music and completely bland, arbitrary story.

Tell me, what things do you consider to be art? Just out of interest.

In all honesty and none of that passive aggressive snobbery: Am I actually missing something? What makes this a game?

Oh, I don't know, perhaps the fact that you play it?

I respect that you interact with it, but personally that isn't the my full definition of a game. In fact, it puts you in danger of a slippery slope: I turn the pages of my book to get a story, but does that make it a game? I'm very happy to see people exploring what a game can be, I'm just not sure this is one.

 

[zpm4737]

There's this game, Gravity Bone: http://db.tigsource.com/games/gravity-bone

It's criminally short, but very enjoyable while it lasts. It's engaging and stylish, though it doesn't have any kind of higher message like other indie games might.

As for this game, I wouldn't want to weigh in on something until I've played it, and can't do so now.