Story and Art in Games - NO ONE CARES

[Thaius]

When I saw the title, I thought you were going to rant about how no one cares about games as art and we should all just stop talking about it 'cause it's stupid. I was ready to risk moderator wrath. But as it turns out, you're just frustrated that there are so many shallow people out there. You have my approval.

Yeah, not enough people get it. But as much as gaming is in a worse spot right now due to its relatively young age, most people don't "get" it in regards to other art either. My ex-girlfriend said regarding all books, movies, and games, "It's just entertainment." Even if it could arouse emotion or change someone's life, it was just entertainment to her, and had no actual value beyond that. It's an ignorant and shallow viewpoint, but also a popular one: most people just don't see the actual value in art. Especially in video games.

 

[FallenJellyDoughnut]

1. Your hanging out with the wrong kind of people
2. They are sheeple.

Please point me in the direction of the right kind. THERE ARENT ANY REAL GAMERS (I hate that term) WHERE I LIVE!

 

[Manji187]

Maybe this is just me, but whenever I have a conversation with people who I just find out play videogames, When they ask me about any titles I remember liking in the past they immediately give me crap. Sadly, I start to realize no cares how much I liked the story in this game or how cool the art design was for that one and instead it turns into:

Person:"I don't care about any of that. You play COD:MW?"
Me:"No."
Person:"Your stupid, get with the times."

Why is it people don't ever care about the story or art? I know a total of two people maybe three friends who actually do and we can carry conversations about it for HOURS! Is it really just me? Maybe it is just me, because even games I hate or drive me nuts I still play just to enjoy the story or the art style.

Am I alone here? Has this ever happened to you?

Well... now I'm interested. What games do you consider to have a good story and/ or art style?

Personally I'm more annoyed by people who consider games like Bioshock, Fallout 3 and Mass Effect 2 to have AWESOME stories (though I admit they have artistic value).

Those stories aren't awesome, they aren't even great...they're mediocre at best. I have my reasons to think this...but I won't bore you with a lengthy discussion which you didn't consent to.

 

[Mastercylinder]

Maybe this is just me, but whenever I have a conversation with people who I just find out play videogames, When they ask me about any titles I remember liking in the past they immediately give me crap. Sadly, I start to realize no cares how much I liked the story in this game or how cool the art design was for that one and instead it turns into:

Person:"I don't care about any of that. You play COD:MW?"
Me:"No."
Person:"Your stupid, get with the times."

Why is it people don't ever care about the story or art? I know a total of two people maybe three friends who actually do and we can carry conversations about it for HOURS! Is it really just me? Maybe it is just me, because even games I hate or drive me nuts I still play just to enjoy the story or the art style.

Am I alone here? Has this ever happened to you?

Well... now I'm interested. What games do you consider to have a good story and/ or art style?

Personally I'm more annoyed by people who consider games like Bioshock, Fallout 3 and Mass Effect 2 to have AWESOME stories (though I admit they have artistic value).

Those stories aren't awesome, they aren't even great...they're mediocre at best. I have my reasons to think this...but I won't bore you with a lengthy discussion which you didn't consent to.

Ok. I'm willing to except you don't like bioshock's story, but failed utopias are some of my favs so I thought it was great with really good characterization although I can agree with you about Fallout 3. As I RPG I feel it should just explain the backstory to you and F3 does that pretty well, but the story is kinda lacking, but I digress.

Here some examples of what I think is a good story and art in a game.
Secret of Monkey Island, Silent Hill,Sanitarium, Metal Gear Solid, Half-Life2, Portal
Dues Ex, System Shock 2, Grim Fandango, Snatcher,Day of the Tentacle and Parasite Eve.

Some games with ok or pretty good stories with nice art and narritive that I prefer include:
DooM 1-2-3, MediEvil, Oddworld Abe's oddessey, Metroid, Starcraft I and II,Diablo and Dragon's Lair and DL 3D

Some Movie adaptations have good story/art
Tron 2.0, Blade Runner (PC 1997), Ghostbusters the Videogame and SW the Force Unleashed

 

[Manji187]

Maybe this is just me, but whenever I have a conversation with people who I just find out play videogames, When they ask me about any titles I remember liking in the past they immediately give me crap. Sadly, I start to realize no cares how much I liked the story in this game or how cool the art design was for that one and instead it turns into:

Person:"I don't care about any of that. You play COD:MW?"
Me:"No."
Person:"Your stupid, get with the times."

Why is it people don't ever care about the story or art? I know a total of two people maybe three friends who actually do and we can carry conversations about it for HOURS! Is it really just me? Maybe it is just me, because even games I hate or drive me nuts I still play just to enjoy the story or the art style.

Am I alone here? Has this ever happened to you?

Well... now I'm interested. What games do you consider to have a good story and/ or art style?

Personally I'm more annoyed by people who consider games like Bioshock, Fallout 3 and Mass Effect 2 to have AWESOME stories (though I admit they have artistic value).

Those stories aren't awesome, they aren't even great...they're mediocre at best. I have my reasons to think this...but I won't bore you with a lengthy discussion which you didn't consent to.

Ok. I'm willing to except you don't like bioshock's story, but failed utopias are some of my favs so I thought it was great with really good characterization although I can agree with you about Fallout 3. As I RPG I feel it should just explain the backstory to you and F3 does that pretty well, but the story is kinda lacking, but I digress.

Here some examples of what I think is a good story and art in a game.
Secret of Monkey Island, Silent Hill,Sanitarium, Metal Gear Solid, Half-Life2, Portal
Dues Ex, System Shock 2, Grim Fandango, Snatcher,Day of the Tentacle and Parasite Eve.

Some games with ok or pretty good stories with nice art and narritive that I prefer include:
DooM 1-2-3, MediEvil, Oddworld Abe's oddessey, Metroid, Starcraft I and II,Diablo and Dragon's Lair and DL 3D

Some Movie adaptations have good story/art
Tron 2.0, Blade Runner (PC 1997), Ghostbusters the Videogame and SW the Force Unleashed

That's a very diverse selection..I've never even heard of some of the titles. But now I'm even more curious. You mention Metal Gear Solid...I assume you mean the 1997 PSX title. What did you think of the three following entries in the franchise (in terms of story)?

Also you mention Metroid. NES Metroid? Super Metroid? Metroid Prime series?

Heh...I absolutely adored MediEvil for it's mysterious atmosphere. MediEvil 2...not so much.

Quid pro quo..right? You told me yours, now I'll tell you mine.

Good story:

-Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
-Vagrant Story
-Final Fantasy IX (liked the art style as well, unlike a lot of people)
-The Longest Journey
-Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
-Thief: Deadly Shadows
-Metal Gear Solid (I agree)

EDIT: I also like MGS3 (story and art)...MGS2 & 4...not so much.

Good art/ atmosphere (conducive of immersion)

-Final Fantasy XII (hated the story though)
-Metroid Prime
-Resident Evil Remake (Gamecube)
-Muramasa Demon Blade (so pretty..visually)
-Oddworld Abe's Oddyssey & Exodus (I agree)
-Devil May Cry (the first one)
-Onimusha (the first one...although I found the story rather "meh")
-MediEvil (I agree)

I have played neither ICO nor Shadow of the Colossus nor Okami...so I don't know what all the fuss is about.

 

[Still Life]

1: You are never the only person.

Ever.

I care a lot about a games story and art direction. Other people do too. You think people bought Dragon Age because of biowares history of epic combat in their games?

I enjoyed MW 2. It was fun, albeit deeply flawed and not up to the standard that the first MW set. However, I find it devoid of any creativity, artistic expression and Swiss cheese does not make for a compelling narrative. It was a game I played for mindless entertainment on a Friday evening with chocolate.

The games that stick with me are the games that are a visual feast (not referring to pure graphical prowess), coupled with a rich narrative.

You are not alone.

 

[WelshDanny]

It does matter to me. If a game has a bad story it gets on my nerves. For example, Modern Warfare 2 (which I borrowed and completed in an afternoon :|) had so many plot holes it was silly.

 

[Archemetis]

I'm still waiting for the 'realism' in gaming to wear off...

I want us to go back to a time where a stylised game can be norm.

Games aren't fun or engaging to me if they flat out mimic real-life.
I play games for entertainment and escapism, which is why I'll pick a game like Okami over something like COD:MWII everytime.


(Although the only 'realistic' games I do like are Rockstar games... They handle it in a way where I can get lost in the world.)

 

[smithy_2045]

Art/graphics never really matters to me.
Gameplay is the most important thing, but a great story can turn just a fun game into an awesome game.

 

[Mastercylinder]

That's a very diverse selection..I've never even heard of some of the titles. But now I'm even more curious. You mention Metal Gear Solid...I assume you mean the 1997 PSX title. What did you think of the three following entries in the franchise (in terms of story)?

Also you mention Metroid. NES Metroid? Super Metroid? Metroid Prime series?

Heh...I absolutely adored MediEvil for it's mysterious atmosphere. MediEvil 2...not so much.

Quid pro quo..right? You told me yours, now I'll tell you mine.

Good story:

-Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
-Vagrant Story
-Final Fantasy IX (liked the art style as well, unlike a lot of people)
-The Longest Journey
-Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
-Thief: Deadly Shadows
-Metal Gear Solid (I agree)

EDIT: I also like MGS3 (story and art)...MGS2 & 4...not so much.

Good art/ atmosphere (conducive of immersion)

-Final Fantasy XII (hated the story though)
-Metroid Prime
-Resident Evil Remake (Gamecube)
-Muramasa Demon Blade (so pretty..visually)
-Oddworld Abe's Oddyssey & Exodus (I agree)
-Devil May Cry (the first one)
-Onimusha (the first one...although I found the story rather "meh")
-MediEvil (I agree)

I have played neither ICO nor Shadow of the Colossus nor Okami...so I don't know what all the fuss is about.

Yeah, I should of had more details oops. Metroid wise I think the NES and the Super Nes had the best art and atmosphere. I never really played prime except for the 3rd one on Wii and it was pretty good. I also never got to play anything past MGS either Idk why. I tried MGS4 I didn't care for the story. It's weird without knowing what happened in 2 or 3. I like the walker-things in MGS 4 though. On a Side Okami, ICO and Colossus are all titles I wanna try out so I'm on the same predicament.

 

[Blemontea]

They dont care about the story or art design because they haven't grown out of "that" phase (blowy shooty upy instant gratification) eventually they will grow out and look for more quality, but until then come hang out here we accept you for what you like to play.

2. I sorta have this same experience... its just that nobody ever talks to me about what games i play... probably do to the fact i were gaming shirts so they think they know what games i love. So yeah everyone just assumes they know what i like and think about in school and i bet 1000000000 bucks that pretty much everyone has the wrong impression accept for my friends. I also go to a school were they consider it weird to play card games during lunch and football is GOD.

 

[Moontouched-Moogle]

Why is it people don't ever care about the story or art?

Hey, that's not true. I know at least one guy who cares. He's kinda famous around these parts, maybe you've heard of him? [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation]

Ok ok I'm not JUST talking about people with actual brains (or gamers) I'm just talking about the general public

Would it be poor form of me to link to the Extra Credits video and Extra Punctuation article on that word?

I mean, everyone should be watching Extra Credits anyway so I shouldn't have to.

Stories aren't necessary. Audiosurf and DEFCON, as two examples, show that games without any or a bare minimum of story can still be widely popular and enjoyable. That said, some games would be a lot worse without their story. I recently picked up a few Super Robot games online which are almost certainly never going to be ported into English and find myself struggling to play them at all. They have a story, but it's all in Japanese and I don't understand a word of it. The inclusion of a story which I then can't comprehend is a detriment. Similarly I doubt games such as the Metal Gear Solid series or Bioware RPGs would be nearly as popular or well selling if they lacked their stories.

It's about finding the correct balance for your game. Having a story behind Audiosurf would bog down a simple and incredibly fun little music game. Having no story behind...Mass Effect, would basically destroy the main attraction.

Of course, the problem then arises as to how each person answers the question "What's the correct balance for x?" and the disagreements therein.

There are a few English translation patches for the Super Robot Wars games. Google "aeon genesis" and you should find them.

Back to the original topic, it really is about balance. Not all games have great art (including music), gameplay, and story in one convenient package, but a wide variety of games should give you good options and exposure for all three. I personally love a game with a good story and beautiful art, but I don't find it necessary- so long as the game is still FUN. I don't understand how someone can play COD:MW non-stop and still enjoy it. So you got a headshot. Again. Whoopdie-fricking-doo.

Maybe people who are like "OMG COD is the best thing EVAH!" just haven't been exposed to games with good art and/or story. And not the kind of stuff like "our game has SUPER HD GRAPHICS!" I mean real ART. A turd rendered in 1080p is still a turd. I'm personally quite fond of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. Not necessarily the BEST graphics, but it was still beautiful. The music and environments always manage to draw me in. Especially the water effects. The gameplay was simple, but it worked, and the story, while bare-bones, was still interesting. The multiplayer setup is still a pain, though.(Even if it was necessary for smooth gameplay.)

Basically, they just need to take a break and try other games for a while. Maybe something with a nice story like Persona 3, or a fun adventure game like Zelda. Then come back to COD, likely with a refreshed appreciation for shooting someone in the face.