Story and Art in Games - NO ONE CARES

[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?

 

[Serenegoose]

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?

 

[Lightslei]

Find friends that are able to accept different things. .

 

[Amnestic]

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]

 

[Sacman]

I care about story and art I can't play a game unless it has at least a decent story... but what I'm really looking for is innovation, you know something new and interesting that will push the industry, it's why I love Deus Ex and S.T.A.l.K.E.R...

 

[viranimus]

Its all in who you talk to. Part of what your facing is how popular shooters are, and the Atypical shooter fanboy archetype, to which for shooters, all art direction, plot, and subtext are for is to skip through and ignore while your focused on sniping a noob or sneaking up on a guy to knife him in the back.

 

[Souplex]

You're confusing "The majority" with "The loudest/most obnoxious".

 

[kouriichi]

When someone tells me art and story are pointless i go into anabolic sezures.

I have no clue what those are, but i totally go into them. When i played kane and lynch 2, i loved every minute of it. The shaky cam, the story telling, the ugly characters, the dull enviroments..... It was all awesome to me. People even complained about the way the lights looked! I loved how they were distored and extended.

I wouldent change a single thing about most games i find artistic, because you cant ask to change art. If you do, you dont understand what art really is!

 

[Mastercylinder]

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

 

[NickCaligo42]

Uhh. Nope, not ringin' a bell. Practically all of my friends enjoy games for their stories on some level or another.

 

[Veylon]

I'm on the other side of the fence here.

I guess part of the issue is that they're games. People like me expect the game part to be the focus and other stuff to come after. The feeling is that story and art are fine, in and of themselves, but when they get in the way of the gameplay, something is wrong. More bluntly: if you want a novel, read a novel. If you want a movie, watch a movie. And I don't mean that to be down on storytelling; many games lately, especially in the JRPG genre, might actually be better in movie or novel form.

You're definitely not alone, though. The majority of the games' budgets these days seems to pour into FMVs and voice acting.

 

[spectrenihlus]

I agree that story and art are important. However if the gameplay isn't fun then not even an amalgamation of Van Gogh and Tolkien would be able to save the game. I would play a game if the art was mundane and the story ridiculous but the gameplay was amazing but not the other way around (usually).

 

[Terminate421]

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

 

[SirQuagsire]

I know what you mean. All my friends are like this. I can't have a meaningful conversation with them.

They're conversations are mostly composed of girls, girls, they're sex lives (nonexistent ones anyways), and fucking with one another.

I've yet to meet someone who likes Games like I do. :/

I feel like an outcast with my friends.

 

[Anarchemitis]

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

 

[runningtable]

Story is the most important part of a game to me but some games can be just mindless fun.

 

[AKmontalvo]

First off your CLEARLY not the "only one" who cares about art and story in a game because ur on a website filled with people who feel exactly that way

Second, despite me not liking them COD, Halo, Gears, and all the other frequently name-drop'd titles used for examples of generic 'no substance' games actually DO have interesting art and storyline direction and true 'i appriciate everything' person (as u claim to be) should be able to appriciate ur friends' opinions and not ommit certain games just because they are popular amoung a boader group of people (general public, whatever)

 

[Amnestic]

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.

 

[Mastercylinder]

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

Yeah, I don't like calling people that and I hate it when people do it to me, but there are people who understand games better than others so THAT's what I'm reffering to like people here.