Games shouldn't tell stories

[AurelTristen]

Sorry for the title, but its the same thing that drew me in, and I'm glad it did. If you're like me, and you are deeply into games as story telling outlets, this is a must-watch.

 

I went into this with my guns loaded, ready to scoff at the stupid ideas I would be presented with, but David Jaffe makes some really great points. I'm a film student who also has interests in game making, but I've always known the difference between the two. It took this video to turn that internal concept into a more tangible one, and I feel like I am now better equipped to express my ideas in both mediums because of it.

 

The video is from Gamespot, and its a little talk given by David Jaffe (Twisted Metal) on stories in games. I'm sure you won't all agree, but it is quite thought provoking.

 

Here it is if you want to watch it.

 

And my response is this: Despite the fact that my normal reaction is to rebel against this idea with everything I've got, I think he's right. I was looking at it the wrong way. Thinking back, I particularly dispise games that are literally a slightly interactive movie. Call of Duty's single player is a serious violator in this departmnet, but sadly, BF3 did the EXACT same thing. Here is a script, go play it out. Your only creative freedom comes in the form of 'should I take the flaking rout the level designer laid out for me, or should I fight my way up with point and click madness?' BF3 online, just like COD online, is great fun because it doesn't try and tell you a story, it lets you tell your own. Give me the tools, put me in the universe and let me have at it! Don't walk me down a one dimensional path with occasional branches to give the illusion of choice!

 

This is where I think Skyrim shines. As David points out, in games like Skyrim, players generate their own narrative. The universe is compelling enough, and deep enough that we are able to construct our own story within the confines of the developer's universe. It isn't all-encompassing, but its a huge step up, and I think the game's sales demonstrate this. Sure, the games have been doing this for a while now, but we've reached a critical point where graphics are inthrolling enough to support a stronger suspension of disbelief, even in those who normally wouldn't be drawn in.

 

I'm a hard core gamer. I (at one point) owned all three major consoles, and I build my own PCs from the ground up for maximum performance for the money. (I also need the power for HD video editing and 3D work, but that's besides the point). Suffice to say, I play quite a few games, but Its been years since I've been taken in like I am with Skyrim (sometimes). I know people think the dragons are too easy, or too common, but sometimes the battles are just epic.

 

As some of you may know, I have just started into modding Skyrim. I figured out how to get a new weapon in game just a few days before the CK came out. I was in game, running around to test my Tetsigua, which is a gigantic demon sword that is quite a bit more powerful than a standard Great Sword, but also quite a bit slower to swing. I was headed out to finish a mission investigating a dragon sighting, and obviously I ended up in battle with one. The music, though over-used, was powerful, and after using that Dragonrend shout to bring the beast down, It came flying in for a DBZ style sliding crash-landing, where uppon I was lucky enough to land one powerful critical strike to finish it off. This wasn't plotted out, turn by turn by a developer. The guy who scripted the mission sure as hell couldn't have guessed I'd be taking on the mission with my home-made sword, or that I'd happen to one-shot the thing when I finally got it down, and yet that story took place, and it was epic.

 

This is the kind of thing I want to make happen in the gaming industry, should I go that rout (instead of film). Sure, I've got stories I want to tell, but more than anything, I've got a tool-box of story elements that I love, and I would rather put them all in one sandbox and see what players come up with on their own.

 

Obviously most people here are Skyrim fans, so there is a bias, but what elements in what games do you find to be the most compelling? Do you ever truly get wrapped up in on-the-rails FPS games, or interactive movies like COD? If you watched the video, what are your thoughts on it?

[Rennn]

The 'create your own narrative' point is a very good one. Mind, I want a ton of story in video games. I just don't want the story told; I want to craft my own story. That's the biggest strength of games; not to tell stories, but to give gamers the tools to live their own story. Good point, though my initial reaction was to flame you. Edited February 10, 2012 by Rennn

[AurelTristen]

The 'create your own narrative' point is a very good one. Mind, I want a ton of story in video games. I just don't want the story told; I want to craft my own story. That's the biggest strength of games; not to tell stories, but to give gamers the tools to live their own story. Good point, though my initial reaction was to flame you.

 

Lol, trust me, my initial reaction to the video was to flame the comments section. I see why they chose that title though. Sly dogs!

[CampanaAliquanta]

I can't watch the video cos I'm at work, but I think I understand what the point is.

 

However, if I want to watch a story unfold, does it really matter whether I do so by watching a film, reading a book or playing a linear-style game? I've enjoyed quite a few of linear games (e.g. Half Life, HL2, Deus Ex Human Revolution etc) and one of the things that kept me playing was wanting to know what happens next.

 

It's the difference between reading the story and making your own story. Games don't have to be one of the other. I actually enjoy both kinds of entertainment and I want people to make games that offer both.

[Darkvalkyr]

At the end of the day, it's up to the gamer WHAT they want out of a story.

 

Some games are art; they have a message that can be told just like song, poetry, literary works, art and movies.Others are just Hollywood Blockbuster #34/Standard Pop Hit #44.

 

It's up to the author of the game and what the gamer wants from a game. If I ever made a game, yeah, it'd have a story, it won't necessarily be open-ended because I generally treat most story-driven games as a story-book. I read into it, I read it as face value, enjoy it for the values inside the story and enjoy it for the sake of enjoying a good story. The argument that 'Playing a game with a story like GenericRPG is just watching GenericFantasyMovie' is just as well as saying 'Reading Animal Farm is just watching a politician argue against the ideals of Russia in that Era.'

 

If a game is meant to tell a story, then let it. Gamers who WANT a story, an interactive story where they can have fun while going through the story like some kind of interactive story book, will play it. If a game is meant to have the players create a story, then gamers who are after open-ended games can go crazy for it. At the end of the day no single-player, non RP game really has done this - Skyrim still leaves a LOT as a story that's left in the hands of the developer and we're just following one of several paths that the dev's have left for us, like the Flanking or Guns Blazing route example.

[ZeroLambda]

At the end of the day, it's up to the gamer WHAT they want out of a story.

 

Some games are art; they have a message that can be told just like song, poetry, literary works, art and movies.Others are just Hollywood Blockbuster #34/Standard Pop Hit #44.

 

It's up to the author of the game and what the gamer wants from a game. If I ever made a game, yeah, it'd have a story, it won't necessarily be open-ended because I generally treat most story-driven games as a story-book. I read into it, I read it as face value, enjoy it for the values inside the story and enjoy it for the sake of enjoying a good story. The argument that 'Playing a game with a story like GenericRPG is just watching GenericFantasyMovie' is just as well as saying 'Reading Animal Farm is just watching a politician argue against the ideals of Russia in that Era.'

 

If a game is meant to tell a story, then let it. Gamers who WANT a story, an interactive story where they can have fun while going through the story like some kind of interactive story book, will play it. If a game is meant to have the players create a story, then gamers who are after open-ended games can go crazy for it. At the end of the day no single-player, non RP game really has done this - Skyrim still leaves a LOT as a story that's left in the hands of the developer and we're just following one of several paths that the dev's have left for us, like the Flanking or Guns Blazing route example.

 

Agreed 100%. It all depends on the types of games the gamer chooses to play. It's like watching movies, or listening to music.. your preference is what you want, or what you'll enjoy.

[skizophrenic]

@campana

You'll understand more after you watch the vid, but what you said is the whole point of the argument: you played to see what happened next. While the story might have been amazing, what about the game? Did the story and mechanics actually mesh into a gameplay-driven narrative or did they simply co-exist on the same CD? I'm a huge fan of final fantasy, so I would never diss a story driven game just because it's a story driven game, but I think the best games are those that lay a foundation on which the players can build their own story and feel the same emotions while playing rather than watching or listening.

[imperistan]

I figure as long as a told story is good in its own right, I wouldn't mind the fact that its being told me.

[Silentdagger]

In my opinion, Mass Effect falls into his category of story telling. Yes, you can go about the telling of the story in slightly different ways, but the result is normally the same. But guess what? I FREAKING LOVE IT. Give me more stories. Also, as CampanaAliquanta said, all of the HalfLife games are epic, yet solely story driven.