Apart from the Games You Play Do You Also Read the Books...

[Maharg67]

I often find myself involved with other aspects of games other than the games themselves. For example I have read comics linked to the Halo Games, have gained collectables for the Fallout Games and have written (crazy) fanfic about a few games. I watched at least one movie based on a game.

 

I just wonder how many people relate to the other aspects of games or even consider them to be of any real importance. I also wonder if people came in contact with other items first and then came to play the games. I came first to know about Halo from seeing items outside of the game.

 

The debate topic is what importance are such items, things, areas, outside of the actual games?

[grannywils]

Despite the fact that I am an avid reader, I have never found myself interested in reading the books associated with games. Not sure why that is, just never have. In fact lately I have been so caught up in Skyrim it has been cutting into my reading time... :blush:

[Dragonspyre]

I don't ever go past fanfics, but that is solely because I like to read and write.

[RexSeptim]

I read the books that are IN the game. Does that count? There are some great stories to be found in a tomb/dungeon/dilapidated old fort or wherever. I also end up carrying around books for times when I come across one I haven't read but I'm right in the middle of some action. Later, about the time I start wondering why I'm overencumbered - yup, there's ten books in my inventory - time to read! Outside the game? Well, I've been known to trip and slide trying to get out of the bed for the pile of "real" books piled up there. They kind of pile up for the same reason as in the game. Speaking of - yawning - I think I'll go read myself to sleep right now...

 

Goodnight.

[Nintii]

I did play Star Wars KOTOR, it was my very first ever "Mouse & keyboard" game ... anyways, that was because I'm a huge fan of the movies, I then went out and bought some collectors

comics ... a couple of graphic novels and some massive books by DK on the Star Wars universe and finally, some really awesome figurines and weapons from Master Replicas, Gentle Giant and Sideshow.

 

I have (the prize of my collection), The pair of Jango Fett Blasters No. 752 / 1500 (in the world) from Master Replica's ... trust me, they are extremely rare and cost a fortune.

Many were destroyed by customs from different countries because they were deemed to realistic by their laws, so no-one is sure how many sets of the original 1500 survived.

Here's an image from the net ...

 

 

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff434/yuri-chick/DSCN6502.jpg

 

 

My Number two favorite is the Darth Maul Premium format 18" figure No. 852 / 1999 (in the world) - las t pic I promise ...

 

 

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff434/yuri-chick/Dwm2012-02-2908-42-53-38.jpg

 

 

It seems I forgot to metion that the lightsaber lights up :biggrin:

 

And the list goes on ...I have Leia's Blaster (366/2500), A StormTrooper Blaster (2374/3500) - all by Master Replica's and a really good number of other Limited collectors figures from Star Wars, to many to mention here.

Also have plenty of other figurines Wonder Woman (886/1400) by DC Direct, a few from C.S Moore - Witchblade - Armor Bikini and Blue Skirt including Alice (408/500) ...

 

Here's a link to the Alice figurine C.S Moore Studios - Alice

 

I do read the graphic novels and comics applenty and so far only of Star Wars and Alice when it comes to games.

Though I do read Witchblade, Fathom, by the late Turner, Dawn by Listner, Aphrodite IX again I can go on ... this excludes my Anime collection of figures and movies.

 

I'd like to conclude by saying that I'm an avid reader and collector of all such as mentioned above ... hopefully they'll make more of the games of what I'm reading and collecting.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Nintii

[Deleted472477User]

Well, if you want to read some truly horrid novelizations of very good games, read the novels for Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II. Just horrifyingly bad! Otherwise, I'm not one for reading them. I used to write quite a bit of bordering on Mary Sue Elder Scrolls fanfics, and i used to read a lot of them, too.

 

Personally, I would love a TES convention! I'm surprised with the follow that the games have Bethesda hasn't done it yet.

[DaveTheRedd]

I really enjoyed playing “Starcraft ™” and found a couple of novels based on the game characters that were pretty good. I am an avid reader, and a comic book/graphic novel fan, so if I happen to come across one on a game I have played, then I will probably pick it up.

I also watched a movie based on the “Final Fantasy ™” games, and I am a huge fan of those games also. (I have every one of those games in my collection, along with the separate game books to accompany them)

When I was playing “Final Fantasy XI™” MMORPG, I even made spreadsheets to keep track of everything, lol.

[SubjectProphet]

How about this:

 

The only two things I do in life are play video games and read novels about the video game. Sometimes I read while I play the game.

[WrathOfDeadguy]

I don't generally read official tie-in fiction. If another product is necessary to understand what's going on in the game, then the game is incomplete. As in any mode of storytelling, each installment should be self-explanatory. Plus, there are problems with tie-in fiction depending on what type of game it is based on.

 

Tie-ins work for extremely linear games where all players will experience the same story regardless of their choices in the game (the Master Chief side of the Halo story, for example), but nonlinear games actually suffer from the presence of tie-in fiction. With games like Mass Effect and KotOR that allow the player to make their own decisions about the lead character's appearance and personality, official fiction establishes a default story that players with customized mains then simply aren't part of anymore. Only players using the 'canonized' main character appearance and personality get the full experience. Additionally, when such fiction is allowed to stand in for actual in-game events, anyone who didn't read the tie-ins might not know what the frell is going on to begin with even if they did play along the official path. Then you have strategy games... while a writer who's got a firm grasp of suspension of disbelief can make it work, all too often the result only highlights the aspects of gameplay that are least conducive to SoD. Things like factories and training camps that can be established in minutes and start churning out battle-ready units mere seconds later... or units being promoted based on their kill counts. Read the C&C3 tie-ins for a better idea of just how badly RTS fiction can go wrong.

 

While a notable experiment in storytelling, mixing interactive and non-interactive fiction IMO is too problematic most of the time. Unless, that is, the source material is both linear and cinematic with a minimal amount of player choice with regards to the main character. Or if the source material is so open-ended and vast in scope (i.e. Battletech, D&D, MMOs) that the tie-in fiction can exist on its own, without involving the main characters of the games (or their adventures) at all, if there are any to begin with that aren't complete player-sourced fabrications.

 

I do, however, collect little bits and pieces of geekiness related to the games I play. I have a Tesla Trooper from RA2, a giant Bioshock Big Daddy action figure, the Normandy from Mass Effect 2 & 3, a bunch of Battletech and Starsiege miniatures, etc. Years ago I also wrote a fair bit of Homeworld fanfic, some of which was passable and most of which was embarrassingly bad.

[Aurielius]

Read through the list of options but there was no "none of the above' to pick from. I am so far behind on my actual reading list that game fiction would never make on to the list..sorry.