Why did FMV games go out of style?

[Erikjust]

I remember in my youth playing FMV games such as Wing Commander 3,4 and Prophecy and the Command and Conquer series.
I also played a bit of Privateer 2 The Darkening.
Common for all of those games where that instead of a cgi cutscene, they used full motion video where it was actual actors acting out the scene or (as i suspect it was the chase with C&C the companies staff playing the different parts).
It has since disappeared completely from video games with maybe the exception of a single game or two here and there.

So my question is why did FMV games fall out of fashion was it because it got to expensive and it was much cheaper hiring a bunch of animators to do the cutscenes and then hire some voice actors to voice the characters or why exactly did it fall out of style?

[Striker879]

Could be just a consequence of better graphics.

 

The earlier editions of the Privateer series used NPC avatars that were not much different than what you'd see in games like Doom, Quake etc. (and animations of the same quality). At the time it wasn't seen as crude or anything because that was the cutting edge of the times. The later games in the series that you've mentioned were using the cutting edge for their time. As graphics quality improved (taking advantage and pushing hardware to new limits) game producers would naturally want to leverage and showcase the new capabilities of their game engines.

 

The era you are talking about did have one downside in my eyes ... the glaring difference between cutscene quality and in-game quality. I prefer the current era.

[HeyYou]

I want to know why folks don't make games like Wing Commander, Privateer, Strike Commander, et. al. anymore. I LOVED those games. :D

[Striker879]

I want to know why folks don't make games like Wing Commander, Privateer, Strike Commander, et. al. anymore. I LOVED those games. :D

 

I replayed Privateer a while back. While there certainly were some nice nostalgic moments (the "Oh ... I remember this part" type stuff) I was struck by how much it was limited by the gaming hardware of the day.

 

It's hard to go back in time.

 

- Edit - Strike Commander ... now we're getting close to where my user name first originated.

[HadToRegister]

Tachyon - The Fringe

Freespace

Freespace 2

[Deleted54170User]

I remember in my youth playing FMV games such as Wing Commander 3,4 and Prophecy and the Command and Conquer series.

I also played a bit of Privateer 2 The Darkening.

Common for all of those games where that instead of a cgi cutscene, they used full motion video where it was actual actors acting out the scene or (as i suspect it was the chase with C&C the companies staff playing the different parts).

It has since disappeared completely from video games with maybe the exception of a single game or two here and there.

 

So my question is why did FMV games fall out of fashion was it because it got to expensive and it was much cheaper hiring a bunch of animators to do the cutscenes and then hire some voice actors to voice the characters or why exactly did it fall out of style?

 

 

I've played video games back when the first arcade machines came out in Shopping malls across the halls from indoor movie theaters. They made a great way to wait for the movies to start.

 

They haven't fallen out of fashion. They have been made new! Improved for the new equipment. Since 1982, when the VIC 20 was made and found it's way into homes; allot has changed.

[Deleted92948618User]

I started gaming with Colossal Cave Adventure and Hunt the Wumpus. "Throw ax, take ax", anyone.

I never liked FMV in games. I want to play the game, not watch the game play itself for five minutes.

[HeyYou]

I started gaming with Colossal Cave Adventure and Hunt the Wumpus. "Throw ax, take ax", anyone.

 

I never liked FMV in games. I want to play the game, not watch the game play itself for five minutes.

Some of the cut-scenes in wing commander were REALLY funny..... :D Made it far more entertaining.

[Markmid]

I too enjoyed wing commander and was surprised FMV died off so completely, mortal kombat being another hit that used it. I guess its production costs are/were too high for most indie devs or rather 'had guessed that'.

 

Because FMV games are back IN style :D

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/545540/The_Infectious_Madness_of_Doctor_Dekker/ (Psychological + Detective)

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/898650/The_Shapeshifting_Detective/ (Detective)

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/584980/Late_Shift/ - Warning this one broke for me but looks excellent. (Crime)

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/481110/The_Bunker/ (Horror)

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/373390/Contradiction__Spot_The_Liar/ - (Detective) This is the most meme worthy of all and if you like quirky detectives buy it.

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1107790/The_Complex/ (Thriller)

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1353270/Five_Dates/

 

Etc

 

Maybe the production costs got to the point of being viable for indie devs again.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Markmid

[Markmid]

I want to know why folks don't make games like Wing Commander, Privateer, Strike Commander, et. al. anymore. I LOVED those games. :D

 

They do. There was a period they stopped but that was years ago. The quality or gameplay depth on these is variable so do a bit of research.

 

Everspace 2 - Not played

Starpoint Gemini Warlords (or Starpoint Gemini 2)

Rebel Galaxy

Elite Dangerous - Not played

Distant Worlds Universe

Star Traders Frontiers

Smugglers 5

Avorion

X4, X3 etc

Star Nomad

Pulsar: Lost Colony - Not played

Void Expanse

Unending Galaxy

Endless Sky

Sol Trader

Edited May 20, 2021 by Markmid