Storytelling: Why Games Aren't Inferior to Film

Compared to movies, games are absolute crap at telling stories. They are horrid, absolutely horrid. Sometimes, when  in the middle of an intense firefight, completely oblivious to the jarhead chatter of my fellow marines, I ponder as to why games seem to be incapable of telling tales a notch above B-list action movies. Now, some games aren't like this (and I'll get to those rare cases in a second), but most are and it's becoming a little embarrassing. Through narrative, film can create incredible emotional experiences like The Hurt Locker, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Cast Away. Why are games completely incapable of even touching stories of this level? Never, in the history of playing video games have I experienced a game that has even touched on what film achieves countless times every year.

Video games and Art

Before you let out that sigh, know that this isn't one of those overly long essays on why games are definitely, totally art. It may be long, but don't expect to see the words Braid, BioShock, and Shadow of the Colossus being constantly referenced in every paragraph. Rather than trying to argue that videogames are art, I found analysing the question "are videogames art?" provided more solid, satisfying answers. This article attempts to accomplish three goals: explore the idea of art, examine what this question is really asking, and to determine a solution to the question. This debate has made little progress lately so I hope this new angle will breathe new life into this discussion.

Where's The Graphic Novel of Video Games?

I hate the term "videogames." Its banner spans too far and its definition too narrow. To be a little elitist for a second, I dislike how works like Red Dead Redemption share the same label as social games like Angry Birds. When I say, "I play video games," it could mean literally dozens of different activities. It could mean I play Wii Fit, FarmVille, or Shadow of the Colossus. This term has such a massive umbrella, encompassing such a wide variety of interactive activities, that anything electronically interactive is considered a video game. It's a shame, because as long as titles like Mass Effect, L.A. Noire, and LIMBO continue to be referred to as games, this art form will continue to be less credible in the eyes of the mainstream. The term "videogames" is too broad for such a diverse range of activates, yet it does not effectively define all areas of the medium.

Is the Popularity of First Person Shooters a Phase?

Currently, First Person Shooters like Call of Duty, Homefront, Battlefield, and Medal of Honour dominate the sales charts and gamer's free time. Many gamers however (myself included) are frustrated with this genre's current trajectory, criticizing its lack of innovation, uninspired settings, and predictable, rushed experiences. There's no doubt FPSs are one of the most (if not the most) popular and profitable genres in all of gaming, but will this trend eventually fizzle and give way to the next best thing? Is the current popularity of First Person Shooters just a phase? I heed warning before venturing further; the answer may be a little discouraging. Allow me to elaborate...

Failure of the MMOFPS

 

Granted, I've never played an MMOFPS, so I'm not nearly as experienced as I should be on this matter, but I find the consistent failure of the MMOFPS genre very interesting when MMORPGs can achieve such massive success. Why can't the FPS, the most popular and profitable genre in gaming, be translated into the massively multiplayer space? Why can't games like PlanetSide or Tabula Rasa attract and maintain sustainable audiences like Blizzard's World of Warcraft? Some say it's the nature of the FPS genre that makes creating a compelling MMO experience impossible. However, I think MMOFPSs have simply been approached from ineffective perspectives and need to be re-worked and re-thought for mass audiences. It's fascinating that MMOFPSs have failed, time and time again, to be a reliable and viable platform to develop games. I think this genre is full of untapped potential and it's only a matter to time before the MMOFPS blasts its way through the genre's seemingly impenetrable dark crevice of the gaming sphere.

State of the Franchise: Halo

Halo: Reach may have received financial success and critical acclaim, but Reach showed the age of the franchise and how it's not the console power-house it was a few years ago. With Call of Duty rising above and beyond Halo's success, I wouldn't be surprised if the next Halo instalment attempts to reinvent itself by straying drastically from its roots. If Halo: Reach taught me anything about the state of the franchise, it's that Halo is getting predictable and boring. Yes, I'm aware Call of Duty is extremely predictable year after year as well, but its rise to power was only recently, its game design more modern, whereas Halo has been dominating -and mostly unchanged- for almost a decade.

Do eSports Have a Bright Future?

Now, I must admit, my friends and I would laugh hysterically whenever we'd talk about or watch a match of professional gaming. Games taken seriously as sport was so new, awkward and so nerdy, that it was always a reliable source for rich comedy.  But that was then. To be clear though, I still think eSports is -and will continue to be- an incredibly nerdy pursuit, but I've noticed a growing following toward this niche past time. Up until a year ago, I'd chuckle at the thought of a large-scale professional gaming league. Recently however, I find myself subscribed to popular Starcraft 2 commentators like HuskyStarcraft and TotalBiscuit on YouTube. I'm totally fascinated and engrossed in professional Starcraft 2 right now. I don't think I'm the only one noticing eSports as legitimate entertainment either.

Why Halo: Reach's Campaign Was Disappointing -Part IV

Disclaimer: This is the conclusion of a four part series on why Halo: Reach's campaign was disappointing.

Part 1    Part 2    Part 3

Concerns About Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare's upcoming MMO, is in a very interesting situation. As Game Nook explored a couple weeks ago, BioWare's first MMO has many elements that could make it a smash success. But at the same time, ToR has just as many negative features that could cause it to fail miserably. Whichever side is stronger will determine the fate of EA's hefty investment. The main and most troubling concerns are ToR's familiar gameplay and BioWare's inclusion of a fourth MMO pillar: story. The Old Republic's familiar gameplay and heavy emphasis on story could deter both new and veteran MMO players if BioWare doesn't find a healthy balance between the two.

Why Halo: Reach's Campaign Was Disappointing -Part III

 

Disclaimer: This is part three of a four part series on why Halo: Reach's campaign was disappointing. Click here for part two.

Why Halo: Reach's Campaign Was Disappointing -Part II

Disclaimer: This is part two of a four part series on why Halo: Reach's campaign was disappointing. Click here for part one.

Why Halo: Reach's Campaign Was Disappointing -Part I

Disclaimer: This is part one of a four part series on why Halo: Reach's campaign was disappointing. This is not a game review.

Halo Reach's campaign was incredibly disappointing. In fact, I was so let down, I felt obligated to write this article. I have a feeling that the Halo franchise, -among many other highly acclaimed franchises- tend to score relatively higher with game reviewers than unknown IPs. So, it frustrates a great deal that Halo: Reach received a metacritic score of 91/100; a score that it did not deserve in the slightest. I have suspicions that this game was treated too softly and was not taken seriously when reviewed; there are just too many problems with this game to think otherwise. Why should Bungie be rewarded when they made such a lacklustre story/campaign? A studio needs criticism to grow and Bungie hardly received any from major media sources. If criticism isn't heard or taken seriously, Bungie's next game will have the same problems Reach has. Hopefully Bungie is still early in development for their next game to consider this criticism.

Are ARGs Still Effective?

Granted, I have no data or marketing experience on the subject, but I can't help but question the effectiveness of alternate reality games (ARGs) today. There's little doubt that ARGs are masters at generating hype for video games, but I fear that viral marketing is so commonplace today, that most ARGs have little effect intriguing a curious crowd. When the ARG achieved large-scale attention with the successful ilovebees campaign, an ARG promoting Halo 2, more and more publishers began using this alternate form of marketing. From Call of Duty: Black Ops to Mafia II to Bioshock 2, alternate reality games seem to be everywhere now-a-days. Their frequent use by publishers in addition to my personal experience with ARGs makes me curious how effective these viral marketing strategies really are. Should every video game have an ARG?  Have the prerequisites changed for ARGs to succeed? I don't have the necessary data to confidently form a conclusion, but analysing and comparing past and present ARGs may present an answer.

Can Star Wars: The Old Republic Overthrow World of Warcraft?

          

It's been seven years since World of Warcraft (WoW) launched in late 2004 to a stunned and budding industry. During WoW's incredibly successful rule, it's surprising a challenger has yet to put up a formidable fight. With the release of Cataclysm, WoW's latest expansion, World of Warcraft now boasts a stunning 12 million players worldwide and- if left unchecked- has no sign of slowing down. With Activision-Blizzard raking in money, it's surprising that it took this long for one of the AAA publishers to commit to the long, expensive quest to siphon some of WoW's profits. We've seen countless MMOs over the past several years buckle under WoW, taking the embarrassing route of going free-to-play. From Warhammer Online (WAR)  to Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO), each promising MMO is eventually over-shadowed by WoW's established community, polished game play, and immersive world. Why then, are some people flocking to the notion that BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic (ToR) has a real shot of successfully co-existing with WoW in the subscription-based market?