The element of storytelling, as I have said, is one of vital importance, in my opinion. Games are becoming more and more the forefront of entertainment, becoming as popular as and being inspired by the cinematic world. I was reading an interesting article about video game storytelling, and the author raised an interesting point.
"To get shamelessly bio-psychological for a moment, narrative is simply how human beings perceive and interpret the world around them as an ongoing, relatable place. Without the ability to imprint events with a storyline, the world would just be a bunch of stuff happening all over the place. Simply, whether Neanderthal caveperson or modern, Facebook worshipping technophile, story and storytelling link the world experiences of pretty much every human there’s ever been." - David Houghton
I think this is a thought provoking statement, and one I agree with. It's an indicator to how, as people, games, just like films, books, the media, etc, will always be perceived with the thoughts and emotions of the events of the game whilst playing. If we look at a game like To the Moon, this is a prime example of how the events in a game can affect us personally in a very emotive way.
Freebird Games (2011). To the Moon. [Download] Windows, OS X, Linux. Freebird Games.
I've never played this game personally, but I have watched the entire play-through on YouTube, and if I remember rightly it made me cry. (I know, I know. So I'm a sap.) To the Moon tells the tale of two doctors who, using futuristic artificial memory technology, navigate their way through the dreams and memories of a dying man to fulfil his life's wish. This kind of disproves my earlier statement about how realism influences more of a storytelling element in games, due to this game being a 2D kind of RPG game. There isn't a tonne of gameplay in this, but the storytelling aspect is sophisticated enough to compensate for that. This game is as story-driven as it gets really.
But hey! I still think realism plays its part. Just, remembering this game has made me realise that it isn't just realistic games that have strong storytelling elements, and that it's more about how they're executed. The thing with To the Moon is that it's not an entirely predictable storyline. You might make assumptions in your head as you go along, but there is an air of mystery surrounding the story in some parts that makes it difficult to foretell the outcome.
On the more realistic side of the spectrum though, is the Last of Us. Now, I haven't played it myself, but I've heard a lot from others who have that it is quite a storm of emotions for its audience.
Naughty Dog (2013). The Last of Us. [Disc] PS3, PS4. Sony Computer Entertainment.
I remember watching a small section of the game, and I almost remember crying the first time I watched the beginning.
Yeah.. I definitely did. I just watched it again, and oh how the tears fell. It's so beautiful though, I think I need to play this.
Naughty Dog (2013). The Last of Us. [Disc] PS3, PS4. Sony Computer Entertainment.
I think it's good that a game can extract emotions like that from you. And emotions like fear (which personally, I will always feel when playing a game involving the theme of zombie apocalypse. *shudder*.) I think that this evokes a certain engagement in the game and an investment in the characters, that you really want them to be okay.
Which brings me to the point of, if games are evolving all the time and becoming ever more realistic, why are older games becoming ever more popular? Well, I think there is a certain charm and character to the more 'vintage' styles of gaming. There will always be those nigglings of nostalgia that force you to dig out your old consoles and re live your childhood. This is the very reason the Playstation 2 still has pride of place next to my TV on my dresser, because it holds as many of the games that make me happy as any of the newer consoles I own.
May I direct you to just a few of the games that made up my childhood.
Even further back than that though, games like Space Raiders and Pac-Man, now seem to be sort of pop-culture, indie fashion statement. You can get all sorts of merchandise and clothing depicting these games, and a lot of the people who own these things probably have little to no experience actually playing the game. They more kind of seem to be a statement, to indicate oneself as a gamer, or expressing a fondness for the 'geek-chic'. Not that this is a criticism, as I haven't exactly spent a vast amount of time playing these games myself. I can see why they've become a fashionable pop-culture reference anyway, because they're iconic games and highly recognisable. Besides, you've got to admit, they're kinda cool looking anyway.
Omg like, so retro.
My feelings are mixed on this. Yeah, they do look pretty cool, but my opinions are the same with this as they are with band shirts. Only wear what you love. Don't go around wearing a Rolling Stones shirt then asking who Mick Jagger is.
Which brings me to my last point of conquest. The future. I honestly don't really know what the future holds for games. I'm hoping that everything doesn't become too co-op based. I don't think it ever will, because certain games will always call for single player, and personally I think there is a definite charm to playing alone. A different kind of absorption.
When it comes to the future of story telling in video games, the future seems unsure. Are games becoming too 'Hollywood'? In another interesting article, there are some good points made.
"Movies will always be influential in some way. But hopefully the industry will stop being influenced by the same type of movies and TV. We could probably do with taking a few steps away from the whole Tarantino/Sopranos love-letter which still seems to be doing a brisk trade in the industry. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with either of those things, it’s just that so many seemed to be drawing from the same wellspring. Although in fairness I think 2013 was a particularly innovative year. Personally, I’d like to see games being influenced by a more diverse range of media: books, real-world events, theatre or comics etc." - Rhianna Pratchett (Tomb Raider Lead Writer 2013)
I think that would be awesome. I agree that it'd be interesting to see a more diverse range of influences for games. Especially books, as this one is something that doesn't seem like it'd be covered much. It would be an interesting way to convert a book into something more visual, instead of jumping straight to film development. I think this would be also a good push for games developers, because they'd have all the descriptions, but the concepting would come from research and their interpretation of the words written on the page. High hopes to what the future will bring!
