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[More Fun To Compute]

If a game is bad or way below average, but cheap, then I can sympathise with wanting it to be really easy with lots of options to skip content. Really though, I don't have much patience for this sort of game.

 

[GhaleonQ]

I don't want to get involved, so I'll just state that replaying/walkthrough-ing graphic adventure games is really underrated.

 

[evangd007]

well this is cool as we are diametrically opposed (almost).

I don't play TF2 for the story, but I fucking love that game. I am on the edge about buying Ghostbusters just to hammer through it and I have to assume you wouldn't touch that (potentially, and likely) shit with a 10 foot pole.

For 4 euro i reckon I'll take the chance.

(Again not having a dig) but is this a disposable income issue? Less than 10 euro and I'm just about sold. I know this market exists (I am the market). But is it big enough? Can it draw more in?

For ~$12.50 American, you are not likely going to get new, single player games of much worth, either in story or gameplay, in the genres you probably want. Licensing an engine costs money. Hiring halfway competent writers costs money. Making competent content, even if bland, costs money. Digital distribution models on consoles are not set up to support those kinds of games, and they wouldn't make enough margin as a new boxed game for retailers to carry it. That would leave the download PC market, which is not big enough, again for the games in genres you are suggesting, to push enough volume at a budget price point to be profitable. You'll only really get what you are looking for from downloadable indy games on PC, and the only ones in that sector who can spare budget for good writing are generally adventure games, which often times live and die by the quality of their writing. Sorry man, I don't see what you want being feasible.

 

[Always-honest]

For ~$12.50 American, you are not likely going to get new, single player games of much worth, either in story or gameplay, in the genres you probably want. Licensing an engine costs money. Hiring halfway competent writers costs money. Making competent content, even if bland, costs money. Digital distribution models on consoles are not set up to support those kinds of games, and they wouldn't make enough margin as a new boxed game for retailers to carry it. That would leave the download PC market, which is not big enough, again for the games in genres you are suggesting, to push enough volume at a budget price point to be profitable. You'll only really get what you are looking for from downloadable indy games on PC, and the only ones in that sector who can spare budget for good writing are generally adventure games, which often times live and die by the quality of their writing. Sorry man, I don't see what you want being feasible.

this.

 

[Diffense]

I see this as more of a limitation of technology than a fundamental flaw in interactive mediums as storytelling devices.

Case in point: I've played through some amazing stories in pen & paper RPGs.

I should clarify that I was talking about hollywoodesque story telling.
When you are playing, your achievements, character deaths etc. constitute YOUR story so, in a sense, you write a story as a consequence of playing.
Some awesome games run with this concept and reinforce the effect your actions have on the outcome of the game.

However, movie style story telling and video game interactivity are frequently at odds.
This is inevitable because when a story is being told to you, you cannot play and you cannot influence it.
What we end up with are salads of cutscene and gameplay that were sometimes so disparate graphically so as to be comical if we hadn't become accustomed to it.

Don't get me wrong, a good game can benefit from well placed and well scripted cutscenes.
However, to put those trappings first is to have the tail wag the dog, IMO.

 

[Crash Station]

The older I get, the more I require a story to push me through a game. Which is one of the reasons I can't get into online gaming, as there usually aren't any sort of story to push me forward. So yeah, I'd like more story-based, SP games.

Totally agree. I need some kind of story base to at least vaguely hint at why I'm killing legions of animals and/or humans. I just don't have the motivation to play games without some kind of defined path and end point no matter how insignificant.

It's the same reason I can't really play non-linear games.

Edit: Dammit, I told myself I wouldn't get involved. Wish I could put entire threads on the ignore list.

 

[Monroeski]

If I was as interested in story and as uninterested in gameplay as the OP makes himself out to be, I would honestly probably not bother with video games at all. When people hold up ridiculously convoluted, overacted, and inconsistent messes like the MGS series as the pinnacle of storytelling in the industry I would take that as a signal to walk right on down to the bookstore or movie theater so I could spend less money on an equivalent or better story and spend much less time completing it. I mean, if you're dropping everything to easy and using cheat codes just to make it through to the next cutscene, why spend 10 or more hours for only an hour or two of cutscenes when there are better options available?

I generally like a good mix in my games; sometimes I like more story heavy, and sometimes more gameplay heavy, but everything is all intertwined. Even games like Planescape: Torment with great writing would just not be close to the same if it wasn't me in control of the actions and dialog trees.

 

[Red Scarlet]

No, I've always played games for playing them, not the storyline. There's a mix of them now, and forcing one style over the other isn't worth it.

 

[faceless007]

cheap single player experiences building upon existing tech/engines)

Isn't this basically Telltale's model? Seems to be working for them.

Maybe I missed it, but I don't understand why you're not gravitating to adventure games, they seem perfect for you. Simple mechanics, more emphasis on story and art.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Gameplay
...
...
...
...
Graphics
Music
Story

There's a reason people play stupid flash games over and over.

There was a really good quote (of a quote) on Kohler's Twitter the other day. Let me find it.


"Maybe if these big games were more fun I wouldn't be distracted by clicking on fake vegetables." - @wedgewu writes epitaph for games biz

 

[Gravijah]

There's a reason people play stupid flash games over and over.

work sucks

i know

 

[Seanspeed]

How about if you want to feel like you are a character in that story and have control over the outcome of the story? Some of us see vast untapped potential in games as a storytelling medium. Even if most of them do suck right now - the possibilites are absolutely mouth watering.

I agree 100%. There is definitely loads of 'potential'. But as it is, going to games because of story is like going to a Kia dealership looking for a sports car.

 

[John]

Oh hey, I didn't notice Jericho was $1.70. And it's in a GAF thread with a positive mention for story? Why you sly devil.

+1 purchase

 

[kai3345]

I don't want to get involved, so I'll just state that replaying/walkthrough-ing graphic adventure games is really underrated.

This is how I play my adventure games. Fuck senseless puzzles, I just want to get to the story.

Edit: But just to clarify, adventure is the only genre I do this with. For everything else, gameplay comes first.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

get the fuck off my lawn

 

[lyre]

Perfect unity of story and game.

A good book and Solitaire

Fixed

 

[BlueWord]

I used to play for the story when I was younger. Then, I realized that games have, with maybe one or two exceptions, failed entirely to live up to the potential of the medium, thus far. I can still enjoy game stories, of course, but the game part comes first.

 

[bounchfx]

stories are worthless in games.

oh, I don't mean they're worthless. I take that back.

I think what I'm trying to say is 99.95% of games have fucking awful stories with awful characters that aren't memorable or worth remembering.

but the ones that do? whoa boy does it help the game. but for most. no. and it doesn't matter as much as the gameplay.

 

[Future]

I buy the vast majority of my games with the intention of pumping through the mechanics as easily and stress-free as possible in order to enjoy the story. If I want some challenge or a long term game, I'll play WoW, TF2, MW2 or SC2 (add in game of your choice). All the others I look at as a one time experience. Should developers cater to this segment? Give us more codes we can use from the get-go?

As a dev, hearing "1 time experience" is not what we want, considering that you will most likely sell it back. I think we try to cater to you a bit, and usually try to offer easy modes and such. But the goal is to also provide some replay so hopefully it stays on the shelf a bit longer

Do you see a two-tier pricing model (great MP titles full price; and short, cool, cheap single player experiences building upon existing tech/engines) as a path for the industry to move forward? Is there a a possibility that the consumer reporting about games won't just bust out a 'boring, retread- 5.0' should a publisher try this?

Unfortunately, story based games cost much more to make than great MP titles in many ways. Cut Scenes, voice actors, writers, visual immersion....all much more expensive in a story focused game. They would have to cost more than the latter. Of course the holy grail is to create an awesome multiplayer AND single player. But take a look at Uncharted 1 or Resident Evil 4....both are sp only experiences that should demand a normal price tag.

 

[LiK]

Deadly Premonition has shoddy graphics and clunky controls but the story is damn awesome and the writing is fantastic.

and it's only $20

 

[Plywood]

The number of good or remotely well written stories in video games is absurdly low. Read a book mothafuckah.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

See, I can't really understand this line of thinking. If you need a story to "push" you through a game, obviously the game is doing something wrong where it really matters, that being the gameplay, because you're not having fun.

If the gameplay is doing it's job and being entertaining, the story shouldn't have to push you through the game.

Don't get me wrong, I can still enjoy games with fuck all for a story, but those are mainly old 8-bit/16-bit games like Sonic or Super Mario Bros. 3 or whatever, where the story essentially is just 'there's a bad dude doing bad shit, go fuck his shit up'. For modern games, if there's no story that makes me progress through the game, I rarely see any point in playing (there would obviously be exceptions though), as it would make me feel like I'm playing just for the sake of playing, not playing to experience a story (however laughable or poorly written it might be).

It's the same reason I can't really play non-linear games.

I can play non-linear games once in a while, but I'd get quickly bored if there was no semblance of linear storyline to follow.

 

[Freezie KO]

The number of good or remotely well written stories in video games is absurdly low. Read a book mothafuckah.

This. With the addendum: "and if you want visuals and audio, watch a film, mothafuckah."

 

[KevinCow]

I just stopped, uh, "playing" the Mass Effect 2 demo because the first cutscene went on for too long.

So, uh... yeah. That's about where I stand on this subject.

 

[ArjanN]

This. With the addendum: "and if you want visuals and audio, watch a film, mothafuckah."

What if you also want interactivity?

I hate how some people here don't realize there's room for more than one type of game.

Some games are based on mechanics/gameplay, like say, Geometry Wars while others mostly focus on story/writing, for example, Sam and Max. Then there's games that are something in between.

There's a place for all of those. Not every game has to appeal to everyone.

 

[BowieZ]

Perfect mix of story and gameplay (and music, and art, and ...)?


SUPER MARIO WORLD 2: YOSHI'S ISLAND.


I shed a tear at the ending, every time, knowing that it was I who helped our heroes be born. But any less gameplay and I wouldn't have gotten to the end.

 

[GCX]

Story is important in games that rely completely on it and nothing else.

You know, like Phoenix Wright.

 

[Ledsen]

I would care about story if games had good stories. They don't, so if I want that I read a book instead. I play games mainly for the awesome feeling of exploring an unknown world.

 

[CadetMahoney]

B-but Story!

I hate when ppl try and hype a game with it's story. This is because I don't replay games for stories and cinematics. If I wanted a good story i'd read a book. If want cutscenes i'd watch a movie.

Which is why I prefer Bayonetta over the casual but more cinematic God of War series, and multiplayer over single-player. I'm just that sort of gamer.

 

[iconoclast]

In my favorite genres (action games, fighting games, 2D shooters), the focus is almost entirely on the gameplay, so I disagree. I still enjoy playing a story-based game, but they tend to fall under the 'finish and forget' category. There's really not much reason to come back to them, since the gameplay tends to be shallow and/or take little skill.

 

[AdventureRacing]

I personally think that gameplay and music are much more important than the story. Having said that i still really enjoy nice simple stories that encourage and reward gameplay.

My idea of a perfect story in games is something like pikmin or halo.