[quote][B]One of gaming's greatest writers is sick of the medium's attitude towards stories.[/B]
Susan O'Connor knows a thing or two about writing for video games. A games writer for nearly a decade, she's worked on titles like [I]Bioshock[/I], [I]Far Cry 2[/I], and this year's [I]Tomb Raider[/I] reboot. Those games are often heralded as superb examples of games with good writing, and certainly represent a high point in O'Connor's career. But from her perspective, games still have a long way to go before their stories can compete with other mediums - and if this is the best we can achieve, she's not sure it's worth sticking around.[/quote]
Source: [URL]http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124405-Bioshock-Writer-Fed-Up-With-Industry[/URL]
Also links to full interview.
far cry 2 and tomb raider have terrible stories i dont know what the escapist is on
[QUOTE=Rusty100;40827705]far cry 2 and tomb raider have terrible stories i dont know what the escapist is on[/QUOTE]
That's what I'm sayin, Far Cry 2 was mediocre as fuck
"Those games [fc2 and tomb raider] are often heralded as superb examples of games with good writing" - said nobody ever
I found Farcry 2 really really boring.
and whoever thought malera was a good idea should be slapped.
Superb writing? Really?
I liked the new Tomb Raider, but the story was as standard as they come.
Far Cry 2 got to the point where I didn't bother paying attention to the story at all.
Bioshock, okay yeah I'll give you that one.
[QUOTE=Rusty100;40827728]"Those games [fc2 and tomb raider] are often heralded as superb examples of games with good writing" - said nobody ever[/QUOTE]
I haven't heard any praise for Far Cry 2 on that front, but I've heard Tomb Raider has some pretty good character writing. I've only made it an hour in though so I can't judge for myself.
Are we going to discuss what she said or that the article mentioned Far Cry 2, and Tomb Raider, this thread got derailed pretty quick.
She is right though, movies manage to tell more emotional then a lot of games in shorter times, and the video game industry needs to start matching the kind of flowing narratives that other media forms have.
Bioshock Infinite is only good because of Ken Levine. This chick sucks.
[QUOTE=Scot;40827821]Bioshock Infinite is only good because of Ken Levine. This chick sucks.[/QUOTE]
Quality writer or not, she has a point.
[QUOTE=Scot;40827821]Bioshock Infinite is only good because of Ken Levine. This chick sucks.[/QUOTE]
I didn't realize Irrational Games only had one employee.
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;40827844]Quality writer or not, she has a point.[/QUOTE]
I guess.
[QUOTE=Stormcharger;40827852]How could you addon such a lame joke to this discussion[/QUOTE]
This is no joke, the games industry is a very serious business
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("What are you doing?" - Gran PC))[/highlight]
[highlight](User was permabanned for this post ("Extended - Breaking rules on alt" - Craptasket))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=Inzalonus;40827862]your threats are about as real as wrestling mate[/QUOTE]
Wrestling isn't real? im frankly shocked!
you must have a biological impulse to offend me this way, Im gonna splice you the fuck up
[QUOTE=plunger435;40827864]I didn't realize Irrational Games only had one employee.[/QUOTE]
all the employees are failed attempts at cloning ken levine
[QUOTE=Inzalonus;40827869]This is no joke, the games industry is a very serious business[/QUOTE]
I fail to see how this is relevant to the current discussion.
[QUOTE=Rusty100;40827728]"Those games [fc2 and tomb raider] are often heralded as superb examples of games with good writing" - said nobody ever[/QUOTE]
I herald Far Cry 2 as a superb example of a game with good writing.
[QUOTE=Scot;40827865]I guess.[/QUOTE]
It's definitely fair. She's saying that the majority of game stories right now (at least the tremendously popular ones) are there to justify shooting galleries, and I'd say she's right. There's not as much variety as there should be.
[QUOTE=Inzalonus;40827869]This is no joke, the games industry is a very serious business[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Stormcharger;40827875]Wrestling isn't real? im frankly shocked!
you must have a biological impulse to offend me this way, Im gonna splice you the fuck up[/QUOTE]
Guys, if you're going to argue, please do it somewhere else.
[QUOTE=Inzalonus;40827869]This is no joke, the games industry is a very serious business[/QUOTE]
Why are you quoting something from an entirely different board?
She's right, but it does seem like the industry slowly is improving in that regard, maybe developers will see the success of games like BS:Infinite and The Walking Dead which are praised for their stories and take the same route.
Because in games, the story is always centered around the player. Videogames don't tell good stories by having tons of characters and dialogue, videogames tell stories by having the player be the main character of a fantastic adventure. Many of the bigger writers seem to think that the only good written videogames are those that are basically interactive movies, but I think the games with the best stories are the ones that gives you enough freedom to feel like you're the one making all the decisions and presents enough challenge to feel that you've earned your place as the protagonist of the story.
[QUOTE=Wyvers;40827948]She's right, but it does seem like the industry slowly is improving in that regard, maybe developers will see the success of games like BS:Infinite and The Walking Dead which are praised for their stories and take the same route.[/QUOTE]
New console cycles usually have a lot of new, and innovative IPs near release so here's hoping it turns around because of that.
[QUOTE=JeanLuc761;40827912]It's definitely fair. She's saying that the majority of game stories right now (at least the tremendously popular ones) are there to justify shooting galleries, and I'd say she's right. There's not as much variety as there should be.[/QUOTE]
Gotta make some dosh somehow. And what's selling is shootin' shit with little reason to.
But at what point does writing trump interactivity? I know it's really fucking obvious, but a video game requires player input; we like to feel we have an effect on the world (one of the reasons New Vegas is seen as better than FO3). To have a good story you take away input from the player (The Walking Dead), which blurs the lines between what is and isn't a good video game. A lot would argue The Walking Dead isn't a very good video game since everything we do doesn't really affect the sequence of events. Whereas you have a shitty excuse of a plot (Doom) but it's oodles of fun and considered a great video game.
I'm just rambling don't mind me.
[QUOTE=Simski;40827999]Because in games, the story is always centered around the player. Videogames don't tell good stories by having tons of characters and dialogue, videogames tell stories by having the player be the main character of a fantastic adventure. Many of the bigger writers seem to think that the only good written videogames are those that are basically interactive movies, but I think the games with the best stories are the ones that gives you enough freedom to feel like you're the one making all the decisions and presents enough challenge to feel that you've earned your place as the protagonist of the story.[/QUOTE]
What about games like Heavy Rain where you play as multiple characters?
I wouldn't use Tomb Raider as an example of stellar writing. The character arcs were pretty all over the place. Though I guess it could just be that the action-esque gameplay ended up not fitting the story very well.
[QUOTE=Warriorx4;40828014]Gotta make some dosh somehow. And what's selling is shootin' shit with little reason to.
But at what point does writing trump interactivity? I know it's really fucking obvious, but a video game requires player input; we like to feel we have an effect on the world (one of the reasons New Vegas is seen as better than FO3). To have a good story you take away input from the player (The Walking Dead), which blurs the lines between what is and isn't a good video game. A lot would argue The Walking Dead isn't a very good video game since everything we do doesn't really affect the sequence of events. Whereas you have a shitty excuse of a plot (Doom) but it's oodles of fun and considered a great video game.
I'm just rambling don't mind me.[/QUOTE]
Then you end up with games like Dear Esther that just reek of art house influence, and are a simply a vehicle for the story which I think are dreadful to play through.
[QUOTE=Inzalonus;40827869]This is no joke, the games industry is a very serious business
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("What are you doing?" - Gran PC))[/highlight][/QUOTE]
dude how the fuck is what are you doing even a ban reason
I mean, I can get "you guys are dumb fucks"
but "what are you doing", you don't even know what you're banning them for
you're a shit mod, get off the pc gran
420 BLAZE IT FFAAAGGGOOTTSS
[highlight](User was permabanned for this post ("Alt" - Craptasket))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=Dark Crypto;40828050]dude how the fuck is what are you doing even a ban reason
I mean, I can get "you guys are dumb fucks"
but "what are you doing", you don't even know what you're banning them for
you're a shit mod, get off the pc gran
420 BLAZE IT FFAAAGGGOOTTSS[/QUOTE]
Dude. You must have a death wish or something.
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