Why Storylines In Video Games Just Don't Work

While reading your article there are some very valid points that you present. Although, for someone who usually plays a game 75% for the story and only 25% for the game play, I have to say it felt like you stepped on my toes. Still, I accept that I can be bias for video game story line so I hope I can still express my opinions about this subject clearly.

I for one have not been playing video games all my life, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing either. I'm still capable of feeling the rush from beating a particular dungeon, or finally defeating an opponent by finally getting the button sequence input fast enough. Or when you finally pull off the sickest combo before you land, or the joy of tossing grenades into clustered enemies. I can still be passionate about video games even though I haven't been playing them as long as some of the veterans who started with Pong.

From reading here it seems that you have raised two major questions.
1)Is it even possible for games to include a quality story line.
and,
2)Is a plot even necessary?

From what I have observed it's necessary to realize that video games are a very very new medium for portraying a plot. So as such you have to realize that the medium is growing and expanding. I mean not that long ago a game where a plumber trying to save a princess from a dragon turtle monster who commanded an army of weird creatures was a good plot line. Was there anything wrong with that? no. It was what it was: the next step in the evolving process of video games.

Video games started with a character, an objective ,and a set of tools to accomplish that goal. Back then it was enough. Well, what about now? Now you have games that are graphically, game play wise, and over all experience better. With these improvements have come more in depth and more complex plot lines. Are they all of them really great? No. But then again neither are all movies. We all have our own opinions but we could all probably agree that there are movies we've seen that really just suck, either because of bad acting or because of poor plot line or for other various reasons.

Well how is that any different then video games? The only real differences are: A) there is more money in movies which brings in better quality of acting and writing, and B)video games are new and are only recently becoming widely recognized as a force to be reckoned with. I think that we're having this debate is proof of that.

So how does this all tie in? Well, as video games have progressed they have been drawing a larger and larger crowd to them. This means there will be more money in the industry which will in turn cause a push for higher quality. I believe that as the demand for quality of games increase so will the quality of a game's story. Which I think has been seen in examples like Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Call of Duty 4. All of those games have high quality game play, but they also have decently high quality storyline.
So can video games have high quality plot line, I would say yes they can. And as time goes on the stories and acting will become better.

The other question: Is it even necessary to have a plot in a video game?
Well, that's a matter of opinion. Some games are no more complex then riding a dike bike around tracks and winning races. So no, a plot wouldn't be necessary for something like this. However, how would you explain a guy with two swords chained to his arms running around slaughtering thousands of monsters and searching for Pandora's box just because he can? I for one would be intrigued to know more about this fearsome warrior to learn about what drives him to do such feats of strength. Not to mention it's nice to learn that his name is Kratos.

So is story line necessary? yes and no. Depends on the game. Keep in mind that the story is working against the game play and the game play is working against the plot. How do you explain a character jumping through the air for 20 seconds at a time? It leaves the player wondering how cool something is when there's no apparent reason for something other then: just because he can. At the same time, it's a real let down when the story says the character can run so fast that he can dodge bullets, but in the game play you get shot all the time. So really the game play and the plot have to go hand in hand for it to work. Something that until recently has been pretty badly handled, and so often still is.

So what's the point? Well, don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Plots CAN work if they are handled correctly. It is my personal belief that video games have the greatest potential of any story telling medium because video games offer the ability to actively experience what the character experiences instead of passively observing it on a movie screen or even reading it in a book. Which means the player has at least the potential of empathizing with the charterers to a greater degree than a book or a movie. Essentially that is the goal of a good writer, to get the "reader" to empathize with the characters.

This is simply my opinion. I think that you are neither completely right, nor completely wrong. I'm simply stating that often with these types of things you have to be able to find the middle ground.

For a game with an amazing storyline, check out Suikoden II

While it's true that many video games have lackluster or even irrelevent stories doesn't mean that people don't want them to. I suppose some people don't particularly care about the stories, take any of the Space Marine alien invasion games that come out every year and how popular some of them are.
You talk about how cartoons and comics have matured over the years, but I don't think that would have happened without The Simpsons or The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen. Eventually a video gamedesigner will come along and make games that can be compared to War and Peace with a straight face and the genre as a whole will mature in a similiar fashion. Someone just has to have the guts to push the story telling aspects, while presenting a good game.

You're right in saying that most storylines in video games don't work. But you're wrong in saying that it never works or doesn't work. Metal Gear Solid is a better storyline than any movie out there. How many movies have kept you waiting for 10 years just to figure out the main plot and storylines? And not only that but to top your previous work and to conclude a 10 year storyline with one of the best games ever. This game alone proves your article (while somewhat true) completely ignorant. Just wait when Metal Gear Solid movies start being made... they will blow your mind and make you sh!t bricks

I'm going to have to disagree on a few things Blue Wolf: Firstly, Resident Evil never had good storytelling. The dialogue sequences were usually cringe worthy. And when it was time to review RE games it usually turned into a laugh-fest once the cinematics or talking started. I just keep thinking about Leon saying, "...Saddler, you're small time."

MGS has a good story, but the interlaced side-stories and often times confusing layers to the plot prevent it from being as consistent or fluid as a movie or book. Games like the 7th Guest and 11th Hour had better pacing and storytelling, but they weren't very playable games.

I totally disagree... I hardly touch games with crap story lines. Video games is still a young invention if you compare it with a novel or film. Books have been out for centuries and film has been out for a century. In my opinion I'd say video games is the best medium to tell a story, because you can become the characters. It's still in the evolving stages, the little blue hedgehog was quite popular back then but not as much now, why? Because the audiences grew up as video games continues to evolve, they want more realism, more story, more sophistication. I think as we head into the future, video games will continue that path of evolution just as films and books have and eventually the standard of storytelling that your referring to will be realized. Video games with a good story DO work, Resident evil, MGS, Final Fantasy... 7-8 (atleast.. :) they wouldn't be the same game without the story, the game just wouldn't work.

Your entitled to your opinion, and yes there are many cases that storylines don't work in SOME videogames but there are many that do come into mind...Bioshock, Resistance, Metal Gear Solid franchise, Heavenly Sword, uncharted, and yes Final Fantasy does have a story narrative to it. Those are just to name a few, video games are getting better with better story narratives.

It's a sad truth that I must concede to...games don't do well with storytelling and believable storylines.

A few exceptions stand out, such as The Suffering or Nocturne. But gaming does better with innovative narratives rather than actually telling a story.

Maybe Heavy Rain will be different.