Comments on: Gaming Trends Part 1: Narrative in Games http://www.ripten.com/2008/02/26/gaming-trends-part-1-narrative-in-games/ All Your Geek Are Belong To Us Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:20:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Nathan Grayson http://www.ripten.com/2008/02/26/gaming-trends-part-1-narrative-in-games/#comment-19387 Nathan Grayson Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:37:51 +0000 http://www.ripten.com/2008/02/26/gaming-trends-part-1-narrative-in-games/#comment-19387 I agree with you -- for the most part. Half-Life, Bioshock, and other games that keep gamers in the bodies of their characters even while the story unfolds are a step in the right direction. But in those games, we're still dealing with a linear plot-line; Gordon Freeman, Bioshock guy, and Portal Samus-analogue all went from point A to point B in their respective tales. Even Bioshock, which expounded ambitions of creating an ecosystem for Rapture's fallen citizens, barely managed to rise above a substandard level of artificial intelligence, and the game's world suffered for it. Only once videogames are able to give birth to truly evolving, maleable, "living" worlds will we be able to say that we've crushed the shackles of film and other media that currently hold us so tightly. I agree with you — for the most part. Half-Life, Bioshock, and other games that keep gamers in the bodies of their characters even while the story unfolds are a step in the right direction. But in those games, we’re still dealing with a linear plot-line; Gordon Freeman, Bioshock guy, and Portal Samus-analogue all went from point A to point B in their respective tales. Even Bioshock, which expounded ambitions of creating an ecosystem for Rapture’s fallen citizens, barely managed to rise above a substandard level of artificial intelligence, and the game’s world suffered for it.

Only once videogames are able to give birth to truly evolving, maleable, “living” worlds will we be able to say that we’ve crushed the shackles of film and other media that currently hold us so tightly.

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