Let's Put the 'Game' Back in Gameplay

GR's Daniel Hill writes:

"No one will forget hanging out of a falling cargo plane while, holding on for dear life, while fighting off goons in Uncharted 3. Though these moments were memorable, I’m starting to wonder – are developers getting a little too much inspiration from Hollywood? So much so, that they are forgetting that we are meant to interact with these games?"

[TotalHitman]

Heavy Rain did it right.

[one2thr]

Truth be told, I happen to like a life like scenario that give(s) any game a sense of reality related factors, instead of boring dead/dry environments or moments.

It's like a cheese burger from McDonald's is just a cheese burger from McDonald's, but once you put some red pepper flakes on it, its like D#MN!!!... This taste a helluva lot better!!!...

In some cases going a little "Hollywood"in some games A LOT much better, especailly when epic moments give that long lasting awesome after taste that make gamers want to show and share the moment(s) with their fellow gamers a like...

[snipes101]

To me, though, that just looks like the developer's lack of inspiration where the actual game play is involved. They could have made something playable that was just as exciting.

[one2thr]

^^^Very true, and I agree

[Coach_McGuirk]

less scripted events would be a good thing, in my opinion.

[yoshiroaka]

I think these Hollywood games aren't the future or replacement to other types of games but should be looked as another branch of gaming to sit along side more interactive types.

I like it both ways and i hope they continue to push both types forward in the future as each has its own pros and cons.

[OhMyGandhi]

This article was disappointing for the main reason that it asks many questions, but doesn't really answer them.
Yes, we all know that games are becoming increasingly "cinematic" in their presentation, a trend no doubt related to the success of the "modern day blockbuster", where set pieces are exploded and charred, leaving a battered hero lying on the ground, panting...Cut to black, credits roll.

Games follow this because for the most part, it -works-.
I believe that my favorite moment (as hinted by the writer of the article, but not really explored) of any videogame is when the entire world keeps you guessing. I realized very early on in Metroid Prime that I loved the game the second I landed in an alien world, and my visor was fogging up from the humidity. A seemingly minor detail that made so much difference in my own perception of the environment I was to traverse, and the shining memory of the immense enjoyment of discovering many MORE tiny details that NO other game had bothered to throw in.

Cinematic experiences in today's games are not bad, but like a by-the-numbers horror film, they are "cheap thrills", ones that are specifically designed and implemented to persuade the viewer/player to feel a certain way. Just like how a bad guy in a duster needs to have a scar, a throaty voice, and penchant for violence, he cannot merely exist as an en evil, but he most TRIGGER a specified emotional response from the player (AKA: killing your entire family, burning down your house and leaving you for dead). The heavy handed nature of that structure creates an emphasis on player/viewer response, and games have adopted a near Austin Powers level of emotional triggering, and it's mainly due to the fact that many gamers don't have the time nor the patience to appreciate the smaller details. Obviously, one must question where said "cinematic" experience is merely the result of a game simply being linear in nature.

So many things could be discussed on this subject, and it NEEDS to be discussed, but unfortunately, there just is no clear cut solution to the problem, other than to redefine what players truly find compelling in the games they play.

Is it the "sizzle reel" that pulls the gamer into the game, or is it the beautiful monotony of merely existing within a well-realized game world that makes a game memorable?

[snipes101]

I was thinking about offering more solutions, but I mainly wrote this article to open up a thread of discussion. I wanted to present a problem and see what people did with it (and to promote brevity, though I think I did get a little verbose haha).

That, and after taking several months off of blog writing for personal reasons, I was more than a little rusty sitting down to write this - my first column in probably 4 or 5 months.

Thanks for the constructive criticism though. I really need it at this stage in the game.

[OhMyGandhi]

No problem man, and this article wasn't bad by any means; it's a good starting point for a discussion that NEEDS to happen, and hopefully sooner rather than later. :)

[e-p-ayeaH]

Technology will evolve maybe next gen game play and cinematics will become more connected.