RE: [Fwd: Gamasutra article]

["Brandon J. Van Every" <vanevery@3DProgrammer.com>]

> If we really can make interactive entertainment as dramatically
> interesting
> as a movie like Shrek, then we really should attain the broad appeal of a
> movie like Shrek. But if we fall short of that level of dramatic quality,
> we'll just get a money-losing bomb like Final Fantasy.

Did you actually see Final Fantasy?  Or did you just read reviews of it?
There was nothing basically wrong with the story of Final Fantasy, other
than being targetted at game geeks.  The story was competent sci-fi and
that's what surprised me.  I remember going in as a potentially hostile
audience and coming out placated.  I'm still not convinced that this is
anything other than a target market fiasco, but I'll go see Shrek in order
to pass judgement.  The anime thematic influences were also evident, and
perhaps mainstream Americans really don't like Anime themes of nature
spirits, immortal beings, tragedy of existence, death, etc.  I know I kinda
get culturally creeped out by it.

Final Fantasy was written exactly like you'd expect the highest quality game
script to be written if targetted towards game geeks.  So yes, there's a big
problem that if one were to write such a script for a game, it wouldn't move
the game beyond the hardcore gamer market.  On the other hand, the whole
reason the Final Fantasy movie was done is because the Final Fantasy games
were so successful, and that was because of their storylines.  In general,
Final Fantasy has been doing everything that Gamasutra article was talking
about, and has received financial reneumeration in the games industry for
it.  I guess it just doesn't scale to the film industry?  And I'm not sure
why we'd expect it to, since we know what hardcore game geeks are like.

Will anything move games beyond the hardcore market, other than resorting to
Hearts?  The more I consider the problem, the more I'm inclined to think
that the general public is inherently stupid, and that the hardcore gamers
are a buying minority for a reason.  Games that combine story and mental
dexterity are probably a complete dead end, as far as getting to a broader
market.  Combining story and *physical* dexterity may have potential.
Action thrillers, horror, that sort of thing.  Or maybe emotional dexterity,
as in soap opera games?

Also to be more charitable to the general public than simply writing them
off as "stupid," I think a lot of intelligent career-and-family people are
not looking for mental exericse when they are told a story.  I think people
enjoy being led rather than having to direct anything.  It recharges brain
cells and lets people experience a fleeting catharsis.  Maybe "bedtime
story" would be the right image.



Cheers,                         www.3DProgrammer.com
Brandon Van Every               Seattle, WA

20% of the world is real.
80% is gobbledygook we make up inside our own heads.