Powetcast Episode 28: Down the Digital River
Something that BioWare said about the nature of Mass Effect 2 versus Dragon Age really irked me, and it launched into a question: what is the function of a video game narrative? Similarly, what does it mean when a game’s creators tell you that the way you relate to a game is flat-out wrong?
(I’m not talking about Indigo Prophecy or, by extension, Heavy Rain, but I suspect I could be)
The Powet panel discusses these ideas and many more! (After the Jump.)
(Powetcasts are rated explicit; you’ve been warned!)
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Powetcast Episode 28: Down the Digital River (Show Notes)
We also wonder aloud why video game sequels seem to be superior to other kinds of sequels:
Powetcast Episode 27: Red-Green Herring
What do you think, Rebels? Is there a way to balance gamer expectations with the practicalities (or even propensities) of game development?
SeanOrange - March 5th, 2010 - 
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the.maverickk on March 6, 2010 at 3:27 am
To be honest, not to knock current generation video games… but it’s the fact that you have these producers who go about saying that a players interpretation of narrative is wrong, that really peeves me. They are the same developers who feel the need to spell out a story and give clear direction in a games story.
It’s an element that actual ruins art. I have studied art for the last 5 years at University, and the one thing I’ve learned is that smart and well thought artists would never flat spell out a message. A part of the fun of art, is how it is open to interpretation… whether a poem, a painting, a movie… even a video game. The user contributes their own feelings and experience to the narrative.
It is this reason that when I play and see old 8-Bit and even 16-Bit video games, that I feel they are more art then even games of today (which are apparently trying to achieve art form… looking at you Heavy Rain devs). Why? Simple the games let the user add their own personal feelings into the mix. Link can be whoever the player in visions him to be… Mega Man could be a man… or a kid… it’s perspective right? That’s sometimes the fun of video games.
What does a character stand for, what are their motives, who are they really? Those kinds of aspects are what make really great and engaging games.
It’s why there are such huge and large install fanbases to most original video game franchises… and some new ones. I mean I’m personally not a huge fan of Master Chief, but in the end he is a great iconic character because of the mystery behind him, that players can get into and take on the role. Quote and Ameratsu are other contemporary characters that are good examples of games that allow you bring your own interpretations into a game.
In any case hopefully we will still have games like that in the future. Cause to me they are truly more free in terms of artistic interpretation.
SeanOrange on March 6, 2010 at 7:38 am
Fascinating that you should bring this up; on the other side of the edit button, we had an (unintentional) raging debate about this very subject a while back. Can video games be art? Are there any that fit the bill? Then of course you need to ask what art is in the first place, and it just goes round and round…
It’s such a ridiculous notion that the gamer’s opinion doesn’t matter, especially in the case of ME2 where it’s quite clear that gamer feedback was responsible for a LOT of the changes/updates/improvements.