EA Dev: 'Game STORIES Are CRAP'! - (So he NEVER played MGS)?

[Khuutra]

Demotruk said:

Khuutra said:
@Demotruk:

I think the definition of "story" you use is too narrow; I am not here referring to plot and narrative alone, because those are primarily passive storytelling methods. There are methods of engagement that have to be considered in video games which make them considerably different, and subject to very different schools of criticism.

....

...And the line you quoted was me going "rar rar rar rar grrrr" over people syaing Japanese games had inherently better storytelling than Western games.

Well what else should I be including in "story"? Events and surprises are what I would consider the most important elements of "story" for a video game, because those are engaging, and because "plot" can often get scewed up by player actions (shooting a security guard in Half Life).

I don't - the most important element of story in a videogame, for me, is how it's told or how well it fulfills what it set out to do. It's why I hold Gears of War as being roughly equivalent to The Dark Knight, making one of those hate game-to-movie comparisons: a great action experience that delivers everything you could want.

Storytelling, the act of telling the story, is just as important in any medium as the story itself. In games this is more true, because it is more intrinsic to the experience.