Games don't need stories.

[Reasonable]

I'm going to make one last post in this thread.

Today, I don't think you can so narrowly define videogames as to say the shouldn't have stories, should have stories, graphics don't matter, graphics do matter, etc.

The variety of videogames today is very, very broad, and so far as I can see if you are trying to state things in black and white you are very likely arguing from a flawed position.

Myself, though I hate to generalise, see the following four as representing the basic grouping of games with regards to story and gameplay:

1 - pure game - no story needed and graphics not that much of an issue - Tetris, Wii Sports, etc.

2 - game with a setting - minimal story for 'context' and to drive the gameplay objectives and graphics while more important not a showstopper - Super Mario Galaxy for example

3 - game with a setting and some basic 'themes', graphics becoming important to sell the setting and characters - ICO, SOTC, Half Life 1 & 2

4 - game with a strong narrative, focus is on story balanced with gameplay, graphics help sell the characters and their 'acting' - Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, etc.

RPGs I think lie somewhere between 3 and 4 depending upon the theme and story being told. Also, while in classic jRPGs I think graphics were less important as many key character scenes were handled with cut-scenes, games looking to remain 'in-game' like Heavy Rain will need very good graphics to constantly 'sell' the character and their reactions.

I can understand perfectly that someone might really only like games in categories 1) and 2) but for other games you simply couldn't take out the story - you'd be fundamentally weakening the experience and really changing the game from one thing to something else.

From what I've seen Heavy Rain in particular (and more recently Uncharted 2 although it's context is obviously 'lighter') is going to be testing out the market for true mature games - i.e. themes and content vs simple guns and gore. Key to the experience its going to offer, which seems more akin to watching a serious drama vs Star Wars, is going to be character animation, dialogue and narrative structure.

I guess some might wonder if it's even a videogame, but I'd argue it is, or at least what I see as the expanded scope of videogames. Perhaps as others have stated we should change the basic description to something like Interactive Entertainment, within which we could more easily accept a broader set of genres and approaches.

Anyway, that's it for me. I know some videogames today really do need stories now, and well written dialogue, while of course others don't need more than Bowser 'stealing' Princess Peach for the 177th time.