DTG on 27 June 2008
| Smeags said: So I just saw Wall E, and all I can say is wow. What impressed me the most was how Pixar could say so much to the audience while verbally saying so little. This, compared to the majority of video games, who say so much (text! 37,000 words! ZOMG! cutscenes!) yet say so little. It's a shame that people think that quantity equals quality when it comes to storytelling in the video game world. That you need 30 hours to effectively tell a story. If movies can move audiences in 2 hours, then why do video games have such a hard time doing it in 15? Video games have a long way to go to reach the story telling prowess that movies have achieved. Yes, there are unique hurdles that video games must face, but I believe that with time, we may see stories that inspire us to no end. |
The reason games need 15 hours opposed to 2 hours to tell their story is clearly illustrated by MGS. The games have much more detail and far more in depth philosophical exposition that can chalk up to hours of dialogue. Movies simply do not have sufficient time to indulge in such deep, philosophical exposition. Games fortunately do and are much more fleshed out because of it. They do not need to resort to cheap subtleties or symbolism but can tell it upfront as can literature or a text book.
