I hope so, it makes things more fun.

What does "hollywoodlization" mean? How about few examples of "hollywoodlized" games and games which aren't like that?

You realize that Japan is just as responsible for this as the West is right? It really has nothing to do with what country is making the games, but the advancement of technology.  Games never had "hollywoodlization" before because technology prevented it.  So don't blame the west, blame humanity.

As for the original OP, i don't really mind where games are today, I like having cut-scens and some scripted events, but i do agree that i still want to play games, not watch them.  We just need a healthy balance of both.

I think we should boycott japanese games from now on.

No not all the way true. The Games becomming movies treatment is dominant in the Western market, Thats there dream. Unfortunately for the first time they happen to be hands down the market leader this gen, they have more influnce in the type of games that are popular this gen,

Japan is creating these movie games( when Japans home model is about creative fun games) because they kinda have to. notice that when Japan was in the lead all the other gens japanese games and styles were popular and western market was mainly on PC or creating games like japanese...why? because Japan had the market influence in there favor. Now its reversed.

Notice that Japan keeps outsourcing there obviously japanese games why? to make them more western to appeal the current market taste..they didnt need to that last gens becuase they had the influence.

You are right that gaming has changed over the years.  The industry is now catering mostly to western tastes and that is a reason for the change in games.  I'll admit right now that i know very little of games made strictly for japenese tastes, so maybe it isn't my place to argue, but i'm also sure with a little digging that i can find plenty of examples of games made for japan that have hollywoodlization.  But once again i'd like to say i don't think anythings wrong with the west being the market leaders.  Just as long as i'm still playing games, not watching them as Bobby Kotick wants to do.

Personally I don't hope so, but high budget cost and poor replay value would mostly weed out the problem in the next generation.

With that said, I think a demand exists for games like Heavy Rain, and while this is strong example of the topic, it goes about in a different better direction, that actually adds to the marketplace as new niche of customers. 

I think there's a misconception in this thread about what Hollywoodisation stands for, or maybe I just don't see it the same way others do.

Cinematics don't have much to do with it.  It's the whole principle of over-simplifying the elements of the gameplay, as if we were all too stupid to understand deeper gameplay mechanics, and how the industry is spitting half assed sequels after half assed sequels, shooting for sure bets that just feel the same over and over again (however good the formula might be).  Just like Hollywood has been doing for quite some time now.  Also going as far as mimicking the remake trend that is going on in the movie indutry from the past 2 or so decades.

The picture I posted holds a lot more meaning then the mention of "cutscene" at every corner of the map seem to point at.  Just a quick look at the layout of the actual map should provide what you need to understand the principle behind it.

Of course, there are games that escape that growing reality, and I don't actually think it's quite the norm yet.  It even doesn't apply to all franchises and sequel, actually.  But a lot of developers/publishers are guilty of that kind of production lazyness (EA, Activision, Ubisoft, and even Square-Enix).  Let's hope it'S just a passing trend, and that they will learn to take some "risks" while managing to actually develop a product that is cost effective.

Hopefully not for the sake of gaming. I can't stand games that force me to sit and do nothing for 5 minutes while devs show off their flashy cutscenes and epic narratives. Malstrom is completely right when he says games today are like walking through confined coridors, when in the past they were more like walking through vast fields. The freedom of choices within games - the very thing that makes games distinct and enjoyable, seem to be getting slimmer, as freedom of mechanics makes way for more horsepower and better graphics. It's not that I don't appreciate a story in games, just that I'd rather create most of the story and experience myself. I do not like it imposed too much upon me.

I think these types of games will always be there, since there will always be an audience for them (although I don't know why), but in the near future they will no longer have a stranglehold on gaming like they currently do. It'll be like 3D graphics, which was 99% of the modern games when 3D graphics were a new thing and everybody wanted to make games that used it because of the sheer novelty, but now 2D games are making a comeback. I think we will begin to see more games that go back to the roots of gaming - just pure gameplay and little to no extra artsy BS thrown in.

Im sorry but pretty much everything I've played thats exclusive to PS3 is "hollywodized" way more than stuff on 360.

Uncharted 2, God of War 3, Heavy Rain, Killzone 2...all visually focused games which concentrate on the cinematic visual experience over actual playing. Only Uncharted 2 has gameplay to match its visuals and presentation IMO out of thsoe 4 games...

Why do you think 720 would continue this trend more than PS4?

I personally love what the 360 is doing with its XBL Arcade approach and as long as they keep doing that, the true form of a videogame (rather than an interactive movie) will never die.