You're absolutely right. To make myself clear, I don't think there is anything wrong with linear storytelling in games. Simpler games like Mario don't suffer from it at all, and even in a more plot-driven setting it might sometimes be necessary - if it is taken advantage of, it could offer a completely different experience than a WRPG kind of interactive story (which is by no means perfect, by the way). In most cases, though, I think it is best to let the player have some say in the outcome of the story - otherwise, as I see it, you might as well make a movie.

hey i'm all for linear, non linear, choice based, mission, free world or whatever you want to call the games story. But I want a GREAT story, not some mediocre shit that is basically the story of 99% of all games.

What would be considered bad choices of writing?  "Let's kick some A" from The Last Remnant would probably be one of them.

Story geared games are no substitute for movies and books. The reason is that even the best story driven game can not have as good of a story as a decent book.

What goes into a book: Story
What goes into a videogame: Graphics, Gameplay, and Story

Just how you would not expect a movie to have quite as good of a story as a book.

This is a difficult one.

As far as I see it, there are really two major sects of hard-core gaming. On the one hand, you have the nerd population (of which I'm a proud member.) We probably read more books but watch less movies. On the other hand, you have the drop-out/minimum-wage population, that probably reads less books but watches more movies.

The question comes down to which sect dominates.

Still read books, watch movies, play board games, go to pubs amd meet friends etc.
Maybe I can do that because usually I'm not playing online.

I love books and movies, so in my opinion no. Of course in general I do prefer games with good writing and strong stories so it wouldn't surprise me if the people who only play online shooters and nothing else didn't like to read.

If it's a game, then yes: all storytelling needs to be interactive. Otherwise, it's like trying to build a sculpture out of dried paint: sure, you can do it, but there's no point in it, and you gain nothing from having done so. You may as well have used the paint in a picture, or built the sculpture out of any of the materials more suited to that sort of thing.

If a story is linear, then it will ultimately be better told using a non-interactive medium: that is the method which ultimately has the most to offer such stories. Just like interactive stories need games in order to function, so too do non-interactive stories suffer in a medium that requires interaction.

I do less reading and more gaming now but books, movies and games are all escapism to a point. The average fan would probably play, watch and read similar storylines in all 3.
I think rpg fans especially would still read and watch more than average. Franchises like SW and Lotr appeal across all media and even half decent games sell very well.

I know cutscenes deliver story and motivation but the best cut scene anyone ever made was only worth watching a couple of times imho. Why are so many still unskippable or placed after save points. I guess the devs. work hard on them, want their games to seem longer or maybe they think we're stupid!

Love games, movies and books

I prolly dedicate most of my free time to games then reading then finally movies.