By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Gaming - Tribune: Is 'Grand Theft Auto IV' the greatest writing of the century?

griffinA on 26 January 2009
broo said:
griffinA said:
When will games stop pretending to be movies or books and start becoming what they were supposed to be?

 

Games may be interactive but that does not necessarily mean that there is no room for cutsenes or massive amounts of dialogue. Gamers seem to have a very cynical mindset of the idea that a movie with interactive components can be just as much of a game as Mario Bros. Just like Wiifit is making people rethink the concept of what a game can truly be, one must not shun the idea that an interactive film or fiction is just as much game as anything else.

 

I agree that games can have those things. I'm just saying that it's not really a good thing. Wii Fit is actually a good thing becuase its game trying to be a game, not a movie.

 



"Pier was a chef, a gifted and respected chef who made millions selling his dishes to the residents of New York City and Boston, he even had a famous jingle playing in those cities that everyone knew by heart. He also had a restaurant in Los Angeles, but not expecting LA to have such a massive population he only used his name on that restaurant and left it to his least capable and cheapest chefs. While his New York restaurant sold kobe beef for $100 and his Boston restaurant sold lobster for $50, his LA restaurant sold cheap hotdogs for $30. Initially these hot dogs sold fairly well because residents of los angeles were starving for good food and hoped that the famous name would denote a high quality, but most were disappointed with what they ate. Seeing the success of his cheap hot dogs in LA, Pier thought "why bother giving Los Angeles quality meats when I can oversell them on cheap hotdogs forever, and since I don't care about the product anyways, why bother advertising them? So Pier continued to only sell cheap hotdogs in LA and was surprised to see that they no longer sold. Pier's conclusion? Residents of Los Angeles don't like food."

"The so-called "hardcore" gamer is a marketing brainwashed, innovation shunting, self-righteous idiot who pays videogame makers far too much money than what is delivered."

Around the Network
Qly on 26 January 2009

People should start reading books...



Listen to the voice of reason, then do as I say.

Cougarman on 26 January 2009

who wrote this? DTG? oh wait, it is not about MGS4, anyways this is just crazy



Wii/Mario Kart Wii Code:2793-0686-5434
Reasonable on 26 January 2009

Is GTA IV one of a number of games expanding the importance of writing and plot elements in an interactive medium? Yes.

Does it remotely come within any range of the best writing this century? Hell No! It's so not even close I have to assume he meant within the videogame medium only - otherwise I wouldn't want to employ him to write TBH.



Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...

Helios on 26 January 2009

As Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers blogged last June: "In terms of action, thrills, imagination and innovation, 'GTA IV' has it all over the pablum currently passing for ingenuity at the multiplex ... so far this summer, except maybe 'Iron Man.'

So... The alleged "greatest writing of the century" just might be better than a decent Superhero flick?

What?



Around the Network
haxxiy on 26 January 2009

lol, article fails big time



 

 

 

 

 

Mummelmann on 26 January 2009

Whoever makes such a claim must not have read a book, or even a great article, his/her entire life imo.



broo on 26 January 2009
griffinA said:
broo said:
griffinA said:
When will games stop pretending to be movies or books and start becoming what they were supposed to be?

 

Games may be interactive but that does not necessarily mean that there is no room for cutsenes or massive amounts of dialogue. Gamers seem to have a very cynical mindset of the idea that a movie with interactive components can be just as much of a game as Mario Bros. Just like Wiifit is making people rethink the concept of what a game can truly be, one must not shun the idea that an interactive film or fiction is just as much game as anything else.

 

I agree that games can have those things. I'm just saying that it's not really a good thing. Wii Fit is actually a good thing becuase its game trying to be a game, not a movie.

 

Many would argue that Wiifit is just a fitness guide cloaked in games clothings. 3 years ago if someone said "this would make a great game", most people would have called farse of it being a game at all. If we as gamers want storytelling that equals films and literature there is a necessaity for certain amounts of dialogue and cutscenes and directorial control. You simply cannot tell a story of such depth and quality without any directorial contol.

 



exindguy on 26 January 2009
noname2200 said:
outlawauron said:
Khuutra said:
outlawauron said:
What? I do not understand how people can think the writing was any kind of deep or interesting.

Bleh.

"Depth" is not nearly as important to writing as honesty is.

I need to play this damn game just so I can make an informed opinion, I suppose.

I don't know. I just think the GTA series is just kinda shallow in that aspect.

In fairness, GTA IV starts strong (writing wise), but it fizzles pretty quickly. Perhaps this writer, like dozens of game reviewers before her, simply didn't bother playing past the first hour?

 

Once again the old guard media is months late to the story while managing, at the same time, to be completely irrelevant--the end can't come quick enough for 'journalism' as we understand it.

 




broo on 26 January 2009
Helios said:

As Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers blogged last June: "In terms of action, thrills, imagination and innovation, 'GTA IV' has it all over the pablum currently passing for ingenuity at the multiplex ... so far this summer, except maybe 'Iron Man.'

So... The alleged "greatest writing of the century" just might be better than a decent Superhero flick?

What?

 

GTAIV is not even the pinnacle of the medium. There are several games this century, heck decade with far better writing than GTAIV. MGS2 and Max Payne 2 spring to mind as possible challengers of even literary greats. GTAIV is "good" but nothing revolutionary or even great, there are many games this decade with better storytelling than IV.