Well, if this is what mainstream media is going to report, I'd rather them stop. This and the Forbes comment about Harmonix copying itself is just stupid.

That's jsut showing a very narrow term of what storytelling and writing are.

Storytelling does not need to be told through words, it can also be told through images and actions.

L4D has everything required to be considered in storytelling.

First of all, writing does not mean images. That made me laugh. Secondly you manage to sum up the entirety of L4D's 'story' in one line. There's no depth, no character development, no plot, no twists. A virus has turned everyone into zombies and you have to kill them all, that's it. Stop throwing around inane arguments and learn what the words mean.

I say let's let the topic die, because as usually, it went to hell.

Writing is simply the creating of a story, atleast in the context you are using it.

Stories can be told through images.

Ever here the term "A picture is worth a thousand words?"  Plenty of stories have been told simply by images.

Stories don't need character development, or plot twists. The whole need for plot twists is what makes modern storytelling often times a joke, because the twist is always the more obvious then if there wasn't a twist.

Dynamic characters are not needed to tell a good story.  Classic stories can be told via Static characters by making everything else happen around these static characters.  Often times static characters are used to make points that round character could not make.

L4D actually does a good job of this.  Since when you've got thousands of zombies ready to eat you at any turn and your fighting for survival... are you really going to take the time to pause, and ask the vietnam vet who he is or what nam was like... do you want to know anything about the creepy biker that's going to give you pause and unnerve you?  Or do you just take them at face value and focus on surviving?

I mean how could the game of been any more realistic by adding more dialogue?

Plenty of characters are just who they are and they don't change.  What was the character development in Moby Dick?  Flat characters aren't nessisairly bad, and some times flat characters are the only characters that can properly tell a story.

There is plenty of plot and depth however.  You just seem to miss it because you are in a box of what you think stoires should be like. 

QFT.

Don't get me started on how brilliant the story and especially the writing in Gran Turismo series is. It's a whole freackin' bible in there, you just have to be open minded and read through them layers of depth.

Story-wise, the GT series has nothing on Mario Kart. And what about Wii Fit? Aw man, if there's ONE game that has brilliant writing, deep character development and unique, unheard-of plot twists, it's Wii Fit.

You know, Gears of War 2 had some great writing. I mean sure the characters were one dimensional and the dramatic parts of the story fell flat but there's just something about the ruined lands that make it so insightful and deep. /sarcasm

 What plot twists ? Those are so last gen. Wii Fit has the next gen in storytelling - ankle twists -