Goodbye 2006
– you did a great job of setting up the next generation of immersive gaming
By
Michael Lafferty
We have the
graphical power at our fingertips, now all we need are the stories
Here we are at
the end of another year, one that has blown by, but still managed to bring a
host of wonderful gaming treats. It is the last day of the year, and also my
birthday, so there is some introspection that takes place – double it actually.
Invariably,
thoughts turn to the gaming industry.
In 2006 there
was delight and wonder with the release of a pair of next-gen consoles, in the
form of the PlayStation 3 and Wii. There was also a certain amount of
disappointment when it was found out that PS3 was not totally backwards
compatible, as promised. But then, Microsoft had promised the same with the 360
and that turned out to not be true either.
There were also
some truly amazing titles, such as The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Final Fantasy
XII, and the much-hyped (and delivered upon) Gears of War. The Wii showed us
innovative control schemes that were both challenging and, in the right game, a
heck of a lot of fun. The showcase of PS3 titles at launch was wonderful,
including Resistance: Fall of Man, which took online multiplayer sessions to new
heights.
But with every
good aspect, there are some that are lamentable. Such as … with very few
exceptions, what happened to stories in games? Honestly, in the flash and
pizzazz of next-gen consoles, what has happened to great stories? Have we become
so wrapped up in quick play and pretty graphics that we have willingly
sacrificed deep story lines that lure us in, wrap around our minds and makes us
think of them day and night?
Great
storytelling will have to make a comeback in the coming year and years. After
all, we now have the consoles to deliver astounding graphics time and again. The
audio has, more or less, always been there, but with high-end graphics becoming
commonplace, the focus will have to – eventually – shift to creating games that
become part of pop culture. And that will require stories.
I remember
years ago talking to a friend about a session he had of Eidos’ Deus Ex. The game
had invaded his mental space. Full of twists and turns, as well as being of the
first games to allow for sniper head shots and rag-doll reactions, it had him
going crazy trying to figure out who to trust. There have been other games in
the annals of gaming that have had a similar effect. Take Sierra’s Return to
Krondor (an extension of the DOS game, Betrayal at Krondor, a story derived
directly from the fantasy world developed by Raymond E. Feist, a fantasy writer)
as an example. It was a story-driven plot that evolved and lured players in to
the fantasy world. Or how about Eidos’ (and Crystal Dynamics) original Thief
story, or the first Soul Reaver tale, also from Eidos? BioWare’s original
Neverwinter Nights had a tale that had a few plot twists that were shocks as
they unraveled (Lady Aribeth’s sub-plotline still surprises me to this day).
There have been
previous columns in which I have lamented the lack of great stories in games.
And I’m not talking the puzzle games, like Katamari, or Loco Roco. Those are
what they are; they offer a focus for gamers that is light, involving, addictive
and entertaining. But is it really so hard to take adventure gaming, RPG gaming,
even RTS games to the next milestone in terms of the story told?
Or, am I
completely missing the mark and consumer surveys have shown that people like to
be inundated with the same tired plotlines sporting different character and
place names? It just seem that gaming has become a “Groundhog Day” in terms of
plots. We are reliving the same stories over and over and over.
This past year
was yet another reminder of that. But now, at least, we have some new consoles
to tinker with. There is promise on the horizon, as well as diversions to keep
us entertained while, hopefully, developers put their minds to crafting deep
story lines, or – at the least – hiring those who can give the games an
undercurrent of substance.
Ok, not every
game can pull us in with great immersive stories. We do have to come up for air
sometime soon. But it feels as though the video-game industry, the developers,
are on the cusp of taking the whole entertainment genre to the next level. Well,
either on the cusp or at the crossroads.
And so we say
goodbye to 2006, a year that was much like the second act in a three-act play,
setting up the dramatic third act. Except this play shows no signs of reaching a
finale, but rather may well roll on and on. But in the second act, we saw
technology development that opens the door to brighter vistas.