Are computer games a literary genre?

I do like a good storyline in a game, but most of my favorite games are due to the multiplayer capability. By Halo 3 I didn't care what the story was, all I wanted to do was pwn some noobs and sh*t talk. In fact, I'm not even sure I played Halo 3 all the way through because every time I turn it on, I go right online.

Having said that, I completely agree that video games are a legitamate art form, both in the visual and literary fields.

A friend of mine works in PR/marketing for a game publisher. Recently during a series of focus tests, his team confirmed: A) the narrative and story are VERY important to people who play games, and B) narrative is, like, the last thing anyone considers when weighing a game purchase. So, uh. Narrative is important? But... not in terms of sales? So you'll never see a game advertising "Really, really good story!" on the cover.

Is it too much to ask for both?!

Good story AND good game play...?

I wouldn't go so far as to call them a literary genre, but John Crace sounds incredibly juvenile. Of course many gamers are, so it's not surprising.

ANSWER TO MYSELF & TO THE UNEXPECTED STRANGER... read preceding WhiteNoise post !

DING , TIME OUT ;)

The case of the missing art form

Turns out that TV & Video are supposed to be the 8th art form. S’cuse me while I kiss my console but, as much as I love animation, 3D, music videos and Max Headroom, they are still but moving images with sound, all part of the 7th art form: cinema.

Interactivity is a much more important notion, with broader and longer lasting implications. But Interactivity can’t be the 8th art form because la Comic Strips was declared the 9th. Older than movies, comics should in fact be the 6th art form, but then who would we bump from the list of celebrated and age-old favorites like literature, music, painting, theatre, dance and sculpture?

Although this highbrow list leaves architecture and photography out in the cold (which is inexcusable) my vote for the 8th art form goes to… SEX !

Think about it. Wasn’t the 20th century’s second half characterized by the advent of 2 major revolutions: the transistor and the birth control pill ?

Shouldn’t art and culture reflect these milestones?

Now that sex has been officially yanked out of the reproduction realm, isn’t it now an expression of our deepest self?

And don’t start me up on cyber-sex!

NOTE : Some pundits would say that its only art if it’s well hung !
Which would explain Laura Croft ;)

I agree that Gameplay should be the first priority of games. I can't recall anybody playing games and during the game them stopping and asking themselves if it's relevant to the plot.

I heartily Disagree with John Crace's first statement, that graphics and gameplay are more important than story line. I think he's right they are more heavily funded and tend to be the stars of the show, but even taking his own example half-life that game would have been nothing if the plot was terrible.

After 20 minutes graphics get boring, no matter how good they are, and if you don't have a story, game goes into the trash. Take Crysis for example, the gameplay and graphics were the best ever when the title was released... however a 3 year old obviously wrote the script and it didn't even beat out independence day for it's complexity. Playing a game like that made me not a fan of crytek, possibly forever = loss of one possible customer.

Okay, but John does have an important point, gameplay and graphics are the first things you see, much like a beautiful woman, you see her, but once she opens her mouth it will make or break the attraction. I think video games are very similar, minus the mating part... lol

You know the first computer game I had was all text and terrible graphics. It was about being a covert agent, and one had to know a bit about electronics and how to rewire circuit boards and stuff... Then the object of the game was to obtain info from Interpol and do your thing.

So in the age of slow computers.. a kick ass story line was essential.

And now a story line still has to make the game appealing. Like who wants to hack and slash for no reason except like a 16yr old mad at his parents?

It all depends on what I'm playing for the most part. I kind of get tired of mindless button mashing and look forward to playing 40-100 hour emotional investments.

Cant say i really agree with him. The majority game sales are based around PVP - Counterstrike, halo, call of duty, even wii tennis, oh and ever heard of world of warcraft? Graphics are important-ish, kinda secondary as long as you can pwn someone's face and unleash some lolwtfbbq facemelting in a spectacular gyser of blood. Personally, i LOVE the story aspect and think pvp is completely hollow and boring. While most games have "ehh" storylines: Gta4, left 4 dead, any of the NFS series. Some games are utter gold: Advent rising, Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider series. Half Life is pretty decent too. Just my 2cents.

I agree with numinant...gameplay should come first and story second. Dont get me wrong...I love a rich story like Heavenly Sword (I could not put that game down, it was like playing a movie) and Bioshock...but Id rather have good gameplay any day.

Still I think games will become more and more respected as a story telling medium as time passes and gamers begin to demand more from their games.

Oh man, no wonder developers no longer give much attention to gameplay, everyone is playing the goddamn things for the stories.

absolutely, I can see people looking back in 20 years and talking about the political or social context in which video games were made and what they tell us about that time, the technological advancements that meant that one kind of storytelling took precedence over another, the kinds of characters that were framed as heros or as villains and why that might be, how races and genders and sexuality were represented, what metaphors are used and why - all the same things that people study when they study literature at university now!

"All human play is a testing of potential." - Leonardo da Vinci

Are computer games a literary genre?

Short answer is...NO !
Literature is but a PART of it all...
...but as a whole, video games are humanity's 10th ART FORM !

QUIZZ FOR ALL ; Name the 9 others ;)

Hint... The 7 Lively Arts
http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-7-lively-arts-by-gilbert-seldes.jsp

There's a caper ;)

GAMES, THE NEW LIVELY ART
http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/GamesNewLively.html

Video games are a language,a currency of cool and at their best, they are magic. - Jeff Jensen

I honestly could not care less. On the other hand, I have a life...

I'm going to spit the loaf here and agree with those who believe Story is more important than graphics. When I personally choose a game to purchase or play I do so after the game in question passes two very important, but even more so sequencial stipulations: Amazing storyline first; one that will "immerse" me in a world away from this world where I can believe the things I see, hear and feel can be real.

My second stipulation is the level of interactivity of this "other" world and how well the graphics and visuals adhere to my sense of this world being a possibly reality...

I for one cannot play a game without any serious narrative content. Games like the Metal Gear Solid series (however insane the story has been at times), Bioshock, FF (all of them), have proven that a good story offers the best kind of gaming experience.

I think computer games are quickly going to become the most interesting entertainment/art medium available. The possibilities are limitless really and the scope for interactivity alongside artificial intelligence technology is bound to produce some incredible stuff.

hah, any true gamer would agree to this.

Halo, Warcraft, Starcraft, the Diablo series- the stories of these games are so intricate and thought out they have been adapted to books and fully immerse the players in story.

I agree that gameplay and aesthetics are the most important factors. Story is secondary. Intricate plots often interfere with the game, as the storytelling is often second-rate and many of the game's resources are thus squandered for Hollywood-like production values and suffer for B-movie execution.

I'd say Heavenly Sword however (shown in the image above) was an exception, as all elements actually worked, and the gameplay didn't suffer (apart from the game being far too short).

But when gameplay is overshadowed by the storytelling elements, I'd just as soon watch a movie or read a book.