CGI Sequences in Games - Curse or Blessing?

[lendelin]

CGI sequences are a mixed bag; very impressive indeed, it shows off the cutting edge of technology, however, some love it, some hate it. On the one hand we love stories in general and in particular in videogames, on the other hand they might interrupt gameplay more than enhancing it.

Videogames slowly find their place as an entertainment form independent from movies and literature, increasingly professional writers come in and script stories for games, but the role of stories for videogames is unclear, and how to incorporate stories in gameplay is even more ambigious.

Are stories important for games at all? and if so, in which way should they be presented in games? Is there a future for GCI sequences as we know it, or should storytelling head in another direction?

[Ze_ro]

I really dislike FMV sequences in games. The worst I've seen recently was Eternal Darkness for the Gamecube... for some reason, the cutscenes are pre-rendered, but they use the same graphics as the in-game sequences use. So, not only do they NOT look better than the game (which was sort of the point of pre-rendering things in the first place), but they actually look WORSE, since they get artifacting from whatever compression method Nintendo used on them.

What they SHOULD have done was just make the in-game engine scriptable, so that all these sequences would be rendered by the Gamecube itself. This should make things smoother, and eliminate compression artifacts. Also, having recently beaten P.N.03, I noticed that it seems to script all it's FMV sequences (there are only a couple of them anyways) the way I mention. This has the added benefit that all of the FMV actually shows your character in the appropriate clothes that you were wearing when the scene was activated. All the 3D Legend of Zelda games did this properly too.

And while we're on the topic of FMV sequences, I really think companies should impose a maximum length for them. Any time you go for more than 2 minutes without user interaction is unnacceptable in my opinion. If something takes longer than that, it should be broken up so that you at least get to do something once in a while. I understand that you sometimes need a sequence to show some plot progression or character interaction, but if I'm going to just sit there and watch instead of taking part in the action, then I might as well rent a movie.

--Zero

[Mr. Smashy]

I think that game developers are doing just fine. As for the choices of your poll, every option (except for "story") has improved drastically over the last 5 or so years.

Ever since games have had stories, I don't think that things have changed a heck of a lot in that area.

[kai123]

I don't mind the fmv sequences if they don't use those to advertise their games. Squaresoft are the ones who do this the most. No telling how many people have been tricked into thinking that is how the game looks when you play.

[IntvGene]

When are we really going to be worried about the CGI sequences as not being part of the game? Most of the newer games are just using the in-game engine anyway.

The first time I remembered seeing a cutscene was in Karateka. It was just using the game engine to do it. Once we hit the CD media, and people hacked in video, we've been stuck with these sorts of cutscenes that are made from FMV, CGI or whatever. But, it seems like we've come full circle again, now that we have the power to do almost anything.

But, it seems like we are heading more and more to the "movie" type experience in a game, and it's something that I am not all that interested in. I just want to have fun... is that too much to ask these days? We are getting to games where the story or the role that you play is stressed more and more. Personally, I'd like to see it return to the fun days where the games basically "fudged" the story to explain the game.

One of my favorite examples is Megamania.. look at the back of the box. The basic story is that you are a space pilot who had indigestion. After falling asleep, the nightmare of Megamania begins and the food, spare tires, steam irons, etc come back to haunt you. Can you seriously tell me that this would sell more than fourteen copies these days?

In the old days, they would make up some ridiculous story to explain what they couldn't with their lack of graphics. It wasn't written by a team of Hollywood writers, but more often by the programmers themselves, it was fun and it was great. Now, it's the exact opposite. The game is less and less important, but the story or the role that you play is. Unfortunately, there aren't enough competent developers to make games involving WW2, Gang warfare, Hitmen and Mob Bosses fun anymore, no matter what the story is.

[Captain Wrong]

Your poll question doesn't fit the topic. Is CGI a curse or blessing? Curse, IMHO. But your poll asks something much more general. Which area should be emphasized by game developers? I'd say gameplay, but you don't have that listed as an option.

Not trying to be a jerk, I just don't know what you're asking. (I get confused easily though, so that's not saying too much LOL)