EA is one of the biggest, if the biggest video game company in the world. The company has an exclusive 10 year deal with Disney to make AAA Star Wars video games. Their run has been marred with controversy and critical disappointment. The 1st Battlefront game was launched with a limited amount of content, which drew negative attention from many critics and fans. Battlefront 2 was mired with an enormous loot box/micro transaction controversy, which contributed to disappointing sales (compared to EA's expectations). EA also cancelled and closed Visceral Studios and its Single Player Action and Adventure Star Wars Game, an idea many fans were excited about. There is now a rumor that another Star Wars project has been cancelled. Why can't EA make Star Wars, one of the most profitable brands in the world, reach the massive heights that many expected in terms of sales, game output, and critical reception?
With the release of Spiderman, I keep hearing comments on how brilliant the narrative is. Do you think the back story of a narrative video game has to be compelling to play it? How much does it affect your enjoyment?
I think this is an interesting topic and one that has arisen a number of times here, but has never been fully discussed. The concept of narrative in gaming is very different due to its modular narrative, and we see that games with great reviews, awards and fan bases often have strong narratives. Yet we also have a myriad of popular, "blockbuster" games that don't even bother. So I agree how much narrative is needed? – SaraiMW6 years ago
Love the topic. I suggest looking at God of War 2018 as well. It's just begging to be compared to spider man PS4. Both are PS4 Exclusives, with iconic heroes, and deep/detailed backstories. Some would say both subvert our expectations of their established canon, ala a Kratos trying to raise a son/be a good father, and Spider Man not at the beginning of his career, Norman Osbourne Mayor, Mary Jane as a journalist. God of War has one of the most compelling stories from a game this year. – Sean Gadus6 years ago
The Last Of Us has also been praised, both for cinematic storytelling and the crafting of a brilliant narrative and strong character development. – ValleyChristion6 years ago
Fore me it depends on the genre. Any RPG, whether it be turn-based, open world, or tactical, needs to have a great narrative and story. There are elements of RPGs that I love, such as level grinding, character customization, and level progression, but story is what makes want to finish the game. Platformers, shooters, and other types of games can have a lackluster story and still be playable. Spiderman is that type of game for me. Most will play because they are fans of the Marvel Universe and would play the only thing available to do was swing with spidy webs and kick bad guy butt. – Richard Krauss6 years ago
I think it all depends on the individual. Many gamers prefer well-done mechanics and couldn't care less about the narrative, while many other games, usually more casual, tend to prefer a good story. I'm more of a casual gamer myself, but I do know that there's definitely a divide between storytelling and gameplay preferences in the gaming community. With the success of games such as The Last of Us, the Uncharted games, Detroit: Become Human, The Witcher series, God of War 2018, etc. it's become more prevalent to wider audiences that games are a medium capable of storytelling. (I'm aware that there are many games before these that have had good stories, I'm just referring to more recent games that presented this to the mainstream). Proponents argue that the games show that video games can be art (which I think they are by default, regardless of a strong narrative or not) However, there's also been some pushback and complaints that video game studios are focusing too much on being "interactive movies" with their emphasis on photorealistic graphics and story-driven projects. I see valid points on both sides, and personally, I just enjoy a game that's fun to play. I think it comes down to the team creating the game and how they want to approach their production. Some games set out to tell a good story, others care more about gameplay, and many others have achieved both, though all that's subjective of course. Personally, it depends on what I know about the game in terms of its genre and what I expect from it. I enjoy The Witcher 3 and Uncharted 4, which have great graphics and engaging characters, and also like a game such as Shovel Knight, a pixelated game which itself has a simple story but also has beautiful art direction and good mechanics. And of course, Nintendo games such as Mario Kart and Super Mario Party never fail to bore me. – ImperatorSage6 years ago
I'd highly recommend that the person who tackles this topic look into Narratology within the field of Game Studies or Digital Media Studies. There's lots of good stuff out there to support arguments made! – Pamela Maria6 years ago
Analyze the negative reception of Bayonetta's attire, behavior, in the games she is featured. She is resurfaced as a playable character in the Newest Smash game, and though she is provocatively dressed and mischevious in morals, it can be argued that she is well aware of these qualities and is not being forced to dress this way. Therefore this character isn't a sexist interpretation because the character is aware and okay with who she is. Her appearance represents her expression of self, not a female character with no reason wearing revealing armor.
What makes a horror game scary exactly? Is it the gameplay, story, atmosphere, music or a combination of all the above or a mixture of one or the other? Personally I believe it is a combination of all the above. The gameplay and atmosphere should play off each other. For example the first 3 Resident Evil games captured a level of horror that they have not been able to recapture until RE7. The static camera angles combined with the tank controls and the horrific things you encounter in the Spencer Mansion all play into each other. The sheer fact that you can easily mess up your movement and be killed if you panic and do not stay calm and navigate around the obstacles that are the enemies was a great formula for horror.
Combine that with the ink ribbon system and the limited ammo and healing items and you feel like you are unwelcome in the mansion. This isn't a place you should be in, and whether or whether not you survive is all up to you. The music and story; while campy, all aid in the creation of a horror filled environment that create waves of unease and terror as you try to stay alive and solve the mystery of what exactly happened there and try to get out as quickly as possible.
I'd be interesting to compare the first person perspective in RE7 to the older games over the shoulder third person perspective and how they can create tension! – Sean Gadus6 years ago
Well, fear is subjective. I believe people have to be conditioned to become scared of certain moments. A personal example for me was in RE 4 when I ran into the regenerator. I became scared of it due to missing the thermal scope so I would keep dumping ammo into it with hopes that it would die. I eventually ran out and had to fight it with a knife. So after that everytime, I would hear its heavy breathing I would get anxious. This is why I believe most people get annoyed with jump scares as first of their surprising (not scary), but also you can predict them. Fear does not just happen it has to be built upon. You cannot just insert a background music that sounds spooky and expects people to suddenly become scared. there has to be a reason for the fear. Its why games like Silent Hill 2 and Alien isolation work. As you are playing as a character in a dark oppressive environment who is not suited for combat being chased some form of monster. It is why RE 5-6 do not work as horror games. You're loaded up to the teeth with big guns and ammo. Anything that comes your way in that situation is going to have a closed casket funeral. – Blackcat1306 years ago
Nintendo recently announced that is making DLC (Downloadable Content) for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch. And that's about all the information they gave. The cost per pack (1 fighter, stage, and some music) is 5.99 per pack. There are 5 packs. You can buy it all for $24.99. They did not give any information about what fighters would be included or when they would come out (except sometime before february 2020). What are the business ethics in the video game industry of selling a product to consumers, but not making them aware of what or when it could be released. Article might look at similar cases from Warner Bros or Ubisoft.
I think what helps set Nintendo apart this time is that Sakurai, the game's director, actually said in reference to the bundle that:
"We hope that only those with the utmost confidence in the value of this bundle pre-purchase it." To hear a developer encourage caution and careful planning when pre-purchasing their very own season pass/DLC with mystery content is quite refreshing and really sets a standard other companies should follow. – Dimitri Adoniou6 years ago
In the early 1990s, Yasumi Matsuno directed a game titled Tactics Ogre; a dark, high-fantasy strategy RPG whose deep and complex plot was inspired by the events of the Yugoslavian Wars at the time. The game forces the player to make significant choices during the course of his campaign, some leading to horrific war crimes and political manipulation. However, can video games truly reflect the scarring and atrocities of war like literature and cinema can?
Well, one has to look at war as a condition rather than the background for this analysis to be spot on.
I recommend looking at Specs Ops: The Line if the writer wants an Apocalypse Now in the Gulf. That being said I think we should avoid discussing political manoeuvring, since all of war is indeed deceit to paraphrase Sun Tzu. – RedFlame20006 years ago
Ever since the meteoric rise of mobile gaming, microtransactions have plagued the world of modern video games. Games are being released with DLC content available from day 1, leaving many to consider such games incomplete upon release. DLC used to be used as a way of extending the playability of games after they have been out for a while. However, it is now being used as a cash grab for developers who sell game content separately. Is this trend leading to the downfall of video games? How long will players continue to shell out wads of extra cash to play a game that they already bought?
I think that one should be careful to separate microtransactions, DLC, and expansion packs. Like the difference between a Sims stuff pack, Oblivion's Shivering Isles, mobile game shenanigans, and buying a crate in a game like Overwatch. It might be obvious to some, but clearly delinating what's what will likely prevent a lot of confusion. – Scarlety6 years ago
Make sure to define your terms very clearly, microtransactions, DLC, expansion packs, etc.
Good, relevant topic, lots of resources to look and draw upon from across the internet/gaming sites. – Sean Gadus6 years ago
To me microtransactions along with companies such as Netflix has started to lead us down the path of games as a service rather than or alongside buying and owning games. Because of this I don’t think microtransactions, as frustrating as they are, are ruining video games. Instead they are reshaping the way companies develop and provide games with continuing income in mind. – mfgorey6 years ago
I don't think microtransactions are inherently bad. Free to play games, for example require this kind of business practice to get some form of money to maintain the game. Microtransactions in AAA games are going to be the norm now due to games like Overwatch and Hearthstone. However what I think is bad about them is how malicious some companies make them. For example, the Harry Potter mobile game recently held your character hostage until you could pay up the money to do so. Those kind of practices are outrageous and should be frowned upon. But that doesn't mean microtransactions themselves are ruining the game. It's like DLC, they could be cosmetics or they could be full blown expansions. How obtrusive they are to the game that the player is playing is something else. – Vladimito6 years ago
Determine whether you believe the exaggerated physical differences between genders in World of Warcraft is innocent and is due to the company's herculean style, or they choose to depict men as much stronger than women and women much thinner than men. For instance, the female pandaren is not as fat as the male pandaren.
An interesting topic. If you break down all the comparisons into a systematic discussion it would be really interesting to look at the trends. For instance to see if they have made any real racial substantive changes or just used stereotypical forms every single time. I'd would be interesting to know if the designers have ever commented on this also. – SaraiMW6 years ago
Excuse my ignorance, but I'm completely clueless about World of Warcraft, although I comprehend the gist of your statement. I suppose the difference in stature between the men and women in WOW really comes down to the marketing angle; what the money men think will sell, which is ironic when we consider how often 'gamers' are portrayed in films as overweight males who seem to live on pizza! Stereotypes be damned! It's an interesting topic suggestion and you have my vote. – Amyus6 years ago
