Lucas and Spielberg Insult Video Games
http://i1.wp.com/www.fangirlconfessi...size=600%2C375George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg state that video games can’t tell stories and don’t create characters that we can care about.Recently, George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg spoke at an event celebrating the opening of a new School of Cinematic Arts building at USC. During that event, both spoke about the “implosion” of the film industry and how television might just be the new medium to tell a story.
However, it is this (taken from The Hollywood Reporter) that disturbs me the most::Lucas and Spielberg also spoke of vast differences between filmmaking and video games because the latter hasn’t been able to tell stories and make consumers care about the characters.
This is a rather typical opinion from people who have no knowledge of video games, either past or current. They have also not played a lot of games, either in the past or recently. For example, Mass Effect, a video game, had such a controversial ending that players tried to sue BioWare, the game’s developer, over it. When is the last time that Hollywood created a movie that involved fans to the point that they nearly rioted over it?
Or what about the tears shed over the loss of Aerith in Final Fantasy VII? Seriously, just thinking about that scene still gets me upset. Or thinking about little Clementine in The Walking Dead – just oh!
Video games can’t make us care about the characters? I just recently finished Remember Me and the ending touched me in a way that a film hasn’t in a long time. I bawled my eyes out after completingDragon Age where Alistair died. But the beauty of that over a film is that I could re-play that scene where he didn’t die, thereby changing the outcome to my own character dying, which was equally as heart-wrecking.
In fact, speaking of BioWare titles, I would go so far to say that games like that take the immersive experience one step further. You can’t make choices in a movie, but you can in a game. And that makes the gaming even better and creates players who care even more about what happens in the story than ever in a film.
I could go on to name many other games that have the emotional depth that Hollywood claims doesn’t exist in games: The Longest Journey, Dreamfall, Cognition, Heavy Rain, BioShock Infinite, Dishonored, etc., etc., etc.
The article also goes on to say that Spielberg is working to create a television show for Halo and is making a movie about Need For Speed. Because you know, those two games are known for their story (not). Anyway, yes, I rest my case.
What do you think? Do you think video games create environments about characters and stories that you care about? If so, share your favorites in the comments.
Source: http://www.fangirlconfessions.com/lu...t-video-games/
Re: Lucas and Spielberg Insult Video Games
Well, to be fair, the big controversy over the Mass Effect 3 ending had nothing really to do with the story content, but rather the lack of it; the controversy was that this epic trilogy was brought to a close with a stale and uninspired ending, one where the choices you've made thus far (in a series that emphasizes the importance on making choices and the changes those choices make to the world around you) ultimately mean nothing in its determination save for a single special effect. A good film comparison would be to imagine that the climactic conclusion of Return of the Jedi (one of Lucas's own works) consisted of two or three sentences spoken by Vadar followed by Luke killing him in a single swing (a la Ben Kenobi) and finishing off the emperor himself with similar ease (as opposed to the epic duel between father and son followed by Vadar's complete heel face turn against the emperor and Vadar's dying monologue to Luke).
That said, we also have to make sure they aren't being quoted out of context. While us gamers already know that games can tell wonderful stories (in some cases better than other mediums), we also tend to use that knowledge as a defense mechanism whenever somebody who is otherwise ignorant of gaming as a whole suggests that they don't feel as strongly about the medium's abilities to deliver a solid experience as the rest of us do. For one, it's extremely common for these quotes to be taken out of context due to blind indignation.
And for two, even if the quote is in context, why should we care? Why should we even care if a couple of old -film- directors (who, within their own chosen mediums, are at best considered past their prime and at worst complete hacks) decide that they don't like games as much as the rest of us? Even if they outright insult video games as a story-telling medium, what difference should it make to us? These guys aren't even relevant anymore; Lucas no longer owns the rights to the property that made him famous in the first place, Spielberg is selling out left and right just to keep himself afloat, and neither one seems to be able to make a decent movie anymore (I rest my case at Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). This is just like when Ebert "insulted" video games by saying they "aren't art as I know it". So what?
I'm just saying that this sort of thing is being made into a bigger deal than it is. Just let the facts speak for themselves. Lest we forget that Star Wars makes most of its money nowadays from its many video game iterations, and that Spielberg is in fact working on a TV show and a movie about video games. Let's not give statements like these more attention than they deserve by getting all uppity about them.
Re: Lucas and Spielberg Insult Video Games
The games I have grown up with have told me far greater stories than any movie ever has. I don't know if that's because I don't really watch tv/movies or something like that. But I disagree with this.
Re: Lucas and Spielberg Insult Video Games
that's deep stuff there... nice read too thanks for the share..
Re: Lucas and Spielberg Insult Video Games
A certain lost odyssey moment, and the dreams touched me in a way that no movie has ever done. Those moments conveyed the true torture that one feels when they are immortal. Movies glorify immortality with action, and a weak plot.
Asura's Wrath told a great story, it was basically an interactive movie.
Arkham Asylum story, and characters are better then any batman movie ever made.
Games main story is only a few hours long, it is the game play that makes them longer. Example: If a game takes 8 hours to beat, and the story is 2 hours and is solid. then why can't Hollywood deliver on the same story telling without all the drawn out action scenes. Truth is Hollywood is jealous of the game industry, because they can deliver a fully interactive medium, and still have a story be told. Gaming Industry has more luxuries them Hollywood, that s why they are trying to destroy it. it is dipping into their entertainment wallets, and they believe they should have the bigger share because they were first.
PS. I think George jumping in on this after Disney closed Lucasarts shows who had the bigger pull in that decision.
Re: Lucas and Spielberg Insult Video Games
I guess I'm kinda surprised to hear that. I'd have thought creative story tellers like themselves would be happy and open to any media that can take people on a journey.
Maybe they just haven't played enough?
Re: Lucas and Spielberg Insult Video Games
Its funny cause if you look at they majority of their work over the last 2 decades I could make the exact same claim both of them. Both of them can barely claim to be film directors at at this point anyway. At this point just seeing either name associated with a project is a check in the "do not waste money to this in the theaters" column
Re: Lucas and Spielberg Insult Video Games
I disagree with them, but I do think it depends very much on the person whether he cares about characters and stories in video games. Lots of my friends just care about gaming and skip everything (cutscenes etc.) regarding the story of a game, while I love those things (in most games). In contrary, the reason why people watch a movie is often all because of the story and the characters.