Apparently, the general gamer often says that plot and character development are some of the most important things to him / her in a game. But are they really? I mean, even people looking to develop games often say that they have a great story, and then it's just a thin plot based on the least common denominators of fiction (dashing young prince must save princess from evil ogre, or perhaps gnarled soldier in post-apocalyptic world must undertake a grim, no-hope mission to try and save world from terrifying aliens?). Surely, the only reason we play videogames instead of watching movies is that interaction creates the chance to experience something free-form and malleable, something we can affect with our own will. So if you're going to create a story that could be a film, and then write it into a game that is pretty linear too, shouldn't you have made a movie instead? My point; isn't the best story in a game one that either A: makes you do something you wouldn't have wanted to do without the story, or B: doesn't make you do anything, because the fact that you're in control is what makes it a videogame after all! I will never really care that much about the girl my character is supposed to be in love with. But I can care about the character I play, because through my control, he represents me in his world, and through the story of the game I represent him in mine. So if you get me to care about my character, get my character to care about the girl, and then get the girl to betray my character, THEN you have a story that gains something from being interactive! I think it's fair, at this point, to say that I don't share the same values as most people on the subject, but this is a topic that serves to demonstrate the magnitude of a writer's responsibility in the development of a game (and so the game industry itself, no less), so what do writers think? Are you happy with what people want from you? [Edited by - leekenn on February 3, 2010 7:52:59 PM]

The story is such a element because it is what motivates the player to actually play the game. The story is what pulls the user into your fictional world and drives the action of the game forward. The story unifies all of the elements under a single purpose. Essentially, there has to be a story. Otherwise, the purpose of every action is not apparent. Even GTA has a story.

Bioware is the company to look at if you want to see the true power of storytelling in videogames.

It depends on the type of game. Poker doesn't really needs a story. An RPG will probably need one (A GOOD ONE), RTSs and FPS can make it without story if the gameplay is good.

As I said before, a good story can make the difference between a good game and THE GAME.

@ frr171 I agree that the story of a game is the motivation for the player, but what I meant was, shouldn't that motivation be tailored to an interactive medium, more so than it is with a lot of modern games? And surely that's what you'd rather be creating?

Look at the Hitman games. The story is vital; it gives you a persona, it justifies your actions and creates a world for you to inhabit and a story arc for you to enjoy, but ultimately it manages to do that whilst still letting you dictate your path through it's virtual world. The same is true of GTA. The story is big, distinctive, and just as memorable as any other part of the game, but it rarely scripts your game experience.

@leekenn
You kind of summed it up yourself. The story makes the game memorable.

It depends.

I don't need a story to enjoy Sudoku or Mahjong.

But a good story greatly enhances my enjoyment of an adventure/action game like Uncharted 2 or Assassin's Creed II or Brutal Legend or...

Quote: Original post by owl
a good story can make the difference between a good game and THE GAME.

Well said!

Personally, I tend to avoid games that have thin or non-existent plots. Bioshock turned me off because it was a generic FPS that failed to provide an interesting story. On the other hand, KOTOR's gameplay may have been flawed, but its story and characterization more than made up for this deficiency. And of course, it would be a mistake to forget the incredibly well-written Planescape: Torment which makes for a fascinating gameplay experience in one of the best RPGs ever created.

However, keep in mind that different demographics will appreciate different approaches to storytelling. Not everyone can appreciate the 800000 words of text in Planescape: Torment. A more recent example, Mass Effect 2, has toned down the storyline and exploration elements of the previous installment in favor of tighter FPS combat - the general response has been favorable so far.

It all boils down to the type of game and the target demographics. While not clear-cut, it is generally safe to say that younger players prefer more action and older players prefer better stories.

I myself always thought that story is the most important in games.
That was until I started playing fallout 3. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying
That fallout has a bad story or anything. What I am saying though is, that most
Of the time while playing this game I don't care much about the main plot.
Just roaming the wasteland blowing stuff up and killing enemies is a damn lot of fun.

Bottom line is, I still enjoy a great story, especially since it kind of provides the frame for
what the game world and the atmosphere are like, but if gameplay is captivating enough
I can just as well go without any real plot for hours. But I also need to add, that I like the
idea of actually having finished a game, which again is asking for a plot with an actual ending.