Agree to Disagree

Hey guys,

It's been too long. I apologize for waiting so long to post, but I got a little tied up enjoying the end of summer!

I will warn you that my posts will either become shorter or less frequent while I get used to my school schedule, but there is no need to fret! I promise that they will still get some form of debate going. And so I shall proceed...

In Game Informer Issue #208, Editor-In-Chief Andy McNamara discusses pre-rendered computer-generated movies in video games. In other words - cutscenes.

I always find what this guy has to say extremely interesting. I almost never agree with him, but that's kind of the fun of it. Just like politics or the entire cats vs. dogs argument, it is easy to debate for hours about video games if you know the world well enough. McNamara really fuels the fire for me, personally.

In this issue, he argues what a lot of others do. Cutscenes take control away from the gamer and degrade the game itself. Switching from a movie within the game back to the game itself can sometimes be disappointing. The graphics often don't compare (see The Legend of Dragoon example below - the image on the left is an example of regular gameplay and the image on the right is an example of cutscene quality).

Honestly, though, I don't buy it. I don't mean this in a disrespectful way - I just feel that the positives completely outweigh the negatives. Video games would not be where they are today without cutscenes.

Think about it. Pressing buttons and grinding for hours upon hours incessantly gets very tiring. Every game will at some point bring you to a place of great repetition, and it can get a bit monotonous. Cutscenes deliver a much needed relief.

Most importantly, they develop the story. I find McNamara's assertion that pre-rendered movies do not serve the narrative of video games incredibly strange. Some things you just can't explain in regular gameplay. It helps you acquire an emotional connection to the characters and the experiences they are facing. I feel like I'm a part of the game as it progresses.

Maybe a game like Halo could do without cutscenes, but any RPG that hopes to be half decent would be a waste of time without them.

I'm no hardcore gamer, though. Hardcore gamers want to play games, not watch them.

Still, I don't understand why so many people are so worried, because we will never come to the point where cutscenes completely overwhelm games. That's what the movie theater is for. Video games provide hands-on interaction and critical thinking while also creating a story that matures and grows through cutscenes.

Here is an example of a really cool pre-rendered CG movie from Starcraft II, which was just recently released. My boyfriend won't stop talking about the Queen of Blades, so I thought this would be appropriate. Remember, anyone playing the game can always skip this scene if they so choose! What's the problem?



So, Andy, all I have to say is speak for yourself! Don't claim to know what ALL gamers want, because your statement is not substantiated. Yes, a growing number are sick of cutscenes, but the margin isn't growing all that fast.

I guess we can just agree to disagree :P

Talk to you soon!

Love,
The Girl Informer

(Images from Google.com)