After reading the Reuters article about Michael Crichton starting up a company I decided to write a little article on why something like this is great. To start off I would like to say that the point of this article is not to say that there hasn't been a game that has had good story, because this is obviously not true. The point of this article is to prove exactly why good writing makes a game and why more authors like Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton should join into the game making process.
I think many of you who read this have played the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy series for the Nintendo. These games showed a great amount of writing in them. They were not only creative but their stories were completely coherent and stayed true to much of the fantasy literature that was out at the time. This is what made them (well at least Final Fantasy) big hits. They built up a feeling that you were playing in a story yourself and because of the fact that they were so in depth people could come home from work flip on the TV and the NES and fall into another realm (A D&D player rejoice!)
A more recent example of this is the game HalfLife by Valve Software. This game has the best (in my opinion) story of any First Person Shooter ever. From the beginning you get the feeling that you are the star in a multi-million dollar action flick. There has not been a game in the FPS genre that really has had are real story that was as in depth as HalfLife's (yet again in my opinion) except for well, HalfLife.
Now that the big name authors are beginning to join up with gaming companies, maybe this will change. I know that when I played Rainbow 6 (Tom Clancy) that I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was because it stayed true to its colors, exactly like Tom Clancy's books. It gave you, the player, a chance to take on the role of a member of an elite task force. Reading the book is something that helps immerse one's self in the game, therefore making it a better experience.
I want to be involved in the planning process in the mission. I want the story to revolve around me and my actions. I like it when the character, that I created through my own actions, gets a medal for something that I actually did. This is a fully enjoyable experience. This is what is going to keep me, the consumer, coming back and spending my hard-earned allowance (*snickers*) on games.
I am not saying that blood and guts and lots of cool weapons do not turn me on to a game either, it's just that without a story the blood and guts are just that, blood and guts. For example, in the game Resident Evil (1 and 2) there is a lot of gore, but the story is very immersive and the writing is great! The FPS genre needs one more game with a great story but all the blood and guts of game of yore. HalfLife needs some real competition. Because as of now, in the story department there is none.
Maybe Daikatana will have the amazing story many gamers are looking for. I know the two main games that I am looking forward to now, Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament won't. I hope that these games aren't successful enough that lots of companies start making games exactly like them, that are all multiplayer. This is what happened when Quake first came out. Lot's of companies tried to make Quake Killers (no one really succeeded this until Quake 2.)
So please, game companies, make me happy and employ the likes of Stephen King, William Gibson, and Tad Williams for your next game. Make a game that is not only action packed but is also story packed. I know it's possible.
