Fri, Mar 06, 2009 | 08:10 GMT

Square: Game storytelling can surpass film

staroceantlha

Star Ocean: The Last Hope producer Yoshinori Yamagishi has told CVG that games as storytelling media are still far from their full potential.

“As opposed to films, books and TV, as a medium it is more of a challenge to produce a game in order to tell a story,” he said.

“In TV, film and theatre, the creator has control over how he gives the story to the viewer – it’s easier to control the emotions and feelings expected from the viewer.

“But in [a game developer's] case we always have to think about how players might react to each depiction of a character or storyline, and that’s the part we can’t predict. Nevertheless we have to make these predictions to a certain degree, and incorporate this into our work. So it’s more of a challenge.

“But if we manage to get over this hurdle, then I regard videogames as a greater medium to provide people with deep emotional and exciting experiences.”

There’s a full interview here.

4 comments

#1

Blerk
06/03/09, 8:58 am

Not while we’re still making shallow, comical characters with all the personality and charisma of a Mars Bar it won’t.

#2

desiredtime
06/03/09, 11:08 am

Is this how film surpassed books as better way of story telling?
Now film is being surpassed.

#3

Blerk
06/03/09, 11:22 am

Except film didn’t surpass books.

#4

Gekidami
06/03/09, 11:27 am

Theres a serious lack of spikey haired emos and girl-boys on TV, atleast we can count on Square supply our need in games.

Leave a Reply