Week 8: Storytelling in games

I suppose the story isn't the first thing that comes to mind when talking about games but it really is one of the bigger points to consider. If it wasn't, would we really have a whole group of people called Ludologists?

I don't particularly want to place myself into a group as I really enjoy games as they are and would prefer not to go into what goes into a game and thus ruin it for myself. I know I'm a wanna-be game artist and knowing what goes into games is now my thing but when I buy a new one I prefer to take it as it's there.
However that isn't always possible. Some games will take a story and show it to you in the instruction manual or through an opening story and then thrust you into the game. That;ll be the last you hear of it for some games coming out now such as MMOs. They rely on the player creating a story for themselves, doing what they want to progress in the game and essentially be a part of the world
itself. The stories shown to you in this manner are not integral to the enjoyment of a game nor do
they affect how the game will play out. Other games require little or no story at all. Racing and sports games have no stories, just
 objectives to be better than the competition. FPS games didn't really have a story either until
recently. Bioshock, even though I haven't played it, does have a story which explains the little
 sisters and the Big Daddies. The majority of others are merely a circumstance such as Gordon
 Freeman running. I'm playing HL2 right now and I barely have any idea why he is a wanted man.

Finally, the big genre of games that has a main selling point of stories is the RPG. Without a story, these games would be like FPS's in the way you direct a character from A
to B and kill some things on the way. With a story, you have a reason for going to different areas in the world and for killing all the evil doers. It adds depth and motivation to all the characters in the world, the links between the characters and their cities, the characters and other characters too. A well written story will also envelop the player into sticking with the game and keeping them
immersed for hours at a time. It can be what has a player starting up for a second playthrough or having it being put on the shelf never to be finished. Since I'm a big fan of RPGs I will give stories a big thumbs up and say they are definitely recommended for a majority of games that can have one.