no more interactive movies

[CommanderBubba]

It suddenly occurred to me--now that technology has advanced enough that you could make a game that involved interactive video (e.g. the Tex Murphy series, for example, or any of a slew of Sega CD games) more easily and with much higher quality today, nobody makes them!

I really enjoyed the Tex Murphy computer games. They're still a lot of fun if you can get them working somehow (e.g. old computer, using DosBox emulator, etc) and it hit me that nobody makes interactive movies any more. Even Wing Commander III, IV, and Prophecy, had elements of "interactive movie" to them for the storytelling. Nowadays everything is all 3D and glitz.

I wonder... since the cost of making new computer games is going up these days, maybe someone should re-visit the "intelligent" video game concept started with Myst and advanced by adventure and detective games. You'd probably end up with a higher quality game with a broad appeal for less money than to make another buggy shoot-em-up extravaganza that's always behind deadline...

Or maybe I'm just kidding myself. Still, wouldn't it be neat? Just imagine a detective game or something in 7.1 DTS with DVD-film virtual reality sets to wander around in and look for clues, or even an action motif...

 

[VertigoXX]

Hey, I'd just be happy with a 128-bit side scrolling beat-em-up, ala Streets of Rage.

3D sucks. Bring the FUN back.

 

[it290]

The problem with all those FMV games isn't so much that they suck (although they do), but that even today's technology won't help you get better actors in them, or better direction. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen, and additionally, it's a very diffucult medium to actually write a good screenplay for.

Personally, I'd rather see more high quality adventure games. Is The Longest Journey 2 out yet?

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

The longest journey..... one of these days I'll actually sit down and beat that, I've owned it for a LONG time now, and never even finished the first disc lol.

 

[joe81]

wasn't there supposed to be a new sam and max game out

 

[it290]

I think that may have gotten cancelled, which really really, really sucks. I know for sure the new Full Throttle got canned.

 

[Jedi Master Thrash]

You can't tell me they couldn't get Bruce Campbell to do some acting for an FMV game. Man that would be awesome.

The thing with a lot of FMVs was that they just used the FMV to get high-quality 3d rendering played in real-time. Nowadays the processor can handle doing real 3d backgrounds instead of pre-rendered. But with the old games, since the background was prerendered, they were forced ot use "fake physics" gameplay. Now with real 3D backgrounds, they try to use "real physics" interactino with the background and real physical control of the ship/person. THe problem is that they fail in their attempt to create fun gameplay out of a failed attempt at real physics.

With the prerendered background, the ship/person movement/firing, etc, only dimension ws the gameplay. There was no true interaction with the background, it was all faked. This madei t much better in my opinion, because it was created from the start with the purpose of making the gameplay fun rather than the purpose of making it truely interact with the other 3D objects.

I've been saying the same thing. What happened to good old 2-d action/platform sidescroller jump-fests? Those were the classics. When I first played that 3D contra came on PS1 I was about ready to chuck it across the room. Is that pseudo-2d-sidescroller new contra game any good?

JMT.

 

[joe81]

wasn't there a sequal to grim fandango in the works also or no(i forget)

 

[CrazyGoon]

I'm waiting desperately for Lunar 3

Mmmm.... working designs

The problem with all those FMV games isn't so much that they suck (although they do)...

Haha, they don't suck but they do? Well, IMHO, they aren't quality, but they are always good for a laugh

Hey, I'd just be happy with a 128-bit side scrolling beat-em-up, ala Streets of Rage.

3D sucks. Bring the FUN back.

3D isn't a bad style for games, but ever since it's introduction, we have seen less and less 2D games. Which is a bummer. 3D as an replacement for 2D = nono. But 3D as a supplement to 2D = fine. 128-bit 2D Sonic would blow my mind!

Edit - Woo! Snatcher!

 

[joe81]

they're all sort of like interactive books (the interactive movies and adventure games)

I mean normally they try hard to present a story and then basically just have you interact with in that story.

so i mean since not that many people like books now why would they like interactive movies(adventure games)

(interactive movies always seemed like cheep porn movies minus the porn to me. but i did like sherlock holmes for the sega CD)

 

[Mask of Destiny]

Interactive movies and adventure games are not the same thing. Granted there were some interactive movies that were passed off as adventure games (like that crappy Myst game that sold ridiculously well because it looked pretty). Go play the Colonel's Bequest, a classic Sierra adventure game that had little side-plots and even multiple endings.