On FMV in Games, Gore and Giving a Middle Finger to Censors

[Yahtzee Croshaw]

On FMV in Games, Gore and Giving a Middle Finger to Censors

When FMV was the next big thing, all the games looked like shit.

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[Evonisia]

Half-Life, Thief, System Shock 2, Deus Ex. All great games, all look like ass.

Truer words have never been spoken.

But yeah, it does seem like we're heading for something good seeing as we've already had about three years of the "increase teh graphics" arms race. I think the new consoles will just end up being part of it by accident (or is it coincidence).

 

[Roofstone]

I see your "Let's drown out" is influencing the work. Just give it a few more weeks and we will have Gabriel guest staring.

But yeah, it does seem like we're heading for something good seeing as we've already had about three years of the "increase teh graphics" arms race. I think the new consoles will just end up being part of it by accident (or is it coincidence).

I think graphics will be less of a thing in not too long, cause it seems we have, or are very close, to hitting the roof. We can't climb anymore until we find an exceptionally powerful jackhammer to dig a hole with. I hope so anyway.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

But yeah, it does seem like we're heading for something good seeing as we've already had about three years of the "increase teh graphics" arms race. I think the new consoles will just end up being part of it by accident (or is it coincidence).

I think graphics will be less of a thing in not too long, cause it seems we have, or are very close, to hitting the roof. We can't climb anymore until we find an exceptionally powerful jackhammer to dig a hole with. I hope so anyway.

They are making that jackhammer, though, with multi-million dollar studios designing incredibly intricate engines. Now it's a race to see if they can hit a peak of quality graphics that can be reproduced cheaply before every studio on the planet folds under the economic pressure. So far, I think the the latter is winning.

 

[Thanatos2k]

Problem with FMV games is it just seems too much like a TV show. Why does it need to be a video game at that point?

Conversely, they could be better if they were done by people who actually do TV shows instead of actors and game devs who have no idea what they're doing.

Where's my Law and Order: SVU FMV game?

 

[Falterfire]

I probably would hate FMV games if my exposure to them wasn't mainly limited to the Command & Conquer series, most specifically Red Alert 2. Red Alert 2 was awesome and used FMV well, so I never learned to hate FMV.

 

[Jadwick]

All hail a return to FMV!

With zany overacting, low-resolution video, and terribly dressed characters.

As long as I don't have to re-install Quicktime.


One of my favorite games had FMV and it's probably really unheard of - The Robot Club.
Yeah it was one of those 'edutainment' games, but you got to build and program freaking robots!

Now that I think about it that game was actually a really good primer to sequential programming for an 8 year old, plus the challenges actually got pretty taxing.

Ohhh, and you could also build robots to fight each other with lasers and tennis balls and robitc arms and all sorts of other stuff, and the winner came down to whoever had the best design and program.

 

[Sylocat]

Given the "retro" game craze, that seems like all the more reason to try a return to FMV.

Hmm, do I smell a Kickstarter?

 

[erbkaiser]

Relevant: it was announced today The Seventh Guest 3's campaign has been terminated after it again failed to get enough backing.

 

[blackaesir]

It seems like Yatzee has failed to realize one critical thing. FMV sequences don't allow for macho characters with tree trunks for arms, hams for chins and refrigerators for armor. FMV sequesnces would deprive an entire generation of young gamers from experiencing testosterone injected one-note characters. That would be terrible.

Also, given how many interesting games have been coming out that are not made by the AAA industry, but smaller development teams, I would agree that the pendelum is already swinging the other way. At the very least we are seeing the formation of two divergent branches of the video game market. There are upsides and downsides to both (see Jim's past videos on Steam).

 

[LoneWolf83]

Half-Life, Thief, System Shock 2, Deus Ex. All great games, all look like ass.

The problem with FMV games is the FMV's looked like crap even for the time. Half-Life, Thief, System Shock 2, Deus Ex, etc looked good for their time (maybe, I don't know, I was too poor to afford them when they came out). Now if FMV games could have survived to the era of DVD's they could have succeeded. Maybe they will make a comeback, it could even be cheaper to make an FMV game than to make a cutscene.

 

[Howling Din]

Yahtzee didn't write this.

Look it's fine if he didn't have time this week but don't lie to my face by leaving his name up.

 

[shiajun]

Half-Life, Thief, System Shock 2, Deus Ex. All great games, all look like ass.

The problem with FMV games is the FMV's looked like crap even for the time. Half-Life, Thief, System Shock 2, Deus Ex, etc looked good for their time (maybe, I don't know, I was too poor to afford them when they came out). Now if FMV games could have survived to the era of DVD's they could have succeeded. Maybe they will make a comeback, it could even be cheaper to make an FMV game than to make a cutscene.

I don't think any of those games made any waves with their graphics even at their time. I think Deus Ex was even kind of mocked a bit in tha department.

Oh, and I can't leave an FMV game topic without mentioning another game that actually "got it", to the extent that was possible. "Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within". For the most part, the acting was passable to good, with or two rather corny ones in there. Gameplay wise, it didn't step away too much from point and click format, with some good puzzles and dialogue trees in there. The script was solid and jolly good supernatural/historical mystery. And it had a freaking opera filmed for it. Try it out, if you get the chance.

captcha: "what to see"
I think I already answered that.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I remember some good Game vids. Different genre though.


8:20- Damn you used to be awesome Kane.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Yahtzee didn't write this.

Look it's fine if he didn't have time this week but don't lie to my face by leaving his name up.

Care to share why you think that Yahtzee didn't write it?

OT: I've always thought that when games switched from CGI to live action it was jarring and looked really stupid. If they could somehow make a game look entirely live action it might work, possibly, but it would probably still look stupid. Personally, I hope that FMV remains a relic of the past.

 

[Petromir]

Half-Life, Thief, System Shock 2, Deus Ex. All great games, all look like ass.

The problem with FMV games is the FMV's looked like crap even for the time. Half-Life, Thief, System Shock 2, Deus Ex, etc looked good for their time (maybe, I don't know, I was too poor to afford them when they came out). Now if FMV games could have survived to the era of DVD's they could have succeeded. Maybe they will make a comeback, it could even be cheaper to make an FMV game than to make a cutscene.

I don't think any of those games made any waves with their graphics even at their time. I think Deus Ex was even kind of mocked a bit in that department.

While none made waves I don't recall any of them being particularly bad at the time. They all aged visually incredibly badly though.

 

[LadyRhian]

I remember playing 7th Guest and the FMV stuff freaking me out. Okay, the actors were corny, especially the guy playing old man Stauf. But that game was seriously creepy- I remember the old lady wishing to have her youth back and turning into a baby over a short period of time, the scene with the older man and his lover where his head morphed into that of a goat and the lover's head/face changed into a skull, and the really creepy video in the attic where a baby with a Stauf doll is lying in its crib and gets strangled by the doll. Ironically, the 11th Hour, made with far better video bits, wasn't half as scary as the original game. Also, can we mention Wing Commander 3? That game's video was awesome, and held up for a very long time.

 

[RealRT]

Given the "retro" game craze, that seems like all the more reason to try a return to FMV.

Hmm, do I smell a Kickstarter?

Well, Tesla Effect, the latest Tex Murphy game was kickstarted.