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Why video game cutscenes should be eliminated
blogs.cnet.com — I don't know about you, but after playing through countless hours of video games saving the world in more worlds than I can count, I've grown tired of the same old thing. I can live with sword fights and looting, but more than anything else, I'm sick and tired of cutscenes that break up the action. Can anyone give me one good reason for
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- AManOfLOP33, on 03/27/2008, -0/+26I think cut scenes are there just to make the playing experience seem more cinematical, The makers want you to become more attached as if you really are the main character. I don't mind cutscenes personally as long as I can hit X or A and it will skip to the next level/mission/etc.
- grumbel, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1I don't mind cutscenes in general either, however when the players character does something it should be gameplay, not a cutscene. Cutscenes should be left for events that are not done by the player and thus can't be shown from the characters perspective.
- truspector, on 03/27/2008, -19/+10Cutscenes are the primary way developers try to hide extensive loading times. You'll see it alot on the PS3 this generation due to the inclusion of a SLOOOOOOOOOW 2x blu ray drive.
- eurotransient, on 03/27/2008, -3/+16Oh gee, I wondered how long it would be till someone tried to turn this into a console war discussion. Shut it!
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -3/+11I have several, conflicting points I feel I must make here.
1) As a ps3 owner, and I assume an owner of Ratchet and Clank, you should know that if done right, very little load time is needed. Cutscenes are now generally rendered using the game engine, and allow a deeper depth of story telling (Which some gamers enjoy).
2)The Blu-Ray drive is slightly slower than the max dvd speed, but faster than the average, and it runs at a constant rate compared to the DVD. This means less wear and tear on the device, and faster average load times.
3) Are you trying to say the 360 doesn't have load times as well? Come on now. The only consoles without load times were the N64 and other games using flash based OS's and game cartridges. - Tahiri, on 03/28/2008, -3/+11Um, on average, a 2x bluray drive is faster than 360s DVD drive, due to speed penalties incurred from dual layered discs, and how the read speed decreases the closer the data is to the center of the disc. Bluray has no such penalties.
Specs from a PDF from the manufacturer of DVD drives for 360:
Disc Transfer rate in Megabytes per Second
Single Layer 360 DVDs: 6.65 to 16
Dual Layer 360 DVDs: 4.389 to 10.64 (and almost every game since launch is on a dual layered disc)
Single or Dual layered Blurays: 9
Seek times are also a lot faster on Bluray since the data is packed for more dense
That and PS3 has a harddrive in every unit that developers can count on.- DarkSamus, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4pwnd
- borninda818, on 03/27/2008, -3/+30Can you imagine a Final Fantasy game w/o cutscenes? Totally useless. I've always enjoyed the cut scenes in games like HL2 as well. I think they are a good break from the action and offer some meaning and direction to the gameplay. Needless to say, I disagree with the article.
- mattyice11, on 03/27/2008, -2/+4If you want a break from the action then turn off the game and take an actual break. Cutscenes were great when I was younger and had unlimited time, but now they take away the little time I have to game - especially in a game like Assassin's Creed where you can't even skip them. I often only have 20-30 minutes to play at a given time before I have to stop to take care of other things. It's possible to have a game like Metal Gear on for 30 minutes and you never even get to play. Bioshock managed to have a very rich story with only one cutscene in the entire game that I can remember. That's excellent game design.
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4Bioshock had the cutscene as you went flew in, as you went into rapture (You could move, but it was still a cutscene), the one where you fell over the balcony, and lots more that I wont give for spoiler reasons.
Remember, cutscenes don't have to involve you doing nothing anymore. They are used to expand the story, add motivation, etc.- mattyice11, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1One of those three is before the game started, and another is literally in the first minute. I'm talking about interrupting gameplay in order to show cutscenes, which Bioshock doesn't do. Technically, you are right, so you got a digg from me, but I think you get my point.
I understand about expanding the story, and why it might be necessary at times, but it shouldn't be the primary way of telling the story. I can get a much better story by watching a movie...the fun of gaming is playing. If you want to tell me a story in your game then do as much as possible in the actual game.- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2Well, even if you do it in game, with your ability to move around or change camera angle (example deleted due to possible spoilers), it is still a cutscene.
I believe what you are TRULY against are CG cutscenes, prerendered movies that older games used to increase the graphics levels etc. - mattyice11, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1You are right about that - I am more opposed to CG than I am to in-engine cutscenes.
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2Well, even if you do it in game, with your ability to move around or change camera angle (example deleted due to possible spoilers), it is still a cutscene.
- mattyice11, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1One of those three is before the game started, and another is literally in the first minute. I'm talking about interrupting gameplay in order to show cutscenes, which Bioshock doesn't do. Technically, you are right, so you got a digg from me, but I think you get my point.
- DarkSamus, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1that's because the story in bioshock is very rich, there aren't too many games with deep storylines like that
it has nothing to do with the game having fewer cutscenes
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4Bioshock had the cutscene as you went flew in, as you went into rapture (You could move, but it was still a cutscene), the one where you fell over the balcony, and lots more that I wont give for spoiler reasons.
- stereoa, on 03/27/2008, -1/+10Cutscenes in HL2?
- borninda818, on 03/28/2008, -1/+5areas in the game where you cant do anything except listen to someone talk about something. Sure you could move, but it's still a cutscene in my eyes.
- Loornadune, on 03/28/2008, -4/+1You're dumb.
- grumbel, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1It is worse then a normal cutscene, since you can't skip it, not an issue on the first play through, but can make repeated play through the game a little annoying.
- Doomsan, on 03/28/2008, -1/+5yeah but in HL2 you can move and interact while on these "cutscenes"
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1But you couldn't move on until it was over.
It gave you a chance to listen to the story, learn more. - Bartboy919, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2You can;t move in Dr. Breen's office near the end of the game.
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1But you couldn't move on until it was over.
- borninda818, on 03/28/2008, -1/+5areas in the game where you cant do anything except listen to someone talk about something. Sure you could move, but it's still a cutscene in my eyes.
- mattyice11, on 03/27/2008, -2/+4If you want a break from the action then turn off the game and take an actual break. Cutscenes were great when I was younger and had unlimited time, but now they take away the little time I have to game - especially in a game like Assassin's Creed where you can't even skip them. I often only have 20-30 minutes to play at a given time before I have to stop to take care of other things. It's possible to have a game like Metal Gear on for 30 minutes and you never even get to play. Bioshock managed to have a very rich story with only one cutscene in the entire game that I can remember. That's excellent game design.
- ssgOverlord, on 03/27/2008, -0/+4To be honest I understand the point of the article, but Brawl's adventure mode was saved by the cutscenes. (Despite the lack of talking)
- skillfull, on 03/27/2008, -1/+21Honestly i like cutscenes ..
- mattyice11, on 03/27/2008, -1/+3What is it about them that you like? Honest question.
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4They can be rewards (The hot spring cutscene in FFX-2), can allow games with cruddy graphics to look amazing (Older games), can hide load times (Still occurs sometimes, not as much though), and they can introduce new characters, or give you camera angles you are unable to view normally (Sky shots, etc).
- Tahiri, on 03/28/2008, -2/+7Plot makes games better, and cut scenes are the best way to add plot.
- mattyice11, on 03/28/2008, -2/+3It kills me when people make comments like this and then beg for innovation. The best innovation to come in the future is the one that gets rid of cutscenes as much as possible and actually finds a way to tell stories in the game.
I know I'm getting buried anyway, so I'll go ahead and say it - the ridiculously long codec conversations in MGS are the worst offenders. There's no reason these can't be going on while you play. If the goal of a story is to draw you into the game's world, then these codec conversations do the exact opposite of their intended purpose. They're very interesting and they add to the game's story, but they prevent you from playing, which is the whole reason I buy games.- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+5If your playing without knowing why, then why have a story at all?
Its like the plot for Resistance Fall of Man. My roommate just skipped all the cutscenes, and then complained about how shallow the game is... *sigh*
Cutscenes can allow you to move, aim, etc, you can call it what you will, but it is a break in the action to give you time to absorb the story, introduce new points, etc. - andycr512, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2"I know I'm getting buried anyway, so I'll go ahead and say it - the ridiculously long codec conversations in MGS are the worst offenders."
Actually, I played MGS almost exclusively for the story - the gameplay was unimportant to me, and I saw it as a way to earn the next cutscene...
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+5If your playing without knowing why, then why have a story at all?
- grumbel, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2Cutscenes are the easiest way to add plot, but they are by no means the best.
- mattyice11, on 03/28/2008, -2/+3It kills me when people make comments like this and then beg for innovation. The best innovation to come in the future is the one that gets rid of cutscenes as much as possible and actually finds a way to tell stories in the game.
- mattyice11, on 03/27/2008, -1/+3What is it about them that you like? Honest question.
- Kakemonster, on 03/27/2008, -1/+14Probably gonna get dugg down for this but.
Halo 3 cutscenes were Epic! - cam503, on 03/27/2008, -0/+8"But alas, Bioshock is by no means the norm..." I could only wish that much passion was put into every game.
As far as Reisinger's argument is concerned, I remain unconvinced. I can acknowledge that some people may not enjoy cutscenes as part of their overall video game experience, but I feel like this is a matter of taste. Even so, a majority of games featuring cut scenes today give the user the option to skip it; the forced viewing of such isn't common in my own experiences either.
The author leaves an ominous tone ringing after the end of the article, as if the continued existence of cut scenes is somehow divisive or detrimental to video games. If you don't choose to appreciate that particular aspect of games as an art, that's fine by me. Just don't expect it to go away any time soon - some people enjoy the enriching and cinematic qualities of cut scenes that complement the game world.- mattyice11, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2"If you don't choose to appreciate that particular aspect of games as an art, that's fine by me."
It's not that people that don't like cutscenes don't respect games as an art form...if anything it's the opposite. Story and gameplay shouldn't be mutually exclusive - you should be getting story while playing the game. This is why Bioshock is such a good example of how to do it right - it had a story as rich as any other game yet did it without cutscenes.
If I wanted to watch a movie I'd just watch a movie. They're higher quality than the wanna-be movies you see in most game cutscenes.- Shogi, on 03/28/2008, -3/+1Wow dude, troll much?
- Kingoftherings, on 03/28/2008, -3/+1http://www.tomsgames.com/us/2008/03/24/ken_levine_ ...
Bioshock originally had a really cool story, but they decided to dumb it down because nobody cared. Blame it on the Xbots, who need to constantly see something blow up to be entertained.
I enjoy stories in games, which is probably why I have a hard time getting into multiplayer shooters, like UT or CoD. I much preferred games like The Witcher or Neverwinter Nights.
- mattyice11, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2"If you don't choose to appreciate that particular aspect of games as an art, that's fine by me."
- Ninh, on 03/27/2008, -1/+13Cut scenes prevent bladder explosions in teenagers, thus saving millions of lives every year all over the world.
- adh3isive, on 03/28/2008, -0/+9What's the difference between setting the controller down for a cutscene and spinning the cross-hair in circles while someone talks for 10 minutes?
- opnickc, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4You can go mess around with other stuff in the game while they're talking. For example, one of the longest dialog scene's in Half Life 2 was in Kliener's lab near the beginning. There was all sorts of stuff, including a mini teleporter with a cactus, to mess with if you didn't feel like listining to the dialog. Not only would this keep someone uninterested in the story entertained, but the player would still be at least somewhat aware of what's going on, versus just skipping the scene altogether.
- kinseyincanada, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1there is also an achievement you can get during that cut scene, if you break the teleporter
- opnickc, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4You can go mess around with other stuff in the game while they're talking. For example, one of the longest dialog scene's in Half Life 2 was in Kliener's lab near the beginning. There was all sorts of stuff, including a mini teleporter with a cactus, to mess with if you didn't feel like listining to the dialog. Not only would this keep someone uninterested in the story entertained, but the player would still be at least somewhat aware of what's going on, versus just skipping the scene altogether.
- LordSeth, on 03/28/2008, -1/+6I love good cut scenes. Many may disagree but I love Metal Gear games because of the cut scenes. It brings you into the story more and I have to keep playing. I play till the next cut scene and then the next and then next till I have finished the game and I am still left wanting more. That said not all cut scenes are good but majority I like as it does make it tends to give you a different perspective otherwise unavailable through the playable characters eyes.
- Azimuth1, on 03/28/2008, -2/+3Apparently this guy didn't actually play Bioshock, because it does in fact contain cutscenes that cannot be skipped and you can't control your character during.
- dbsmoker, on 03/28/2008, -1/+2Nice digg user icon! ??? I thought you ripped it off from me at first! LOL!!
- dbsmoker, on 03/28/2008, -1/+2Nice digg user icon! ??? I thought you ripped it off from me at first! LOL!!
- superfuxxorr, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1totally rad show did it.
- dbsmoker, on 03/28/2008, -4/+2Well, I'm not gonna bother reading the article because I don't agree. Bioshock happens to be one of my all-time favorite games and doesn't deserve to be the poster child for such an article. The developers did a terrific job at not relying heavily on cinemas to flesh out the story.
Regardless, there's a lot of video games that won't work without cutscenes. I live for immersive video games, but it's nice to have a break every once in a while. Sure, it would be ideal to play games that told the story completely in-game but it's not something that works for every style of video game out there- only a handful of stories could be told through nothing but the eyes of the hero, or cameraman (Cloverfield comes to mind).
Buried as lame.- KraftDinner101, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1Well I'm not gonna bother reading the rest of your comment, because you didn't bother reading the article.
- slimthps, on 03/28/2008, -1/+5MGS without cut scenes? No thanks.
- cRmtIMe, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4God of War and God of War 2 had some pretty cool cut scenes.
- Ndiggnation, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2I have been replaying God of War and God of War 2 again lately, mainly because I also bought Chains of Olympus and the appetite was whetted again. I've been playing Primal again too and thought about just yesterday how good the cut scenes in all those games are and how well they tell the story. The games wouldn't be the same without them.
Hell, it's why I play Folklore too, but the cut scenes are done a little differently..but they tell a good story. That's the point I guess.
- Ndiggnation, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2I have been replaying God of War and God of War 2 again lately, mainly because I also bought Chains of Olympus and the appetite was whetted again. I've been playing Primal again too and thought about just yesterday how good the cut scenes in all those games are and how well they tell the story. The games wouldn't be the same without them.
- roxya, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4"I don't want a movie. I want a video game." - Fine, but lots of us love cinematics in games. If movies have no interactivity, and games had no cinematics, there would be nothing that caters for both. Don't you think there's a reason the Metal Gear Solid series is so popular? It isn't only the gameplay, but the whole experience.
I honestly wonder if the guy has a real problem with them or if he just wanted something to write about, because he doesn't make his point well by recommending Bioshock. The demo alone had a couple of non-interactive cutscenes. - slimjim5811, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4Methinks the writer has a short attention span.
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1I completely disa--- OOH, a shiny!
- AwesomeMonster, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1You tell the final fantasy fans that they shouldn't have their cut scenes. Some of the best cg comes from that game.
- Brian47126, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1I got this whole bottle of Ritalin... It's a gift... I think you need it more then I...
- AwesomeMonster, on 03/28/2008, -0/+5I'm afraid that this generation has spoiled gamers and made everyone think they are "hardcore." Every last game he mentions is this gen console shooter. If he had actualy ventured beyond bioshock and the console shooter fair, he would have played it's far better spiritual predecessor, system shock 2, he would have found that this sort of no cut scene game play had existed for ages, and that bioshock isn't that amazingly unique in comparison. He also would have played through the many squaresoft ps1 rpg's that showed how well a pre-rendered cut scene can show a story. lastly, had he even played through games LAST generation, he would have played HL2 which does exactly what he said years before bioshock. This man is a dolt.
- crichton101, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1if you want to go back even further, the first Half Life had no cut scenes either.
- Loornadune, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1To the person that wrote this article: Play World of Warcraft, or just gtfo story based games.
- Harabeck, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Ya know its funny, WoW has dozens of novels of story, the story from 3 games, and hours and hours of story within the game if you so choose to pay attention to it. Yet the only cutscenes are intros.
- theaceoffire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1Sadly though, a lot of people skip the quest readings, and just run to level 70, ignoring most of that hard work.
- Harabeck, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Ya know its funny, WoW has dozens of novels of story, the story from 3 games, and hours and hours of story within the game if you so choose to pay attention to it. Yet the only cutscenes are intros.
- BuddyDoQ, on 03/28/2008, -0/+3There's room for both methinks. Some games (MGS / RPG's) the whole point in playing is about getting to the next gripping story time. Frankly, these can be a lot of fun, the epic build up to an epic boss fight. Other games (Most FPS and racing games) simply don't need them to be fun and epic as hell. Take Portal, the whole story unfolds as you play, there isn't a cinematic pause in the game, and I for one couldn't just put it down.
Remember, there's always multiplayer! - espempire, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1i dont mind cut scenes pre-se, but i would prefer the ability to bypass them from time to time, sometimes you flat out dont care
- h4mx0r, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2I disagree with this guy. I believe cutscenes can be a powerful alternative method to portray elements of a story from a certain point of view. Especially for the game designer from what I imagine. Sometimes I look at a scripted scene in action, and admist all the awesomeness, I know in a sad tone that someone is playing this game and not paying attention. Some idiot is jumping around and doing circles when he should be focusing on something worth focusing on. The cutscene will force the player to recognize a certain scene without acting like a retard or not noticing it at all.
I will be honest, I've occasionally passed by a sequence in games like Half-Life, only to realize long after that I had missed something interesting. Plus, cutscenes can instill a sense of drama. - inajeep, on 03/28/2008, -0/+3It's gonna be love em or hate em argument but they should always give you the ability to skip them
- Koush, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1Nonsense, cutscenes usually for me highten the experience, games like resident evil/FF/GoW.
- Dumbledorito, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1The kind of cutscenes I'd like to see gone are ones that could have been done with gameplay. As the great philosopher Yahtzee pointed out about "Devil May Cry 4," what's the point of a fighting game making you sit through at least two cutscenes where a fight takes place? Doesn't the game trust you to actually play?
- trav12221, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1MGS4 without cutscenes?
no thanks - LordofErebor, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1Well, I thought this article very stimulating. I usually don't mind cut-scenes, as they are excellent ways of moving the story forward...and I do care about the story, or I wouldn't even bother with the single player portion of the game. Some games are made for stories, particularly RPG's and certain action types (Prince of Persia, God of War, etc); while other games center more on the constant action, and the story can take a back seat (Unreal Tournament...any sports game). So, I think that developers may want to consider their target audience as they decide what type of cut-scenes (interactive vs. prescripted), if any at all, to put into the game.
Having said all that, we should keep in mind that as long as games remain story-less, parents and politicians will always have more fodder for saying that Video Games are a detriment to society. I think that games are an art form, and a valid source of both entertainment and inspiration in varying degrees, and I would personally hate to see that aspect of them butchered, just so the ADD crowd can get back to blowing stuff up.
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