If Heavy Rain Wasn't A "Video Game," Beyond Won't Be, Either
Beyond: Two SoulsIn my opinion, I put Heavy Rain in the top five games of the generation. Some might take issue with that, but not because of the ranking.
No, they'd take issue with the fact that I called Quantic Dream's masterpiece a "video game." Perhaps they'd say it can only qualify as one of the top 5 "experiences" of the generation, or something like that.
I've heard this argument in full and I'm still not sure I understand it. We all operate on preconceived notions and preset operational definitions every day of our lives. To say Heavy Rain wasn't a video game only means you compared it to what we traditionally accepted as video games in the past, and concluded that it didn't fit. But of course it's a video game. It uses a video screen and you play it, even if you're not blowing things up; you do control it, which means it isn't passive. So it ain't a movie.
But this isn't good enough for some, who are already saying Quantic's new project, Beyond: Two Souls, isn't a video game, either. Why? Too smart to be a video game? Let's not admit that, shall we? The future of this industry is unknown, but you can bet that visionaries like the guys at Quantic Dream will push gaming in a more artistic direction, where players will explore moral, ethical, and philosophical concepts. And it's also true that the developers themselves have said Heavy Rain is part of a new genre; a standalone "intellectual adventure" of sorts.
Obviously, though, it still has to fall into the "video game" category. Beyond could push things even further, though, and maybe the lines will become even blurrier. I'm just wondering how many people will start going, "Yeah, but it's not a game." ...way too many for my liking, I'm sure. I'm worried that by eliminating these titles from the "video game" category, we're eliminating the chances we have of making this industry appear progressive and mature. Yes, let's kick out the games that prove we're about more than guns and death. Good plan that.
Related Game(s): Beyond: Two Souls
Tags: quantic dream, beyond, beyond two souls, heavy rain
7/18/2012 8:59:55 PM Ben Dutka
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter
Comments (25 posts)
Temjin001
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 9:32:13 PM
Reply
I don't feel that way, really. I think when it's not looked at as a game with rules for winning and losing, it can be more easily felt as interactive story telling that doesn't really need gaming to define itself. I see the QTE;s as more of a way to heighten a players level of awareness and response to the drama and action as the story unfolds.
2 up, 1 down
Axe99
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 5:29:33 PM
I think the issue here was that it was done differently. The button-pressing challenges weren't what people were used too - but the Mass Effect and Dragon Age stories, and most RPGs, have plenty of sequences that are, gameplay-wise, almost identical to the nature of Heavy Rain (walk around, press a button to move the story on, watch conversation/text box, walk around some more) - but because we're deconditioned to it, we see no issue with this at all ;).
0 up, 0 down
duomaxwell007
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 9:42:04 PM
Reply
now lets say MGS4 removed all the game play and the game was 90% one long cut scene with quick time events throughout... would you call that a video game? You know what Id call it? An interactive movie (those did exist in the earlier DVD days)
0 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 10:06:21 PM
Last edited by Temjin001 on 7/18/2012 10:06:51 PM
0 up, 1 down
BikerSaint
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 9:43:08 PM
Reply
Where's the "10 thumbs up" button????
1 up, 5 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 10:20:28 PM
Reply
It bugs me when people say it's just a series of QTEs though. To call that assessment inaccurate is an understatement.
5 up, 3 down
firesoul453
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 10:24:32 PM
Reply
but I do know I enjoyed it very much!
1 up, 1 down
bebestorm
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 10:24:53 PM
Reply
1 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 10:30:04 PM
1 up, 2 down
bebestorm
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 11:10:23 PM
1 up, 1 down
cLoudou
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 12:29:53 AM
Reply
Wait, " Play Beyond". You think Sony knew of its existence since launch or just pure coincidence?
3 up, 1 down
Excelsior1
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 2:13:17 AM
Reply
I was there for the narriative in both games but I guess some gamers put more emphasis on actual gameplay. Lengthy cut scenes like those in mgs4 are difinitely on their way out. I think games like HR are a completely different genre than say mgs4 though. Games like HR probably will never have mass appeal because of the style of gameplay though. Yeah, there are many who will never touch a game like HR because they don't think it's VG or they put more of a premium on gameplay.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 7/19/2012 2:14:56 AM
2 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 8:50:14 AM
2 up, 1 down
Excelsior1
Friday, July 20, 2012 @ 11:15:49 AM
0 up, 0 down
Ultimadream
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 2:35:38 AM
Reply
It is a game, simply because it is interactive, a game doesn't need to have you shoot everything in sight or collect coins.
3 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 8:51:40 AM
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 7/19/2012 8:52:20 AM
0 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 9:47:06 AM
1 up, 1 down
PharaohJR
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 3:37:34 AM
Reply
0 up, 1 down
homura
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 5:31:50 AM
Reply
Last edited by homura on 7/19/2012 5:33:52 AM
0 up, 1 down
___________
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 6:15:26 AM
Reply
there for its a game!
just because its different and does not fall into the same category of other games does not mean its not a game.
just because your pressing buttons to a rhythm does not mean its not a game!
movies are very linear and restrictive in your involvement.
you dont have movies that let you choose a or b, you dont get a say in what happens in a movie.
and because of that, because your passive you dont get sucked into it as much as you will a game.
2 up, 0 down
Rogueagent01
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 6:45:14 AM
Reply
I've heard/read people say that God games are not videogames and the same with the old school Text Adventure/RPG games not being videogames. I just laugh at those comments simply because they want to limit what a videogame is and that to me is thier problem not ours. Videogames have an almost limitless horizon in which to define themselves and the developers get to choose not us.
2 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Thursday, July 19, 2012 @ 9:58:27 AM
I don't feel strongly either way. But I'd like to see our medium mature with more defined and concise ways of expressing the content we engage.
but oh well, they're just THOSE video GAMES. You know?
2 up, 1 down
Kingnichendrix
Reply
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 @ 9:31:51 PM