Why can't American Developers create good stories?

Mass Effect has one of the best stories in any video game...
(edit - oops, thought the title was north american)

Rash generalizations like that are dangerous.

Sedoras explains it all.

Saying new Japanese games have better story might be a matter of opinion, I'm actually disgusted at the general range of storylines from most Japanese companies as of late, and would them on par with the American developers. *shrug*

And don't say that Japanese developers don't push the limits. Kojima Productions does with all the Metal Gear Solid games.

Most game stories suck, American or not.

Most game stories suck, American or not.

WolfattheDoor34

Sadly, I'd have to agree with this...

Edit: Though I do have to give the writers some credit, as weaving a good story into an action game, or to a lesser extent an even rpg, would be no mean feat. There are so many problems raised by the miedium that film writers and novelist don't have to deal with.

All the Madden games have a uber story.

because psychodelic drugs are illegal in the USDJF00P

This post am winner.

GTA 4 didn't have a great story it was fun but the story wasn't great and as for prey it was unique and fun but the story was lackingbelrock86

Says who? You?

The story was excellent. Thematically similar to the previous GTA's, the game mechanics are used as great interactive vehicle for the story: a rags-to-riches tail, the perversion of the American dream.

You may not grasp the subtext, but many others do.

Why is this topic title absolutely wrong?

what makes GTA IV's story unique from any other story it's basically scarfacebelrock86

lol

Its cause of the thinking we have here. The shinnier the better, the bigger the better, the more grafically intense the better. However, i don't hear any American companies saying the more emotional the better. >.> Take for example Crysis, it wasn't developed in America(germany), but so many of the Western reviewers gave it such a high score because of its graphical achievements. I played through the whole game, and i could name so many other shooters with much better story lines that Crysis, yet they gave it a much higher score. Like i said it all comes down to our differences thinking. Besides with the great EA :roll: looming our gaming community, i highly doubt anyone would be able to come up with anything that breaks the barrier in story telling.

what makes GTA IV's story unique from any other story it's basically scarfacebelrock86

Wow. So in other words, you've never played it. I'm not going to post any plot spoilers here. Just play it, or at least Google/Wiki the storyline.

Howevever, as with any great story, no synopsis is going to do a story any justice. There is a pacing and presentation that need to be experienced.

I personally abhor that idea of playing a thug in a story that glamorizes and rewards violent behavior. But I can totally appreciate why the writers/developers want to juxtapose a law-biding player (me) into the role of an emotionally scarred characterd like Niko. There is rhyme and reason to it that gives the story its emotional momentum.

It's the type of story that a Japanese game has yet to do.... at least from what I've played.

I have to completely disagree that may have been true 10 years ago but at the time being american developers are a bit ahead when it comes to good story telling. The Japanese with the exception of MGS have rehashing the same stories over and over whereas the american developers are finally coming into their own especially on the 360. games like mass effect GTA halflife and yes halo and gears have great stories. to me the japanese J-RPGs are becoming as played out as the WWII genre.the_animals

Mass Effect was made by Bioware is based in Canada and who the heck does Gears of War have a good story line if the story is kill or be killed or blood, yeah blood than yeah it has a fantastic story line and as for Halo the first one is awesome it had a story as for the second and third there was no story

man I think you are confused as stated before good narrative is not the same as good story for real, you use MGS story as an example, it is not good, write the ful story and read it is so so, but the way it is presented to you is what makes it spectaculardoubalfa

In fact, I would say that Metal Gear does NOT have a good story. It does, however, have excellent production values. Although part of a larger experience, those are two totally different things.

Mass Effect has one of the best stories in any video game...
(edit - oops, thought the title was north american)

Rash generalizations like that are dangerous.

spazzx625

Haha, yes Canadians do rule. =) But Bioshock was pretty awesome, right?

i played and beat GTA IV and i am going back in my head and you win i forgot about how they actually told Niko's back story as for the from rags to riches story it's been done so many times I guess I hope that when they do make anther GTA game that is based around Niko again because for me the biggest problem with the GTA series is once you start to understand a character a little bit they make you play as a different one to me that hurts GTA and its overall storybelrock86

Sure, it's been done. That's the whole schtick of GTA. Yet, each iteration brings it's own protagonist that makes his telling of the tale unique.

The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy and many JRPGs follow very similar patterns as well. We see this repeatedly in book and movies also.

The challenge is to make the story engaging. GTA has done this consistently.

have you ever played and beat MGS4 it is one of the greatest stories ever in video game history thats like saying the Dark Knight was boring belrock86

No. MGS4 is one of the greatest cinematic experiences in videogaming. But I don't think it has a great story at all. From the starting "War has changed" monologue, much of the writing was cringe-worthy. The military advisors of the game should have offered their advice on the narrative as well as the technical side of things, because as it stands, Kojima's commentary on the war economy, etc. seemed very rote.... so much so, that I felt a bit detached from the story. It's as if his writers read some cut-rate poli-sci books and tried to shoe-horn their new knowledge into the game.

Heck, even the Ghost Recon games have an air of realism, and sincerity that the MGS series lacks.

But hey, that's just my opinion. Just like your dislike of GTA is your opinion.

Maybe that's the whole point of this. Maybe American games do have good stories. You just don't like them.

It seems to me American developers at least Xbox 360 American developers are always focused solely on gameplay rather than story BioShock was created in Australia Bioware of course Canada and anyone that says Halo or Gears has a good story must not know what a story is. Japanese game developers always seem to focus solely on story than gameplay I feel like this is a huge reason why the Xbox 360 isn't taken seriously in Japan so why can't American developers create good stories do they believe American gamers don't care and rather see great visuals and lots of action or is it that American developers feel like it isn't necessary to make a game great? I made have opend the flood gates here but I wanna hear everyone's thoughts.belrock86

Take a closer look at drug use, attitudes, and government policy in relation to good content. These policies hurt all creative industries throughout the world. The peak of creative content was in the 60's with the lows in the 2000s'.

[QUOTE="belrock86"]It seems to me American developers at least Xbox 360 American developers are always focused solely on gameplay rather than story BioShock was created in Australia Bioware of course Canada and anyone that says Halo or Gears has a good story must not know what a story is. Japanese game developers always seem to focus solely on story than gameplay I feel like this is a huge reason why the Xbox 360 isn't taken seriously in Japan so why can't American developers create good stories do they believe American gamers don't care and rather see great visuals and lots of action or is it that American developers feel like it isn't necessary to make a game great? I made have opend the flood gates here but I wanna hear everyone's thoughts.KreepLX

Take a closer look at drug use, attitudes, and government policy in relation to good content. These policies hurt all creative industries throughout the world. The peak of creative content was in the 60's with the lows in the 2000s'.

I agree and thats why I feel more people need to stand up and be creative