Ken Levine does best to clear the storytelling air
by Terrence Stasse 
{ Apr 3rd 2008 at 9:00PM }
As is becoming more and more common these days, a developer heard about the internet debacle that their comments or actions sparked, AND responded with relative quickness. This time it's BioShock's very own Ken Levine and his comments about dumbing down the stories in video games to be understandable for the lowest common denominator. His response was posted over at VE3D, and in it he goes deeper into his side comment about the medium of games having potential through player choice.
In fact he can say it better than us, so we'll just let him do it: "(Players) can, IF THEY CHOOSE, go deeper. That's where in BioShock all the other storytelling devices kick in: the diaries, the public service announcements, the posters, the thousands of little scenes in the world of Rapture that tell the story of what happened there. But I like to assume there's going to be some part of the audience that doesn't care about that, and those people can opt out of it. But for the people who do care, they can choose to opt in and get a fairly complex story (and a VERY complex story relative to other console first person shooters)."
The second part of Ken's response can be found after the break.
"However, it's also a question of training the audience. (System) Shock 2 sold 200k units. Deus Ex maybe sold a couple hundred thousand more than that. So there's simply not a lot of people out there who have experience with narrative oriented shooters. The broad shooter audience is just not that accustomed to complicated story. However, I think BioShock (and other games this year such as Portal) demonstrates that audience is ready for more. Just like FPS added more gameplay elements over time (the move to full 3d, vehicles, objective based stuff like in Battlefield) the story telling space can become more complex as the audience gets comfortable receiving story in game rather than in pre-rendered cutscenes. In short, the next game we do can be more complex, and the one after that can be more complex still."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Q @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:33PM
Deus Ex for XBLA confirmed?
Magic Whiskey @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:49PM
Ken Levine is fine and well.. I just wish he'd stop his diatribes on soapboxes. It really makes him sound elitist.
I agree with the above quote from him: sometimes I want a simple storyline, and sometimes not. What I ALWAYS want is cohesiveness; and I don't get that near as much as I'd want to as a gamer. Lost Planet, Dark Sector, Dead Rising..three examples of decent gaming experiences, yet BAD, convoluted story development.
If you have a story..or don't...make sure the product is solid regardless.
AnOffday @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:54PM
The majority of gamers are brain dead morons who don't appreciate a good story, let alone want to hear one. So you can't really blame developers for not wanting to waste their time creating such an amazing story, because chances are the player only wants to see heads explode.
Dick @ Apr 4th 2008 9:45AM
It's unfortunate attitudes like yours that are held by big executives in places of power over video game studios.
While it's fair to say that a large portion of the audience cares less about story, and more about gameplay, simply stating that, "the majority of gamers are brain dead morons who don't appreciate a good story, let alone want to hear one" is the kind of attitude that is giving us the 50 Cent Video Game, part 2, among other ridiculously worthless IP vehicles.
But, at least 500K 50 cent fans will want to get it.
Just like 500K bioshock fans will want the second game to be very in depth, with an interesting window to the bioshock world being opened for them to play through.
I dont know how many gamers you know, but 95% of those I know and talk to regularly say it has to have playability AND a cohesive story. (My little brother cares less, but he's one in twenty in my experience.)
AnOffday @ Apr 4th 2008 9:54AM
Well obviously these twenty gamers are your friends, and if you appreciate a good story then of course your friends are going to have similar interests to yours. That's why they're considered friends. But it's the same reason why the media is constantly attacking gamers, and why every 1 in 3 people you meet on Xbox Live is racists, annoying, a complete jerk, or all three. The majority of gamers are idiots. It's that simple.
Neuromancer @ Apr 4th 2008 10:39AM
Dick you're not excited about 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand?
"...what's inspired the title is, 50 and G-Unit are putting on a sold-out performance somewhere in a fictional Middle Eastern setting. This is where the 'blood on the sand' comes in. They put on the performance; the people are pleased, but the concert promoter stiffs them and doesn't give 50 and G-Unit their payment.
"So, of course, 50 isn't going to leave until he gets paid, so he hassles the concert promoter, [saying] if he doesn't come up with the money now, there will be consequences. And instead, the promoter offers him a very valuable gift - something that's valuable to this particular country - a diamond encrusted skull.
"So 50 gets the skull, and as he's about to leave this war-torn country, when they're ambushed and the skull is taken. They escape the ambush, but they're without the skull. So 50's motivated to get what belongs to him. So basically, throughout the game, he's trying to track these people down and find out who they are and why he was ambushed."
Sounds like grade A storytelling to me!
Neuromancer @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:12PM
The problem is developers come up with stories they think are fantastic but are really just stupid or cliched, and then the developers force gamers to watch cutscenes or interupt the flow of the game to push out more of the story. I remember getting so irritated in Gears of War when the game would almost grind to a halt so Marcus Fenix could slow down and talk to someone on his little headset. Goddammit I just want to play the goddamn game!
Vcize @ Apr 4th 2008 10:45AM
The vast majority of TV is dumbed down for idiots, and most of the highest rated shows are written for idiots while the intracate story stuff trails far behind.
Same goes for movies.
I guess games are no different.
ALH @ Apr 4th 2008 11:06AM
I think 'dumbing down' is a VERY american way of producing and projecting ideas. Thats not to start a flamewar about the intelligence of americans Vs europe or wherever else, however its evident even in the base media that america is very much tailored to the absolute dumbest of the dumb. We have our fair share of dumb, lowest common denominator crap over here in britain, and im sure people on the contintent do too, however in say, comparing the american documentary shows to ones produced in europe the difference is pretty harsh, and rather disturbing.
By dumbing down ideas we dumb down the people, its a circle that never ends. As a rule, most people are unaware of their own potential for intelligence, perhaps put off by school or low levels of confidence. The entertainment and games industries should not CATER for this 'dumb' culture, they should ENCOURAGE people to get off their asses and THINK.
Of course, you can argue that the American government in particular wants its population to be kept dumb and submissive...
nmmalone @ Apr 4th 2008 11:31AM
I think the story line really helps drive a game. Gameplay can only do so much. I think Portal is a good example. A portal gun = amazing game play, but the story that Valve got going is fun and entertaining.
I must say, I really enjoy RPG's for their stories. But FPS's have come a long way with story lines.
James @ Apr 4th 2008 12:03PM
I think the core problem is that the intersection between RPG lovers (who want a story, without needing "twitch" skills) and shooter lovers (who want to kill shit and don't care why) is not that big a market, and capturing people who are on the edges of both areas is the key to expanding it. That's why Bioshock sells so well. Like Ken says, it doesn't *force* you to sit through much of the story, but there's depth if you want to look for it. It doesn't *force* you to replay dozens of times until you get that headshot exactly right -- and you can tune the auto-aim to make it as much or as little a challenge as you see fit.
Of course, I was squarely in the middle of his target audience, so don't take my word for it. I'm just glad it sold well enough to (probably) get a sequel =-)