LONG BLOG
Culture Vs. Creativity: Where do Stories come from?
Where do stories come from?
How much about the games we play is made up of our sense of cultural identity and how much is driven by creative urges?
In the end the issue of where these stories come from comes down to where in us they come from, they're not products of a conscious national � or international effort to enforce a certain interpretation of world events but rather it's just the fact that what entertains us most is usually what resonates most with us � i.e. the things we think about a lot tend to be the things we buy products to do with, and the things we tend to think about the most tend to be our biggest fears, so they end up making 'good' stories. The shame is however that we miss out on a lot of potentially interesting stories, simply because they don't resonate with the state of politics today.
I quite like military shooters myself, despite their failings, but I still feel as though they, like most games, revolve around a very closed market, in which very little change actually takes place, too many ideas are left to become stagnant then used over and over again because they still sell and because nobody wants to try something different. I imagine things will change in time, no doubt more independent developers will spring up to tackle the gaps in the market and consumer tastes will change, which will lead to wanting fresher stories from their games, but what we really need most of all is new ideas. And for that we'll need a lot more creativity.
Panzadolphin56 
BulletMagnet 1
Zwoooosh 1
knutaf 1
How much about the games we play is made up of our sense of cultural identity and how much is driven by creative urges?
In the end the issue of where these stories come from comes down to where in us they come from, they're not products of a conscious national � or international effort to enforce a certain interpretation of world events but rather it's just the fact that what entertains us most is usually what resonates most with us � i.e. the things we think about a lot tend to be the things we buy products to do with, and the things we tend to think about the most tend to be our biggest fears, so they end up making 'good' stories. The shame is however that we miss out on a lot of potentially interesting stories, simply because they don't resonate with the state of politics today.
I quite like military shooters myself, despite their failings, but I still feel as though they, like most games, revolve around a very closed market, in which very little change actually takes place, too many ideas are left to become stagnant then used over and over again because they still sell and because nobody wants to try something different. I imagine things will change in time, no doubt more independent developers will spring up to tackle the gaps in the market and consumer tastes will change, which will lead to wanting fresher stories from their games, but what we really need most of all is new ideas. And for that we'll need a lot more creativity.
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About Panzadolphin56one of us since 9:54 AM on 05.06.2011
Oh hey!
I'm former male model and celebrity nutritionist Panzadolphin56. This is my blog. I write things here.
...in case the blog bit didn't give that away.
Anyway! To the left you'll find my latest blogs, and beneath this you'll find a fairly comprehensive list of most of what I've written over the years (unfortunately some stuff does eventually get bumped off the list.)
I like to write from a fairly critical standpoint about games, usually analysis or talking about issues that interest me, I also do retrospectives from time to time, talk about games I've been playing, write the funny things that come into my head, and very occasionally do some crappy art.
I hope you enjoy what you read!
I also do Lets Plays (mostly old horror games) so if that's your thing then click here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/godi3400
Everyone who clicks will not win a million dollars!
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A little about me:
I am mostly a story person, good mechanics are good mechanics but button pressing never does anything for me. I like Horror, I like Cyberpunk, I like Neo-Noir (especially crossed with Cyberpunk), I like good art and good writing, I like games that cut against the grain or choose to challenge social or industry norms in some way.
I don't have a single favourite game but I am a big fan of the MGS games, Snatcher, the Forbidden Siren series, Silent Hill 2, the old-school Resident Evils, Advance Wars and Power Dolls, among many, many others.
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Critical Pieces:
How ugly should Horror really be?
Of Inventories and Horror Games
Crafting A Good Game of 'The Thing'
Alien(s), Creative license and Borrowed Ideas
Crossing from TV/Movie to Games
Scope and Depth in the world of gaming
Boss Battles - When do they ever make sense?
Survival Horror Essentials
Colonial Marines: Well, that kind of sucked...
Disability, Disease in Games
Blood 2 and Post-Modernism
Topics, Tropes and Atmosphere in Horror games
Realism Vs. Fantasy - Who Wins?
The gradual drift away from the mainstream
Is There Horror in The Ugly...?
The Fourth Wall and taking games seriously
Are You Always Online?
Hype: Aliens Vs. Predator
To shoot stuff or not to shoot stuff?
Character Design and Choice in Games
Culture Vs. Creativity: Where do Stories come from?
Where you go Isometric-Strategy Games?
What's the Point of Games?
Do Horror games even still exist...?
Why are Characters Always so White...?
Choice in Games: Heavy Rain
A Magical Dolphin Plays:
Claire
Sepulchre
The King of the Wood
Retrospectives:
Resident Evil Remake
Aliens Vs Predator 2
Sweet Home
Forbidden Siren
System Shock 2
Pick up and Plays:
Call of Cthulhu and the Spectre of Good Horror
Story Books and Nightmares in Rule of Rose
B-Movie Bliss: Extermination
Along for the ride with Michigan: Report From Hell
Some thoughts on Wargame: European Escalation
Skyrim: Impressions
Funny/Less Critical Stuff:
Get Yo Summer Game On
Lazyblog: Box Art
Escaping into the Darkness of Hellnight
Diversity what what?!?: Black Mamba Edition
Why Do We Still Have Exploding Barrels...?
Art:
Dead Space 3, in a nut shell.
CROSSOVER: Mario X Siren
Boss: Learning the Tools of the Trade
Front Pages:
Tales from Skyrim: The skinhead shopkeep