"It's just a game."
Yesterday, I was talking about The Wolf Among Us with one of my friends, and we got to the topic of whether we spared or killed The Crooked Man. I was talking about how I spared him because I thought it was inhumane and I didn't want to be seen as a monster, and to counteract my statement, my friend simply stated, "It's just a game." I don't know why, but ever since he said that, I've been deep in thought about this subject. I personally like to think of video games as some sort of reality, since it helps me understand and relate to the story more. So, I made this thread out of curiosity, to get your guys' opinions on this topic. Do you think like I do, or do you see it as "just a game?"
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It depends on the game. Some games I get into the story, some I don't. I have my own canon for Knights of the Old Republic I and II and Dragon Age: Origins, but I played through The Walking Dead and Skyrim just doing what I felt would be entertaining.
I see that as another way to say "You shouldn't care so much" but, hey, look at me. I still care.
Yes, clearly, it's a game but you can engage yourself in a conversation about the game and its characters. There's no harm in that. It's just like discussing a book or a movie, which is why it kinda upsets me when people say "it's just a game" when I pour out my thoughts and feelings on that one topic.
I've always made the choices I felt would lead to a more interesting story and lead to more character development. Save Ben, Kill the St. Johns, Leave Sarah to die, Stay with Kenny...
With Wolf Among Us, Bigby isn't a blank slate I've always been a big Fables fan (Which is why I was excited for Wolf Among Us from the beginning.) He's in the comics, he has a personality. And Bigby's kinda a dick in the comics. He most likely would kill Crooked Man and Tweedle Dum, or burn down Greenleaf's tree or send Toad and Colin to the farm. So I had no trouble making those choices.
While I'm playing and am engaged with the story its simply more than "just a game", it's an experience, but once the credits roll its back to just being a game.
Characters are people to me. It's more than "just a game" when I play. Some people disagree and that's fine. Live to disagree.
First play through I try to what I would do in real life (thats getting harder over time though). After that it is a game and should be treated as such
It's always pissed me of when people say that. The only I time I think it's fitting to say it is when people get angry over a game. Like raging because you're losing at an online game.
A game's stoy is more enjoyable when you get super into it. At the end of the day, yes it's a game but so what? Some people do get 'too' into them though. Understand that it is a game and it's fine to get really into it. It's not fun otherwise.
It's fine to get super into it just as it's fine to get into a show or a movie. No one's ever going to say something like "It's just a show" or "it's just a movie".
Sure.
But sometimes "it's just a game" can be so relieving in an industry that seems like it's suffering from an identity crisis at times. Sometimes I just want "just a game" to play and not think or process a bunch of shit. In my bias opinion, I watch films for the more heavy and tough to digest subject matter whereas at best I dabble in that kind of thought provoking material in games, and even then it's usually forgotten in favor of if I liked the gameplay.
Mostly when I grab a controller, it's to have fun with shoot 'em up's and platformers.
People take things way too seriously I mean not killing crooked man because "its inhumane" when the game is choice based, only 10 hours long and has been out for years, you haven't done it both ways? These games content come from choice so why not make them all.
I hate how people get wrapped up in ships and just get in so much deeper than there is to get, micro analysing every last detail, It usually boils down to who I wish I was x who I want to bang, I find it cringey and creepy, its allmost verging on kin.
I swear people spend more time thinking about this then they even spend playing, come on people your inventing shit, your putting more thought into this then the damn writers, read a book or go to sleep.
I barely play games anymore but when I do I do what fits my personality.
But I've seen people overanalyzing stuff and characters to the point it sounds ridiculous and cringey. People sometimes put too much thought when the writers are most likely like "wait what". Like, character A looked in a x way at character B therefore y.
Overanalyzing in a nutshell :
Until we have something resembling a "thinking AI" in story driven games, I can see why some people don't really get it.
Essentially, until we can make NPC to interact with players directly like if they were a "real" person, then it already places a huge roadblock why many don't enjoy these "story-driven" games.
Just think of you could have a game like Ace Attorney expect you actually talked and/or typed what you say and the AI would actually be required to understand you to extend.
People would get so many game overs in that type of game it's not even funny.
Okay, that's how you see it, and I respect that.
No ttg release is JUST A DAMN GAME, its life
More development on Clementine's end.
For more perspective, I played Wolf Among Us as a calm person that loses his cool when stressed.
I let Dum live, and I didn't rip off Gren's arm. But I had no restraint beating the shit out of Tweedle Dee during the interrogation or killing Crooked Man.
Too bad Clementine barely got any development from her death. Everyone acted as if nothing happened.
Well, it really depends on the game. If im playing a humor or a shooter game I just put it off as a game but if im playing a story deep game like Until Dawn or a telltale game i feel like my decisions matter and i feel like im really in a room with these characters.
As someone that regularly slaughters hundreds of innocents in Grand Theft Auto, makes conquering the world my main objective in strategy games, occasionally kills my own guys in FPS' just for shits and giggles, and has a tendency to kill myself in ridiculous ways while playing games, I generally see it as "just a game."
I do it as well, I play choice base games like how I would actually act in real life.
Someone told me that after playing The Last of Us and I stopped talking to him. A few months later we started talking again when we randomly found each other online and played CoD together. We still haven't talked about that moment though.
You play to win the game.
Do you get satisfaction from simply completing a game? I feel everybody gets more from games than that. Oh unless you're one of those Trophy/achievement/steam card people.
I see what you mean here, but a good author takes everything into account and you'll find in most occasions the 'curtains were blue' for a very good reason, otherwise, why not just leave it at 'curtains'. What is the point of saying they're blue other than to sound descriptive? It offers nothing to the reader that the 'curtains are blue' if they are blue just because.
).
Yeah...English teachers/anyone who thinks like this, can go way overboard sometimes (I probably am tbh), but the most famous authors in the world are the most famous because majority of what they write has meaning and substance (except 50 Shades...we'll let that slide
Exactly the same with games, camera angles/positioning of characters/movement, is all done with purpose.
To each their own though.
When playing a story games such as a Telltale games or RPG's (fallout / witcher / elder scrolls) and campaign games (Gears of War / Halo)
I get invested in the world that they're set in, I fell connected to the characters and choices made. I use to use games in school to escape... real life tbh, I get engrossed by these worlds that its never just a game. You feel emotional connection towards characters and worlds. I love it.
Where as multiplayer I just enjoy the ride, have fun with friends, try to play my best and win.
A good author, mostly yes, only they know for sure though. But we are talking about video games and Telltale the most.
Life is Strange was pretty overanalyzed, so many theories and in the end most of it was nothing.
They just don't see video games (TLoU in this case) in the same way as you do. It wasn't exactly nicest of them but nothing worth a big argument though.
While, yes, at the end of the day it's just a game, with certain story/character driven games it's difficult not to connect to something or not to have an interest in talking about something you're into. Let's go with the character subject. Sometimes a person, like me, cannot resist having an attachment to a character. I do sometimes go by the belief that how you feel towards a character (such as Chloe Price) on an emotional level rather than an interest level, is how you'll feel towards a person with similar traits in real life. Yes, arguably flawed, but it's honestly how I feel at times. That may not be the case always, as on an interest level I'm fascinated with a character (like the Joker) and want to see more of that character. Yeah, I'm afraid I'm a bit complicated with fictional characters. lol
Of course, with the gameplay and entertainment elements you can't help but just go wild on games like GTA where you're a psychopathic-paper bag wearing-car fucking-bitch. Sometimes I like to role play as well and be out of my own personal character. Or at times, say my first time on Walking Dead S1, I played how I felt personally. Even if they're just games, they're certainly fun to get into and talk about.
Well, I tried to explain my part on the subject as best as I could, might've been a bit messy. Sorry if any of you got lost on what I'm talking about. (kinda tired) xD
I used to make serious choices in telltale games. Somewhere along the line I became cynical, realizing my choices didn't really matter, and just went pure id with my choices. It's much more fun the second way.
Well, it sort of became a big argument.
I kinda hate it when people just refuse to understand a different opinion. IDK...I just kinda gotten more big on just understanding even if you think differently.
It may be a game and what happens in it is 'fictional' but that doesn't make what you felt any less real.
The characters may be fictional but the feelings you shared or had for that character are real.
The events that occur may be fictional but how you felt about those events and whether you could relate to them are real.
Just because something is fictional doesn't mean it cannot evoke real emotions, I think that is why, for some of us, for those of us who become enthralled in a story or character, these 'fictional' things become more personal and in turn more realistic, especially if a character or event within a game or even a book/movie are realistic and relate-able.
To be honest, I see choice-based games as a means to question my own morality, as a test to see if I'd ever choose to be immoral under certain circumstances and I expect to be since I don't base my decisions entirely on morality but to me these games feel like a journey I take into self-discover - that sort of deal. I personally want to be immersed in a story line and I feel that choices are a good way to do it and it makes you face the consequences of your actions.
It may just be a game but every emotion it made me feel is real
I'd also like to add that saying "It's just a game" is similar to saying "It's just something that you might find important but I don't". Some can say "It's just a speech" to those anxious about doing a speech because the person telling them that do not understand how the situation makes them feel.
Sadly I've heard people tell me that it's just a show/movie when I talk to them about my favorite shows/movies![:\](https://community.telltalegames.com/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
Well those people suck.
What about games where you can't win?
telltale dont just make games they make art
Art is subjective.
I happen to find TellTale's games to be pretty low on that totem. Then again, I think Funny Games is very artsy and poignant, and many people would happen to disagree.
I see it both ways. Yeah, it's true a game is just a game, but a game can have things that uses our morals when playing it.
A little of both really. When i play, i am that character.
If the character seems to have a high moral standard, i play them as such. If playing a villian, i do villianous things with maniacal glee. If the character is somewhat of a blank slate, i feel free to blur the lines of my own inherent views and morals a little, to experiment a little with what i believe, because as your friend says 'it is just a game'.
But no matter what, there are things i will not - can not, bring myself to do. As well as things that i would HAVE to do, in certain situations. Video game or not.
To be fair, Telltale's (modern) games are essentially interactive stories so you could use that as an argument to help your case.
As for my playstyle, I typically try to be civil and cooperative within reason unless it doesn't really fit the character too much (like Michonne). Normally, I guess you could say Bigby isn't a "cooperative" character, but I wanted to play him as someone trying to be better and redeem himself from his past, as I thought the characterization of him in Wolf was really good.
Did you win the Walking Dead Season 1?