Books vs Video Games

Chronoboy · Post by **Chronoboy** » Sun May 26, 2013 1:25 am

I thought I'd bring this up, as I am rather confused...

So books never really evolved, people still read books with no awesome graphics or visual effects. These text-based tomes are still vastly popular by everyone young and old...

Now look at computer games... People, even those who read these text-based tomes still expect a computer game to take full advantage of their PCs graphical hardware. If they see a game that looks awful, even without looking into what it's about, they avoid it like the plague. You rarely see people playing text-adventure games, ones with no graphics and only text. People seem to prefer WoW over a MUD, although while on the bus or train, they tend to have one of those text-based tomes in hand!!! What the heck is wrong with this world?

I'd love to write text adventure games, if only people would play it/read it, rather than reading a paperback. But for some messed up reason which I cannot decipher, people won't touch a text-only game.

As a child I loved the Choose-your-own-adventure book series, and this is what originally got me into enjoying text adventures on the PC, as they are both very similar. I also really enjoyed the game books Nintendo pumped out many eons ago. I still remember reading By Balloon to the Sahara multiple times and getting lost in it's world. Text adventure games was the next level, as there is much more interaction with the story available, and I had much more freedom... Then bloody graphical games came around and ruined all that. Now I'm forced to use someone else's imagination rather than my own.

On a side note, I just tweeted this to NOA: Wonder if they'll do it, both Apple and Google sell eBooks on their portable devices, it would only make sense that Nintendo would to, but more targeted towards their own fan base of course. I think if today's kids had access to those Game Books on their gaming portable, they'll buy them and really enjoy them too.

Willy Elektrix · Post by **Willy Elektrix** » Sun May 26, 2013 3:06 pm

Coincidentally, I haven't been posting any new games for a few months because I've been writing a game book. It's not quite like a Choose Your Own Adventure. Instead, the structure partially randomized to make it replayable. There is also a character creation system and statistics. More than anything, it's like a solo role-playing adventure. I'd love anyone here to read it when its done.

I'm secretly hoping with the popularity of E-reader devices that game books will have a renaissance. But I'm not kidding myself about it.

Chronoboy wrote:I'd love to write text adventure games, if only people would play it/read it, rather than reading a paperback. But for some messed up reason which I cannot decipher, people won't touch a text-only game.

Interactive fiction is still a popular in certain niches. That said interactive fiction and text adventure games require a lot of investment from the reader/player and most people aren't willing to spend that much effort to learn and solve them.

I recently read an interesting book about the theory of interactive fiction called Twisty Little Passages by Nick Montfort. You might check it out.

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Sun May 26, 2013 3:24 pm

IF is rather well and alive in certain parts of the Internet, but yeah, it's hardly as popular as it could/should be. I write IF using this which seems to be the most flexible and powerful of the interpreters/compilers out there.

It would be neat to be able to put Inform games on my Kindle, but yeah, I can see how that would prolly not happen any time soon.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:38 pm

So books never really evolved, people still read books with no awesome graphics or visual effects. These text-based tomes are still vastly popular by everyone young and old...

Some publishers are trying to evolve it with the Vook, but yes, that hasn't exactly caught the mainstream bug just yet.

In response to your other arguments, I have to both agree and disagree. I for one miss the idea of interactive fiction--I still have fond memories of the text adventures I played as a kid--and I daresay we could have a slightly more intelligent culture if we had more things to challenge our reading comprehension skills than we do. But I don't think interactive fiction ever had or ever will have the reading market majority. One of the reasons people read is to escape (it was the 19th century's movie), and while interactive fiction allows for that, it doesn't give people the sure-footed story they want to read. It gives them multiple stories with inconclusive endings. What really happened at the end of that book? Well, let's check the many endings to find out. People like resolution, and noninteractive fiction gives them a clear path and an complete story, which they want.

You also have to consider what types of books are hot. Thrillers and chick-lit dominate the market, neither of which lend well to stories that allow for choose-your-own adventure reading. Yes, any genre could make use of the format, and thrillers with multiple endings would intrigue those looking to infuse morality into the choices of the lead character. But again, there are too many questions left open if there is no definitive ending. As it stands, the adventure market is the best market for choose-your-own-adventure, hence the word "adventure" included in the description, but unfortunately, adventure is not a hot topic with publishers, and it's not a hot topic with publishers because it's not a hot topic with readers. So, the standard straightforward paperback narrative reigns supreme another day. And I'm okay with that because I like to read complete stories that take me a few days to invest and give me a definite resolution at the end.

Oh, and lastly, one of the biggest reasons why interactive fiction will never take over the market is because most of the market is geared toward nonfiction. Reading the interactive fiction version of Killing Lincoln would just be plain odd. I am a little surprised that the Vook market hasn't blossomed with nonfiction yet. Maybe in the next twenty years we'll see the shift.

But I do agree that the choose-your-own-adventure format (and the classic text adventure) should make a niche comeback since they are so much fun for anyone who gives them a serious chance. But only a niche comeback. Mainstream will never happen.

Post by **Mogri** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:43 pm

Is it time to re-plug the Interactive Storybook?

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:50 pm

How did I not know about this? I'll have to write something now.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Mon May 27, 2013 11:08 pm

Okay, I posted Part 1 of a new story called "I Like Pigeons." Feedback is welcome. I may put some other things in it later, like scores, personality tracking, and so forth.

This was fun.

Chronoboy · Post by **Chronoboy** » Mon May 27, 2013 11:08 pm

Pepsi Ranger wrote:Oh, and lastly, one of the biggest reasons why interactive fiction will never take over the market is because most of the market is geared toward nonfiction. Reading the interactive fiction version of Killing Lincoln would just be plain odd. I am a little surprised that the Vook market hasn't blossomed with nonfiction yet. Maybe in the next twenty years we'll see the shift.

I'm sure they would use interactive nonfiction for that, if that is even possible... Oh wait, isn't our everyday life technically that?