Games Can Make Us Cry

A study by Bowen Research is getting some commentary in the gaming press, with their analysis being that "More than two thirds of all video gamers feel that video games already surpass, or will soon at least equal movies, music and books in delivering an emotional impact." The Guardian Gamesblog has a look at the research. From the article: "Of course it could be argued that RPGs simply attract more emotionally unstable gamers, and that if these same players were forced to try Microsoft Flight Simulator, they'd cry like babies when their Cessna crashed into a pylon during a failed runway approach. Sadly, Bowen does not appear to explore this possibility."

Comments

Books are victorious

[Avacar]

Games have definitely been on par with Movies or shows for years, in my opinion. One of the scariest things I ever did was play SystemShock2 in the dark... looking back, the graphics to that game weren't even anything special, but the story telling and atmosphere certainly surpassed some movies I've seen. I've also certainly felt joy at winning games, or joy 'with' the protagonist of a game as they accomplish something.

I'll also admit, I've almost come to tears once or twice while playing a game where a primary character dies off unexpectedly or unfairly.

Yet, when it comes down to it, I can feel part of a well-written book over a game any day. The ability to completely use my imagination removes the last facest of alienation experienced when playing a game or watching a movie... Books definitely produce the largest emotional responses for me. Whereas some games are possibly better than movies, no game is as good as a well written book.

Stories

[Godeke]

While the emotionally unstable RPG player comment was amusing, the reality is that we react emotionally to stories. RPGs usually provide more story content (character development, background information about the world, complex interactions between the characters) than other games, so it makes sense that RPGs would be among the first games to elicit emotional responses.

A simulated aircraft crashing at the runway doesn't have the same emotional charge without story: it is just an event in a sterile world. If on the other hand prior to takeoff we had cut-scenes showing a pilot, spouse and children boarding the plane to make a trip that was important to them, then the same crash in the same game environment might have more emotional impact. The more "connected" the player was to their story, the bigger the impact.

Other types of games can deliver story, sometimes simply through the environment (a burned out village, an isolated shoreline surrounded by jagged cliffs, etc). In some ways this is more effective for more interactive games because interactive environments tend to pull the player out of the emotional impact when the player can interact in ways unsuited to the emotion of the scene. Half life, for example: the scientists you meet throughout was a ground breaking "in game engine" way to experience the progression of the story. Assuming you listened, didn't shoot things while they talked, etc. RPGs tend to avoid that problem by literally tearing the control out of the users hands, although some more recent games have made good progress at interactive storytelling methods that don't feel so abrubt.

Re:Emotions from games? duh!

[XenoRyet]

As far as crying goes, I think the games are still far from having a script with enough character development to equal The English Patient or Schindler's List*. People want to control characters and kick ass, not watch FMVs in which their character gives a monologue on how much better a human being he could be (no pun intended).

That is true of a certain subset of games. Perhaps the largest subset, but still only a subset. I don't belive it's possible for a movie to get you as emotionaly invested in a characher as one of the better written RPGs.

With a movie character, you watch their world for 2 hours. With a game, you live in their world for 80+ hours. That can lead to some serious emotional attachment.