December 23rd. The first modern Coelacanth was discovered in South Africa…or so says Wikipedia. It might not be the best source of factual information, but for ideas it’s great. Sadly, I’m still at a loss for what to write about. Sometimes the block sets in, but I’ve learned over the years that it provides a great opportunity to write about whatever comes to mind. Skip the plans and the outlines and jump into whatever impromptu inspiration strikes.
I recently finished Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat for the Xbox 360. It never ceases to amaze me how cinematic these games are becoming. Pacmac, not exactly known for its literary merit, is barely even recognizable as a video game these days. Modern games come with long and complex back-stories, sharp and unexpected plot twists, and gorgeous environments that can inspire as well as any Cezanne.
Call of Duty 4 is maybe not the best example, but any author that could capture combat half so viscerally would have Tom Clancy on the run. The story itself is not as implausible as any generic movie script. I very much look forward to the day when the literary merits of this new exciting medium mature completely.
There are certainly some games that push the envelope. Knights of the Old Republic has one of the best stories told in the Star Wars universe, vastly outstripping its source material (Cough episodes 1-2-3 couch) in quality. Bethesda, responsible for Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, is responsible for creating worlds as vast and complex as anything made by Tolkien or Frank Herbert. The Baldur’s Gate computer game, which is related to Dungeons & Dragons (home to a great deal of brilliant writing itself) is a fantasy epic in its own right. Grand Theft Auto 3, San Andreas, and Miami Vice each tell a sardonic and cavalier crime story. GTA 4 went for grittier story and succeeded at least in some small measure.
Just as radio and movies have failed to negate literature games are always going to be a secondary medium for story-telling, but their emergence as a means of distribution and, more importantly, as yet one more way of immersing a reader is fascinating. Radio forced improved dialogue and movies lead to more realistic action. What will games give back to the literature that inspired their plots and backgrounds?
