Should video games focus on story, characters, gameplay, music or all?

[Darkblader]

I just finished watching Leplaya's video game rant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtW6G7Znx64

I thought it would be wise if I would be the discussing about how video games should be focused on. Look at the early lucasarts games, they had good stories. But What should games be focused on?

[jeeno0142]

All aspects are important, so that's what I've voted for, but if I had to choose I would have to say gameplay.
Story is important, but only if the game requires a story. For example, if it's an adventure game (i.e Sam and Max or Monkey Island) then a story is needed and the story needs to be good, but for a puzzle game the story can be weak or non-existent and the game can still be quite good.
Characters only need to be developed characters if there is a story line for them to go into. Once again, if it is a puzzle game, I don't necessarily need to know their history or anything like that.
Graphics, as far as I am concerned, are the very last thing you need to worry about. It may look good, but if it plays rubbish then who cares? The graphics don't need to be good to have a good game.
Music is quite important as it sets the mood, but I wouldn't say it is as necessary as gameplay. Just a bonus really.

That's my opinion on it anyway.

[Remolay]

I voted all, but I meant all but graphics. My case in point, Lugaru. You're a rabbit who knows martial arts, that's pretty cool in it's own way, but the story of the campaign mode is what hits you.

Gameplay, Controls are really easy to figure out, and your main thing is beat things up.

Music: It's not bad.

Characters: Most of the are dead, but those that live you learn from, and the main character has a set personality for sure

Graphics: Probably low end Gamecube.

[Rather Dashing]

Gameplay is the center of the experience. Everything else needs to supplement the gameplay.

That doesn't mean everything else can be shit, though. If your gameplay has a lot of exploration, you need each area to be graphically different from the last so the player feels rewarded for exploration. If you are making a fast-paced game, you need to set it up so your graphic design allows different elements(characters, items, hazards, etc) to be recognized at a glance. If you're doing an adventure game, the story is important because an adventure game is essentially a contextualized puzzle game, where the puzzles flow from the story and the environments, and so the story has to engage and inform the player in a way that other genres don't require. Though story is important in adventures, if the puzzles at the core are shit, then a story can't "save" it, while amazing puzzles can get along with a droll story because it's the puzzles that actively engage and the player and start the dialog between game and player. it's the gameplay that differentiates games from other, passive media. Having a game with dull or nonexistant gameplay would be like making a film adaptation of a famous book that was simply the book's text scrolling from start to finish.

[Avistew]

Gameplay is what makes a game a game. But without an interesting plot it will probably be a game I don't play. Characters are important for the plot and if the game has sound music is important for the atmosphere. Graphics are important only as far as you can tell what's what. If you can recognise what you're looking at, it's good enough.

[swedish_jedi]

Good gameplay is the most important part of any good game. Story, graphics and music are also important but secondary. You can have a great story or great graphics in a game, but without great gameplay you will never have a great game. Take for example the game Eternity's Child by Luc Bernard. It had lovely graphics and an interesting story, but the game lacked good gameplay and wasn’t any fun to play (my own personal opinion).

To conclude: gameplay is the most important part of any game. But music, graphics and a good story does a lot to improve the game.

[mgrant]

I voted story, but story and character really go hand and hand, a well written story will have good characterization and plot construction by definition. I can play a game with terrible mechanics if the story and characters are compelling. Case in point: Silent Hill. The combat controls and camera were unintuitive, clunky and hard to handle, but that worked well for the horror filled atmosphere of the game. The character you play is an everydude whose probably never fought anyone a day in his life, in a situation that is unearthly and frightening, of course he's not going to be competent.

[tredlow]

I've always wondered; what constitutes the 'gameplay' aspect of an adventure game? Is it the puzzles, the controls, or how we interact with the world? Or do puzzles overlap to the 'story' aspect of an adventure game.

[The Gentleman]

Gameplay.

As terrible and cheesy as some stories are, I come back for the gameplay.

[Secret Fawful]

All.

[tredlow]

Yeah, it's pretty obvious that 'all' is the right answer. 'Gameplay' would be the second best answer.

[taumel]

Graphics

[tredlow]

Originally Posted by taumel

Graphics

Oh, you.

[taumel]

:OP

[der_ketzer]

Originally Posted by Secret Fawful

All.

Right. And if this is just not possible it will at least need good gameplay.

[Giant Tope]

Gameplay, totally. If you break it all down, some games don't have story, characters, or music. I personally consider text a form of graphic, but if you don't, then some games don't even have graphics either. I personally think a game should build itself off a foundation of good gameplay.

[RetroVortex]

They are all important.
Even graphics, though I don't care about how "good" graphics are, its more about the design/style of them.
A unique/nicely designed game world can make or break a game.
I should hate Fable 3, but I can't as I love the game's design, (though I think Dreamfall had one of the best world designs I've even seen).

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by RetroVortex

They are all important.
Even graphics, though I don't care about how "good" graphics are, its more about the design/style of them.

You are in an open field west of a big white house with a boarded
front door.
There is a small mailbox here.

[tredlow]

Originally Posted by RetroVortex

They are all important.
Even graphics, though I don't care about how "good" graphics are, its more about the design/style of them.
A unique/nicely designed game world can make or break a game.
I should hate Fable 3, but I can't as I love the game's design, (though I think Dreamfall had one of the best world designs I've even seen).

Well, I always thought that 'graphics' and 'art design' are two different things. For example, take Silent Hill 1 and Brutal Legend. Silent Hill 1 has a more realistic art design, while Brutal Legend is more cartoony and exaggerated. Meanwhile, Brutal Legend has more realistic graphics than Silent Hill 1.

For me, 'Graphics' is all about the technology; realistic shadows and lighting and detailed textures and stuff, while 'art design' is all about the stylistic choices; how real you want the characters look, color tones, etc.

That said, I think art design is VERY important. Not as important as gameplay or story, but important nonetheless. I know that adventure games started in text form, but in this modern age, I believe that art design is quite important because it can alter our experience while playing. I mean, think about playing Sam and Max season 3 in text-form. It will certainly be a completely different experience.

[DoctorCello]

Originally Posted by mgrant

I voted story, but story and character really go hand and hand, a well written story will have good characterization and plot construction by definition. I can play a game with terrible mechanics if the story and characters are compelling. Case in point: Silent Hill. The combat controls and camera were unintuitive, clunky and hard to handle, but that worked well for the horror filled atmosphere of the game. The character you play is an everydude whose probably never fought anyone a day in his life, in a situation that is unearthly and frightening, of course he's not going to be competent.

I think gameplay in Silent Hill was purposefully clunky, though. Ultimately, the Silent Hill team used gameplay to serve their story, but that only further proves that they thought about it, at least.