The problem is that even though games have been around for 30-odd years, they were just toys until fairly recently. The focus was/is on the gameplay and provided a very vague story as a justification for your actions.
A few games have attempted to change the hobby into an actual medium worthy of praise over the years, but their attempts have been ham-fisted. Often they just copy cinema rather than using the unique properties available to them. Metal Gear Solid is a prime example of this, opting for overly long cutscenes (some as long as a movie) to tell its story whilst ignoring any possibility of a more interactive method.
That's not to say it's a hopeless situation, quite the opposite in fact, I think that as a medium gaming is just now beginning to mature. Games like Journey show that games can provide meaningful experiences that couldn't be replicated in other media. We just have to give it time.
A few games have attempted to change the hobby into an actual medium worthy of praise over the years, but their attempts have been ham-fisted. Often they just copy cinema rather than using the unique properties available to them. Metal Gear Solid is a prime example of this, opting for overly long cutscenes (some as long as a movie) to tell its story whilst ignoring any possibility of a more interactive method.
That's not to say it's a hopeless situation, quite the opposite in fact, I think that as a medium gaming is just now beginning to mature. Games like Journey show that games can provide meaningful experiences that couldn't be replicated in other media. We just have to give it time.
