Video games came into being, that is , they were available to the masses about 1978. Odyssey owners will tell you otherwise but the Odyssey was soon replaced by the Atari and/or the Intellivision. The industry has progressed greatly from those days of 24% inflation, Jimmy Carter sending US jobs for the 1st time ever, and the dying days of disco. But it is still evolving. That was 34 years ago and I'm aware that most of you were not here 34 years ago. So to speak of those days is to speak of ancient history that one cannot relate to.
But a quick look around Amazon or very large bookstore will soon show gamers a number of novels devoted to a game they may have played. One of my favorite series of books (there were 3) were the books that tied in to Myst. These weer done back when novelization of video or computer games was done correctly. Not that we do not have good novels released today, but so many of them are just fan feeder for the gamer who loves a particular game.
Here is the 1st book, a prequel, in the Myst series . Now for those of you who may have missed playing this game i strongly advise you to play at some time. It is almost a prerequisite to gaming 101. Notice that Rand and Robin Miller, the creators of Myst assisted i the writing of this novel . The original publication was 1995.
A recent example of a great prequel novel is Bioshock. Another I highly advise fans of the series , or just video game fans in general , to read.
As one can see it is still available on Amazon.
But the point is: do video games enhance the overall gaming experience or do they deter from it. I find the prequels to be most interesting because they tell the back-story of the game. They can provide the reader, the gamer, background info that the game does not have time to delve into. (Final Fantasy VII may be the exception). The Bioshock novel for instance, involves the building of Rapture from the seafloor up to how it was inhabited. And a lot more.
The two other novel formats are not as interesting to me. One is the format where the events take place AFTER the main story quest has ended. One the other is the one where one is to read the book while playing the title. These novesl are few and far between. ICO is the best example I can think of.
Again, thanks goes to Amazon.
The Diablo novel was good. "The Book of Cain" which is $35 dollars is a bit to steep for my liking. But it looks to be so awesome. I always loved Deckard Cain in the Diablo games. He's old ,like me, and has a great memory and can relte story or tale very well.
My son who has read the Mass Effect novels tells me they are OK.
But to writers and editors this genre is a challenge. How does tell the tale, before or after? How to balance the main characters with the background characters. Plus the book hads to be wrote in suck a way so as not to ruin the plot line for gamers who may not have played the title.Or, if the novel occurs after the main storyline, the author must be very careful not to release info that could be used in a sequel.
So do they add or detract. Only you , the gamer, answer that.Only you know how hardcore a fan you are of a series. Video games have along way to evolve. So do the novels of them. It will be interesting to see what state the gaming industry is in 34 years from now, 2012. Rest assured that there wil stil be a PC somewhere that still plays ZORK!!
1 Like The Myst novel is the one that catches my curiosity most. Back when I played Myst I honestly had no idea what was happening...and don't remember much of a story at all. In fact, I thought the game was just one giant puzzle, and being young and impatient, didn't last as long as I would today. Hmm...maybe it's worth going back to?
1 Like I read the Mass Effect comics but not the books yet.. they were decent, but I've never read much in the way of comics. I think that's the only game book I've read, unless you count some Werewolf the Apocalypse books back in the day (based on the Pen and Paper RPG).
@GunnyHathWerewolf and thr Vampire:The Masqueade novels I would consider in this scope. besides. theywere excellently done as White Wolf themselves oversaw the writing of them. I've always wanted to read the iNfamous comics buy my local comic store never got them in.
@zinoalex Yea both white wolf, but I never did read any of the vampire ones. I was LARPing Werewolf at the time, and once my friends moved on to Vampire I pretty much outgrew that group and moved on to video game versions (for better or for worse). I wonder why developers ignore the Werewolf series.
1 Like You have the year pretty close. it was 1976 when I bought the Home Pong from Sears and spent hour after hour with my friends and sisters playing that hockey/tennis what ever hitting the little ball back and forth or the little shooting games with plastic guns.
Considering how realistic todays games are it is amazing how enthralled we were with such primitive game back then but they were innovative and the first out.
NES/Famicom and crude little pixel toons skittering around on a small monitor a few years later really had us happy.
@iowastate Those wer defininately the days my friend. My first forat was Video Pinball
by Atari which pre-dated the VCS. But yes those pixelated games of the earlt years had our inaginations in high gear. What fun we had then. And a larged extend, we were generally happier.
1 Like Mass Effect Revelations was good because I wanted to know the history behind Saren and Anderson, I have an Uncharted novel but haven't read it. It seems to be coming a trend for authors to write books based on games. good or bad it depends.
@MegandDia128 Yes I believe it depends on how much you are a fan of a certain series.
Singularity had a comic if youpre-oredered it. but it wuld have nice to know som of the backstory of the game. What happened at vatkura Prisonis a novel waiting to be wrote. And that'sno something i say about many COD games. But the storyline with Victor Reznov could be a great tale.
1 Like That chalk talk picture picture should be replaced by a scantily clad woman for continuity's sake. :P
@Foolz3h You have no idea how tempted Iwas to do that that!!! If thesr would have been a novel to the Infocam game"The leather Goddess of Phobos", I would have put a picture of the leather goddess up. If there was only an Adriana Lima game!!!
@david_lck @Foolz3h David--I so want to 3rd this motion. Perhaps later in the week I'll doanother Random Pic Blog. Now ifeel bad that I didn't . I'm glad that both of you appreciate the pics!
