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What makes an FMV game?
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 8:52 am
by 3DOKid
Is Novastorm a fmv game? Psychic Detective is -- isn't it? What about Myst? Supreme Warrior and Night Trap most certainly are FMV games. I'm confused.
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 9:02 am
by Vance
WANT SOME RYE?
COURSE YA DO!
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 10:46 am
by Austin
What makes a FMV game? That's a tricky one that I guess we can only speculate.
I think my definition of a FMV game goes along the lines of video that is constantly streamed, to flow like a film of sorts, that also occasionally gives the player input to change the direction of said film/video. Most of these types of games revolve around QTEs, or pressing a specific button at a specific time (examples: Strahl, Revenge of the Ninja, Dragon's Lair, Space Ace, etc.). Other types of FMV games that could fall into the genre, but have more "interaction", per-say, would be titles like Night Trap and Double Switch.
I suppose a good defining trait in this description would be whether you could get a similar effect by simply watching the game versus actually playing it. For instance, I watched an entire playthrough of "Revenge of the Ninja" for the Sega CD via YouTube. As awesome as the game looked, I have no desire to play it now, considering the interaction is very, very specific, and I have already seen everything.
I'm not sure where this topic was intended to go, but all games that *utilize* FMV (and not necessarily revolve around it) tend to get lumped into one generalized genre by the gaming press and the uneducated, despite many titles focusing on tried-and-true gameplay concepts and mechanics simply layered on top of streaming video. This includes games like Novastorm and Microcosm, where standard arcade action is layered on top of streaming video, and even titles like the 7th Guest/11th Hour, where FMV is merely the means of traversing the environment, a break between mind-bending puzzles.
BTW, Myst is not a FMV game by any means. If there had to be one simple definition for it, it would be, "Interactive Digital Slideshow".

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 10:57 am
by 3DOKid
Over use of FMV? Should there be sub-categories? Supreme Warrior is a FMV fighter, Snow Job is an FMV point and click adventure, Microcosm is an FMV shooter?
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:02 am
by Vance
I think we can safely classify them all as "Dead".
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:06 am
by Austin
Haha, I don't know.. I think it would be appropriate to list them in their respective genres: Novastorm, "arcade shooter"; Sewer Shark, "on-rails shooter"; 7th Guest, "point and click adventure"; Supreme Warrior, "crap"; etc., etc.
I suppose adding the "FMV" moniker could be appropriate though, as long as each respective genre is listed with it as well.
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 12:41 pm
by 3DOKid
Vance wrote:I think we can safely classify them all as "Dead".
Belt up. I like Novastorm

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 1:37 pm
by Vance
I refer to the genre, dude. It is very, very gone.
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 2:06 pm
by 3DOKid
...not in this house

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 2:09 pm
by Vance
'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 2:40 pm
by 3DOKid
Flashheart: If word gets out that I'm missing, 500 girls will kill themselves and I wouldn't want them on my conscience - not when they ought to be on my face!
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 2:45 pm
by 3DOKid
Blackadder: The path of my life is strewn with cowpats from the devil's own satanic herd.
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:26 am
by 3DO Experience
Even in the game industry there was a little bit of a bout over the FMV title. Was it only a game that you played though the video (like D) or do games that used video turned into sprites (Monster Manor) count too? We decided on the latter but I think the test of time as included only the first.
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:50 am
by Lemmi
then alot of stuff today is FMV