What a terrific conclusion to this thread, Finale Fireworker! As others have said, this is a most splendid thread, one that stands tall on this forum among the more common, uninspired dreck-filled threads. It feels a little like a behind the scenes, and I'd love to see someone from ND comment, or acknowledge your interpretations, right or wrong.
It must be incredibly fulfilling for the set designers, writers and everyone else at ND to see this kind of almost esoteric, or forensic examination of their work.
I have thought for some time that there is a real missed opportunity in the gaming industry to sell 'behind the scenes', or 'lifting the (design) veil' content to consumers, instead of statues, artworks or lame DLC. Books, or videos (much like the documentary Double Fine have been putting together in line with the creation of Broken Age, I guess) that go into the nitty gritty of design, and not just artwork and concepts. And it's not for trying or lack of interest: Geoff Keighley's 'Final Hours...' are amazing, lauded and popular pieces of work. Gamasutra often have similar, smaller scale things, too.
I remember when I first played Portal (late, in 2011), I was shocked to see developer commentary. I played through the game again hunting the commentary, learning about the game and its production, and asked myself why more games didn't do this. It was so interesting, and game development generates so much material that people love to read about. Sites like Unseen64 and The Cutting Room Floor fulfill this curiosity in fans. But developers really don't.
There have been other games that have done commentary, thankfully. Double Fine, like you mentioned, is so great about this.
I have a working list of all the threads I want to make. Most are things I could write right now and not have to replay the games, but it usually helps if I do. Especially since I need the pictures.
Writing about the narrative purity of Luigi's Mansion, for example, is a much smaller undertaking than something like this thread. The game is smaller, my angle is less in depth, and I know the whole game very well. But to get pictures for what I need I would have to replay it, and to take the screenshots I would have to either play on an emulator or set up a capture device. So threads sit in my head (or half written on my computer) until I have the time to gather all my resources.
I might have to write about BioShock Infinite next, because I have a short thread about the justification of vigors completely written already and the pictures I need are easily acquired. But there is one line of dialog that I know is in the game, but I can't remember where it is. And I really need to know exactly where it is so I can be thorough and quote it correctly. So that is tripping me up while I try to find it, which is tough because I don't actually own the game anymore.
But I really want to pick up the pace of these threads. This one was a huge undertaking, much bigger than most topics will be, and it took several months to properly complete. I really want to diversity my portfolio, but it's easier to write about games I still own.
Hey OP, just wanted to chime in here and say that your analysis is definitely appreciated even if discussion within the thread itself isn't as active as you may have hoped.
Your posts and James Howell's video analysis of The Last of Us are what I point to whenever people doubt the sheer thought and consideration that went into crafting the narrative and presentation of the game.
Thank you! I wanted this thread to be something people cited and referred to in their own conversations, and I've seen it linked a few times, which makes me feel great. I've never heard anything from ND themselves, which is expected, but having the respect of readers is the most important thing to me.
I am happy to contribute to the permanent preservation of games as a narrative medium and art form.
