A positive article about FMV games

[Barone]

Hi!

I was just reading these and maybe you guys can find it interesting too:
http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/20...es-part-1.html
http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/20...es-part-2.html
http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/20...es-part-3.html

Several Sega CD games there and many others...
I know that Hardcore Gaming 101 is well known by you, but I just never knew about this, even after reading tons of content from their site.


I miss some good FMV games (Is it an oxymoron?).

[Da_Shocker]

I think FMV was an idea that could've been implemented when DVD became big. But interactive movies never took off in the theater, but I thought Tomcat Alley was an ok while Power Rangers was one of the worst games EVER.

[Joe Redifer]

Here's my article about Interfilm, which tried the FMV game concept in real movie theaters (along with video I made from when I borrowed one of the LaserDiscs from the machine)

[Da_Shocker]

Here's my article about Interfilm, which tried the FMV game concept in real movie theaters (along with video I made from when I borrowed one of the LaserDiscs from the machine)

Yeah that is it I think Entertainment Tonight or hard copy had did a small piece on it back in 95.

[sheath]

I always thought that FMV games would take off with DVD players, as standard IR remote would work just fine for the concept and it seems like all of the games were casual enough to attract non-gamers and Sony fans. I guess 3D games that play themselves just created more revenue.

[DarkDragon]

I dont have much experience with Sega CD FMV games but it seems a lot of it consisted of switching from station to station kind of gameplay which sucked because you would always miss stuff that happened and it would end up killing you.

[Barone]

What bugs me about several FMV games is that the action that you have to do is minimal in many cases and the way it has to be done is something, many times, disconnected with what is going on...
That's why I like Tomcat Alley (the full screen also helps), 'cause my interaction has a lot to do with an aircraft pilot action when he is trying to get an enemy down. It's way more intuitive and pleasant than those battle scenes in Kamen Rider ZO, for an example.

The use of the FMV technology made by games like Microcosm, Novastorm and Silpheed are also good IMO. The light gun games are OK, the problem is that American Laser Games was just a stupid company; properly done it would have been great.

It's just sad that, most of the time, the better options were not explored how they could have been.

I never had expectations about the DVD games for the reasons above... In the top that, the 3D games were already providing much more realism than they did in the Sega CD's prime time.

@Joe
Thanks for the InterFilm info (I read the page you linked and saw the videos), I never heard of that before.
Looks like they tried to fail harder than Tom Zito and they, beautifully, achieved their goal!

[Black_Tiger]

FMV game gameplay was way ahead of its time and is very popular today and is featured in many of the most commercial games. It's just usually used in small sections within different types of games.

[bpguimaraes23]

I've always loved FMV games. They were the reason I've got a Sega CD. Games like Sonic CD were the same as the Mega Drive ones. Games like Night Trap and Sherlock Holmes were different than everything we ever played. I don't understand why they were criticized for being limited in the gameplay departmant, but games like House of the Dead, Lethal Enforcers and other arcade type games weren't.

[Christuserloeser]

FMV on SCD looked awful. Even if you didn't think that what little gameplay there was felt a huge step back to the 70s or at least the early 80s, these games were visually appalling.

[TheSonicRetard]

I've always loved FMV games. They were the reason I've got a Sega CD. Games like Sonic CD were the same as the Mega Drive ones. Games like Night Trap and Sherlock Holmes were different than everything we ever played. I don't understand why they were criticized for being limited in the gameplay departmant, but games like House of the Dead, Lethal Enforcers and other arcade type games weren't.

FMV games started showing up in 1982, they were in no way new.

Really, I think the way FMV was executed on the Sega CD was terrible... that palette just wasn't fit for real full motion video. Rather, FMV should have been prepared the same way it was on Time Gal or Sonic CD - with the Sega CD's palette in mind. Those FMVs look great, even on that hardware.

Also, the way games used FMV showed a very poor use of creativity. They were usually just an intro or and ending, or, in the case of stuff like Supreme Warrior - just a poorly masked QTE. There were tons of other, legitimate ways FMV could have been used to deliver mind blowing graphics for the time. The best use of FMV, IMO, would have been something similar to the way it's used on Killer Instinct (Or, to an extent, Dracula on the Sega CD). That is, the entire background should have been an FMV which played as you moved left or right. Killer Instinct used these types of FMVs to deliver incredible backgrounds, and Dracula would have had mind blowing backgrounds as well except that they weren't built with the Sega CD palette in mind.

Imagine something like Iridion 3D on the GBA, only with the storage space of a full CD instead of a tiny GBA cart. Or something like Microcosm, with a better palette and better gameplay.

Really a wasted opportunity.

EDIT: As for the surprise that there is FMV love out there... FMV hate is actually relatively recent. It started pretty much in the saturn and PSX days. Back when the Sega CD was kicking, FMV was hailed as the future. I remember reading reader letters in EGM and Gamepro from Nintendo fans absolutely in agony over the SNES not getting FMV games. With the benefit of hindsight we can see that the vast majority of FMV games blow, but at the time, they were seen as cutting edge.

Besides, not all FMV games are bad. I, myself, am partial to Sewer Shark.

EDIT AGAIN: Also, it should be worth pointing out that most people base their opinions on FMV solely off of the Sega CD's offering... and the Sega CD was pretty much the worst option when it came to FMV. Every single other CD-based system offered much, much better FMV. Compare microcosm on the Amiga CD32 to the Sega CD version and it's like night and day.

The 3DO in particular had awesome FMV. The 3DO version of sewer shark feels so much improved, and Wing Commander III on the 3DO was one of the most impressive games at the time, due in large part to the VHS-quality cutscenes.

[kool kitty89]

I always thought that FMV games would take off with DVD players, as standard IR remote would work just fine for the concept and it seems like all of the games were casual enough to attract non-gamers and Sony fans. I guess 3D games that play themselves just created more revenue.

3D games offer a much broader scope of things . . . and even games largely expanding on FMV-style linear quicktime event gameplay offer more flexibility/interactivity and dynamics than prerendered video could. (not to mention the massive production costs of FMV games using live actors, or high-end CGI to a lesser extent -granted, several high-budget 2D/3D games took/take that route for cutscenes too)

Another thing is that 3D+multimedia ended up with much more a fusion and evolution of older gameplay styles and genres along with the multimedia aspects, so previous gamers (and new gamers with similar interests in established genres/styles) would be attracted to many of those new games while further expanding the market with the multimedia aspects. (rich/impressive story/acting/animation adds to the interest for many who were less into gaming prior to that -personally, I'm into both, and I can definitely get into a game with a good plot/story and/or good acting/cutscenes -or campy stuff for that matter )

Several companies did try DVD interactive movie type things (and more specific interactive multimedia attempts like Nuon), but those never caught on. (plus, the whole traditional interactive fiction genre -choose your own adventure style- is pretty niche in overall interest -even the more interactive theater style like Night Trap used is relatively limited -actually, I think linear quick-time event style games are probably more attractive than either of those, so long as they're not ridiculously difficult and finicky like Dragon's lair . . . more like Road Avenger . . . with the hints enabled -not that's good casual gaming . . . that's one important issue that many FMV games missed: casual gamers like easy games, or at least options for easy modes)

[Team Andromeda]

FMV games started showing up in 1982, they were in no way new.

They were new-ish for the home console player .

FMV should have been prepared the same way it was on Time Gal or Sonic CD - with the Sega CD's palette in mind. Those FMVs look great, even on that hardware.

? Sonic CD has some of the worst FMV on the system - and Time Gal was a Laser Disc conversion.

in the case of stuff like Supreme Warrior - just a poorly masked QTE

That is more or less 99% of FMV games

The best use of FMV, IMO, would have been something similar to the way it's used on Killer Instinct (Or, to an extent, Dracula on the Sega CD). That is, the entire background should have been an FMV which played as you moved left or right. Killer Instinct used these types of FMVs to deliver incredible backgrounds, and Dracula would have had mind blowing backgrounds as well except that they weren't built with the Sega CD palette in mind.

KI was not FMV and neither was it practical or fesible to have a Hard Drive and Massive amounts of ROM to try and emu a KI coin-up at the home .

lso, it should be worth pointing out that most people base their opinions on FMV solely off of the Sega CD's offering... and the Sega CD was pretty much the worst option when it came to FMV. Every single other CD-based system offered much, much better FMV. Compare microcosm on the Amiga CD32 to the Sega CD version and it's like night and day.

No always and even on the 3DO one caught some dire FMV - Just play Maddog . And the Sega Mega CD had some of the best FMV games ever made in the shape of Road Avenger, Prize Fighter (some of the most impressive use of the format) Dracula Unleashed (the best FMV game I've played) TomCat Alley , Night Trap, Revenge of the Ninja

Back when the Sega CD was kicking, FMV was hailed as the future.

Sadly some people got caught up in the FMV and Night Trap fad and hype . SEGA American really should have known better and put the millions in sung into FMV games to making some traditional games for the system they went far too much in one direction

FMV hate is actually relatively recent. It started pretty much in the saturn and PSX days

They were plenty in the 90's and that was reflected in most of the reviews- Nice graphics, but where's the gameplay , most would say

[CurlyPaul]

I actually saw this article the other day, but somehow I missed that there was a part 3, so cheers for pointing that out to me.

Was great to read the thoughts of somebody else who loved FMV games, everybody is always bashing the genre and it's one of my favourites despite all of its flaws

[bgvanbur]

? Sonic CD has some of the worst FMV on the system - and Time Gal was a Laser Disc conversion.

Sure it wasn't very good technically compared to other FMV, but it was fun to watch and I still watch it from time to time when I play Sonic CD.