Today, we’ve seen the advent of truly “interactive movies”. Big games in the first person shooter and RPG genres nearly always come complete with soaring production values, quality writing, film-like pacing, and expertly crafted cg sequences. Story is paramount, displayed prominently in the cinemas and scripted events, and also in subtler ways like the writing and characterization within the gameplay.

The ending to the popular Halo 2 proves a worthwhile example of this Hollywood influence. High-end CG images, music, and voice acting combine in a sequence that would fit right in to any action Sci-Fi film. It’s an ending that gets a lot of flak from fans, mostly because it’s a cliffhanger, representing the conclusion of act two in a three-act narrative. It’s part of an epic trilogy – how much more cinematic can something be?

Another modern example is the Metal Gear Solid series. Hideo Kojima has never been shy about pitching his series as an “interactive movie” experience. From the rich production values (graphics, voice talent, sound design, animation, etc.) to the complicated, post modern scripts (most prominently, MGS 2), and the stylized cinemas themselves, each installment in the MGS series just about screams “action movie”.

Looking to the future, we can expect that cinematic trends will continue to impact the game industry, and for the medium to continue to grow into its own. Games today are beginning to show an unprecedented degree of narrative complexity, characterized by better, subtler writing and fuller immersion of the story within the gameplay. Much the way that a film’s production design and sound design can immerse an audience in the world of the film and give subtle story clues, videogames are beginning to truly take advantage of their interactive environments to facilitate story growth.