3 ms·

I think even the term "visual novel" separates them from "games".

krisoft 3y ago
They are a subgenre of games. Visual novels, and interactive fiction is definietly computer games. The developers of interactive fiction are also game developers. You wouldn’t say that “platformers” are not games just because we have a name for them.
- emsy 3y ago
  Visual novels are like choose your own adventure books with pictures. Are those books games? Is it useful to classify them as such?
  - dudul 3y ago
    Yes they are.
- constantcrying 3y ago
  To me interactivity is the core element here. Platformers can only be interactive. There is nothing about a visual novel which has to be interactive, in fact the interactivity is usually limited to a few branching paths (although more involved VNs do exist). I think it is fine to count them as games as long as there is some interactivity, but that obviously puts them at the outer edge of what games are. To get back to the point, I think a visual novel should be eligible for a literature award, but that is because the interactivity is inherently limited.
dudul 3y ago
What if they were called "interactive story driven games"? The market finds simple denominations to help consumers navigate the offering, but these are not always accurate or very descriptive. Focusing on the content as opposed to the label, why do you not think that these are games?
- constantcrying 3y ago
  >Focusing on the content as opposed to the label, why do you not think that these are games? As I mentioned above, to me interactivity is the core element. Certainly a VN can have interactivity, although that is usually limited so I would put them at the outer edge of games. If it has no interactivity, then I wouldn't count them as a game though. A picture book is not a game.
  - dudul 3y ago
    What about a picture book where the reader is supposed to find things on the page? Interactivity is just the ability to respond to a user's input. Even VNs with very limited branching do that.
    - constantcrying 3y ago
      At the same time you can imagine a visual novel without any choices. I don't see that being a game, it is a novel with pictures presented in a digital format. Not a game.

They are a subgenre of games. Visual novels, and interactive fiction is definietly computer games. The developers of interactive fiction are also game developers. You wouldn’t say that “platformers” are not games just because we have a name for them.

emsy 3y ago
Visual novels are like choose your own adventure books with pictures. Are those books games? Is it useful to classify them as such?
- dudul 3y ago
  Yes they are.
constantcrying 3y ago
To me interactivity is the core element here. Platformers can only be interactive. There is nothing about a visual novel which has to be interactive, in fact the interactivity is usually limited to a few branching paths (although more involved VNs do exist). I think it is fine to count them as games as long as there is some interactivity, but that obviously puts them at the outer edge of what games are. To get back to the point, I think a visual novel should be eligible for a literature award, but that is because the interactivity is inherently limited.

dudul 3y ago

What if they were called "interactive story driven games"? The market finds simple denominations to help consumers navigate the offering, but these are not always accurate or very descriptive. Focusing on the content as opposed to the label, why do you not think that these are games?

constantcrying 3y ago
>Focusing on the content as opposed to the label, why do you not think that these are games? As I mentioned above, to me interactivity is the core element. Certainly a VN can have interactivity, although that is usually limited so I would put them at the outer edge of games. If it has no interactivity, then I wouldn't count them as a game though. A picture book is not a game.
- dudul 3y ago
  What about a picture book where the reader is supposed to find things on the page? Interactivity is just the ability to respond to a user's input. Even VNs with very limited branching do that.
  - constantcrying 3y ago
    At the same time you can imagine a visual novel without any choices. I don't see that being a game, it is a novel with pictures presented in a digital format. Not a game.