In the superb 200th issue of Edge magazine (buy it, everyone!), four game developers predict the state of gaming in the year that Edge #300 will be out, hoping to do better than writer Steven Kent, who predicted in Edge #100 that Microsoft would buy Sega. Peter Molyneux tries to top that...
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As stories become more important in video games, so does knowledge of the universe, characters and existing plots when entering a game sequel.

Too often, however, game companies leave this narrative homework to their player. There's almost nowhere to go -- officially -- to discover what happened in a previous game.

It's been a while since I played "Tomb Raider: Legend," the most recent story-based "Tomb Raider," which is why I'm applauding the decision to include a "Previously…" video segment summarizing what already happened in "Tomb Raider: Underworld."

Is it particularly well edited? No. Does it properly introduce the character nuances and narrative set pieces that defined "Legend"? Not really. It's clear this was a last minute, low-priority video. But, at least it tells you -- minor spoiler warning -- someone from Lara's past has come back to haunt her and has knowledge of the whereabouts of Lara's mother, who was presumed dead.

That last line defines the basic setup for "Underworld." It's just too bad the summary doesn't play when the game starts. Instead, I found out about it because it's mentioned in one of the tips that appears on a loading screen.

This is a step in the right direction, though. Am I the only one that wants to see developers take a more proactive approach in catching us up on story?

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Possible Problem: ‘Resistance 2’s Best Storytelling Is Hidden [SPOILERS]
Journalist Vs. Spoilers: ‘Alone In The Dark’ Presentation Made Me Cover My Eyes
Game Developers: Quality Of Modern Video Game Stories ‘Not Acceptable’

As Stephen pointed out in his diary entry yesterday, plenty of criticism has been leveled at the single-player in "Resistance 2."

I enjoyed my time with the story-driven side of "Resistance 2." The issue some critics have had is that Insomniac Games' ditching of narrated cut-scenes in favor of mostly in-game storytelling, ala "Half-Life" or "BioShock," seemed to result in a loss of detail.

But … I discovered that's not entirely true.

Everything I wanted to know about "Resistance 2"'s story is there, but Insomniac hid it away as "intel" most players will collect mostly for the trophies. When I found one, it shocked me. There's lots of story in "Resistance 2"!

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I can't talk about what I saw at last night's San Francisco media presentation of "Alone in the Dark" yet. But I can tell you it made me hold my notebook over my eyes.

At one point, the audience was told they were about to see an exciting, pivotal moment in the storyline. A main character's story arc was going to take an unexpected turn.

Thing is, I didn't want to know about it. I want to play "Alone in the Dark." I certainly didn't want a crucial narrative point spoiled for me. So I covered my eyes.

Game Videos assistant producer David Ellis informed me when it finally was safe to look. It was slightly embarrassing to be consciously ignoring what the developer was trying to show me, but it's not the first time I've felt that way, either.

The same sense of "spoiler alert!" happened last week with "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" and "Silent Hill: Homecoming," too.

Am I failing as a journalist?

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(Below is part of my latest GameFile column. For the full thing, check out MTVNews.com)

I heard Dave Jones, president of development studio Real Time Worlds and one of the original architects of the "Grand Theft Auto" series, telling an audience: "I like to leave story to books and movies."

David Braben, anther long-tenured game designer, sat with me to talk about his company's upcoming downloadable Wii game "Lost Winds" but veered into a discussion about story and just how bad he thinks most games' tales are. And then he apologized for it: "If you look at stories in films in the '30s, they were sh--." Gaming can get better too.

I met with Denis Dyack, the ever-outspoken president of Silicon Knights to talk about the ambitious and heavily story-driven action game "Too Human," which his company will be releasing on the Xbox 360 this year. And he trashed game stories too. He said the current quality of game stories is "just not acceptable."

Here's what he told GameFile (it's classic Dyack, the kind of commentary that has won him legions of fans and detractors): "I think stories like [the ones in the books] 'Hyperion' or 'Altered Carbon' or very serious science fiction — we need to get stories to that level in the video game industry. ... Bubblegum stories are OK, but there's no reason we can't aspire to do more for those who want to do more. Certainly there's room for everything. If 'Too Human' can say anything, it's that it can be done, and we should at least attempt to try."

Check out the rest of this column at MTVNews.com

Earlier today I published the first part of my DICE summit interview with Insomniac Games president Ted Price. He talked about "Ratchet & Clank Future" and hinted at new intellectual properties.

In part two right here, we're talking gaming gossip Surfer Girl. And storytelling. And the pie-in-the-sky possibility of "Resistance" going handheld. Read on, then check back tomorrow morning for a conclusion that will please anyone curious about "Resistance 2."

Multiplayer: The Surfer Girl leak. How did you find out about it and what was your reaction to it?

Price: We find out about it through our guys finding it on the 'net. Our reaction was: it's unfortunate. It's unfortunate that whenever misinformation is published about a title -- It's just too bad, because it can spoil the experience for those who are fans of a franchise. Because you never know when that information is true or not. You're kind of left wondering until the game comes out or the first articles about the game come out… We just said, 'It's out. It's no big deal. We're going to keep focusing on making the game.

Multiplayer: She or he -- or whoever it is -- was putting up screenshots, right?

Price: There were a few things. There's some statements about the story and levels and things like that. There was a screenshot that was purportedly from multiplayer, which was whack.

Multiplayer: And it was not a real screenshot?

Price: I can't actually comment on that.

Multiplayer: Did you try to track down Surfer Girl? I would imagine you've got ways to figure out how this got out there and to figure out who this person is.

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Waaaaaaalt!

Sorry.

I spent this past weekend playing the four-hour adventure that is Ubisoft's "Lost: Via Domus" (last visited by Stephen in January) You can scope out more of my critical thoughts at 1UP. As a hardcore fan (some might say "obsessed," but I call it "passionate") of the television show, completing "Via Domus" was a forgone conclusion, for the same reasons I made it through "24: The Game" a few years ago.

The stories presented in the weekly episodes aren't enough; the games provide me with more.

I didn't boot up "Via Domus" expecting to enjoy the game itself; rather, this experience was purely about fan service and having a little fun in a mysterious island of my own. What intrigued me, though, was "Via Domus"' storytelling. It got me thinking about the wildly different approaches licensed products take.

Consider the following approaches (some with movie games, but you get the point). Which was wisest?

• "Lost: Via Domus": Invented character who sees the major events occur around them, but doesn't participate in them
• "24: The Game": Story occurs between two seasons, thus avoiding stepping on TV's toes and simultaneously bringing a new story for fans
• "Sopranos": Road to Respect: Set in the same world as the show, incorporates main character interactions, but plot is otherwise separated
• "Scarface: The World is Yours:" Occurs after the film, thereby contradicting the movie's ending but freeing it from its storyline
• "The Godfather": Also features an invented character, but unlike "Via Domus," the character is an active player in major events from the films

"Lost" is a series anchored in meticulously doling out answers to its layered mysteries. Devising a story that allowed the player to explore Lost's world without contradicting the already established doesn't sound simple. Maybe "Via Domus" should have taken a cue from the sentiments in last season's "Greatest Hits" episode, embraced the existing moments and simply let us become part the show's most pivotal moments.

I don't want to punch 4-18-15-16-23-42 inside the hatch as Elliott, some random background castaway that's suddenly been shoehorned into the storyline. I want to be John Locke. Or Desmond Hume. Or Jack Sheppard. Or maybe I'm just too hard to please as a fan.

Readers, what do you want out of your licensed games that so heavily rely on good stories? Is there a better approach?

Nine times out of 10, developers get along with one another at the Game Developers Conference. That wasn't the case at this morning's "The Future of Story in Game Design" panel.

Though five members of the industry were featured, the fireworks were clearly between two in particular. Denis Dyack, President of Silicon Knights and Director of "Too Human," and Matthew Karch, Co-owner and Game Designer at "TimeShift" developer Saber 3D, were visibly and verbally butting heads over the importance of story in video games in the future.

The two split on basic philosophies of game development. Dyack, always the passionate visionary, said developers need to stop designing games based upon a gameplay mechanic. "Too Human," he said, came from a desire to comment on the continued melding of humans and technology. Karch, however, said gameplay is king and any story elements acts as a support for that gameplay, a motivating factor to keep going.

Karch pointed to some of the best selling games of last year, "Call of Duty 4" and "Halo 3," suggesting that their phenomenal sales had little to do with the narrative. "Yeah, there's stories [in these games], but I don't think people played those games for the stories," said Karch, who believes the visuals and visceral gameplay of both games were the main draw. "We can pretend that we want to elevate games to the level of Shakespeare, but the reality is, the audience that we're dealing with today wants that [gameplay focus]."

You might guess that Dyack vehemently disagreed with Karch's assessment. Read on to find out his reactions (one of many) to Karch during the panel's hour-long debate.

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