5. Interactive Movies
I mentioned at the beginning of this how far we've come from the days of Super Mario World on the SNES; he cutscenes in games back on the NES and SNES were always good for a watch and helped the story progress. Today however, some games are more cutscene than game. I remember on the last generation (and I have it on my 360), playing Quantic Dream's, Indigo Prophecy - a very cool and very entertaining experience, which was also a very cinematic experience. Jump ahead a generation, and the same team takes it to a whole new level with Heavy Rain. These guys really know how to weave a story, and keep you on the edge of your seat. Stunning visuals, deep story, great soundtrack - every key element was nailed. Quantic Dream doesn't have a monopoly on this though. Big Fish and Telltale make very deep interactive movies, and many believe Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4 blur the line as well. I remember as a kid, I used to ask my brother if he wanted to play Nintendo with me. It generally turned in to me watching him play. It wasn't an over-all fun experience for me back then. Today? I have some non-gamer friends who love watching Heavy Rain, Uncharted, Batman, or Dragon Age being played. It's a whole new world, isn't it?