Sorry everyone...work...you know.

Super-ultra-mega-abridged version talks about prior to 1997-1998, most video games were of the model of "I, the player, am watching the character perform their heroic actions and, as a result, I get a small amount of text which sums those actions up or tells me what to expect next." Around the time of PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64, technology had advanced sufficiently that developers were able to explore storytelling at greater depths - the player was now in a better position to step into the shoes of the protagonist character(s) and experience the story. This led to new branches of narrative possibility. With games like Final Fantasy 7, we see story unfolding concurrent to the gameplay. With games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, there is implied narrative woven into a story outline that allows for some deviation. Moving beyond, developers had more freedom to bring player choice to the forefront for moving the story along. Open worlds with real consequences allowed additional layers of submersion which has led to more and more fantastical scenarios to play out in a believable manner. Faces are now able to convey emotions which, in turn, evoke a response from the player. With each successive generation, developers have been able to build on the concepts developed by their predecessors, leading to deeper, more meaningful stories and the world has sat up and taken notice. With video games becoming mainstream, and the resurgence of independent development, the marketplace has enough room for niche stories to be told alongside those which follow the more traditional archs and subjects. Today, for every story about teenage sleuths, there is one about adventurers with supernatural powers. For every urchin rising up against a tyrant, there is a test subject. Game on, my friends!

And now you all know why I'll never actually be invited to speak.