In our discussion on thursday about the use of plot and stories within video games, and the thought occurred to me, of whether they were even necessary. Some of the most classic video games have nothing resembling plot. Games like pong and Pac-Man, have nothing resembling a plot, all you do is move a little round something or other in such a way that the game tells you that you are succeeding. Most people who play these games are happy with this, as the games are interesting to play without an explanation for why Pac-Man is eating his fruit, or why you don't want the ball to cross your side of the screen.
On the other hand anyone who has ever played Mario knows the story of how Bowser keeps kidnapping Peach, and Mario has to cross the magic kingdom to save her. The basic story line gives the player a basic understanding of why they are eating mushrooms, and running from one end of the map to the other. It is not hard to imagine the game without the plot, however the plot is in fact part of what makes the game a classic, just as much as the mushrooms and Koopa's.
This leaves us the question of do our games now need a plot? Some of out popular games, such as Halo, and Call of duty are first person shooters that rely heavily on plot to give the player direction and a reason to play. On the other hand some other relatively recent games, such as Deer Avenger 4 can be summed up in the following lines

"Shoot stuff, and Fart"

You don't need to know why you are fighting people, only that you are, and when you shoot them you get positive feedback from the game, as well as the humor found in farts working as nuclear warheads, rocket-packs, and a green tracking device. It can be just as fun to play, however there being less plot, may not keep as many people hooked to it. Even if it hooks people to the game, is it necessary to make a vide game?