Infamous Was Originally Pitched as a Super-Powered Animal Crossing

[Cognimancer]

Infamous Was Originally Pitched as a Super-Powered Animal Crossing

Sucker Punch scrapped a lot of early prototypes before Infamous became what it is today, and some of them were a little out there.

Creating a new IP is risky, but it's great to have the freedom to go in whatever direction you want. After creating the Sly Cooper series on the PlayStation 2, Sucker Punch Productions decided to try something new for Sony's next platform. That game eventually became Infamous, but you might be surprised at the studio's earlier ideas. As it turns out, the starting point for the Infamous series was "next-gen Animal Crossing."

Sucker Punch co-founder Chris Zimmerman says that "the original idea for Infamous, believe it or not, was that it was kind of Animal Crossing, but you were a superhero." The game would share the social-centered gameplay of Nintendo's life simulator, presumably with more flying and less fishing.

"We worked on that for about a year," says Zimmerman. "So much more stylized, much more cartoony than what you end up seeing. We worked hard to see if we could make that work." It seems like they couldn't make it work in the end - though I'd love to see that prototype - and Sucker Punch tried out a few other concepts before Infamous solidified. Including one in which players combated a gang of purple balloon-stealing gorillas.

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing more studios experiment with these kinds of outlandish ideas. Infamous is all well and good, sure, but with the AAA industry so full of photorealistic action power fantasies, I can't help but think that there'd be a loyal following for a stylized, cartoony superhero sim.

Source: Gamespot [http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-exclusive-infamous-series-originally-began-as-an-animal-crossing-style-game/1100-6418266/]

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[Micah Weil]

...I'd actually be interested in seeing their work and sketches and whatnot for that project.
The very thought of Tom Nook with ANY sort of super power is both terrifying and alluring...

 

[Elfgore]

I do agree that the industry is filled with power fantasies, but very few have superpower fantasies. Most the time it's just some bad ass who destroys everyone with guns and his muscles. But Infamous has a guy with superpowers. A vastly under used concept for modern games.

I've never been a big fan of Animal Crossing, but I wouldn't mind seeing a small studio taking up the idea and making the game. I must personally say I'm glad things worked out as they did and can't wait for Friday to come.

 

[bdeamon]

This kind of explains Zeke in a sense.

 

[Saltyk]

I do agree that the industry is filled with power fantasies, but very few have superpower fantasies. Most the time it's just some bad ass who destroys everyone with guns and his muscles. But Infamous has a guy with superpowers. A vastly under used concept for modern games.

I've never been a big fan of Animal Crossing, but I wouldn't mind seeing a small studio taking up the idea and making the game. I must personally say I'm glad things worked out as they did and can't wait for Friday to come.

I opted to take the day off work. If Gamestop does a midnight release, I'll be there. And there's no way I would go home, then go to bed, and work the next day without trying it at all. And stopping your brand new game after 20 minutes, just isn't happening.

OT: Gotta admit that the original idea sounds crazy. But interesting. I can honestly kinda see how it could work and even see the skeleton of that original game in the finished product. I don't know if I would enjoy it as much as what we got, though. There was just something so satisfying about running around with electric powers chucking electric grenades at enemies (and occasional civilians), grinding down the rail line, and flying through the air. Fighting, climbing, and generally traversing were all pretty satisfying.

Here's hoping that Infamous: Second Son keeps up with the all around solid game.

 

[Arawn]

Now that is strange. I can almost see the furry critter doing his super hero bit. Would it still be lightning powers? I'm glad they went that way with Cole and trashed a city. That being said I'm very excited about Second Son. Yes, I even Pre-ordered after hearing it gave a special mission (which will probably be DLC by year's end). Should be alot of fun, shame I work that weekend.

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

I do agree that the industry is filled with power fantasies, but very few have superpower fantasies. Most the time it's just some bad ass who destroys everyone with guns and his muscles. But Infamous has a guy with superpowers. A vastly under used concept for modern games.

I disagree. Really, in terms of aesthetics it might be different, but in terms of gameplay most game protagonists typically have a whole set of superpowers, from healing factor to magical unlimited carrying space to psychic powers that let them detect enemies' positions.

The only real difference is whether or not these powers are acknowledged in the narrative. But most people who're clamoring for more superhero games don't really make an argument for why explicit superpowers would be conducive to better stories.

 

[CriticalMiss]

So you would use your superpowers to combat evil by night and pay off the mortgage you got from an anthropomorphic racoon by day? As long as you don't have to try and catch a coelocanth it sounds pretty fun.

 

[josemlopes]

The only real difference is whether or not these powers are acknowledged in the narrative. But most people who're clamoring for more superhero games don't really make an argument for why explicit superpowers would be conducive to better stories.

Maybe because thats not the only reason a game should exist?

Spiderman 2 had a crappy story but it was very fun to play, thats enough for me. The same goes with Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Superhero games can still suck (Thor, Superman, Aquaman) but they offer a different playstyle that isnt all that present in games.


And health regen in a FPS doesnt make it a superhero game, Crackdown could be considered a superhero game while Battlefield couldnt.

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

The only real difference is whether or not these powers are acknowledged in the narrative. But most people who're clamoring for more superhero games don't really make an argument for why explicit superpowers would be conducive to better stories.

Maybe because thats not the only reason a game should exist?

Spiderman 2 had a crappy story but it was very fun to play, thats enough for me. The same goes with Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Superhero games can still suck (Thor, Superman, Aquaman) but they offer a different playstyle that isnt all that present in games.

You're completely missing my point. Story/aesthetics aside, what is the gameplay difference between flying around in a jet with a machine-gun, and flying around as superman with laser vision? What is the mechanical difference between Half-Life's gravity gun and having telekinesis, or any game with a flamethrower and pyrokinesis, or enemy indicators and telepathy/x-ray vision, or having a dagger of time versus time-travelling powers, or a grappling hook versus a spider web, et cetera?

What do superpowers actually bring to the table?

 

[Lil_Rimmy]

The only real difference is whether or not these powers are acknowledged in the narrative. But most people who're clamoring for more superhero games don't really make an argument for why explicit superpowers would be conducive to better stories.

Maybe because thats not the only reason a game should exist?

Spiderman 2 had a crappy story but it was very fun to play, thats enough for me. The same goes with Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Superhero games can still suck (Thor, Superman, Aquaman) but they offer a different playstyle that isnt all that present in games.

You're completely missing my point. Story/aesthetics aside, what is the gameplay difference between flying around in a jet with a machine-gun, and flying around as superman with laser vision? What is the mechanical difference between Half-Life's gravity gun and having telekinesis, or any game with a flamethrower and pyrokinesis, or enemy indicators and telepathy/x-ray vision, or having a dagger of time versus time-travelling powers, or a grappling hook versus a spider web, et cetera?

What do superpowers actually bring to the table?

Flying around and shooting things with lazors?

Serious though, the main reason why people like superhero games is because they are usually pure fun. When you say that an FPS with super vision is the same a super hero game with x-ray vision, I get what you mean but the way they handle it is very different. In a super hero game, you run up buildings and ground pound a guy a few stories below you, where as in an FPS you would grittly fight your way up a building just for it to collapse and you to climb out of the wreckage, as your friend tells you to go on without him to stop the Big Bad Russian.

It's kind of like a LRR The Whole Story. Sure, it might contain some actual facts about the topic - but does that make it a documentary?

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

Serious though, the main reason why people like superhero games is because they are usually pure fun.

You're probably right. I just think it's more reasonable to say "there should be more games with a focus on fun over gritty realism" than to say "there should be more games with superhuman characters, except more superhuman than the normal level of superhuman that most games have and like, jumping really high. I like jumping really high, put that in."

 

[CrazyGirl17]

...That... actually sounds like something I'd be interested in. Wonder if anyone would like to remake that idea...

 

[DaWaffledude]

That is just... Too bizzare for words.

 

[Kyogissun]

Please please please please please please Sucker Punch, try this idea again.

I don't hate inFamous as it is or anything, but this idea just sounds way too damn cool to miss out on. Please guys, don't shove that animal crossing/social interaction game idea out the window yet.

 

[Storm Dragon]

Including one in which players combated a gang of purple balloon-stealing gorillas.

I choose to interpret this as the gorillas having OCD and only stealing the purple balloons.

 

[Foolery]

But Infamous has a guy with superpowers. A vastly under used concept for modern games.

Not really.

Prototype, Just Cause, Crackdown, all have similar gameplay with super-ish powers. You can even extend that to titles like Singularity, Bioshock, The Darkness, etc, the list goes on with games that have some sort of unnatural ability or technology that's the main focus. They're just not explicitly stated as superpowers.