Forget Dante's Inferno 2, Visceral Wants Macbeth

[Andy Chalk]

Forget Dante's Inferno 2, Visceral Wants Macbeth

There are no plans for a sequel to Macbeth [http://www.amazon.com/Dantes-Inferno-Divine-Playstation-3/dp/B001NX6GBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1279312350&sr=1-1].

It's a little hard to believe, but Knight says that at this point in the process - and with Dante's Inferno scheduled for release next week, the process is pretty far along - Dante's Inferno [http://www.visceralgames.com/] that will be coming out soon, like a prequel campaign that shows the dark forest and unveil."

Dante's Inferno has been given a huge amount of pre-release hype that will culminate in an ad that will play during EA's [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97928-The-End-Is-Nigh-Dantes-Inferno-Super-Bowl-Ad] biggest of the year. In an industry that's built around "sequelization" and long-term franchises, a follow-up to a game like that is all but mandatory, so Knight's suggestion that it might not happen has a bit of a dubious ring to it, to say the least.

So once Dante's Inferno and its various expansions are wrapped up, what would he like to do next? "Macbeth: The Game is something I've been thinking about for years, but now, I think the emotional quality that games are achieving and the value level of the acting and the sound work makes it possible," he said. "The thing is, the unique quality of games is being interactive; it's about action and killing things and pursuing those mechanics is tricky when bringing in classic media. Dante's is more of a violent interpretation of the poem for example. Macbeth would be great, though; there are witches and a supernatural experience along with plenty of intrigue and murder."

A Macbeth videogame? You'd better believe I'd sign up for that.


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[Jared]

Macbeth? Game? Well, ill certainly give em credit they know how to go with the classics!

I dont know how that would play out...but, it could certainly be possible

 

[Tears of Blood]

Macbeth? Game? No. I can't even imagine it. ~_~ Please, Visceral, don't ruin Macbeth like you did Dante's Inferno.

... Please?

Macbeth? Game? Well, ill certainly give em credit they know how to go with the classics!

I dont know how that would play out...but, it could certainly be possible

Wow. Weird how we both started our posts the same way.

 

[Sparrow]

I'd actually play that.

"New Quest!: Get The Blood Off Your Hands"

 

[zombie711]

Is nothing safe? But at least Macbeth was gory and fun to read so if they stick to the book a bit more then dante's inferno it's all right

 

[ItsAChiaotzu]

Ok, after spending weeks doing coursework on Macbeth, if they did make this game, I would burn it.

 

[Generic_Dave]

Sir Patrick Stewart would be obligatory in the lead...mega-violence and Sir Patrick, no better combination.

 

[HardRockSamurai]

Great. Now I guess we'll have to start calling it "the Scottish GAME."
[small]"Press X to Soliloquize"[/small]

 

[Anonymous Overlord]

I was against dante's inferno on principle until i thought about the thousands that will pick up the book because of the game, and the hundreds that will continue reading. I say to Visceral go big or go home, do time machine, moby dick, journey to the center of the earth, war of the worlds... ect. Keep going, but only if dante is a fun game to play.

 

[The Sorrow]

I'll buy it if the final boss is a giant robot/angel Macduff.

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

No, no, no! They'll ruin everything! Know this: I had no problem with them trying to make an adaption of Dante's Inferno, because honestly, that book was amazing, and it's a good concept to try and make a game out of. But Macbeth? Frakking Macbeth?

I mean, that's the sacred cow to end all sacred cows. Doesn't matter if you think it was good or not, 'cos everyone's heard of it. There's just no way that kind of thing would work, either.

The Dante's Inferno thing has a shot because all fantasy/sci-fi works would lend themselves well to a videogame, for the most part. But a Macbeth game would feel out of place. And I don't think the main gamer demographic would go for it. I'd love it if something like that could succeed, but I don't think this will.

 

[Mana Fiend]

I can't see it. MacBeth may be a murderer, but he's only a tool for Lady MacBeth. That's how I always say it, anyway; Lady MacB is that terrible side of the fairer sex tat stems from all the Greek Tragedies and ideas of the time.

But enough of my pretentiousness (which is probably spelt wrong, but meh). As I said, it's not even got a particularly good basis for a game in my eyes; at least Inferno had the setting of Hell. MacBeth has a castle, a forest and maybe a battlefield. I just don't see it.

 

[El Poncho]

Wouldn't it just be killing your friends and those you are loyal to?

 

[DreamKing]

I will be avoiding this game for two reasons: it's probably cursed and Macbeth or any Shakepearean play would not do well as a video game.

 

[Sennz0r]

Macbeth? Game? No. I can't even imagine it. ~_~ Please, Visceral, don't ruin Macbeth like you did Dante's Inferno.

... Please?

Don't you think to truly ruin literature by making a game out of it you should at least try to stick to the story, only to fail miserably, thus ruining the literature? It seems to me Dante's Inferno isn't even trying. Visceral just took the outlining of The Inferno and turned a poet into some blood crazy warrior wreaking havoc throughout the nine circles of hell. It's my opinion they didn't ruin the literature by doing this, mainly using it to create a sensational game. Whether you agree with Visceral on doing so is entirely up to you. It sure won't ruin my reading experience once I receive my copy of The Inferno later this week.

I was against dante's inferno on principle until i thought about the thousands that will pick up the book because of the game, and the hundreds that will continue reading.

And I'm one of them

As for a Macbeth game, I'm all for it. Providing they get great voice actors of course. I wouldn't sit through a bad performance of the play, let alone finish an entire game with terrible voice acting.
...Though I probably have a very different image of what this game would look like than the people from Visceral, but we'll see.

This could actually be a good way to bring great literary works to people who would normally not give them a second glance.

 

[Flying Dagger]

It's about time someone realised that taking books that have merit already would be a good way to get a good story for your game.

Then again, I would bet a Shakespeare game would be let down on lack of atmosphere.

 

[Allornone]

I say to Visceral go big or go home, do time machine, moby dick, journey to the center of the earth, war of the worlds... ect. Keep going, but only if dante is a fun game to play.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/1/15/

 

[Gladion]

"The thing is, the unique quality of games is being interactive; it's about action and killing things [...]"

Yes, this person knows what gaming is all about. Killing things. Fuck solving riddles, competing with others or even telling a story - it's killing things. After all, this is what "interaction" means.

Good lord, judging from Dante's Inferno, I knew they didn't know how to design a game, but now this guy is practically admitting he doesn't even know what game design means.
It's a shame Dante's Inferno is fun, because I'm not going to buy it. Oh well, I'll get it used.

 

[Brain_Cleanser]

Let me get somthing out of the way: Macbeth is my favorite Shakespeare play of all time.
I would buy a game based on it in a heartbeat.
The main trouble I see is how the hell would it work? There's not a lot of ACTION in Macbeth.
Unless it's Macbeth IN Dante's Inferno after he dies. That would be awesome.
Multiplayer includes Lady Macbeth split screen!

 

[johannmaximus]

Well, MacBeth certainly does seem like a good idea in theory, It's got blood, violence, death, more blood, but when put to practice, who knows? But I know one thing. A game based on A Midsummer's Night Dream would be a very, very bad game.