Poll: What Franchises Would Make Good Games?

[Daft Time]

Look, we know movie tie-in games have a failure rate about on par as video-game films have - but it doesn't have to be this way. Star Wars, for example, has launched a fantastic range of games in the past. So here's the relatively simple question;

Which film, book or television series would make a good video game?​

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Personally, my favourite is Supernatural - I'm not a big fan of the show, but the the structure of the episodes give itself to a set game mechanics which are really appealing to me.

Spoiler: TL;DR - I think Supernatural would make a cooler game than TV show.

Here's how it should go down; It's an open-world action-RPG based on the first couple of seasons of Supernatural. Most of the game goes exactly like an episode of the show does - you investigate some strange deaths, and then research what the method you need to kill the creature. There are just a few things you'll absolutely need to make this process fun;

* You need to be able to get it wrong.
So that wendigo the was ripping apart people in the woods? It was actually a werewolf! Now you've got to get out of there as fast as possible, or improvise to kill it.

* The monsters should all feel very different.
Each monster shouldn't be the same - some should be creepy, some should just be dangerous - and how you take them out should feel different. A demon? Try to trick it into a devils trap and exorcise it. A ghost? Remember that level in Vampire; the Masquerade - Bloodlines? That was perfectly creepy. Each time should be different, to where they haunt to who they kill. There is some awesome folk-lore to draw from here.

* It's not all about action.
I kind of touched upon this in the last point, but it should be said twice - while some action packed monster encounters is fine (necessary, even!) I don't want to be following the same process each time - it should not be find out which monster then pick the right McGuffin to shoot it with.

* Give me multiple ways to get the information.
Let me impersonate law-enforcement officials, or just let me asking around town. Let me break in to steal records. Or let me comb through old newspapers articles. And so on, the more the better!

And there you have it - a relatively unique set of game mechanics with the possibility for wildly varied experiences - and that's not even all this game has to offer. Supernatural had a pretty iconic mixture of muscle cars and mullet rock and it was somehow perfect.

Let me pick from a decent variety of muscle cars, give me some basic customisation for it. Some licensed music would be nice but as long as you make it relatively simple for me to play my own music I'll be plenty happy. Then all you need to give me is some nice environments to look at as I move from each small town and I'll be having a ball just driving.

As for the plot - keep it simple. There's nothing wrong with chasing after a big bad monster as the core of your plot. What should happen is to bring in writers who are talented at writing memorable characters and dialogue. Bonus points for making me laugh.

Should it be in the same time/universe/etc as the TV show? No. I don't really want to see an awful cameo by any of the recurring characters or to have my actions dwarfed by those of the brothers. I just want to exploit the atmosphere and the potential of the universe for an interesting game with some cool new mechanics.

Other things I'm too lazy to expand on:

* Co-op would be kind of fun, though I'm not sure how you'd handle dialogue.
* Get rid of the under-lying sexism present in the show, or I'll be upset. Seriously, I might even mist up a little.

Edit: I'm having trouble concentration and I've noticed in quite a few places I've said the exact opposite of what I intended, so if something sounds a little odd point it out for me. Thanks!

Also the poll derped hard.

Huh, how appropriate. It's like it new what I was going to write. 0_0

 

[shrekfan246]

I think the biggest problem with licensed tie-ins is usually that they don't try to actually capture the feel of whatever property they're using, and just opt to make it some sort of action-filled romp regardless of the tone of the original product. That and they're usually rushed or made by incompetent studios, but you know...

There are a lot of licensed properties that can make legitimately good games. Star Trek Online has made quite a few massive leaps from when it first launched, and while the ground combat is pretty standard third-person shooter action and they could stand to implement a little more diplomacy in missions, it feels more like an actual Star Trek game than practically anything else released in the last fifteen years with perhaps the notable exception of Birth of the Federation.

I think more games could stand to adopt things from adventure games rather than shooters, so long as they avoid the ridiculous pixel hunting or insane "logic" puzzles that are anything but logical. Not everything needs to be all action, all the time, and I'd be interested in playing a Walking Dead/L.A. Noire-esque Supernatural adventure game.

As for me, I'd be interested in seeing a Firefly game. Dunno exactly what type of game it'd have to be to actually work, but I'd like to see it.

 

[Tom_green_day]

I think it's because fans of the franchise really want it to do well, and because a game usually won't do justice to the original material, the people hated. And it's usually made by people who don't make games.
I think supernatural would be interesting, but again the episodes aren't only about hunting monsters. There's the whole feel of the brothers- the relationship between them, the researching monsters to find the right one, the way both brothers specialise in different things. I think the fact that it's a TV show MotW style is the way it should be.

 

[Requia]

I think the biggest thing is that video game emchanics aren;t friendly to things not written for video games. To take Supernatural as an example, in the show they (originally, and still in many episodes) are running around trying to figure out what the fuck is going on for a little while and then violence happens.

Take the same thing to a video game and its hard to replicate. Video games are good at the violence part, but its repetitive violence. They aren't so good at the idea of researching lore and local ghost stories.

Though, I could see a short masocore game based on the groundhog day episode... that'd be hilarious.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I would've loved to see a proper Sopranos game but from what I've seen of it, it's both badly designed and disrespectful to the show. What you gonna do?

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I'd like to see a Game of Thrones game made by CD Projekt RED. They are the only devs who could do it justice I think.

 

[mrhappy1489]

Other. Its not always because its rushed - often times its just because its a shameless cash-in and they don't give a fuck.

Compare TellTale Games The Walking Dead with Walking Dead: Survival Instinct. If anything, TTG:TWD was more rushed than Survival Instinct, but why was it better? Because the developers made a carefully crafted game, piece of art really. Its clear with survival instinct that the game was either sabotaged by Corporate Commander or the developers themselves were split between apathy and indifference.

Another example: I was recently going through my old Xbox games, because I'm moving soon. Spongebob SquarePants: The Battle for Bikini Bottom. I was probably like eleven when I got the game, and even then, I knew these licensed games were almost always shite, but I played the game one day once I got bored, and I was actually quite surprised. It was actually one of the most fun yet challenging games I played on the original Xbox.

Also, something very important to consider - why do people like "x" franchise, and what is that the core of "x" franchise - what is its soul? TTG Walking Dead stayed true to the overall theme of the franchise about humans life without humanity, and being interactive, with us being the person who makes the choices, being not Lee's choices by my choices, my mistakes, and my regrets, it had a bigger impact on me than the comics or the tv show could ever, ever hope to. How about Star Wars and Star Trek, what made those two bigtime franchises? Something that had a part in both of those were how they were often about just plain discovery of the unknown. None of the recent Star Trek games have done exploration, and neither have the TFU games. But think about Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which is generally regarded as the best Star Wars game (no disrespect to Battlefront, Dark Forces, Jedi Knight, X-Wing, Rogue Squadron). KOTOR you spend the entire game exploring places never really previously visited in the Star Wars universe - Manaan, Korriban, Kashyyk, Taris. They even made Tattooine, a place we've visited multiple times, over and over, was a new place to explore, since the game set the clock back to when the planet was in a different stage of development. The same could be said for Bounty Hunter, Dark Forces, and Jedi Knight. While I thoroughly enjoyed Battlefront, what is stopping this game from being any other FPS match-conquest game? A coat of Star Wars IP paint and space combat (which most people didn't seem to exactly adore). Its not a bad game, but its no more of what Star Wars was at the core more than Star Wars Kinect is.

I think what you can also say about TTG is that they stuck to their formula and delivered a story that they were comfortable with. It was pretty evident that they knew what they were doing when they made the game as it contains all the elements that are usually present in their other games, while also delivering on the horror and emotional elements. I also believe that TWD instinctively lends itself to the Adventure game genre. Both the Comic and the TV Show are about the characters and less so about big action set pieces and scenery; it's very much a character piece which works really well in the adventure game genre; a genre well known for its story and character focus. Survival Instincts can be seen as the flip side of that, trying to force TWD into a genre that it just doesn't belong to and I think that's pretty evident of a lot of movie game tie-ins. They take the most popular genre available and then slap whatever movie/tv show onto it and hope that it works, disregarding what makes the Film/TV Show work. By the end you just get a cheap, rushed game that just doesn't work on any level.

 

[Xarathox]

Voted "usually rushed".

As for what franchise I'd like to see made into a game? Ghost in The Shell. I know there was a PS2 game made back in the day but all I remember about it, is that it kinda sucked. It really needs to be completely open ended like a GTA game and heavily story driven like an MGS game.

If someone would make that, I'd throw my wallet at them.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Huh, how appropriate. It's like it new what I was going to write. 0_0

okay that is pretty awesome to have that happen.

although, i have to question, you DON'T like supernatural the tv show, but you think it'd make a good game?!?!?!

BAH HUMBUG. I spit on your thoughts, the show is amazingggg!

(just joking around, don't take my threat seriously)

OT: I would love to play a game version of supernatural, as long as they cast all the voices the same
it would be one hell of a fun game though, a hitman and deus ex hybrid of sorts? it'd be fun to dress up in fbi uniforms to get info and check out the crime scene to know what weapons you need to bring and where to find the monster.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

To answer the poll question, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the licensed material just doesn't adapt well to the format of a video game.

 

[Daft Time]

I'd like to see a Game of Thrones game made by CD Projekt RED. They are the only devs who could do it justice I think.

...seriously, that's all there is to be said. I would love that game.

okay that is pretty awesome to have that happen.

although, i have to question, you DON'T like supernatural the tv show, but you think it'd make a good game?!?!?!

BAH HUMBUG. I spit on your thoughts, the show is amazingggg!

(just joking around, don't take my threat seriously)

OT: I would love to play a game version of supernatural, as long as they cast all the voices the same
it would be one hell of a fun game though, a hitman and deus ex hybrid of sorts? it'd be fun to dress up in fbi uniforms to get info and check out the crime scene to know what weapons you need to bring and where to find the monster.

Heh, I didn't say I don't like the show - in fact, I still watch it despite it's turn for the worse in the later seasons - but for everything it does right, it then does something that makes me want to punch somebody involved. As I mentioned in my post, the blatant sexism of the show is my biggest problem with it. I think giving it a new spin without a reboot would be fantastic.

As for the voices being the same - I wouldn't want characters from the show popping up anyway. They are almost always poorly handled, and I feel it would take some thunder away from the players. Maybe have a neat little cameo, where the brothers in the Impala drive past? Nothing more, just a neat "hey, look at this!".

Oh, and I'm glad you were joking, I was struggling with the mental images of you spitting on my thoughts. =P

 

[Evil Smurf]

I think "The DaVinci Code" would make a great point and click game, think "The Walking Dead"

 

[EzraPound]

I would've loved to see a proper Sopranos game but from what I've seen of it, it's both badly designed and disrespectful to the show. What you gonna do?

Sopranos GTA ftw

 

[endtherapture]

While I thoroughly enjoyed Battlefront, what is stopping this game from being any other FPS match-conquest game? A coat of Star Wars IP paint and space combat (which most people didn't seem to exactly adore). Its not a bad game, but its no more of what Star Wars was at the core more than Star Wars Kinect is.

Battlefront was a good Star Wars game though because they respected the source material - we didn't just go to places in the film, we went to Rhen Var, Kashyyk, Endor, Yavin IV. We got to drive all these interesting vehicles from the films and EU, and all the classes were canonically correct.

Battlefront had a respect for it's source material which is the most important thing a licensed game should have.

 

[Mauler]

Firefly would be an awesome universe for open ended(morrowind(TESII-V)) RPG or something like an MMO game... Or mabey Lexx...

 

[Daft Time]

Firefly would be an awesome universe for open ended(morrowind(TESII-V)) RPG or something like an MMO game... Or mabey Lexx...

Yeah, I really have to agree with a Firefly Open World RPG - though I'm not so fond of the MMO idea. I'm not really sure how you'd handle a Firefly "sandbox" MMO (Eve Online, etc.) and your average theme park MMO (WoW) really doesn't seem appropriate for the setting.

Off Topic: Lexx is one of the few Sci-Fi shows I couldn't even get past the first episode of. Is it worth trying again?

 

[God's Clown]

Warehouse 13 would make a great game. Could be an agent and hunt down artifacts, and use certain artifacts as well. Save the universe, solve some puzzles, fight some supernatural stuff, cool artifacts. Good times.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

snip

ah i see your points, didn't read your whole original post

curious though, because i do agree supernatural can be sexist, what about it exactly do you find sexist? (or what bugs you the most)