Publishers Wanted Brütal Legend To Go Hip-Hop

[Keane Ng]

I would find that about 100 times more interesting than Brutal Legend's seriously dubious take on metal.

And hip-hop has plenty of lore and mythology.

And I would rather shove a soldering iron into my ear than play yet another game that pretends to be hip-hop out of some focus-group-derived marketing need. I'm with Schaefer on this one.

-- Steve

Considering what Schafer's doing with metal, I don't think I would want him to try the same with hip-hop. My gripe with Brutal Legend isn't so much that it's about metal but the way it approaches it by maximizing the cheese factor with all its umlauts and spiked belts, it's like Metalocalypse or whatever, it's more about a certain perception about metal than the music itself, which is fine, but I think kinda played out at this point. Of course you could do that well, and Brutal Legend may very well pull it off, so we'll see.

I'm not really giving the game the benefit of the doubt, and if it is done intelligently, well, then it stands to reason that someone could give hip-hop the same kind of treatment. There's plenty of room to be playful with its history and be smart and respectful at the same time. I just think a lot of gamers assume that when it's hip-hop and games, it's going to be stupid and bad, and that has as much to do with the games themselves (justifiably) as the general perception of the culture.

 

[laikenf]

I would find that about 100 times more interesting than Brutal Legend's seriously dubious take on metal.

And hip-hop has plenty of lore and mythology.

And I would rather shove a soldering iron into my ear than play yet another game that pretends to be hip-hop out of some focus-group-derived marketing need. I'm with Schaefer on this one.

-- Steve

Considering what Schafer's doing with metal, I don't think I would want him to try the same with hip-hop. My gripe with Brutal Legend isn't so much that it's about metal but the way it approaches it by maximizing the cheese factor with all its umlauts and spiked belts, it's like Metalocalypse or whatever, it's more about a certain perception about metal than the music itself, which is fine, but I think kinda played out at this point. Of course you could do that well, and Brutal Legend may very well pull it off, so we'll see.

I'm not really giving the game the benefit of the doubt, and if it is done intelligently, well, then it stands to reason that someone could give hip-hop the same kind of treatment. There's plenty of room to be playful with its history and be smart and respectful at the same time. I just think a lot of gamers assume that when it's hip-hop and games, it's going to be stupid and bad, and that has as much to do with the games themselves (justifiably) as the general perception of the culture.

Dude it's just a game, a cartoony looking game. Nobody's taking it or Schafer's view on metal seriously (what the hell, you're not even supposed to take metal seriously to begin with). I think it's a brilliant take on the image metal music has created for itself over the years, the over-the-top feeling I get when looking at the previews just reminds me of how equally over-the-top the genre can be in terms of image, lyrics (just listen to DIO) and overall stage presence.

When people in this forum refer to metal mythology they are talking about the album covers (Iron Maiden and Megadeth even have their own characters to go with the image), supposed ties to Satanism, the musician's posture and image: long haired, bearded norse looking men playing instruments that somehow resemble medieval weapons (anybody familiar with the B.C. Rich ***** and the Warlock?) screaming or grouling at the top of their lungs and performing thick, heavy and distorted musical pieces that somehow reminds us of how Satan likes his symphonies. It's exaggeration and cheese at it's best, and it's fun as hell if you ask me.

 

[Keane Ng]

Dude it's just a game, a cartoony looking game. Nobody's taking it or Schafer's view on metal seriously (what the hell, you're not even supposed to take metal seriously to begin with). I think it's a brilliant take on the image metal music has created for itself over the years, the over-the-top feeling I get when looking at the previews just reminds me of how equally over-the-top the genre can be in terms of image, lyrics (just listen to DIO) and overall stage presence.

I haven't seen the game in action, so I can't say that it's a "brilliant" take or not. Metal is ripe for satire (and self-satire), nobody's going to doubt that (I have listened to Dio) and I'm not saying I don't like metal for being ridiculous, at all. I just think that making fun of metal for being cheesy and over-the-top is getting kind of stale, almost as stale as taking metal too seriously. Brutal Legend could do new things with it, though, and I'm more than open to that.

 

[benwins]

Soulja Boy: Crank Dat Legend sounds so awesome!

I almost wish they'd made this instead now

 

[Keane Ng]

Soulja Boy: Crank Dat Legend sounds so awesome!

I almost wish they'd made this instead now

He's making a game. Check it out. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/87963-Crank-Dat-Soulja-Boy-The-Game-In-2009]

 

[RebornKusabi]

I'm with Grandpa Krillin on this one, I think Brutal Legend should itself a little more seriously then it currently is. We all understand that heavy metal is silly, campy and over-rated (or not, it's your opinion) but this game seems to be playing all of those angles a little too close to the cheek to not be open satire of Metal culture.

 

[SharPhoe]

He's making a game. Check it out. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/87963-Crank-Dat-Soulja-Boy-The-Game-In-2009]

Ow, my faith in the gaming industry.

No, no... I'll wait until reviews come about before I lose all hope...

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

I would find that about 100 times more interesting than Brutal Legend's seriously dubious take on metal.

And hip-hop has plenty of lore and mythology.

Why is it whenever someone mentions hip hop on these forums they get molested? Besides the fact that around 85% of The Escapist are Metal fans.

Soulja Boy: Crank Dat Legend sounds so awesome!

I almost wish they'd made this instead now

He's making a game. Check it out. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/87963-Crank-Dat-Soulja-Boy-The-Game-In-2009]

O_O Kill it with fire. Failing that, kill it with intellect.

EDIT: Failing that, kill it with musical ability

OH SNAP!

 

[Sewblon]

Just another case of publishers not knowing how to be designers. I don't like hip-hop and I don't have anything against country but a heavy metal game sounds 1000 times more interesting.

 

[OddOzZy666]

Well i for one can't wait for Brutal legend, imagine slicing demons in half to the tune of Wicker man by Iron maiden, it'll be awesome!

 

[Yoshi-Pop]

[/quote] "what the hell, you're not even supposed to take metal seriously to begin with"[/quote]

Dude, I ALWAYS take metal seriously.

 

[Low Frost]

I would find that about 100 times more interesting than Brutal Legend's seriously dubious take on metal.

And hip-hop has plenty of lore and mythology.

I'm gonna agree to disagree with this. Some things work. And hip hop doesn't mesh with over the top european medieval battles. It just doesn't.

 

[ila]

So if it were Hip Hop we'd probably have a less fun version of Saint's Row 2 instead.

 

[elvor0]

I would find that about 100 times more interesting than Brutal Legend's seriously dubious take on metal.

And hip-hop has plenty of lore and mythology.

Such as...?

I am actually trying to decide whether you're being sarcastic there or not, given your take on Brutal Legend. ¬¬
I honestly can't think of any hip-hop lore.

 

[InProgress]

Soulja Boy: Crank Dat Legend sounds so awesome!

I almost wish they'd made this instead now

He's making a game. Check it out. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/87963-Crank-Dat-Soulja-Boy-The-Game-In-2009]

I'm guessing it will be something like Michael Phelps' game: not interesting in the slightest and really stupid.