Why do people say zombies are overused?

[Macrobstar]

No really, I know everyone goes on about it but think about it, not counting indies how many zombie games are actually released? Then you have games with may more overused antagonists, like Aliens, Terrorists, Russians, PMCs. I have 3 zombie games (4 if you count downloads) and I count myself as, into zombies WAY to much.
Also I don't count games like cod a they aren't the main antagonist and can be avoided if you don't like them

 

[weker]

Dead island, Dead Rising, House of the Dead over kill, Resident Evil, Uncharted, Halo, COD, Shadow of the Damned, Left 4 Dead. As you can see many of these games have some form of zombie, and don't forget many of these have sequels and such. Zombies are fun and entertaining things to kill but some of them don't have enough added to make them interesting.

 

[PlasmaFrog]

Cliche, yes. Overused, no.

Besides, Zombies are easy since it's the most simplistic form of conflict: A virus broke out that left an entire population mindless and mostly dead except for a handful of "survivors".

See, that easy.

 

[goldfalsebond]

zombie games? ok then rise of nightmares, l4d, l4d2, rdr zombies, cod waw, killing floor resident evil 1-5, dead island, halo, house of the dead, silent hill (kind of), fallout (gouls are called zombies sometimes), and a lot more. i came up with that list in about 45 seconds, so yeah they are overused....and i am perfectly happy with that

 

[Shadu]

I think it extends further than just games. They may not be as used in games, but are constantly used in movies. Put the two together, and it's like a zombie overload. Then throw in the comics, books, and other such media...and yeah. I can see how people get that idea. Because, overall, they kind of are.

So, in games only? Not so much. In everything, yeah, they sort of are.

 

[Echo Delta]

I think it extends further than just games. They may not be as used in games, but are constantly used in movies. Put the two together, and it's like a zombie overload. Then throw in the comics, books, and other such media...and yeah.

Exactly my thoughts. People say zombies are overused because they are /thread.

As for the whole Russians, PMC's, etc. who's to say that there can only be one overused antagonist? As far as I'm concerned, everything above is overused.

 

[finecrazydud]

zombies and aliens are used alot because you dont need a plot to say why you need to kill them, its just easy. Russians are used because they wore the last big threat because of the cold war which took place during many older game dev. childhood. PMC are just thought of as evil because its just assholes with guns.

 

[TheBelgianGuy]

Seeing the long history of our media, and the billions of people in one way or another involved in it, I'd be amazed if something wasn't "overused" yet.

 

[ShenCS]

But zombies don't just stick to their own games. You see them in tonnes of other incarnations and then seeing them in games devoted to just them and nothing else makes it seem overwhelming. You don't see many games devoted to say, Goombas and nothing else. Why would it be a bad thing? Because, like zombies, they're already the staple fodder you've seen a million times and killed a million times in about half your video game library.
It doesn't help that zombies themselves are fundamentally the most boring of enemies. No motive, no speed, no individual threat, no personal connection at all. They want to eat you and there are a lot of them. That's it.

 

[Soggy Toast]

Take a look at this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_zombie_video_games

 

[natster43]

Let me think of how many games have "zombies" in them for this gen.
Dead Rising 1 and 2
Resident evil 5, Mercenaries 3D, Revelations, and Operation Raccoon City
Left 4 Dead 1 and 2
Eat Lead The Return of Matt Hazard
Call of Duty World at War and Black Ops
Borderlands
Skate 3 I think?
Red Dead Redemption
Dead Island
House of the Dead Overkill
Rise of Nightmares
And probably more that I can't think of.
Then there are also movies, comics, TV Shows, and books with zombies in them.

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

Don't forget most fantasy RPG's have a zombie enemy in them as well, Diablo 1&2, just about any game based of D&D will, etc.

 

[Javarock]

Let me think of how many games have "zombies" in them for this gen.
Dead Rising 1 and 2
Resident evil 5, Mercenaries 3D, Revelations, and Operation Raccoon City
Left 4 Dead 1 and 2
Eat Lead The Return of Matt Hazard
Call of Duty World at War and Black Ops
Borderlands
Skate 3 I think?
Red Dead Redemption
Dead Island
House of the Dead Overkill
Rise of Nightmares
And probably more that I can't think of.
Then there are also movies, comics, TV Shows, and books with zombies in them.

Compare them to shooters?

Personally I would prefer them to shooters any day. With hope, They will become the next big thing.

 

[DustyDrB]

I hate them, but it has nothing to do with overuse. They just freak me out and I'd prefer they just never been created in the first place.

It is kind of cringe-inducing when they show up in games they don't belong: Red Dead Redemption. But I didn't buy that expansion, so...problem solved. And I freaking despised the zombie (not really what they are, but it's close enough for me) things in Uncharted. Made me want to quit the game.

 

[FPSMadPaul]

Cliche, yes. Overused, no.

These are very easy to mix up. I agree with you, it's not an over saturated market like the First Person Shooter genre but they are a very easy way to put an enemy in a game without having to record dialogue or come up with any sort of meaningful backstory.

Skate 3 I think?

Wow, I really don't recall that, are you sure?

 

[Rawne1980]

They do get used a fair bit in games. Even games with no attachment to zombies has DLC with zombies in them (oh yes CoD I would look at you but Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare walked in front of you).

However zombies are fun to kill so I won't complain.

 

[slarrs]

Literal zombie games consist pretty much of L4D, Dead Rising and Resident Evil (I'm sure I left some series out, of course). Other games like COD, Red Dead, Borderlands and such use them to flesh out some extra content. Personally I seen no problem with zombies. They're fun, simple and a bit easier on the studio in the world of absurd graphics costs. And if you don't like them, don't play the game(s). No one said you have to spend 60$ on a game or 15-20$ on DLC if you don't want.

Saying that Dead Rising is a bad game because it has zombies and too many things have zombies is just childish. Saying it's a bad game because it's a repetitive, predictable game that promises and sandbox and fails to deliver is more honest and accurate