Category Archives: Video Game Adaptations

The Walking Dead Facebook Game Almost Here

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The hit AMC television series, “The Walking Dead” is invading Facebook. It was recently revealed that Eyes Wide Games, AMC, and Rock You have teamed up to create a new social based Facebook game based on the series. The game is set to arrive net month. (You can see screenshots from the game below)

The objective is pretty simple given it is a game about zombies. Stay Alive. The game makes you team up with Facebook friends to establish a camp and defend it from the Walkers. You will also have to scavenge for resources, complete missions, and meet characters from the actual television show.

“AMC’s The Walking Dead Social Game is a next generation game for social networks,” Eye Wides Games CEO Stephen Griffin told G4. “It’s got deep playability. It’s got drama, and it’s still approachable for the casual audience. However, if you’re a gamer and you’ve been looking for a deeper game to play and to experience on social networks then this is it.”

Even more is that this isn’t the first video game tie-in that has been announced for the television series. Telltale Game is also creating an episodic adventure game that is based on the comics. The first episode in that game is expected to be available sometime this spring.

“The Walking Dead” is based on the comic book series, The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It is currently in the middle of its second season. AMC announced in October 2011 that the show would be renewed for a third season due to the fact the premiere of season 2 broke cable records in their demographic. On January 14, 2012, AMC announced that the third season will contain an extended episode order of 16 episodes.

The Walking Dead tells the story of a small group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Most of the story takes place in the Atlanta metropolitan area, as the survivors search for a haven away from the shuffling hordes of predatory “walkers” who devour and infect any living thing they catch. The plot is focused primarily on the dilemmas the group face as they struggle to balance their humanity with their survival.

The group is led by Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln (You can see an interview with Lincoln here), who was a sheriff’s deputy in a small Georgian town before the zombie outbreak. At every turn they are faced with the horror of the dead walking again, the changing dynamic of their group, and hostility from the scattered remains of a struggling human populace who are focused on their own survival now that the structures of society have collapsed.

You can sign up for the Walking Dead Social Game by liking its fan page. You’ll be notified when it launches in April.

You can also see some screenshots from the new Facebook game below:

Game of Thrones MMORPG: Cash Grab is Coming

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Cable network HBO has signed a deal with Bigpoint to develop a new online game.  This new game will be a massive multiplayer online role playing game based on HBO’s series” Game of Thrones”, which in turns is adapted from George R.R. Martins original A Song of Ice and Fire book series.

The German game developer Bigpoint has already had some experiencing developing MMORPGs, creating one based on the Battle Galactica television series.  The “Game of Thrones” online game will also be available as a free-to-play and set in the fictional world of Westeros.

Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz had this to say:

“With a rich and complex story, expressed through an amazing level of detail, it’s easy to see why the HBO series Game of Thrones has amassed an army of fans worldwide.”

“We intend to build a game that resonates intimately with its diehard community of followers, while also creating an authentic gaming experience that attracts newcomers to the franchise.”

Jack Wulff, Artplant’s founder and executive producer has said,

“Our goal is to be one of the worlds leading developers of 3D MMO browser based games…”

“As a fan of fantasy it’s a dream come true to be working with Game of Thrones, and there’s hardly any other fantasy license in the world with a bigger potential”, Jørgen Tharaldsen, the games producer added.

Here’s the hitch, while HBO has signed a deal with Bigpoint; a German video game developer; the game will actually be developed by Norwegian games studio, Artplant.

Why’s this?

First off, Bigpoint makes games for stand-alone browser-based games.  Think flash games and social media games.  It also runs a gaming portal website already with a lot of browser based MMORPGs. Meanwhile, the biggest name in MMORPGs right now is World of Warcraft.  That game originally required purchases of DVDs and expansion packs, coupled with many downloads.  The graphics are amazing.  There isn’t much a browser-based MMORPG can do to compete against WoW in terms of quality.

So at this point, the expectation for the imagery of Westeros is set pretty high.  The goal is most likely get that realistic medieval feeling one gets watching the television show.

That’s why Artplant was brought it.  Why not just go to Artplant or another developer then?

I think it’s because HBO likes Bigpoint’s business model for online games.  Bigpoint is currently one of the leaders in the fast-growing free-to-play gaming industry.  Free-to-play means that you don’t have to purchase the game, an activation fee, or a monthly fee.  The catch is that if you want any perks to the game, you have to pay for it.

Take Dark Orbit for example.  Dark Orbit is a game which was developed by Bigpoint.  The game is set in outer space; where flying ships are easier to render than the illusion of walking and riding around on terra firma.  Players control a spaceship in a battle against non-player characters and other players. In these battles they can be supported by combat drones.  There are different levels of drones ranking up to the 10th drone; the Zeus; which is very rare.  In order to obtain one, you need to have all 9 previous drones and the blueprints to make it.

The game has over 7 million registered users and amongst them, a fraction will actually pay an exorbitant fee for in game advantages.  The cost of bypassing all the rules to get a Zeus drone was offered for the low price of 1000 Euro Dollars.  That’s around $1300.00 U.S for those people who love the game, perhaps their primary source of enjoyment.  To them it may seem like good value.

Unlike most social media games that try to nickel and dime with minor in game perks; like buying into the in game monetary system; the business model of the Bigpoint is not to get everybody to spend a dime, but to get the addicted gamers to spend a whole lot.

As of today, they already have over 250 million registered users and I think HBO wants a piece of that online pie.  This is in addition to the console adventure game being developed by Cyanide studios.  Their game perk is currently an art book that comes with pre-orders; while supplies last.

While I look forward to wild incestuous sex and nudity in an online game, in the end, this is basically another HBO cash grab.  It’s only a matter of time before there’s a MMORPG for “The Walking Dead.”

The second season of “Game of Thrones” begins on April 1.

Steampunk Batman: The Video Game That Disappeared

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A video of an abandoned Batman game has surfaced on the internet. Based on the Gotham By Gaslight graphic novel from DC Comics, this Victorian era take on the Batman was written by Bryan Augustyn and drawn by Mike Mignola; the creator of Hellboy. This sprang from a series of What If type comic books called Elseworlds.

The Elseworld tag:

“In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others that can’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t exist. The result is stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow.”

In this Elseworld comic, Gotham By Gaslight, the book begins with Wayne retelling a dream to Dr. Sigmund Freud; where Wayne watches as his parents are shot down by a bandit, then gets saved from the bandit by annoyed bats hidden in trees. Freud’s all into this because he’s got a symbolism obsession; not a far stretch for the greatest charlatan and father of modern Psychology. Wayne insists that it’s just a dream flashback, while Freud gets his oral fixation on with his cigar; sometimes a cigar really is just that.

The backdrop for this story is in Victorian-era setting, where Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham City after training all around the world. Freud even mentions that Wayne trained under a London Detective; perhaps the fictional Sherlock Holmes? That’s right. If Batman started off back then, he would have been the first Behavioral Science Unit.

Antsy to get started on being Batman in the Gotham equivalent of Victorian-era London, Bruce Wayne wastes no time establishing himself as the original darkness that flaps in the night; move aside Darkwing Duck. The primitive screw heads are no match for his fisticuffs and bat-horse-mobile. One problem, everyone thinks that Bruce Wayne is Jack the Ripper. Can Batman stop one of history’s elusive serial killers while behind bars?

A lot of people think of this version of Batman to be steam punk. The first book shows no steam punk like gadgets or cool technology. If it were to be redone today, they’d have shown Batman using a modified Nerf Maverick gun, while wearing goggles with brass gears glued to the thing. However it’s just Batman, dark brooding gentleman in a cowl. Without computer technology and a victim to leech based medicine, this dark knight is no match of another Elseworld comic called Superman: Red Son.  Comrade Batman!

Originally the game was being produced by Day 1 Studios, but was later on dropped when THQ passed on the sales pitch back in 2009 reports Siliconera. Probably a smart move as Warner Bros. Picked up DC Comics the same year. It could have turned really messy with copyright and trademark legalities.

So the speculation right now is that the video is a deliberate leak by Day 1 Studios, possibly hoping to get Warner Bros attention in the wake of Batman video game popularity. Let’s hope the attention that it does get from Warner Bros. doesn’t turn into the Eye of Sauron. I somehow picture a horde of ring wraith lawyers charging into the night.

So the video that’s surfaced is probably the prototype video for the project. Let’s take a gander at the game that could have been.

The video depicts a barrel chested Batman skipping across rooftops and the streets of old day Gotham. Like the Matrix, we see duplicates and people holding guns that make sudden jerking movements, pointing at the Batman like a counterstrike arrow bot. We also see the Batman leaps on top of buildings in a single bound. Again, this is forgivable as it’s a prototype.

What catches my eye is the cape. It ripples in the air and swings with each movement. Sometimes it just moves with a mind of it’s own. Over all, the cape looks amazing as it appears a lot of code must have been invested in it. Like a lot. Like DOA-bikini-volleyball-mammary-glands-physics lots. Was this the focus of the pitch? The cape physics are almost Spawn like.

If they wanted to give Batman an Elseworld gimmick that would have completely held the interest of comic book gamers, they should have created a whole new storyline revolving around current day Batman getting his hands on a Green Lantern’s ring of power; not the In Darkest Knight horror they spun together either.   I can almost imagine the weeks of game play I could get out of that as Batman goes mad with power.

So in the end, this video should remind the world that the steampunk genre and Victorian-era storylines are the untapped markets ready to be exploited today. The closest I’ve come to seeing a proper airship was in the 3 Musketeers movie. So chop, chop, Hollywood. Give me steam!

Pre-Orders of the Game of Thrones Video Game Bundled with Bonus Art

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Game of Thrones had a game under development before the HBO show came around. However, it seems that a late deal was reached to incorporate some familiar faces and voices into the video game from the television series. So from how things stand now, there will be a mixture of game development that combines the vision of Cyanide Studios; the game developer; ATLUS; the game publisher; and HBO’s vision; the television show adaptation.

The original story for the game was written under the supervision of George R. R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones book series. The game promises to deliver an interactive role-playing experience for avid fans. Gamers will visit Martin’s world of Westeros, containing within its own plane familiar locations and characters straight from the book. Fans of the intellectual property who can’t get enough just simply reading or watching the story will have a chance to take an active role, immersing themselves in the drama as it unfolds.

But wait, there’s more! Those that pre order the upcoming Game of Thrones RPG will also receive a hardbound art book, Game of Thrones: Visuals from the RPG. This offer is only available from participating retailers while limited supplies last. So those with impulse buying issues or want to have the extra swag, pre-order your game from from Amazon, GameStop, EB Games, or the HBO Shop.

The bonus art book offers sixty-four full color pages that include sketches, concept art, photos, screenshots and renders from the game, complete with DVD Commentary like text from the game’s developers. The package will also include behind the scenes materials, like a special message from Martin; possibly telling us to drink more Ovaltine; and a portrait of the development team. That’s what I’m missing from my life, more portraits of development teams. The bonus book measures at 8.5″ wide and 11″ tall, hardbound and printed on the most premium of stock papers. You know, the hard glossy kind that resists fingerprints and could kill children with paper cuts.

With the collector’s edition quality here in the bonus book, some may just want to get their hands on the art rather than the game. If they do, they’ll have to shell out $60.00 for it like everyone else. Though I’m sure that if you wait long enough online, you’ll be able to find the book being resold somewhere; to offset the cost of games and all. Yes, people will do it. I remember buying the Vampire: The Masquerade video game just for a hardcover Book of Nod. I ended up just giving a friend of mine the game.

In an official press release, The Game of Thrones: The Game, has been described as follows:

“In this 30-plus hour action RPG, players will enter the gritty and medieval fantasy world of Westeros. As one of two original characters with disparate motivations, both former soldiers of Robert’s Rebellion, players will forge alliances and wage battles as they play a pivotal role in the ongoing war for power of the Seven Kingdoms. Their journey will span numerous quests, during which they will interact with many characters and make key decisions that impact the realm.

Standing before the majesty and bitter isolation of the Wall or walking through the streets and alleys of King’s Landing, players will not simply pass by locations and characters integral to the series; they will explore and interact with them, meeting and learning about the people and history that defines them and their importance. Key decisions and major events will have meaningful impact on Westeros, allowing the player to witness how the game world evolves over time based on their actions or inactions. Moreover, “Game of Thrones” introduces an innovative “active slowdown tactical combat engine” in which combat mirrors the series’ thoughtful approach to war and politics: fighting slows but never stops entirely, forcing the player to make quick, pressured choices before their enemy strikes again.”

Isn’t the slowdown tactical combat engine basically Matrix bullet time? I’m pretty sure they did that in the Max Payne video games and Prince of Persia. Either way, it remains to be seen whether or not the game lives up to the acclaim that Martin and HBO have brought to the franchise.

Check out the game trailer below.

Free Harley Quinn Update for Batman: Arkham City Lockdown

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Today Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced a new update for the Batman: Arkham City Lockdown App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is now available. The update will include a brand new level featuring Harley Quinn, a Bruce Wayne skin and achievements, and a Batarang mini-game, all for the low low price of free. It’s strange how consumers will pay top dollar for the latest tech but they’re hesitant for one dollar apps.

As I sat and reviewed the trailer for the new portion of Batman: Arkham City Lockdown I was instantly hit by the realization that Harley Quinn has somehow gone from this cute little thing, to a tarted up sex-pot. Yes, yes, I know that’s what the industry is all about these days but whatever happened to old school costumes and characters? Over the years I’ve watched many comic book characters get the costume overhaul. Some of it just turns way to suggestive. Have you seen the Star Sapphire’s latest costume? When Harley Quinn first debuted, it was in “Batman: The Animated Series”, the costumed started a a modest one piece, traditional harlequin jester outfit, worn by Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel who had some serious nightingale issues.

The popularity of the character prompted DC comics to introduce the Harley into their universe. This time the costume wasn’t so modest and over years became more and more… pronounced.

My initial reaction to the visual of Harley Quinn in the video game was that she looks very much like the Malkavian from Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines, right down to the raccoon make-up and blonde pig-tails. Harley Quinn is supposed to have a one piece outfit with a hat, not some leather outfit and pig-tails. Although I can understand the attraction.

Since then, DC comics seems to have updated Harley’s costume with The New 52 reboot. The basis seems to merge the Arkham City video game attire with her traditional costume. Her hair is dyed half-red and half-blue, similar to the jester cap of her original costume, while the rest of the ensemble is still present day skimpy; but just appropriately color coded now.

Aside from the initial realization of Harley looking all wrong, the graphics on the game look very good. If the trailer is any indication of how the game plays on your iWhatever then it looks like the game runs smoothly and is well designed. Harley Quinn’s voice still sounds like a 60’s era chippy, but it’s what I grew up with and still a classic, right next to Mark Hamill voicing the Joker. The scenery is still wrapped in the darkness of Gotham City and at least Batman still looks like he should. The Dark Knight isn’t sporting any nipples on his costume. So that’s a big plus right there.

Video Game Announced Based on DC Comics Young Justice

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and game publisher Little Orbit have announced a video game based on DC comics animated series Young Justice. The game will be called Young Justice: Legacy and feature playable heroes going against villains of the DC universe.

Here is the official release from the Little Orbit website:

Little Orbit, a worldwide game publisher, announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the Young Justice: Legacy video game set to ship in early 2013 for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo’s Wii(TM) system, and the Nintendo DS(TM) hand held system.

New episodes of the Warner Bros. Animation series Young Justice will air beginning Saturday, March 3, at 10:30 a.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network as part of DC Nation, the network’s brand-new one-hour block of exclusive kids’ television programming and shorts based on DC Comics characters. In Young Justice, teenage heroes Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis are tasked by the Justice League to act as their covert operations team. Armed with superior skills, weaponry and powers, the team must do battle against a wide array of villains from the DC Universe while trying to prove to themselves, and to their superhero mentors, that they too have what it takes to be a hero. Their journey is further complicated when they face the many unpredictable obstacles that arise in their path from inexperience and youth.

In Young Justice: Legacy fans can look forward to an original storyline set in between Seasons 1 and 2 of the television series, written in collaboration with show writers Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti. The game is packed with fan favorite playable characters, cameo appearances by popular Justice League heroes and villains, and includes online multiplayer as well as local multiplayer modes.

Video games based on movies tend to suck. Video games based on cartoons seem to not suck as much. The slew of Dragon Ball Z games, some Naruto games, and of course Batman games have been good.  There was even a video game that was intentionally released before the cartoon version called Earthworm Jim. Hooray for him!

“The TV series is a fantastic combination of compelling writing, witty humor, iconic art, and exciting action sequences. The creators have done an amazing job blending over 180 DC Comics characters into their show filtered through a new, youthful perspective,” said Matt Scott, CEO of Little Orbit. “The new video game contains a slew of cool features and a large playable cast of familiar heroes, but our core mission is to create a unique experience that fits seamlessly into the world of the show and offers a new way to interact with these popular DC Comics characters.”

So the current Young Justice cartoon series isn’t based on the original DC comics series. It’s more of a reboot, like the Justice League series of animation and The New 52 reboot.

You can read what I have to say about The New 52 here.

DC comics even separates and distinguishes different reboots and continuities by identifying separate universes. The one that this series is set in is the fictional universe of Earth-16, where superheroes seem to be a recent phenomenon.  This is definitely a good thing because between a lot of these young superheroes already have a dark and gritty history.  For example, in some comic book universes Speedy or Red Arrow has been a junkie.  Robin comes from a long and proud tradition of dying sidekicks; they all wear bright colors and distract villains from shooting the Batman.  Then there’s Artemis who was a former homeless girl turned to child prostitution with accompanying STDs.  Those were the ones I thought of off the top of my head.  They can all thank the Last Son; of Krypton; that they didn’t have to grow up in those corrupted universes.

Having watched a few of the episodes, I’m starting to think I’m finally getting too old for this stuff. The Valley Girl voice acting of Miss Martian grates on my ears. The sound of Robin laughing like a child maniac and disappearing into the shadows is still cool though. I hope the video game ends up borrowing from the original comic series and features a playable Li’L Lobo; the magically transformed teenage version of Lobo, or as they would translate it in Khundian, “he who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it.”

The Amazing Spider-Man Has a New HD Game Trailer

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A new HD trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man video game has been released. The tie-in to the upcoming movie already had a trailer back in December, but this one contains new footage. Not unlike a new Malibu Stacey doll; except she has a new hat; this has caught the attention of fans and haters alike.

The game which takes place after the events of the movie seems to be based on robotic insects created by Oscorp. This is a rehash of the Spider-Slayers, robots that were commissioned to seek out and exterminate Spider-Man; as long as they didn’t actually do it in the printed pages as per the comic code authority. J. Jonah Jameson was that rich that he could have scientists whip him up that kind of technology on the fly, but he couldn’t pay for Peter Parkers photos full price. The first appearance of cheesy bipedal spider-slayers occurred in Amazing Spider-Man issue 25. The story has long since been upgraded and re-imagined to be slightly more realistic. Now more of a high tech mass produced robot workforce gone awry than steam punk accident. As ill conceived as the original idea appeared to be, the storyline of spider-slayers has been reused continuously. So far they’ve appeared as plots in games for SNES, Sega and Game Boy, Spider-Man cartoons, and alternate Marvel comic universes. Nick Fury even had spider-slayers built as contingencies in case Spider-Man ever went rogue.

It’s unclear if the new trailer is called the “Rhino” trailer as a code name, or someone had confused a mammoth screaming spider robot as the Rhino. Some video game related websites such as Gamestop have clearly labeled it as such. While some websites have gone so far as to say, “webslinging his way across New York to take on Rhino.”

This is where I descend slightly into madness.

Is the giant spider like robot in the end of the trailer called Rhino? If so, then someone in the writing department must have not read any Spider-Man comics or watched any of the cartoons. The Rhino is a Spider-Man villain who’s a muscle bound guy in a Rhino outfit; sometimes enhanced by tech, drugs or breeding. How can this be though? The narrative was crafted by Hollywood writer Seamus Kevin Fahey. The only reason I know that he’s got the writing chops is because he did episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena; no I don’t watch “Battlestar Galactica”, so no points there.

Next, why does the robot spider scream at the end? Yes, it sounds like a Godzilla era monster ready to rumble which is awesome for game play tone, but it’s still a robot spider. I know I’m suppose to suspend my belief as Spider-Man swings on a thread in his new official Spider-Man shoes, but unless the robot is using echo location; or it’s a oversized prototype of a sonic screwdriver; there’s no reason for it to scream.

So it leaves me with two realistic options. Either the trailer is coded named Rhino to throw people off the sent or inspire this exact type of chatter. Or someone plain didn’t understand what was happening and is making the game out to be Spider-Man versus the Rhino.

Also the shoes that Spider-Man wears in the movies, which are probably designed to work with his spider powers of sticking to things, seem to be really focused on. Trailers, viral treasure hunts, video games, they all want you to see the shoes. Is there a line of official Spider-Man novelty shoes coming out?

The HD trailer is almost the same as the VGA quality trailer that came out before it. It contains hower 8 seconds of new footage of Spider-Man going down a zip cord and 20 new seconds of credits. The game which is in development by game studio Beenox features free-roaming web-slinging across the city of Manhattan which looks more crisp than other Spider-Man video games I’ve seen; trailer wise that is. Too bad this qualifies as a superhero based video game, so it’s going to be compared to Batman: Arkham Asylum. No contest. Nothing beats Batman. Not even future Batman; yes, it’s cannon.

Check out the new HD trailer below; now with a new hat!

New Pinball Shuffle Game/App Release Has Surprising Origins

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When reading that title you might be thinking, “Hey….Wait a minute that doesn’t have to do with optioned things!” and thats what I thought at first. But then I found out this popular new game is actually a game based on the indie comic Stabb Gunner by Joseph Krzemienski.

The original artwork is a defining feature of Pinball Shuffle. Postage, Inc. co-designed the game play and did 100% of the artwork which is derived from Stabb Gunner, an indie comic by Joseph Krzemienski.

“This game meshes classic pinball with the creativity of modern game development,” says Postage, Inc. 3D Animator Riley Hearn. “We know that a good pinball machine is based on a great story and stellar artwork, so we made sure Pinball Shuffle had both.”

The game/app has been released by Postage, Inc., a post production, visual effects, and animation firm. Pinball Shuffle is their second iOS/ MacOS 3D game.

Most pinball games are pretty much the same. You use triggers and bumpers to try and keep the ball in play as long as possible, racking up as many points as possible. But Postage, Inc. took this concept one step further when designing their game.

According to the press release, in the Indie-Comic Based pinball game, you play as Gunner, the perfect assassin (who is apparently a smokin’ hot indie rocker between hits). She sports a bold attitude with a sling of weaponry across her back while clad in the shortest shorts and form-fitting flight jacket. An assassin neither for good or evil, Gunner is tricked into attending the pinball tournament hosted by Well Dressed Man. He hopes to use the tournament as a way to discredit and destroy any would-be heroes in Scene City. In his attempts to rid the city of crime and maintain his utopia, however, he also creates crime. While playing on a pinball table that resembles an iPod (and Gunner’s personality), Well Dressed Man sends his minions, Jefe Grande and Technosaurus Flex, on the table to distract or defeat you as Gunner.

“With ten missions and two bosses, Pinball Shuffle encourages gamers to explore every part of the table instead of just mind numbingly hitting the ball around to gain points,” says Founder of Nuclear Nova Software Jake Leveto.

What also makes this game unique is that is features dynamics that gamers would not normally experience with an average pinball table. Players are able to rack up more points when the pinball grows in size during higher levels of the game. There are three levels of difficulty including “Weak Sauce” (Easy), “Play It Cool” (Medium), and “Get Massacred” (Advanced). In the “Get Massacred” level, players have the chance to test their skills at a shooting gallery when the score gets high enough. Gamers also have the option to follow the pinball’s movements throughout the board with a fixed camera.

The game’s programming, physics, and digital distribution were thanks to Nuclear Nova Software. The game is now available at the MacOS and iOS App stores.


The Walking Dead Game Pulls a Redeker Plan

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The Walking Dead franchise splits off again, this time becoming a video game adaptation. Originally a graphic novel series, The Walking Dead has since been adapted by AMC into the most watched cable show currently in the history of television.

The franchise is hot and there are lots of merch already out there for The Walking Dead. Not many television series inspire action figures of their characters or melee weapon sets like machetes and knives. Yes, the stuff television Carl finds in the show is a product placement.

So if the franchise is so hot, why isn’t the game out yet?

Well first off, a quality game takes time to develop. Especially for high graphic consoles that don’t want the feel of a 1980’s side scroller or a generic flash game. Development of a game can take years for a console and is at a disadvantage when compared to say, a social media game found on Facebook.

Secondly, investors don’t care about any reason you give them. The franchise is almost at it’s apex of popularity and Telltale needs to come up with a solution to their dilemma. You know, aside from putting the game out there to begin with.

Enter the webs how, “Playing Dead” a web series designed at looking into the development of the game. Is it meant to be a take on playing possum, pretending you’ve ceased to be and joining the choir invisible? Or can it be taken as someone playing the walking dead video? Honestly the title itself is a bit unsavoury. I’m almost cranky over it for no explicable reason. I thought, “Talking Dead” was a good show name; a show that examines the series and thoughts on zombie survival. Playing Dead just invokes my ADHD to look at other things.

The show is actually by Telltale. It’s a stall tactic to reassure potential customers that this hasn’t gone away yet, and they’re oh so close to getting it done. Don’t leave yet!

In the show, developers and designers are asked what appears to be scripted questions about the game. They talk about the tone, progress and how everything ties in with the comic book. That’s time they could have been using to actually make the game.

Here is the official description of the game from Telltale’s official website:

“Learn about the game by watching PLAYING DEAD, a video series that takes you behind the scenes of the creation of the upcoming The Walking Dead video game based on Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic series. Playing Dead is the online source for exclusive looks at The Walking Dead video game and interviews with the talent responsible for bringing the world of The Walking Dead to life. Check this space for new episodes of Playing Dead regularly.”

In the novel World War Z written by Max Brooks, a plan was enacted to give humanity the best chances of survival. This was called the Redeker plan, an intentional sacrifice of a human population in favor of a more defensible location. This is what Telltale is doing right now. Playing Dead tries to keep the interest alive and bring focus to a game that’s unavailable.

The game is touted as a adventure game but it seems it’ll be more of a Choose Your Own Adventure type as you’re not given free reign of the world unless it’s part of the puzzle or quest. In the interview with lead designers Jake Rodkin and Sean Vanaman, they discuss how the game will be split into five episodes and any decision a player makes will carry through month-to-month. So a character saved or abandoned might come back to haunt you later. This seems to be more like Telltale’s Back to the Future game, with it’s decision tree type gaming. I certainly hope their Walking Dead game isn’t as cartoon like in appearance.

The next episode of Playing Dead promises an talk with The Book of Eli writer Gary Whitta. Yes, a movie about a blind man who’s deadly with a blade. I saw the movie too, it was called Zatoichi when I last saw it reincarnated.

The Hunger Games Becomes an Adventure Game

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In an associated pairing of entertainment mediums, a new social media game will be released the same day The Hunger Games hits theaters. The game, like the film is based on the popular young adult book series by Suzanne Collins. It’s called The Hunger Games Adventures; Games-Game would have been silly; and will be launched on March 23 of this year with the movie.

It used to be Saturday morning cartoons, action figures and cereal.  Social media games are now the new ploy to capitalize on something that is popular right now.

Funtactix, an independent game developer is no stranger to movie tie-in games. Previously they’ve put out online games based on the animated movie Rango and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

This focus on creating games based on movies comes at a time when others in the industry are wary of touching that game genre.

Which doesn’t come to me as a surprise. Games based on movies have never been good, unless it’s sub-based on Lego. Then it’s cool. Yes, the children do make certain titles popular, but it’s only because parents buy these games for them, hoping it’ll shut them up or win them points with child services. My nephew for example will go absolutely nuts for anything based on the animation Cars. He’ll play a Cars game, but then he’ll drop it after five minutes in favor of angry birds. Anything beyond the age demographic of 6 – 12 is reaching for a developer hoping to make a movie based game.

THQ announced last month that it will no longer work on kids licensed games like Kung Fu Panda 2 or Up. Which makes sense as the initial market was for child fans of the movie back in 2008. It’s been 4 years since, so they might have upgraded to murder simulations and car jacking.

Two years ago, Take-Two Interactive Studios’ then-CEO and president Ben Feder declared to attendees that “Licensing content is dead.” according to Gamasutra. Well the same can be said about movies based on games. Take the Super Mario Bros. Movie of 1993 up to Prince of Persia: Sands of Time in 2010; How was Jake Gyllenhaal Persian?

Funtactix doesn’t think movie tie-ins are dead though. Sam Glassenberg, the CEO of Funtactix had this to say to Gamasutra about the problems with games based on films:

“The console-based film games business is rapidly disappearing. The game quality has fallen for years, and consumers have come to realize this, resulting in a collapse of the console-movie-games market.”

“The production cycle for a good console game has grown to two to three years, which is longer than the production window for a film… Hitting day-and-date on a quality game is a near impossibility.”

Glassenberg however points out that social game developers; say games for Facebook; can bring a Facebook title to market in months, instead of years. This makes it possible for those developers to put out; what is considered high-quality for social media; games at the same time with a movies debut.

Console games are at a distinct disadvantage due to product shipping, selling and review. Social media games on the other hand are instantly available online and free; so long as you don’t buy the credits to give you the needed advantage over others.

Game development is a tricky business overall and requires knowledge of trends, cost analysis, marketing and great workers. Then maybe a decent game on top of all that. I should know. I beat Dev Story, the 8-bit simulation where you manage your own game company and try to create a million-selling game.