Working Title 03.29.07: Silver Screen Games - Firefly/Serenity
Posted by Jordan Williams on 03.29.2007
What do you get when you cross Westerns and Space?...Well, you get a column idea that is so far out of my league that I didn't even write it! This week on Silver Screen Games, a special guest writer will write my column for me!
Welcome back to the #1 column to let some random chick have a go at writing it, WORKING TITLE! Jis the Editor here. You may have seen me in some earlier WT columns as the random bolded phrase that occasionally interrupted. Jordan has asked me to fill in for him this week because I might know a thing or two about video games and this week's topic. (Not only that, the guy could always use a break. I mean that in all seriousness.) I will attempt to follow his pre-existing format as closely as possible; however, I'm more than a little new at this, so please bear with me. This may also be shorter than his usual columns.
Note: As stated in a previous column by Jordan, none of the following ideas are being put into motion--with an exception noted--as far as I'm aware. This column and its corresponding series is a work of fiction and is merely a collection of Jordan's and my own ideas and opinions regarding how a game should be made.
With that out of the way, let's get to work!
When Ranchers Meet Rockets
On the final issue of Silver Screen Games, we'll be covering the gaming potential behind the Firefly/Serenity series. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Firefly/Serenity and who cannot (or will not) hunt up the movie and all fourteen, one-hour episodes on DVD, here's a summary of what you can expect:
Cowboys in space who smuggle for a living and sometimes curse in Chinese
One-liners via Joss Whedon, the mind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel
Post-civil war fall-out against the evil alliance (Would "Damn the bureaucracy!" be appropriate here?)
Man-eating people who terrorize outlying planets
An adorable, schizophrenic super-genius
A series that has so many different elements within itself can encompass many a genre. From "cowboys," one can make a first-person shooter with a touch of brawler or fighter. From "in space," one can make a space shooter; throw in the smuggling aspect, and there's some strategy and micromanaging. From the ragtag cast itself, one could create one of the most comically witty role-playing games this side of Super Mario RPG or Fable.
Anyway, there are so many possibilities that narrowing it down is going to be a challenge. Fortunately, Jordan was kind enough to leave a list of four categories into which just about any movie-game can fit. Taking it from the top:
Prequel? The series itself takes place after a civil war between the outlying planets of the star system and the all-powerful Alliance. A prequel could give fans a more detailed look into what happened during the war and the pasts of the more central characters such as Malcolm Reynolds and Zoe Washburne.
Sequel? The Serenity crew's future after both Firefly and Serenity is left open-ended. A sequel could focus on the art of smuggling, picking fights in bars, and keeping River, the schizophrenic prodigy girl, away from the scientists who seek to recapture her.
Adaptation? This would be taking events from the series and actually playing through them. Players who are unable or unwilling to pick up the DVDs could pick up a game that plays through in about the same amount of time it would take to actually watch the series itself. Of course, some changes in order of events and meeting characters are to be expected (have to make room for those side missions somehow), but it would serve as a good crash course for those who are new to Firefly/Serenity.
Universal? This is the only one I would have any problem with (sorry, Mr. Upcoming MMORPG that We're Pretending Doesn't Exist for Now) because adding a new character in with the cast--or worse, without them--may potentially take away that which made the series so charming and attractive in the first place.
Decisions, decisions...while the easy way out would be to say, "Let's make a trilogy and milk this cash cow for all it's worth!", I think an adaptation could benefit both future and current fans alike.
From Reavers to River
With all the different elements and themes that combine to form this unique series, how could it be shaped and molded into a genre that can hold the fans' attention? Taking a page from Grand Theft Auto could work, as there are many parallels. Both involve committing unlawful acts and sometimes getting into fights. However, instead of focusing on only one character, players could have the opportunity to either play as different characters during key points of the game or at any time they want. Doing this might unlock a co-op or versus mode that would help speed up the progression of the main plot.
Rockstar Games could easily pull off a very realistic and entertaining rendition of Firefly, especially with a preset plot, cast, and genre. They've done it with The Warriors, so why not?
Silver Screen Games present...
Firefly
Developer/Publisher: Rockstar Games. Again, they're practically designed to, well, design games like this. Also, since it's based off a TV show, no one will care if there's a prostitute or two around. They're called "companions" now anyway.
Console: Xbox 360, PS3, and the Wii. While the 360 and PS3 would be the more favorable options due to their higher capacity of processing more content, the Wii port could use the Wii-mote for certain missions or Wii-exclusive mini-games.
Genre: Action, Based on the TV Series and/or Movie.
Could it work?
At best, it could reel in a whole new fanbase. At worse, it will come off looking like a GTA rip-off. If this game were to bomb, I don't think it would do much besides drive away a new generation of potential buyers. Once a series has a cult following, they're there to stay through thick and through thin. Just ask the folks who grew up with the original Star Wars.
Why would I play it?
People who are familiar with the series would pick this up because they're expecting one of two things: witty dialogue or FINALLY getting to have Hot Tea with Inara the Companion. Fans of other Rockstar Games would gravitate towards it because it looks different yet feels familiar, especially if they play as Jayne the mercenary. Those familiar with Joss Whedon's other shows will probably already be Firefly fans, which puts us back at witty dialogue. Finally, anyone who does not fall into the previous categories might pick it up because of the whole "cowboys in space who sometimes curse in Chinese" thing.
And now, I'm going to pass it back over to Jordan for a moment so he can let us all know what to expect for next week!
Next time on Working Title...
GIVE MY BACK MY COLUMN...
Anyway, Jordan here, next week is an off week. After a lot of...well, for a lack of a better word...shit that has gone down in my life recently, and has no doubt gone down in your life before, too. How about I look at some of the best games to play when you're angry?
You know the ones, the ones that'll either calm you down, or give you a chance to wreak havoc.
Back to Jis.
If I have said something to offend, please don't hold it against Jordan. And by that, I mean don't flood his inbox with hate mail because of something his inexperienced guest writer said. He has enough to do already. If you have a question, comment, or just want to type in all caps and have a stranger read it for no particular reason, feel free to drop me a line.
Until next time, I'm Jis the Editor...and thank you all for reading. Please be sure to come back next week for more WORKING TITLE goodness. Take care!
