January 29, 2008

A License To Kill
By Louis Bedigian

If it has to be fun for everyone, it won’t be fun to anyone.

The most common thing I hear a developer say regarding his or her licensed game is, "It has to be fun to those that don't know the [movie, comic, TV series, etc.]." I used to agree. Naruto has never been at the top of my must-watch list, but I enjoy most of the games.

Regardless, it’s time to re-think my agreement. Publishers and developers don't sign up for licensed products to reach every kind of player – they do it because, even when striving to create a stellar product, they know the license carries weight. The license alone can make Game X stand out without having to stress why it is the best (as publishers of non-licensed games must do each year).

No, these men aren't constipated. They just spent the day playing 24.

The problem is that, when you make a statement like, "We're making this licensed game for everyone," what you're really saying is, "We're looking for an audience. Who wants to jump on board? Say I."

Soon we'll be playing a game based on the hit TV series Lost. Note that I said "hit" and not "A show everyone on the planet can love." Truth is, most people can't and don't love it. I do, but I'm in the minority. Since the beginning of the show's second season, Lost has lost many of its viewers. Millions, actually, because most people aren't content to follow a convoluted storyline through to the end. Furthermore, Lost is not the kind of show that allows you to miss an episode. I can't tell you how many people I've spoken to that said, "I'll wait till the show concludes and rent or buy the whole thing on DVD."

Does this sound like the kind of game that any average Joe will pick up and play?  I'm sure publishers would like to argue – or at least believe – that the answer is yes. But if that is in fact the case, why bother with the license at all? Joe doesn't know Lost. He doesn't care about its depth, plot twists, or unanswered questions. Therefore he has no expectations. But the fans do.

James Bond has a license to kill. You have a license to drive – far, far away from his post-GoldenEye releases.

Who do you think will be the first to play the game? The diehard fans or Wandering Joes? Who will be the first to blog about it, the first to scrutinize it, and the first to love or loathe it? Joe is an afterthought – a man publisher’s catch by chance with a flashy box cover, a cool commercial or dumb luck. He is not a guaranteed sale, so why is he in the picture from day one? Why not make a killer, fan-targeted game first, and allow our excitement to spread, intrigue and encourage everyone else?

I'm excited about the prospect of Lost's ending, which was (reportedly) conceived by the show's co-creator, Damon Lindelof. But I'm terrified about the outcome of the gameplay, which is not being touted so much as it is being hyped. I've heard a lot of, "Oh, it's got to be so much fun," and "We must make this game for those who have never seen Lost as well as the fans." Those words, while not exact, are another development taken from the Big Book of Licensed Game Traits.

Did that concept work out well for 24: The Game? How about Alias, or the horrible 007 games that were released after Rare lost the license? Let's look at The Golden Compass – did the gentle touch of mainstream appeal make it successful? Or were its built-for-everyone ideas so monotonous that even fans of the movie couldn't suffer through it, let alone a Wandering Joe?

This may look like a compass, but it's actually a clock in disguise, serving as a metaphor for the time you'll waste by touching this dreadful adventure.

If Lost is a killer game, then the developers will have been wise in keeping the truth a secret, a theme the show has championed from day one. No matter the outcome, our industry needs to continually re-evaluate the content of licensed games, and remember the reason why they took that route in the first place. If the mainstream crowd is really what publishers are seeking, licenses aren't the way to go. Instead, allow me to suggest a few concepts that could reach all players without infuriating an existing fan base: Generic Shooter 56, Commonplace Racing 12, and By-the-Book RPG 29: Chapter 2, Please Give Me a Pillow So I Can Sleep.

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