Everybody here knows about Firefly [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_(TV_series)], right? OK.
Why have they not made a Firefly game yet? Both 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios have some rights (Fox to the show, Universal to the movie), and Universal at least has shown willingness to license the franchise. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_(role-playing_game)] It seems like an excellent property to develop for a video game: A franchise with a famously loyal fan base that also extends into much of the rest of geek culture (the primary buyers for video games) and they get to splash Joss Whedon's name in the marketing, which can't be bad for business. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(2012_film)]
What's more, it doesn't have to be a AAA game with a massive investment in money: depending on where the developers get the license from, they can reskin some landscapes from other games as Persephone (basic city) and/or various Outer Planets (any wilderness they have lying around. Even the core gameplay can be a basic third-person action-adventure style, as you play a captain leading his crew in smuggling missions (or even as the crew of Serenity itself, if they feel that would be a bigger draw).
Alternatively, if they feel it warrants it, they could produce an open-world game where you explore the universe conducting deals (many of which are not strictly speaking legal). Introduce an RPG system of leveling up the player character and outfitting the ship, as well as a companion system to collect and control your cast of misfits, and you have a game with the same basic elements of Mass Effect, but with a well-established property that you can be sure will draw a lot of positive support and press (and therefore stand a better than even chance of making money).
So my question to you is in two parts:
1) Should they make a Firefly game?
2) Do you think my idea is any good, or do you have a better one for such a hypothetical game?
Why have they not made a Firefly game yet? Both 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios have some rights (Fox to the show, Universal to the movie), and Universal at least has shown willingness to license the franchise. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_(role-playing_game)] It seems like an excellent property to develop for a video game: A franchise with a famously loyal fan base that also extends into much of the rest of geek culture (the primary buyers for video games) and they get to splash Joss Whedon's name in the marketing, which can't be bad for business. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(2012_film)]
What's more, it doesn't have to be a AAA game with a massive investment in money: depending on where the developers get the license from, they can reskin some landscapes from other games as Persephone (basic city) and/or various Outer Planets (any wilderness they have lying around. Even the core gameplay can be a basic third-person action-adventure style, as you play a captain leading his crew in smuggling missions (or even as the crew of Serenity itself, if they feel that would be a bigger draw).
Alternatively, if they feel it warrants it, they could produce an open-world game where you explore the universe conducting deals (many of which are not strictly speaking legal). Introduce an RPG system of leveling up the player character and outfitting the ship, as well as a companion system to collect and control your cast of misfits, and you have a game with the same basic elements of Mass Effect, but with a well-established property that you can be sure will draw a lot of positive support and press (and therefore stand a better than even chance of making money).
So my question to you is in two parts:
1) Should they make a Firefly game?
2) Do you think my idea is any good, or do you have a better one for such a hypothetical game?
