Original game ideas running short?

[FireFly90]

I'm sure many of you have noticed that there are very few fresh and shiny ideas to fill the gaming world. Most this years new releases will probably be the same blend of FPS's and sequals to games that alread exist.

So i create this thread for you to post any good ideas that you think the gaming world could do with. Doesn't have to be good or bad or made into a real game, just has to be original.

And to start things off heres my idea which came to me after watching 'Castle of Cagliostro':

Its an action/adventure game that normaly involves someone being rescued, except it's you that has to be rescued and they can't get you out all by thier selves, you have to aid them in any way you can coz they won't always know how to get you out. Things may even go wrong during the escape in which you may either be killed or recaptured. If recaptured you may have to help come up with a different plan all together. The game could take place over different senario's ranging from a prisoner of war to an unlucky 17-year old girl taken hostage to bribe her parents for money.

I realise after typing all this that it sound a bit like gameplay from Chronicles of Riddick but its still a good idea, is it not?

So, how about your ideas?

 

[darth jacen]

an epic overarching plot where you are the villian (though you think you're the good guy) and you have to try and "stop" this organization that is trying to "steal" a massive weapon. When really they are trying to destroy it and you end up killing their leader in the final battle after many encounters where he tries to "turn" you. When with his final breath he says something that trips your thoughts and causes you to realize that this whole time you have been the bad guy, and that by stopping the "evil" organization the weapon was "taken back" by the people who had raised you... leading to the sequel. just an idea

 

[Riobux]

A good game about pirates besides Sid Meier's Pirates.

 

[GameOverGoblin]

I wanna see a game thats set in a war thats not World War II. Like how about a game that take place during the Crusades or the Trojan War?

 

[Sir Kemper]

Oooh Oooh I just had an idea about a game with a space marine who-


Sorry, just had to say that.

EDIT: I'd like to see a MMOFPS thats set in multiple time periods such as WW1, The American Civil war, the dark ages, etc. (So essentialy time periods less focused on in games) and i'd like too see it done right.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

I don't think that originality is really the issue as much as trending is. There will always be trends which pave the way, and innovation that gets duplicated. Originality occurs everywhere, but it's not always the top grossing games which are the most original.


How about a giant who is trying to set the world on fire by using the power of flaming boogers.

 

[RatRace123]

How 'bout a game where you play as a video game designer. Except instead of all the boring actual stuff that happens during game designing. Your ideas come to life and plague the real world, and you have to stop the villain you created as your heroic persona. You begin the game by making your player avatar, your main villain, and your mooks (damn Tv Tropes) I mean, your minor enemies. It's a completely personalized experience for each player.

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

My buddies are currently trying to convince me to help their game that's set 100% in an Acid trip.. complete with a flying Horse boss that shoots mini horses that explode from its eyes. Probably the most original and bizarre Idea I've heard.

 

[The Political Gamer]

OP I have to disagree with you because you could say the same thing about the movie industry. Its all the same dam story just told in different ways and that seems to have worked just fine for them.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Theres no such thing as a bad video game Idea. And theres no such thing as an original one.

The originality and awesomeness comes from the way it is told/experienced

 

[Amnestic]

There's only...what, 5-10 basic storylines? Nothing is original, everything is permitted.

 

[The Austin]

Nothing is original, everything is permitted.

Not even that quote..........

OT: ORIGINAL STORYLINE: Guy gets stoned, goes to magical world.

BOOM!

 

[The Night Shade]

they should stop creating FPS most of them are the same

 

[A Weary Exile]

I'm currently writing a game that I would say is pretty original (Survial/horror set in 1941 Spain) but the problem is it's set on an ocean liner and the plot involves two sons of a dead businessman. Some people I've shown it to seem to think:

Semi-aquatic setting + plot involving businessmen = ZOMG ITZ TEH BIOSHOCKZ U R A FANBOYZ!!!!

To anyone who may think that: No, it is not. The story resembles BioShock in no way, shape, or form imaginable and neither does the gameplay (It's more like a mix of Condemned and Call of Duty with a strong story). Hell, not even the visual aesthetics I have in mind are anywhere near the same. Although there is an Irish character, so it MUST be BioShock then.

EDIT: Sorry, kind of got off on a tangent there.

OP: I agree that originality seems to be lacking, but the same could be said of any media. Every media has to wade through crap to get to the shining gems of awesomeness.

 

[GodKlown]

I agree with Amnestic. There really aren't many original concepts that would both make sense and span into a compelling game. I think the best you could hope for is a new genre, but then that will get populated by remakes of previous games under the umbrella.
I'd certainly like to see a year go by without any OFPS games. Military-themed games need to take a little time off in my opinion. Really they don't develop new ideas in that genre so they just rehash old ideas and maybe try to put a slightly new spin on it. Essentially you're still just shooting people, they just try to change the reasons behind shooting them.
Sorry, but I can't suggest an idea that hasn't already been done before. All I can ask is they remake something, but do it slightly better. I think that's all we can ask.

 

[Romaru]

I've written several design documents for games for my university course and according to my lecturer friend, who was in the industry before coming to the uni, most of them start with:

Influences: It's like this game(s)
Unique points: Minor gameplay feature (which might not even make the final game if it's too 'revolutionary'...)

Apparently most publishing groups want to see games with heavy influence from other big selling games so that they are 'more likely to see a return'. Anything too different from that doesn't tend to get past the publishers desk. Most of those ideas are relegated to indie status where they are done by the original designer as a side project and might make their way onto stuff like Steam and XBoxLIVE.

/rant

My bro and I had an interesting idea for an MMO in which you play a survivor in a zombie apocalypse against a hoard of slow type zombies that have infested everything outside of your groups safe area. It's a couple of years after the infection and basicly humanity only exists in these little pockets of safety. As a player you can go on scavenging trips to raid places for supplies and what-not, that you bring back to 'home' and convert to currency. More sought after stuff means more money, but this also means more zombie hoards. The option to team with others is then an essential part of the game.

We based this idea of Max Brookes Zombie Survival Guide, and the chapters on the undead basicly taking over the world, with some influence from the Romero film Land of the Dead (the newer one)

The RPG element would come in at character creation. You would pick a career that you had before the fall of humanity which would then give you your skills. Doctors have more benefits for healing comrades or themselves, police officers have better gun skills, and so on. (I think he and I came up with about 15 jobs just from listing everyday things)

 

[ethaninja]

More Mech games. You can never get enough of them. Except for the shit ones. Or, Strategy games where you can select one of your units and go into first or third person and control them. Whether it be a simple G.I where you can run arond and shoot, or a fighter plane where.. you know.. you can fly around and shoot. Sorta like the game Machines =D

 

[Harry Slaughter]

There's only...what, 5-10 basic storylines? Nothing is original, everything is permitted.

That is a very ignorant and pessimistic comment. All you have to do is look at something like Psychonauts, or Silent Hill 2. Both had storylines and themes that hadn't been used anywhere else (and I'm not talking about survival horror with Silent Hill 2.) The fact is, that very thought is what keeps people from making original games. You just have to think outside of the box. Don't look at what's happened, look at what could. Like the guy who mentioned the acid trip game. I would play that--that's original.

 

[The87Italians]

I've written several design documents for games for my university course and according to my lecturer friend, who was in the industry before coming to the uni, most of them start with:

Influences: It's like this game(s)
Unique points: Minor gameplay feature (which might not even make the final game if it's too 'revolutionary'...)

Apparently most publishing groups want to see games with heavy influence from other big selling games so that they are 'more likely to see a return'. Anything too different from that doesn't tend to get past the publishers desk. Most of those ideas are relegated to indie status where they are done by the original designer as a side project and might make their way onto stuff like Steam and XBoxLIVE.

/rant

My bro and I had an interesting idea for an MMO in which you play a survivor in a zombie apocalypse against a hoard of slow type zombies that have infested everything outside of your groups safe area. It's a couple of years after the infection and basicly humanity only exists in these little pockets of safety. As a player you can go on scavenging trips to raid places for supplies and what-not, that you bring back to 'home' and convert to currency. More sought after stuff means more money, but this also means more zombie hoards. The option to team with others is then an essential part of the game.

We based this idea of Max Brookes Zombie Survival Guide, and the chapters on the undead basicly taking over the world, with some influence from the Romero film Land of the Dead (the newer one)

The RPG element would come in at character creation. You would pick a career that you had before the fall of humanity which would then give you your skills. Doctors have more benefits for healing comrades or themselves, police officers have better gun skills, and so on. (I think he and I came up with about 15 jobs just from listing everyday things)

I would definatley play that, but I don't think slow zombies would ever be a good play mechanic, they would be pretty easy to kill.