Over-used. How can we save them?

[iseeyouthere]

In terms of gaming, there are many themes, genres and elements which have been abused heavily by developers in their games, tiring out players who have seen it all before and burning out a genre to the point where people are just sick of seeing another similar game pop up.

These concepts are not limited to, but included:
Zombies
Armoured Space Marines
America VS Russia
World War 2
European fantasy setting

More overused concepts can be seen here:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.304626-Poll-Most-overused-concept-in-games

Now, while the thread above goes on asking what concepts have been done dozens of times and more, I'd like to ask this:

How could we save these types of genres? What would you do to help improve these genres so that although they are just another Zombie or Space Marine game, it feels different.
These can range from story, gameplay or minor things that already exist.

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For me:
I'm a fan of zombie game, but after playing Dead Island, the latest zombie game, I can't see myself really enjoying the genre anymore, as its all going down a path of "we must have speacil infected zombies that explode or charge".

I'd like to see a game like Stubbs the Zombie. Instead of a human vs millions of undead... you are an undead vs millions of humans. And each time you kill, you add another solider to your ranks.

You are a zombie. You lurk in the shadows, preying on the unspected, slowly infected whole areas, house by house.
You build up an army to overwhelm the military/police/armed civilians.

Civilians might acutally approach you to 'help' you, since they don't have an idea whats wrong. Breaking a window to get a sleeping victim may or will set off an alarm, causing them to flee. Police come to investigate and you must decide to flee or ambush them.

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So, explain what you would do to change things and give the genre you either dislike or like a new look and feel.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I always thought the point of an OU was that it was the best of the best. Im pretty sure Gengar and Lucario dont need saving of any kind.

...

Oh, those. I dont know, stop using them for a while and bring them back. go by the rule of fashion in that it cycles.

 

[theonlyblaze2]

I like your idea for the zombie game (and i love that i am not the only one that played Stubbs).

The biggest changes I think they could make would be to have a zombie survival game, but make surviving more than "Spam the hit button." I wanna have to scavenge for food, search for other survivors, fear said survivor. Stuff we see in the best zom movies.

As for World War 2, I would like to see some more alternate reality games. Turning Point: Fall of Liberty had the right idea, just bad execution. Could also be cool to play through the war from the perspective of a Concentration Camp escapee.

 

[hittite]

Just make them fun. The biggest problem I see, is that when they get overused, they aren't fun anymore. That's why I'm kinda holding my breath for that zombie game Suda 51's working on.

 

[Gennadios]

Space marines, Yahtzee already covered. Just make them less one dimensional macho manboys.

Zombies you can save by doing the John Romero/The Walking Dead thing. Not even zombiefied humans could realistically break down a door and they're too stupid to be a real threat. They need a long term survival sim with resource gathering and base building, not lame FPS games.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I don't think zombies, as zombies, are worth basing a game around, TBH. One or two instances of zombies or zombie like things could work (in Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, there's two missions where you have to move through a level full of spawning zombies, you don't fight them so much as batter through them).

But truly mindless zombies as opponents aren't that interesting...if they were only somewhat mindless, if they retained varying degrees of intelligence, if they could fire weapons like everyone else, jsut inaccurately, perhaps that could work.

...

Space marines? Wacky idea, but what about Space Marine Military Police? Board an alien ship, arrest the aliens and search it for contraband?

 

[FilipJPhry]

Zombies have been beaten to death over the years. Only zombie games I enjoyed were primarily about survival and no story: Left 4 Dead(1 & 2) and Call of Duty are the only ones I like.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

Mix it up.

But just find a way to make it fresh again, it's OK to use zombies in a game, but they shouldn't follow a cookie cutter formula. People are always managing to make dragons more interesting. Think about any setting, space, fantasy, modern times, the wild west. Can a dragon be placed in those settings? Yeah. Mech dragons, traditional dragons, giant worms only pretending to be dragons...

This technique just needs to be applied to Zombies and space marines. Cowboy zombies anyone?

 

[iseeyouthere]

Alright. I don't really want to see another zombie game. Or another World War 2 game. And yeah, I guess armored space marines are overdone by this point (you know what would be fun? RAGE with spaceships instead of dune buggys.) America Vs Russia doesn't bother me but I could see a more interesting adversary.

However, a "sandbox" is a genre of game, like FPS and platformer. Actually, it's a relatively new genre; FPS's, platformers, RTS's, etc., have all existed for a longer time than sandbox games. Sandbox games still have tons upon tons of potential.

Finally, what the hell is four player co-op doing on there? I have never heard anyone complain about it being "overused" and don't see the reasoning behind it.

EDIT: Well, I thought about it for half a second. Those antagonists and settings are overused, sure, but what if we all put them in a different concept? Different gameplay mechanics? Hell, Darksiders did the post-apocalypse thing in a way that wasn't a shooter, and many people loved it. Make a zombie game about keeping your resources up. Do something different with the ideas, don't just throw them out altogether.

The reason I put up Sandbox and 4 co-op is that it has often been increasing in games. A sandbox is all fine and dandy if you have something to do. Some sandboxes are pointless though and only exist to hide the fact that it might of as well been a linear corridor game.

And as for 4 player co-op. Well, that has seen an increase as well. I've seen many games which support itself off the 4 player co-op. Is there a reason developers continue to use the magic 4 number again and again when making co-ops?

 

[DracusHawktalon]

And as for 4 player co-op. Well, that has seen an increase as well. I've seen many games which support itself off the 4 player co-op. Is there a reason developers continue to use the magic 4 number again and again when making co-ops?

Because every console so far has had four controller ports primarily due to the fact that televisions can only really be split into four equal, usable screens.

Honestly, the WW2 games really need to stop. Is it really "respectful" to dedicate games like CoD to the vets? I'm not saying they're too violent as I believe Saving Private Ryan is an excellent war movie and it's more violent than video games will ever be able to be but the games give no respect to war. War is hell. War destroys nations, tears families to bits, and leaves a bad taste in the mouth of anyone who served. Look at Germany, they just recently payed off their debts for a war they didn't even start but were blamed entirely for nonetheless. This debt and poverty created a perfect situation for a racist charismatic to come to power and rally the nation around him by scapegoating an ethnic minority leading to the most violent and bloody modern war to date which they are still feeling the effects for and are still looked down for even after 75 years. War sucks and yet we're using it as a method to entertain immature 13 year old boys.

As for America vs. Russia, the only reason it's always like that is because America is run by politically correct gits. If we made them any kind of ambiguously brown or Asian or African (even if the nation in question is an actual political antagonist) the game is going to be labeled as hateful and racist. Games may be defended as art now, but it's wise not to push it. The first amendment only goes so far.

 

[iseeyouthere]

Fair point.

I shall remove sandbox and 4 co-op from the list.

 

[Hemlet]

Zombies
Armoured Space Marines
America VS Russia
Sandbox modes
4 player co-op
World War 2

How to make these fresh again: Take all of these aspects, put them all into one game. It doesn't have to make sense, just do it, and make it fun. Problem solved.