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iisryan

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#1 iisryan
Member since 2003 • 29 Posts

It's no secret that since the beginning of video gaming, franchises have been of monumental importance in the video game industry. Recognizable characters that people fall in love with have really set the Nintendos apart from the Activisions. Looking into the future, I have a few suggestions for the video game industry as a whole, and I'd like to take a few moments to share my predictions of what the idealized video game future would look like.

The video game industry needs to start by reviving some of the older franchises that have been lying dorment or have been tortured with low-budget crap releases for the last few years. I believe that many of the faces of yesteryear really deserve a second shot at the big time. I'll lay out my thoughts and give some reasoning behind each one.

PaRappa the Rapper - PaRappa the Rapper for the PlayStation is a game that literally defined the music / rhythm genre of gaming. The quirky charm of the original game holds a special place in the heart of any gamer who has played it. It was complimented by a very good spin-off, UmJammer Lammy, also on the original PlayStation, but was pretty much wiped from the public eye after the release of the overly-kiddy, dumbed down sequel, PaRappa the Rapper 2 for the PlayStation 2. Since that release, PaRappa has only seen a tiny remake of the original title on the PSP. It goes without saying that another good PaRappa title would really draw gamers back into the series. But, to do this right, the developers have to remember a few central ideas.

PaRappa has to grow with his audience. By today's rhythm / music video game standards, PaRappa the Rapper feels a bit archaic, so the hype leading up to the game will have to rely pretty heavily on those who grew up on the first PaRappa installments. Given that the first PaRappa game was released in 1996 in Japan (1997 in America), it's no wonder the kiddy themes in the 2001 / 2002 sequel didn't go over well with dedicated fans. To sell well, either PaRappa needs to grow up, or the game needs to grow up.

Let's look at the first option: PaRappa growing up. This does not literally mean that we want to make the puppy older, give him a deeper voice, and make him start dealing with paying his way through college while juggling cell phone bills and a baby that he didn't even want to have. We like the puppy-like dedication, attitude, and innocence of the PaRappa character, but PaRappa can't go on another adventure to save the world through the power of cake, ice cream, and kind words to a silly villian no one can really take seriously. People loved PaRappa's first adventure because it put him up against the studly Joe Chin in a competition for the beautiful Sunny Funny's heart. It's a real issue everyone can relate to, but it was handled light-heartedly and often quite comically, giving the game its unmistakable charm. One of the reasons the spin-off, UmJammer Lammy, is so loved by fans (often considered a better game than the original among core groups of fans) is because it took on real adult issues in the same sort of way (being late for an appointment, dealing with babies, even going to Hell in the Japanese version of the game). PaRappa needs to embrace the older audiences and give them something that they can really care about -- not another sweets vs. noodles "adventure".

The second option is the game growing up. In an age of innovation in the gaming community, an upgrade to the game formula could do the seires good. While the first option would be to attract back the pre-existing fans from the first few games, this option would be to attract new fans to the series. Take a look at a couple of the biggest rhythm / music video games of today -- Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution. Both games feature new and fun ways to control the action on screen that gamers absolutely love. They've taken the genre a step beyond hitting buttons in sequence. To keep up with the rhythm / music games of today and attract new audiences, PaRappa will have to come up with something new. In today's industry, it could be anything. It could be a completely new control scheme, or it could be utilizing Nintendo's Wiimote in a new and interesting way. It may even be to come up with new ways to keep the same button-pressing formula fresh and exciting. Any way they do it, it needs to change if they want to keep up with today's market.

So what would be a reasonable future for PaRappa? I see one of two options: a smaller, digitally-distributed release, or a larger release by Nintendo. The first option would be to release a smaller PaRappa game (perhaps a remake of the original in HD) over the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Marketplace, or both. Sticking to the formula and giving us a game we fell in love with over 10 years ago would surely sell well on any of the online marketplaces. PaRappa, although a bit of a faded star in the public's eye, has remained one of the most loved video game icons in video game communities, and a re-release of the original game over an online marketplace would surely draw the fans back. Remastering the game with HD graphics and cleaner music would help tremendously also (think Pac-Man: CE on Xbox Live). The second option I outlined is for Nintendo to buy the franchise and make PaRappa a first or second-party character on Nintendo's line-up. The one thing that Nintendo is known for more than anything is having a hardy group of good characters (as demonstrated in games like Super Smash Bros.). They would not let the PaRappa franchise die like Sony is. If Nintendo were to buy the PaRappa franchise, they could start by reintroducing PaRappa as a first-party Nintendo character in the new Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and then later go on to make a new series of games featuring the lovable puppy using some of the Wii's innovative features to keep the series fresh. After a little transition, PaRappa would fit in just fine with the Nintendo regulars, and he could really be remembered as a major player in the Wii's success.

At this point, there are rumors of a new PaRappa game coming out for the PlayStation 3. Only time will tell what comes of that. If the rumors are true, the only advice I can give them is to make the game multi-platform.

Gex - Anyone remember Gex? The gecko? Ah yes, the memories start coming back. Gex released three major games for the PlayStation (two of them later ported to the N64). That series, much like the PaRappa series, was killed by one lousy game that was seen as too kiddy for its target audiences. To give a bit of history, Gex has always been an interesting series. For the sake of my argument, from this point on I'll be ignoring Gex's original release, Gex, and I'll be focusing in on his more well-known releases, Gex: Enter the Gecko and Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko. The games were action / adventure platformers that put you in the role of a secret agent gecko named Gex who had a major TV / movie obsession. Voiced by comedian Dana Gould, Gex was best known for his witty remarks and references to movies or television shows. The games took place in a land inside of the TV, which allowed for great variety in levels (ranging from cartoon levels, to horror levels, to war levels). Gex was, as good as the series was, a confused series. Being an adventure platformer, it appealed mostly to younger audiences, while most of the jokes were aimed at older audiences (think MST3K). I think that what the series needs is a complete redesign.

A new Gex game should be put out using a similar formula (stuck in a TV world featuring parodies of popular cinematic trends), but the target audience should be drastically shifted. I think the next Gex game should not hesitate to jump on a big, fatty M for Mature sticker. Sort of in the vein of Conker's Bad Fur Day for the N64 (and its remake for the Xbox), the next Gex should retain its often lighthearted, cartoony feel, but show a satiric dark side that Conker introduced us to many years back. Much like Conker, the game should focus more on humorous dialogue and adult-themed situations that the developers always hinted at during Gex's PlayStation years. The video game industry is dangerouly low on games that prominently feature comedy as a selling point. If Gex is able to be a truly funny game (which I know the writers are more than capable of) and a solid action / adventure game (something that Conker fell a bit short on), the game could really satisfy that relatively untapped market of those that appreciate good humor. I say untapped for a reason. While many games encorporate humorous moments, very few games actually make that the main focus of the game. With a game that really focuses on briging gamers intellegent adult humor, the game would be sure to attract the MST3K / South Park / Simpsons / Family Guy audiences that have, for years, silently wished that something like this would happen. Gex needs an M-rated, comedy-centric game to be released for either the PS3 or the Xbox 360.

Jersey Devil - I just have some quick things to say about this one. This, like Gex, was a platformer for the original PlayStation. While it recieved relatively mediocre scores from reviewers, everyone stated that they really wanted to love the game. The idea was there, but the execution was poor. Moving Jersey Devil into a black comedy, freeroaming (and of course very dark) game for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 has the potential to really hit the jackpot. If well executed, the game could become a classic like Psychonauts. I think it's too early to give up on such a great idea.

A multi-platform Smash game - This idea is very radical, but give it some thought. It is no secret that gamers have been, in their minds and in groups, pitting the icons of video gaming against each other for years. It came as no surprise to anyone that Super Smash Bros. for the N64 was such a huge hit, as it was the first time that gamers could ever live out these epic battles. What the video game industry needs now is a step up from that: a multi-platform version of the game. If the various companies could put aside their differences for a few moments and allow a neutral party to create the game for all three of the current-gen platforms (Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3), it'd sell amazingly. If profits are divided evenly and no company is given any sort of advantage in character balance, the game could be very beneficial to all parties involved.

Just think: pitting Master Chief up against Link ... PaRappa against Mario ... Conker against Crash Bandicoot ... Solid Snake against Kasumi ... Banjo-Kazo--well, you get the idea. Is there a gamer reading this now whose mouth isn't watering?

The game also doesn't have to be a part of the Super Smash Bros. series. While it should remain a fighting game, the choice in style is completely up to the developer of the game. If it is pulled off well, it'll sell. Game of the year all around.

... Katamari agains--ok, ok, I'll stop.

All of these things are my own personal recomendations to the video game industry. Take them how you will. Maybe one or more of these will come true one day. Maybe this is just the kick the industry needs to get going on some nostalgic titles for the future. So, please, spread this post around wherever you see fit. Let's wake the industry and community up to its true potential!

-- Ryan (Insert Coin(s) to Continue)