By Joe Sislow

Greetings, astute readers! As some of you may have noticed, the game market seems to be dominated with sequels and licenses these days. I can’t say that I’m happy about it, but if we’re to be inundated with movie tie-ins and sequels rivaling Friday the 13th, then I might as well give my two cents about how to make good sequel/licensed games. So this issue, we’re going to see what it takes to make your sequel or license into a good game.

License to Thrill

Many discussions about licenses get bogged down in the early discussion about whether the license merits a game. Don’t bother. Usually, one of two scenarios is present. First, the deal for the license has already been cut. No use in complaining about a done deal. Second, higher-ups have deemed the license "valuable". Once again, choose your battles. Either way, the decision about the viability of the license is usually out of your hands. Don’t complain; try to make something good with the property. Consider it a challenge! Of course, if you get stuck with something like The Wedding Singer or Schindler’s List, I pity you.

So now you’ve got this license. The first thing to do is think about what type of game the license merits. The largest mistake that happens when discussing the game is that the same marketing people that have made the decision about the license know about a "hot" type of game. Just because real-time strategy games are/were hot doesn’t mean that Blade Runner works as an RTS! The reverse of this case is true as well. Many disinterested teams will just drop a license into a side scroller because it’s easy (and they really don’t want to have anything to do with the license). Unfortunately, the game is attributed to the team as well as the managers who got the license. Take it from me, Pro Sport Hockey isn’t a title you want to be associated with!

Another mistake that is made with licenses is to get too hung up on a character. Stories and games are very different beasts. In order to have some coherence, a game may have to refer to characters in the license, but the game shouldn’t be so character-obsessed that the play is forgotten. Audio, video, and needless exposition in a game take away from time the player could be playing. 50,000 samples of Warren Beatty for the Ishtar game won’t make the game fun, the play will.

One of the best things about doing a license, especially a good one, is the environment that the license has created. Such a rich world often makes for a really good setting for a game. In TV especially, story bibles exist for the purpose of having a consistency with different writers. Game designers should find the story bibles invaluable in coming up with a game from the license. I haven’t seen the game yet, but I hope that Sierra used these immense resources (as well as J. Michael Straczynski’s guidance) to make the Babylon 5 game. If it’s just a Wing Commander/X-Wing clone, I’m gonna be mad!

The last major pitfall happens when the development team doesn’t keep the license people in the loop. Usually, some severe messes can occur. Granted, there are many different levels of involvement between the license people and the developer. It’s best to assume a close relationship with the protectors of the license. Better to give them too much information and be safe than to leave them out only to have them want a major change near the final stages of the game. The paperwork and correspondence may be a pain, but it will be much less than the hassle of reworking a game late in a beta stage!

The Sequel to My Success

So instead of a licensed property, you’re working on the latest installment of Autoduel (Origin, Steve Jackson, are you listening?) or Zoop! Sounds like fun, I know. However, you must remember to avoid the same questioning. By the time you find out about the sequel, your time is better spent thinking of ways to make the game cool. Any struggling at this point will just make things worse. Believe me, after six Bases Loaded games, I know.

First off, it’s plain unfair to merely release a game with the exact same engine. New graphics, new level maps, and new sounds do not constitute a sequel. Such a change should be labeled an expansion pack. If you think I’m lying about trying to do this, I’d like to relate a quote I heard at E3 a few years ago, "We used to call it, ‘slapping new make-up on the whore and sending her back out.’" Due to the nature of the quote, I hope you’ll understand why I can’t reveal the source. However, I used the quote to illustrate how large software publishers perceived sequels. I’d like to fight this philosophy to my dying breath.

In order to be a suitable sequel, you must choose a feature of the game to improve. Sometimes, it’s best to choose the feature that the game was centered around. For example, if a sequel to Autoduel were (note the use of the subjunctive indicating impossibility <sigh>) to be made, the actual car control engine could use some improvement. Despite the fact that it was a strong game, it was tough to drive with any speed with such a limited view of the surrounding area. A better driving engine would work.

In the case of a game like Ultima, which has some of the best engines, the middle three (IV, V, and VI) merely chose an element to add to the already solid centerpiece. Color, ethical decisions, and other such improvements made each sequel stronger. Richard Garriott was able to make each game better without ruining the success of the earlier titles - a truly impressive feat. Even Ultima stumbled a bit from its original course with VII and VIII. Another lesson that shows that even the best sequels will have problems over time.

If you’re stuck for ideas, the best place to go is often your own audience. Gamers are notoriously opinionated, and most would leap at the chance to give some input into their favorite game. Give them the opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses. After playing your games for far longer than you were ever able to, they will be able to see things that you never dreamed. If you don’t want to ask them directly, check the newsgroups and web sites. Besides, if you don’t like what they have to say, you can always ignore it!

Of course, some games have simply run to their inevitable end. They cannot be improved without a major overhaul. Don’t be afraid of change. Sometimes, a large-scale overhaul can be just what a sequel needs to breathe fresh life into the title. Perhaps the overhaul can actually be genre changing. Look at Might & Magic. M&M was strictly a role-playing game before they took the chance on Heroes of Might & Magic. Fans of the original M&M got some of the role-playing that they were accustomed to, and new players had the opportunity to get hooked (and possibly get into M&M itself!). The game also succeeded by changing the name enough to allow players to understand that there were similarities, yet they didn’t expect merely an RPG.

In changing the game, be sure to keep some tie to the original. The name can also be misleading, so players will expect something similar. It can be misleading to make a Wing Commander game that is a pre-historic real-time strategy (you see, some of the Kilrathi fell through a black hole). Be sure to remember the space theme and the fighting essence of the game. Something must be held over to keep the fans interested. Without a common thread, the players feel used, and rightly they should.

In closing, remember that sequels and licenses can work. Civilization II managed to surpass the brilliance of the original, and Dune II managed to be the precursor to Command & Conquer. With the proper effort, consideration, and attitude, your sequel or license can surpass the original and show the world that form is freeing. Of course, if this column is used to try and convince a team to work on Gone With the Wind or Ally McBeal games, I was lying about every word! Until next time, keep playing! GW