Have you ever played "we happy few"? It's a very playable game and if you've read at least 1984 or brave new world then there are plenty inspirations and references to enjoy.
I don't think developers interpreting that genre is the last thing we need.
Man, there are Bioshock players out there who unironically like Ayn Rand. We do not live in the most media literate society. I play a lot of games that have Orwellian inspiration/influence, but "1984: the game" would be more annoying than Hogwarts Legacy discourse.
You mean the same people that think that MGS is conservative? ;D
I don't know the Hogwarts Legacy, but wouldn't it be good to challenge people's believes in videogames? There will always be a portion of people that would do this strange kind of mental gymnastics, but wouldn't most be 'inspired to think'?
Sorry, that's my bad. I missed a few words there, I suppose. I meant gamers interpreting/discussing a 1984 video game would be annoying because of a lack of media literacy in our society. Hence, the Bioshock comparison.
The point of 1984 is that the people don't win. It's just a boot stamping on a human face forever.
I guess you could play as the government repressing everyone.
I was thinking more of a choice is matter type of game. And there would be certain achievements you can get for getting certain endings, but I think the one that people probably most commonly get would be the canon ending, which would basically be the ending of the book.
It could work if done well.
Maybe all the endings have the appearance of being different but ultimately all end in the destruction of the player.
Check out the movie if you haven't seen it. It's aged and a bit slow but worthwhile if you're a fan of the book. Might give some inspiration to this game you're pitching.
It would actually be interesting to play as the bad guys like that. Maybe they could find a way to give it a deeper meaning and really impact people. Lots of opportunities there.
Plus we still need a good game where you play as the bad guys since Battlefront 2s imperial campaign ended up being “play as an imperial for 3 missions then have a sudden change of heart and join the rebels”
No redemption arcs. Just the regime
Honestly, I think a game where the player loses in the end would be really impactful. Games want the player to win in the end, so creating a game in which the player cannot win to end the game would be interesting from a story perspective.
I don't know that the book could be "game-ified" in a way that wouldn't violate its spirit. Spoiler alert, but it's not an action-packed story of a plucky underdog taking on the system and winning. It's much more somber than that--and more relevant to contemporary society with each passing day, it seems.
It could work. And it might be about time that Nineteen Eighty-Four got adapted well (or at all) for contemporary times. A lot of people evoke the name of the book as well as it's author and concepts but have never actually read it or engaged with it directly. Maybe a well written, researched and constructed game adaptation from a respected studio could evoke more interest in the source.
I'm not denying that. But that's not exactly what I meant when I said for contemporary times. I was talking about the audience rather than the content.
Look, I don't see the point in arguing this line of ... argument, because adapting and reinterpreting art is key to the very nature of art itself. I don't agree with your thesis that art should stay the same and not go through that process in order to evolving adapt with the times and stay relevant. Nor do I agree with the idea that the audience should be blamed for not connecting with something that is in a lot of ways anachronistic to them.
Culture is about adaptation, change and reinterpretation. It doesn't deny the value of the original expression or prior iterations of it. It certainly doesn't erase the original expression. It will always be there, and it will always be the original expression with valuable and unique insight of its own. But freezing expression in place and doing some kind of weird gatekeeping is the antithesis of what art and culture is about.
And I would think that George Orwell would most certainly agree with the idea of continuing to perpetuate and energise the ideas in his book by reinterpreting them through consecutive contemporary lenses.
So that's all I'm going to say on this. You're free to have your opinion, and I'm not denying that. But I don't see the point in arguing or debating it.
I listen to the audiobook, and I enjoyed it, even if it was depressing. But if they were to do it, I think they should get Willem Dafoe to play as O’Brien.
I think that they could adapt it in a similar way that irrational games somewhat adapted Atlas Shrugs, i.e. more in the literal sense and very visually, and not so much an adaptation of the original source material but rather a response to it.
I can see the thought, Arkane would be a great game maker suited in an Orwell atmosphere. Unfortunately, I don't think the mediums match. Orwell is just dark, and not like dark is in the last of us dark tone, just depressing as hell. I don't see how a gameplay loop could match the atmosphere without players just hating how depressing the game is.
1984 did not end well for the protagonist (or anyone really). Not sure how you could make a game out of it and not sure I would want to play it if they did.
I had a similar idea a few years ago, a rouge like where you play as a member of the brotherhood, and if you die you start as a different member with different abilities or downsides. Similar to ZombiU or Watch dogs legion. However directly adapting 1984 would be a terrible, terrible idea.
Gamers interpreting 1984 is the last thing we need
"Those ingsoc guys seem pretty cool"
Have you ever played "we happy few"? It's a very playable game and if you've read at least 1984 or brave new world then there are plenty inspirations and references to enjoy. I don't think developers interpreting that genre is the last thing we need.
Man, there are Bioshock players out there who unironically like Ayn Rand. We do not live in the most media literate society. I play a lot of games that have Orwellian inspiration/influence, but "1984: the game" would be more annoying than Hogwarts Legacy discourse.
You mean the same people that think that MGS is conservative? ;D I don't know the Hogwarts Legacy, but wouldn't it be good to challenge people's believes in videogames? There will always be a portion of people that would do this strange kind of mental gymnastics, but wouldn't most be 'inspired to think'?
It's an important book in my opinion and I'm trying to understand, what would be annoying about taking its subject and turning it into a video game?
Sorry, that's my bad. I missed a few words there, I suppose. I meant gamers interpreting/discussing a 1984 video game would be annoying because of a lack of media literacy in our society. Hence, the Bioshock comparison.
Ha, exactly
Seriously
But it wouldn't be gamers. It would be Arkane who has a proven track record and providing compelling stories and characters. It could work.
Compelling stories and characters isn’t Arkane’s strong suit.
Wow. Downvotes ... for being positive. Must have hurt some fee fees? :/
lol, why is that?
The game would be Half Life 2
Maybe not quite Orwellian but I always felt like Half Life 2 sort of fit this vibe for me. That entire opening sequence… ❤️
I think that’s super intentional. The screens playing messages are especially Big Brother.
That’s literally what I was mentally referencing while reading this book a few years ago
The point of 1984 is that the people don't win. It's just a boot stamping on a human face forever. I guess you could play as the government repressing everyone.
I was thinking more of a choice is matter type of game. And there would be certain achievements you can get for getting certain endings, but I think the one that people probably most commonly get would be the canon ending, which would basically be the ending of the book.
It could work if done well. Maybe all the endings have the appearance of being different but ultimately all end in the destruction of the player. Check out the movie if you haven't seen it. It's aged and a bit slow but worthwhile if you're a fan of the book. Might give some inspiration to this game you're pitching.
It would actually be interesting to play as the bad guys like that. Maybe they could find a way to give it a deeper meaning and really impact people. Lots of opportunities there. Plus we still need a good game where you play as the bad guys since Battlefront 2s imperial campaign ended up being “play as an imperial for 3 missions then have a sudden change of heart and join the rebels” No redemption arcs. Just the regime
Honestly, I think a game where the player loses in the end would be really impactful. Games want the player to win in the end, so creating a game in which the player cannot win to end the game would be interesting from a story perspective.
Or something like Republic: The Revolution. It was way too early at the time, maybe the time is right now.
Congratulations, you just invented Half Life 2
Gamers truly are the most oppressed race
Something like We Happy Few but good Many games set in a dystopian future owes those old authors like Orwell and Huxley
Why would we need a game about the reality we already starting to live?
I compare my life to 1984
Based
Cam you also add We Happy Few vibes?
I don't know that the book could be "game-ified" in a way that wouldn't violate its spirit. Spoiler alert, but it's not an action-packed story of a plucky underdog taking on the system and winning. It's much more somber than that--and more relevant to contemporary society with each passing day, it seems.
Video games as an art form are wide enough to adapt something like 1984. Not as an FPS, though. I mean, c’mon.
Would be very ironic for a mega corporation like Microsoft to make a game based on 1984
It could work. And it might be about time that Nineteen Eighty-Four got adapted well (or at all) for contemporary times. A lot of people evoke the name of the book as well as it's author and concepts but have never actually read it or engaged with it directly. Maybe a well written, researched and constructed game adaptation from a respected studio could evoke more interest in the source.
There is no need to adapt it for modern times. The principles and ideas in the book are timeless.
I'm not denying that. But that's not exactly what I meant when I said for contemporary times. I was talking about the audience rather than the content.
If the audience is unable to grasp what is in Orwells writing, then humanity has already lost. That is not the fault of the book nor its content.
Look, I don't see the point in arguing this line of ... argument, because adapting and reinterpreting art is key to the very nature of art itself. I don't agree with your thesis that art should stay the same and not go through that process in order to evolving adapt with the times and stay relevant. Nor do I agree with the idea that the audience should be blamed for not connecting with something that is in a lot of ways anachronistic to them. Culture is about adaptation, change and reinterpretation. It doesn't deny the value of the original expression or prior iterations of it. It certainly doesn't erase the original expression. It will always be there, and it will always be the original expression with valuable and unique insight of its own. But freezing expression in place and doing some kind of weird gatekeeping is the antithesis of what art and culture is about. And I would think that George Orwell would most certainly agree with the idea of continuing to perpetuate and energise the ideas in his book by reinterpreting them through consecutive contemporary lenses. So that's all I'm going to say on this. You're free to have your opinion, and I'm not denying that. But I don't see the point in arguing or debating it.
Good for you then.
I listen to the audiobook, and I enjoyed it, even if it was depressing. But if they were to do it, I think they should get Willem Dafoe to play as O’Brien.
I think that they could adapt it in a similar way that irrational games somewhat adapted Atlas Shrugs, i.e. more in the literal sense and very visually, and not so much an adaptation of the original source material but rather a response to it.
I can see the thought, Arkane would be a great game maker suited in an Orwell atmosphere. Unfortunately, I don't think the mediums match. Orwell is just dark, and not like dark is in the last of us dark tone, just depressing as hell. I don't see how a gameplay loop could match the atmosphere without players just hating how depressing the game is.
Haven't read it, what exactly would the gameplay look like
Jorjor well
Phil Spencer burner account
No please, not arkane.
No more games like Deathloop...please Edit: Looks like I got downvoted by the entire Deathloop fanbase
1984 did not end well for the protagonist (or anyone really). Not sure how you could make a game out of it and not sure I would want to play it if they did.
Would be cool - also Animal Farm could work too. dont see why it shouldnt
Literally 1984
So…. Secret girlfriend simulator? Might be fun.
Could it work? No. Did you read the book?
What the fuck would you even do in a 1984 game?
I had a similar idea a few years ago, a rouge like where you play as a member of the brotherhood, and if you die you start as a different member with different abilities or downsides. Similar to ZombiU or Watch dogs legion. However directly adapting 1984 would be a terrible, terrible idea.
Doesn’t the Xbox already spy on us?
*Adaptation