A few crazy game ideas, Part I, and why are zombies so popular?
As a game developer I get into a lot of talk with others about what type of games we could make. A lot of fun discussions ensue, so this time around I am going to give ideas out to a zombie based game, and get crazy.
Just a note, when I say “get crazy”, that means this post is rated mature. Very mature. If you’re the stuck up kind, skip this one.
Idea 1:
Zombie upgrades. As you devour more you get more and more zombie abilities and can modify what kind of zombie you are and what you look like. Seriously cool shit can happen, like special abilities that allow you to rip heads off other people and make them into walking spiders that help you along. As you progress through the ranks, eventually you get powers that let you transform into a normal looking person, such as some hot chick, only to fool them in the end and bite their appendeges off. Since zombies don’t really date, the game would be MMO based and based entirely on competition to become the most powerful zombie, while at the same time avoiding being killed by anti-zombie squads. We’re talking some seriously epic gameplay here, complete with zombie task force missions and other AI generated battles, that way it feels like co-op play against an AI instead of just uncoordinated head-to-head. Damn that would require a lot of code and art work.
Idea 2:
This idea would never make it in the US, but what if we had a game that took place after Christ was resurrected (as a Zombie) and the nations had to go to war now to supress the religious radical zombie worshipers (who just happen to dribble… a lot…). I think the fact that you’re goal is to kill a superhero like Christ is the selling point by itself. No more game needed, have someone write a neat story line and done, excellent. Moving on.
Idea 3:
I like to think that we can extend RPG gameplay to the likes of a more somber tone. Instead of orcs, wizards, knights, and the likes, we need an RPG centered more on vampires, zombies, wraiths – basically the emo subculture. It would basically be WoW but for emos. The object of the game would be to die and gain soul points from dieing and performing rituals. You know what, this is scary just by the sounds of it. Somebody is going to do a jenga board in Lua and piss off all their religious parents and we’d be in a shit storm of trouble. Good PR though.
Idea 4:
Taking the normal idea of killing as many zombies as possible, what if the object here wasn’t so much killing the zombies, but rather an offshoot of a drug experiment to make uber soldiers? Like, soldiers that had some sort of chemical that could make others join their side? We’re talking SkyNet, but for Zombies. The entire game would be based on choosing the different sides involved, one of the crazy populus who use might, one of the technical minded folk who use technology to fight, and the zombie constituants who just want to build their nation by themselves. Well, needs some more polishing, but the idea is to have a triangle (because 3 sides (e.g. “Star Craft”, “Supreme Commander”) is better than 2 (“Command & Conqueror”, “Warcraft”)). At any rate, this may work better as 2 sides, but the idea is pretty cool. You tend to feel some compassion for the other side, but only to realize they feel none for you, so the war must go on. Bloody battles continue and the entire game is oriented around blood and violence and death and chaos. Won’t do good for female players, but males would dig that up fast.
Idea 5:
Speaking of female players, lets try to reorientate this and make more of a nuture game out of zombies… Let’s see here… Nuture… Zombies… Nuture…. Zombies…. Maybe something like a Sim-Zombie, where people have started making Zombie farms and zombies are used to power things or become a re-usable energy source of some kind. You know what, nothing about zombies has any appeal to any of this. There is no way zombies can be utilized for female players. Moving on.
Idea 6:
Zombie racing! That’s right folks, you too can pick your zombie and pick your competition and have a bunch of family fun, zombie style. It’s like “Mario Cart”, “Mario Party”, and “Mario Paint” all rolled up into a zombie-style adventure the whole family can enjoy. The entire game would just be one gigantic comedic relief parody of existing games, with a variety of mini-games that would sure to be more of a way to laugh and have fun, if you’re into the zombie sort of thing that is.
*sigh*
Well I’m out of ideas for now. Tune in next time.
Best of luck.
