Ok people, everybody talks about movies into games, comics into games etc. I just thought it would be different to hear what books/novels ect they would like turned into games.

Nothing really, I like material to be new. OK, Clancy games are an exception to me.

The books of Harry Potter? Movies and then to suckish games...

True but they made the movies of harry potter into games and never followed the books, same with lord of the rings

The bible would have some pretty interesting gameplay in it.

That or The Darwin Awards (Gain points by killing yourself in the most ridiculous manner with the set-pieces provided - admittedly that sounds like only enough to fill a minigame... meh, if we can come up with a memorable cast of characters and a loose plot, it just might work)

I don't really like the idea of making a game from a book. Mainly because I like a game which gives me an amount of freedom to do a bit of "Sandbox"-ing whilst being able to continue the storyline, like GTA:IV did.

Books into games just makes a rather linear game where the player can't do much exploring of the game world and has to follow the storyline which kid of sucks because the only reason you buy a game based on a book is probably because you've already read said book and therefore know half the bloody plot already, the Harry Potter series of games is a good example me thinks!

On the top of my head I cannot mention any books that would make good games, though I am sure there are lots. I think the reason that more movies than books get made into games is that, if you are going to copy a concept, it it easier to borrow both the visuals, sound and story, in stead of just the story. A book to game conversion would require more work and more imagination.

The bible, nice one never thought of that, could spin of a load of crazy games like starwars episode 7 - the christian wars or grand theft juadism (might of spelt that wrong)

Books to games are a bad idea. The thing with games is that they require a certain amount of action for people to play them, which requires enemies and conflict. Books, on the other hand, don't tend to have enough action to be translated to game form, as they are more concerned with storyline, dialogue and characterization.

The point I guess I'm trying to make is that, as storytelling mediums, books and games are nearly totally different so it's hard to translate one into the other without a severe amount of suckage.

Clancy games and The Witcher...?
then there are things like LOTR games...

yes but books need imagination to bring them to life and so do games unless your nocking a film off

Some pretty good games can be linked back to books, in theme if not story (see: Bioshock vs Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged). I agree that book plots don't need to serve as an exact template for games, but if you're looking for ideas or inspiration there is far more going on in literature than Hollywood.

I think that the Dragon Riders of Pern would make a great game.
It already has various classes (and ranks) set out, missions, different main cities, instant transport, and the likes.
Its screaming to be an MMORPG.

By the way, this thread has been done before.

Suggested this on another thread; George Orwell's 1984. Admittedly, it has been made into a film several times, but this idea I got specifically from the book. Would be presented, I suppose, as a urban-sneaking game in a lot of cases; trying to avoid the Thought Police whilst trying to bring down The Party. Alternately, it could be a rather predictable RTS (constant warring between the three world factions).

Cymraeg Phill:
I don't really like the idea of making a game from a book. Mainly because I like a game which gives me an amount of freedom to do a bit of "Sandbox"-ing whilst being able to continue the storyline, like GTA:IV did.

Books into games just makes a rather linear game where the player can't do much exploring of the game world and has to follow the storyline which kid of sucks because the only reason you buy a game based on a book is probably because you've already read said book and therefore know half the bloody plot already, the Harry Potter series of games is a good example me thinks!

well, there are always those select your quest books, where you choose what to do, like "skip to page 38" and so on, that is like a mental sanbox.

I didn't like the bourne game, but I also didn't like the movies because they completely bastardized the books. I thought they were good action flicks, and I would have probably loved them had they gone by a different name.

I think a better book that could make a half decent game would be "The Hobbit". I think they could make that a great action adventure game akin to Zelda, or even a role playing game where you uo stats and gain people for your party.

Well, if there's one game I would like to see it's a MMORPG based on the Sword of Truth series. With it's 12 books it has more than enough content, and the lore should be no problem as well.

I actually liked LOTR: Return of The King on Ps2 (more of a movie tie-in, but it's that or "The Hobbit" on Ps2 as well).

I'd love a game based on "Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?". You sit around and using Quick Time Events complain about EVERYTHING.

Healey:
Alternately, it could be a rather predictable RTS (constant warring between the three world factions).

That would ruin it. Part of the experience was the question of whether or not the other factions existed and if they were actually at war with each other.

Well a game based on Dante's Inferno is being made.

scnj:

Healey:
Alternately, it could be a rather predictable RTS (constant warring between the three world factions).

That would ruin it. Part of the experience was the question of whether or not the other factions existed and if they were actually at war with each other.

Argh; completely forgot about that. Good point. 1984 is a very deep text to work with, I imagine, so it'd be hard to see anything done of it without dumbing it down. Well, guess I'm back down to one idea.
Ooh, but here's another one, then. World War Z. Probably more from concept than plot, but it could come across as a first-person (possibly with RPG elements) game having the player seek refuge from the undead horde.

Books don't translate well, since much of the action is pre-scripted in cool ways that can't be replicated in gaming, the story is made to be PASSIVE, not interactive, and finally, much of the insight and story comes from the thoughts of the characters, which are either omitted altogether (making for a confusingly garbled story), or are included which creates way too much dialogue and cutscenes. Basically, only in circumstances where you can deviate from the written account, such as the Watchmen's The End Is Nigh, which takes place before the book. Another good example is Lord of The Rings Conquest, where the story does not focus on the main characters, allowing the developer to create a more interactive storyline and can create abilities tailored to good gameplay, not ones that "need" to be shoe-horned in to give the game the same feel as the book (most of these are impossible to include in gameplay without dumbing them down, which pisses off the fans).

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Co. are good ideas, because they don't interrupt the popular continuity, even though they dumbed down signature moves, it felt like Star Wars because Bioware kept to the Star Wars ideals while creating a unique story that didn't ruin continuity, which is VERY difficult.

Basically, unless you are a visionary or a genius, just stay away.

Cymraeg Phill:
I don't really like the idea of making a game from a book. Mainly because I like a game which gives me an amount of freedom to do a bit of "Sandbox"-ing whilst being able to continue the storyline, like GTA:IV did.

Books into games just makes a rather linear game where the player can't do much exploring of the game world and has to follow the storyline which kid of sucks because the only reason you buy a game based on a book is probably because you've already read said book and therefore know half the bloody plot already, the Harry Potter series of games is a good example me thinks!

glib much? Lord of the Rings Online is based on a book series, and it is traditionally MMO sandboxish in its design. And that's just one example.

You seem to be processing turning a book concept into a game as a period of directed game-play followed by being fed the book's text. Ignoring the several hundreds of successful games that follow that exact formula, I can name tons of Movie and Comic book franchises that do not use that game style.

Eyes roll at how remarkably dense a comment that was.

The last time this question was asked on the forums, I suggested Dante's Inferno would be a solid title for game development and what has been announced since?

Crime & Punishment would be an awesome sandbox title.

Shakespearean plays, Imagine the game-play that could be taken from Hamlet or Macbeth.

The Grecian theme is really popular right now, so How about a game based on Oedipus Rex or Orestes?

I could go on, there is a lot of potential in literature when it comes to developing interesting game mechanics.

grant's memoirs.. rpg

I dunno if anyone would agree with me but I'd like to see an MMO based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. I know there was a brief card game based on them and that if an MMO was made it'd be mediocre at best but I think it's a rich enough universe.

The count of monte cristo would be pretty interesting, then my second choice, pretending the movie never happened, twould be the league of extraordinary gentlemen. Or I just thought of 20000 leagues under the sea

There already is a bible game. It doesnt follow the bible or anything, but it's just worth pointing out. There is a The Bible Game. Answering bible trivia. At one point it cost the standard 50 bucks good games did . . .

To Kill a Mockingbird. It could be a Phoenix Wright-type thing.

Leeathal:
True but they made the movies of harry potter into games and never followed the books, same with lord of the rings

The film rights and book rights were held differently. There was a game based on the first book. It wasn't very good. The fucking tree boss was impossible.

Amarok:
The bible would have some pretty interesting gameplay in it.

That or The Darwin Awards (Gain points by killing yourself in the most ridiculous manner with the set-pieces provided - admittedly that sounds like only enough to fill a minigame... meh, if we can come up with a memorable cast of characters and a loose plot, it just might work)

You are my new favorite person. Not really, but that is a brilliant idea.

Make a fantastically sadistic mini-game collection for Wii... a new take on a over-saturated genre.

I would have to say Warhammer novels. Perhaps William King and the TrollSlayer or Space Wolf series, that would be a bit of a laugh.

Seriously everyone, listen to me. Read Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series and tell me in wouldn't make the best MMORPG EVER. It's incredible and 100% unbeatable. To be fair it's not like we need any more medieval fantasies. Maybe Robert Jordan should punch Richard Garriot in the face and steal the last going fantasy MMO slot before everybody starts hating them before they're even confirmed.

sirdanrhodes:
Nothing really, I like material to be new. OK, Clancy games are an exception to me.

The thing is that none of the Tom Clancy games are actually based off of his books. The original Rainbow Six and the novel were made in conjunction. Other than that, not a single Tom Clancy game actually follows or is based off of one of the books, so the Tom Clancy game brand hardly counts as a good game series based off a book franchise.

mark_n_b:

Cymraeg Phill:
I don't really like the idea of making a game from a book. Mainly because I like a game which gives me an amount of freedom to do a bit of "Sandbox"-ing whilst being able to continue the storyline, like GTA:IV did.

Books into games just makes a rather linear game where the player can't do much exploring of the game world and has to follow the storyline which kid of sucks because the only reason you buy a game based on a book is probably because you've already read said book and therefore know half the bloody plot already, the Harry Potter series of games is a good example me thinks!

glib much? Lord of the Rings Online is based on a book series, and it is traditionally MMO sandboxish in its design. And that's just one example.

You seem to be processing turning a book concept into a game as a period of directed game-play followed by being fed the book's text. Ignoring the several hundreds of successful games that follow that exact formula, I can name tons of Movie and Comic book franchises that do not use that game style.

Eyes roll at how remarkably dense a comment that was.

The last time this question was asked on the forums, I suggested Dante's Inferno would be a solid title for game development and what has been announced since?

You honestly think that's going to work out well? From the trailer (which is far from enthralling) it looks like a very typical MCFARLANE'D vision of hell with only the most compulsory lip service to the game. Luckily not enough people have actually read Inferno to actually be annoyed when the game pisses all over the concept.

As for books being translated into games I agree with you to a certain extent. Games like LOTR work because, if you look carefully at games, particularly older western RPG's, we've always based games on LOTR. The same tropes and stereotypes that populate LOTR are the basis for RPG's as we know them.

The Discworld and Hitchiker's guide games show that you can always translate good writing into a video game format. Neither games follow the series they're based on to the letter because the story employed in a book is rarely suitable for a game where the player expects constant, if not frequent, stimulation. Mostly because in a good book character development comes before action. Pulp schlock and 'ranger/warrior/dwarf-kill-the-evil-wizard books are an exception.

My Dad says that The Hobbit on the ZX Spectrum was great (for the time anyway). LOTR pushed the boundries too much in his opinion.

Erana:
I think that the Dragon Riders of Pern would make a great game.

Was already done Erana.
http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/dragonriders-of-pern-games
One of my friends programmed it.

The_root_of_all_evil:

Erana:
I think that the Dragon Riders of Pern would make a great game.

Was already done Erana.
http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/dragonriders-of-pern-games
One of my friends programmed it.

Oh, drat. I'm gonna have to get a Dreamcast now.