How to create a good Movie-license game

Games
1

Step #1: Find an already established series, like, say, Sea Dogs.

Step #2: Take a mostly finished sequel to said series and re-brand it.

Step #3: Claim that the new game was “inspired” by the “major motion picture” coming out many years later than the initial title.

Step #4: Ignore the fact that most comentators expect: a) That the game will be awesome b) that the film will suck ass.

I don’t know Bethesda, but this seems like a dumb move to me. Let me explain why.

If the movie sucks as much as predicted, then people might not buy the awesome game because they will think “Look, a game based on that asstastic movie! You better believe I’m not buying that!”

If the movie sucks more than predicted, then people will almost certainly not buy the game because they will think “Haha! Look at that! A game based on a shitty movie! PC Gamer always gives those titles a 4%!”

If the movie sucks WAY more than predicted, then people will not buy the game because they will think “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! HA!”

So, basically, regardless and ir-regardless of the outcome, this was, in my comma infested opinion, a bad, move.

2

Then there’s the chance that the movie does well… in which case the game will sell amazingly well regardless of how good or bad it is.

3

What I’ve seen of the movie actually looks quite cool. It does have that “Pirate movies suck. Always.” rule going against it, but the shots of Geoffrey Rush walking through the moonlight as the skeletal effects ripple over him is just damn cool.

Pirates are a very under-used motif in games, IMO. Same with cowboys.

~MJK

4

Butt pirates are even rarer in video games.

5

Pshaw.
The Black Pirate, Captain Blood, Captain Kidd, Treasure Island, Peter Pan, Pirates of Penzance, The Sea Hawk, Yellowbeard.

Of course a lot of those are Silent pictures. The film genre is dead, which is a pity.

6

Of course, Bethesda could re-title the game if the movie sucks…

Example - the Infogrames game Highland Something-or-other was renamed to Braveheart after the movie did so well. This is the antithesis of your scenario however.

If the movie blows dog Bethesda could dodge the bullet with a move like this.