History Analysis / TheProblemWithLicensedGames

Let's face it: Not every franchise makes a good video game. ''Barney's Hide and Seek'' is a very infamous example of shoehorning [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney]] into the medium.

Once again, pick something where the characters can actually transition to proper games easily (such as ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', ''Franchise/KamenRider'', or ''Franchise/{{Jewelpet}}'').

Why videogames based on established properties almost always seem to suck? Here's why:

! They are just products

Licensed videogames are often just part of TheMerch; they are just like the toys, the clothes, the cereal, the coffee mugs, the bed sheets, the shampoo, and so forth. They are meant to be bought, not to be played.

!! How to avoid this:

Treating the licensed game with respect, with the same care that the source material receives.

! [[ChristmasRushed They have a harsh time constraint]]

They usually have to be made in a short time to be released at the same time as the source material or before the license expires. This especially happens with games based on movies. Add the fact that the game developers probably never watched it to know what is about, and the game is doomed to fail.

!! How to avoid this:

Give the developers a better time schedule to finish the game; that's why games based on movies that are years old when the game came out are usually better. Another great option is making a game that has little to do with the movie or better yet, making a licensed game of the franchise but not directly based on an already told story, instead having an original story.

! They sell just because of the name

!! How to avoid this:

! [[AdaptationDecay It's not always easy to adapt a different medium to a game]]

Even if a work is pretty good in its own right, that doesn't mean it has potential to be adapted to another medium, and adapting something into a videogame can be really hard. Videogames are a medium where a plot isn't structurally essential to the genre, the most important is the gameplay, and that can't always be translated well between mediums. Sometimes [[UnexpectedGameplayChange many different and discordant gameplay genres]] are added to the mix due to the variety of the source material.

The worst cases are game adaptations of properties that have little potential for a videogame, like psychological dramas or sitcoms with no action or tangible conflict during most of the plot. Typically, their gameplay is very linear and involves the player being forced to do a lot of [[FakeDifficulty artificially hard]] mundane everyday tasks occasionally interrupted by a cutscene.

!! How to avoid this:

When making a licensed game, choosing a franchise that can be turned into a videogame with ease, like is said right above. If you absolutely have to adapt a "Slice of Life"-type plot, making the game have a original story instead of adapting a story that was told in the source material may help. If the source material has nothing that can be made into a game, then you shouldn't even try.

! Trying to mimic a popular game genre to sell more copies

!! How to avoid this:

! People that made the source material aren't consulted

Even though videogames are a medium unlike any other, that doesn't mean that people that made the source material so good and successful aren't necessary for the videogame adaptation. They can help with the plot, the writing, the jokes, the new characters, the puzzles. If they resist the temptation to turn the videogame into a film (see point 4), they can ensure that the adaptation stays true in spirit to the original work.

!! How to avoid this:

! Adapting a franchise with nothing that can be used in a proper video game.

Let's face it: Not every franchise makes a good video game. ''Barney's Hide And Seek'' is a very infamous example of shoehorning [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney]] into the medium.

!! How to avoid this:

Once again, pick something where the characters can actually transition to proper games easily (such as ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' or ''Franchise/KamenRider'').

Once again, pick something where the characters can actually transition to proper games easily (such as ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'').

Give the developers a better time schedule to finish the game; that's why games based on movies that are years old when the game came out are usually better. Another great option is making a game that has little to do with the movie or better yet, making a licensed game of the franchise but not directly based on an already told story, instead having a original story.

Licensed videogames are often just part of TheMerch, they are just like the toys, the clothes, the cereal, the coffee mugs, the bed sheets, the shampoo, and so forth, they are meant to be bought, not to be played.

They usually have to be made in a short time to be released as the same time as the source material or before the license expires, this especially happens with games based on movies, add the fact that the game developers probably never watched it to know what is about, and the game is doomed to fail.

Give the developers a better time schedule to finish the game, that's why games based on movies that are years old when the game came out are usually better, another great option is making a game that has little to do with the movie or better yet, making a licensed game of the franchise but not directly based on an already told story, instead having a original story.

These games are meant for fans of the source material, since they are going to get these games no matter if they're good or not, quality is just optional, this is even worse with games for kids.

Even if a work is pretty good in its own right, that doesn't mean it has potential to be adapted to another medium, and adapting something into a videogame can be really hard. Videogames are a medium where a plot isn't structurally essential to the genre, the most important is the gameplay that not always can be translated well between mediums. Sometimes [[UnexpectedGameplayChange many different and discordant gameplay genres]] are added to the mix due to the variety of the source material.

When making a licensed game, choosing a franchise that can be turned into a videogame with ease, like it's said right above. If you absolutely have to adapt a "Slice of Life" - type plot, making the game have a original story instead of adapting a story that was told in the source material may help. If the source material has nothing that can be made into a game, then you shouldn't even try.

When making a licensed game, choose a genre that fits very well with the source material. If it's a action movie, make an action game, if it's a musical, make a rhythm game, if it's a mystery book, make it an adventure game, if it's a racing movie, make it a racing game. There are many instances where the executives choose to make the game in an unsuitable genre similar to the more successful games around (this especially happens with licensed games for kids).

Obviously, having input of the original staff on the game adaptation.

The worst cases are game adaptations of properties that have little potential for a videogame, like psychological dramas or sitcoms with no action or tangible conflict during most of the plot. Typically, their gameplay is very linear and involves the player being forced to do a lot of mundane everyday tasks occasionally interrupted by a cutscene.

Even if a work is pretty good in its own right, that doesn't mean it has potential to be adapted to another medium, and adapting something into a videogame can be really hard. Videogames are a medium where a plot isn't structurally essential to the genre, the most important is the gameplay that not always can be translated well between mediums. Sometimes many different and discordant gameplay genres are added to the mix due to the variety of the source material.

To make a licensed game, the better option is choose a game genre that fits very well with the source material, if it's a action movie, make an action game, if it's a musical, make a rhythm game, if it's a mystery book, make it an adventure game, if it's a racing movie, make it a racing game. There are many instances where the executives choose to make the game in an unsuitable genre similar to the more successful games around (this especially happens with licensed games for kids).

! Trying to mimic what is popular to sell more copies

To make a licensed game, the better option is choose a game genre that fits very well with the source material, if it's a action movie, make an action game, if it's a musical, make a rhythm game, if it's a mystery book, make it an adventure game, if it's a racing movie, make it a racing game, however, there are many instances where the executives choose to make the game similar to the more successful games around, this especially happens with licensed games for kids.

Again, choose the genre better suited for the source material.

! People that made the source material don't come to help

Even though videogames are a medium unlike any other, that doesn't mean that people that made the source material so good and successful aren't necessary for the videogame adaptation, they can help with the plot, the writing, the jokes, the new characters, the puzzles, but sometimes they never come, probably because they're busy working on the original product, sometimes even the voice actors don't come.

When making a licensed game, choosing a franchise that can be turned into a videogame with ease, like it's said right above. If you absolutely have to adapt a "Slice of Life"-type plot, making the game have a original story instead of adapting a story that was told in the source material may help. If the source material has nothing that can be made into a game, then you shouldn't even try.

Even if a work is pretty good in its own right, that doesn't mean it has potential to be adapted to another medium, and adapting something into a videogame can be really hard depending of what it is, videogames are a medium where a plot isn't structurally essential to the genre, the most important is the gameplay that not always can be translated well between mediums. Sometimes many different and discordant gameplay genres are added to the mix thanks to the variety of the source material.

When making a licensed game, choosing a franchise that can be turned into a videogame with ease, like it's said right above, also making the game have a original story instead of adapting a story that was told in the source material, finding the genre that fits better with the source material, and if the source material has nothing that can be made into a game, then you shouldn't even try.

Even if a work is pretty good in its own right, that doesn't mean it has potential to be adapted to another medium, and adapting something into a videogame can be really hard depending of what it is, videogames are a medium where a plot isn't required, the most important is the gameplay that not always can be translated well between mediums, and also, sometimes many different gameplays are added thanks to the variety of the source material.

And the worst case, is when someone tries to make a game adaptation of a property that has little to no potential for a videogame, like sitcoms with no action, adventure or conflict.

! The sales just rely on the familiarity of the property

Even though videogames are a medium unlike any other, that doesn't mean that people that made the source material so good and successful aren't necessary for the videogame adaptation, they can help with the plot, the writing, the jokes, the new characters, the puzzles, but sometimes they never come, probably because they're busy working on the original product, sometimes not even the voice actors don't come.

Why videogames based on established properties always seem to suck? Here's why:

And the worst case, is when someone tries to adapt a property that has little to no potential for a videogame, like sitcoms with no action, adventure or conflict.

!! Obviously, having input of the original staff on the game adaptation.

They usually have to be made in a short time to be released as the same time as the source material or before the license expires, this especially happens with games based on movies, since they have to be released at the same time as the movie, add the fact that the game developers probably never watched it to know what is about, and the game is doomed to fail.