Alone in the Dark to bite TV formula
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ May 2nd 2006 at 2:25PM }
Eden Games has decided to
adopt an episodic format for its next-gen horror sequel, Alone in the Dark. The game will be chopped into
episodes, each containing 30–40 minutes of gameplay that ends with a cliffhanger and a preview of things to come.
In addition, each episode will be preceded by a brief video summary of previous events. Eden is hoping that this format,
popularized by TV dramas, will get players "permanently hooked."Rather than digitally distribute each episode, the entire "season" with be packaged onto one disk. Players are free to play through multiple episodes in one sitting, but the idea is to approach the game in short bouts, as if following a weekly television series.
It's different than what we've seen in most contemporary adventure games, which tend to mimic feature films, but Alone in the Dark is still biting from an established format. With that said, does the game industry need to stop holding the hands of the film and television industries and step, alone, into the dark?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sloopydrew @ May 2nd 2006 2:35PM
Survival Horror is my favorite genre, so any news regarding another horror game is going to get my juices flowing. I really like this episodic idea Eden Games has developed. I especially like the fact that, rather than downloading individual episodes at $19.99 a pop, which ends up making for a very expensive game, you get all the episodes at once. Now, the question is, if the game's any good, who's going to have the willpower to not move on to the next episode? Especially with cliffhangers closing out the episode prior? When I get TV on DVD, such as 24, I always plan on watching a single episode and waiting a few days. 3 hours later, I realize I just finished the fourth episode. I suspect the same will happen with the episodic Alone in the Dark.
Fuzz @ May 2nd 2006 2:37PM
So it will be like playing any other game broken into "levels" except they will call them "episodes" and they will encourage you to take a week off between levels? Seriously? This is what innovation in gameplay has come to, eh? Weak.
Andrew @ May 2nd 2006 2:40PM
This is a great idea!
It appeases the casual gamers who only want a game to be about 10-12 hours in bite sized chunks, but could also satisfy hard core fans who want to invest as much time into an installment as they would a new season of Lost, 24, or the Sopranos. Can't wait to see what this RE4 inspired game turns out to be.
jaemz @ May 2nd 2006 2:41PM
Some tv shows are soooooo drawn out that it takes forever before you start to notice the story moving anywheres.
That being said, I think this is an interesting format for a game... and look forward to seeing it first-hand.
david @ May 2nd 2006 2:44PM
The key to this sort of gaming experience is the "Story Telling" if the story is set up in a way that has engaging episodes, users will like it. The downfall is that you get to play them all at once. It's sort of like catching up to the first season of Lost on DVD, you tend to watch them all at once because the story pushes you to find out what's next. So in that context it will be lost, because there's nothing preventing you from "tuning" in right now, versus "tune in next week"
MTS @ May 2nd 2006 2:45PM
I agree with #2. I don't see how this is any different than a regular game, except for intros and preview videos.
Also, if there's a cliffhanger at the end of each one, and the player isn't actually forced to wait a week (like they are with regular shows) then they'll
just rush to the next episode, essentially playing it as though it were one big game without episodes.
Eric @ May 2nd 2006 2:46PM
This would be more interesting if they were downloadable or spaced out, offering them all on one disk is just like a normal game with madatory save points.
Sloopydrew @ May 2nd 2006 2:52PM
"This would be more interesting if they were downloadable or spaced out, offering them all on one disk is just like a normal game with madatory save points."
This is probably a crazy idea, but what if they unlocked the next episode after a certain period of time? Say 3 days? Then you'd get the episodic content and you wouldn't be able to skip ahead.
Frowelishnu @ May 2nd 2006 2:54PM
I think they are just selling the idea to the casual gamer. For us, they should have said, "This game will have great pacing with plot turns or suspenseful momoents about every 30 - 40 minutes." I like that they aren't charging for each episode as well. Even $5 for a half hour is too much.
Justin @ May 2nd 2006 3:03PM
I think it would be awesome if they had some kinda time stamp for each episode so when beating each one a timer kicks off and prevents you from playing the next part until a later time. I could see people getting pissed but at the same time if the game was good it would make people die to play the next parts.
Pince @ May 2nd 2006 3:22PM
In line with #2's comments. Are they really doing anything else explicitly directed at getting people to think of this as an episodic game rather than just a game with missions or levels. Will the game have an interface similar to a season DVD of a show or something. This seemslike an interesting idea,but possibly one that is impossible to implement because if a gamer wants to, they can just sit down and play through the episodes like levels.
Unlike a TV show, which is controlled and can be aired once a week, the game can just be played through. Even a with a TV DVD of a season of shows, viewers understand the format is because it was once a weekly (or however often) TV show. The developers will have tomake it very explicit that this game is different and that they mean it to be played differently if they really want to do anything new here, and if they even want to justify their format. Otherwise, the constant rehashing of the story and such will just piss people off, because its not justified in any way and just seems repetitive.
The3rdNuisance @ May 2nd 2006 3:25PM
That concept sounds alot like the Sly Cooper games.
And is there really any good way to make a game with a story behind it unlike a movie, or a TV show? Which of course follows a book like structure. So really a video game is just a book with moving pictures, interactivity, and the increased possibility of an epileptic seizure.
Artimus @ May 2nd 2006 3:29PM
I'm with the other people who don't get how this is special. I think there is potential to the idea, but this is a video game. Forty minutes is ridiculous, it's interactive. If they were two hour segments, it would help. Two hour segments for a good price released weekly would make sense. As is, it's just a game with a gimmick.
Leshrac @ May 2nd 2006 3:45PM
First thing I thought about was exactly what Fuzz (#2) said.
How is this any different than how games have been done for the past 20 years? If it's not going to be downloaded episodes that are released every week/month, whatever, then this is the same as anything else... Call them levels, worlds, chapters, or episodes... it's all the same thing. This isn't really news... move along.
Dave @ May 2nd 2006 3:46PM
Damn. I was looking forward to this game--but now I think I'm gonna pass.
Kwipper @ May 2nd 2006 3:56PM
I just hope that Uwe Boll has nothing to do with this project.
Franklin @ May 2nd 2006 4:33PM
Is this the format that SiN Episodes is going to be like, as well?
Chessasaur @ May 2nd 2006 5:32PM
BS marketing crap! I'm just going to wait until the mandatory "complete series" package that will eventually be released just like DVD compilations of TV shows. To even consider buying into this release method is to encourage a very bad trend.
Frankie23 @ May 2nd 2006 7:15PM
So, just like the different chapters in Eternal Darkness. Wow, how innovative.
Tom Hayden @ May 2nd 2006 8:20PM
@18
Read the post
refinedsugar @ May 3rd 2006 3:02PM
The Alone In The Dark series in my eye is done and they should leave it be, but if nothing else the format they are aiming for is interesting. Forced weaning however will not go over so well.
Tony @ May 4th 2006 4:56AM
RTFM.
Most of you haven't read it right. There will be several 20-40 minutes episodes on each disc, so you will get an hour or 2 per "season". Then you will buy an entire season on a new disc, and so on and so forth.
Eric @ May 4th 2006 5:19AM
I think you guys are misunderstanding the point of this. Yes, it's split into levels, just like games have always been. But this is not intended to win over gamers; it's intended to win over non-gamers. The point is that pacing the levels like a TV show will make the game experience more familiar to a non-gamer. Also, while hardcore guys like yourselves may think nothing of playing a whole game through the night, more casual gamers might appreciate the predictable episode format. Like, "I've got 45 minutes until I have to meet a friend. Hey, I know, I'll play an episode of Alone in the Dark!"
T-Boy @ May 4th 2006 10:03AM
@23: Damn straight. Anything that can cut my gaming into 30 to 40-minute chunks gets my vote. I mean, I could play games all night long when I was younger, but that isn't a viable option any more, because I have commitments and relationships that get in the way of non-stop gaming.
Notenoughcoffee @ May 4th 2006 12:38PM
This is not new. Any story driven game is like this. Heck, even Star Wars Battle Front 2 is like this, with each "narration" giving an episodic story-line like Brothers in Arms, etc.
No, this is just a "hey, let's do it this way and call it new."
The very first Alone in the Dark was genre making and industry breaking. It was the first game that had the "horror movie" feel, and did a damn good job of it with the technology of the day. It had me for countless hours. All the others since have have not lived up to the potential laid out by the original and have dissappointed in some way (some good in them, but not great IMO). And the movie, that was a bad bowel movement, you know, the kind that you go to the hospital for.
This can work ONLY if they hearken back to the Lovecraft core of the original, the horror movie~esque type game play. If they want to go story driven cliffhanger style between levels, or episodes, then that's great if at its core its a solid game.
Doesn't matter if you call them levles, segments, episodes, scenes, slices, or splunge, it's all the same.
If they try to go for the "survival horror" then they'll lose. That's been overdone and has nothing really to do with Lovecraft stories (well, you either die or went insance in those...) I'd hate to have this be another zombie/monster fetish guns-blazing game....