An intriguing idea, although I think I would see what the author considers a problem as an opportunity. Video games kind of always ask you to buy into and invest in blank-slate characters. Having that be part of the game dynamic, and/or switching characters throughout the game, would actually work really well in a Dollhouse premise.

Septimus | June 11, 17:13 CET

It's tricky enough to make this premise as a TV show. We'd be steering even more into a discomfort zone to make a game out of it.

The One True b!X | June 11, 17:56 CET

Altough l love the show, l can't see it as a video game. What type of video game would it be?

zee | June 11, 17:59 CET

I would definitely play a Dollhouse RPG--I'd even buy the console it would take to play it!

Buffy the Slayer Layer | June 11, 18:48 CET

The genre of the game would probs be Action-Adventure,Life or RPG.
The fanbase is already there and wouldn't need explianing plus it may bring new viewers because of the interesting premise. i dont think the premise is too hard to explain esp if they put it into a game because you learn as you go on, the same as they show :D
I'd love it see it as a game because of the many variations and decisions you could choose as a player.

gingyfromshrek | June 11, 19:04 CET

It's not about explaining the premise, gingyfromshrek. It's about turning a show about a form of human trafficking into a game. The show can pull it off. Not sure making it a game is quite the right thing to do.

The One True b!X | June 11, 19:08 CET

I'd pre-order even if it wasn't for a console I have (which is likely). And I've never pre-ordered a game in my life.

WhedonTrivia | June 11, 20:18 CET

An RPG with moral choices could be interesting, if done well.

Progressive_Stupidity | June 11, 20:51 CET

I like the idea of a RPG. It could be you're in charge of the Dolls... and you have to deal with the characters (Topher's birthday)... Alpha trying to break in.. etc.

oOoh you could recruit people.

BrownCoat_Tabz | June 11, 21:04 CET

There are plenty of games were you can choose to take action in such a way that your character is seen by society/the townspeople as good, gray, or evil. Further back in gaming, when things were more basic, some still allowed you to get "the bad ending" and the usually more in-depth "good/heroic ending" (thinking way back, in the very first Dragon Warrior--aka Dragon Quest--on the original Nintendo system, you are tempted by the final boss/main villain before the last battle to join him, and you can say "yes" and it's written that you basically take over and trash the land. That was a pretty cool surprise at age 9).

Asking the player to make hard, questionable, and/or weird choices is nothing new in gaming. Where it might make some people uncomfortable (and where Joss may not be all that cool with it) is in how players could influence the course of the Dollhouse characters and story to the point where it undermines what the show is trying to say. In which case, I guess you could just ignore the game if it bothers you in that respect. But as a gamer, I've often explored all the possibilities/paths just to see what would happen. And in gaming, sometimes it's fun to be evil. It's not real, you're just trying on a role, same as actors playing villains.

I think it's way too early for a game (although considering how long it can take to develop one, they should probably get started on the planning now if they are going to make one, assuming they'd want it to be released during the potential five season span of the show), they should wait until they have more to work with, more material from the show to stuff into a game and spin off ideas and potential missions and side-quests from.

[ edited by Kris on 2009-06-11 21:54 ]

Kris | June 11, 21:52 CET

I think it's a fantastic idea. *I* don't play games (the controller is funky to me), but I absolutely LOVED "helping" my brother beat the game Oblivion start to finish, every way from Sunday.

It's an RPG game, and you learn your "skills" as you go, whether you whacking someone in the middle of the night, or making cookies for your favorite mage. You become the best at everything you can, but you have to CHOOSE what action to take- the "good" road, or the "bad" road. Taking the "good" road sometimes lead to rewards, but could also lead to disaster for you and other characters in the game. The "bad" road was also a 50/50... of course, even if we "got away with it", I would still feel bad about certain things.

But the GOAL of the game was to become the HERO, which is exactly what Echo is trying to do- become her own hero. I think it's an excellent idea to see what choices could be made, what things to share with your handlers, and also to find out what's not in your control... and how to get around that. The ultimate goal being for Echo to free herself, be her own hero.

However, I think it's too soon for the game. I think they should get started on it right now, because I want the game to start HERE. But as they're working on this, the game changes in Season 2... so I want one whole big game called DOLLHOUSE (not Dollhouse Game Season 1 & Dollhouse Game Season 2). Harry Potter movies can attest to the "we should wait and see how it ends before we *mess* up potential story-lines" (they fixed it of course, but if they were patient, they wouldn't have needed to fix it to begin with).

Or... What Kris Said. :)

korkster | June 11, 22:01 CET

Please don't use Whedonesque to pimp your petition in the entry, it is against our rules. So I have removed it.

Simon | June 11, 22:57 CET

The premise seems too complex to catch on with gamers imo.
It's why the best selling video games are about soldiers (good) fighting monster aliens (evil) which never seems to get stale with gamers. Ugh.

silent knight | June 11, 23:58 CET

Careful, Silent Knight, at pidgeon-holing gamers into a simple stereotype. That's a slippery slope.

Speaking of Whedonesque games, whatever happened to the Firefly MMO?

mangydog | June 12, 00:33 CET

I feel rather blasphemous saying this, but I think it may actually work better as a computer game.

Being able to switch between different characters leave the possibilities in the game wide open. Imagine a level where you have to steal a diamond from a vault and you choose which persona you're going to take on. You could be a ninja and butt-kick your way to the vault, you could be a thief and sneak and lock-pick your way to the vault, you could be an explosives expert and blow your way to the vault, etc. Or perhaps they could make it that you can change your imprint while on the run (a la "three flowers in a vase") and use a combination of all of them.

Definitely a game I would want to play :D

blueymcphluey | June 12, 01:12 CET

Probably the best way to approach a Dollhouse video game would be in a similar style to the Hitman series. It could be that you're given certain scenarios, then are allowed to choose different imprints (and possibly Dolls) for the situation. Sometimes it'd be some generic Sims-like date, then another time it could be a beat-'em up brawler. Could also use stealth in certain situations.

I don't think that the questionable morality would have to be lost in translation to video game either. As others have mentioned, there have been really solid video game stories in the past. Maybe if the Doll you play as/send into the field gets damaged, it accumulates over the game, and perhaps they could die, altering everything that comes next.

I still haven't played the perfect Buffy game though, and you'd think that would be easier (although the last gen console versions were pretty fun).

archon | June 12, 01:42 CET

@Korkster
It would be best to wait so they could fit in more storylines/new inprints for the actives, plus Dollhouse season 1 has only just scratched the surface and there will be a lot more going on with it.

@bluemcphluey
you could play as Agent Ballard and investigate, which will eventually lead to the Dollhouse.

gingyfromshrek | June 12, 01:45 CET

Top ten best-selling video game franchises:

1. Mario (201 million)
2. Pokémon (186 million)
3. The Sims (100 million)
4. Need for Speed (Almost 100 million)
5. Final Fantasy (85 million)
6. Grand Theft Auto (70 million)
7. Madden NFL (70 million)
8. Tetris (70 million
9. FIFA (65 million)
10. Tom Clancy (55 million, includes Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell franchises)

And you really have to give a mention to Wii Sports (bundled with the Wii) - 45.71 million. So, no, the best selling games aren't soldiers vs monsters/aliens. Also, gamers are as capable of dealing with complex ideas as anyone else, as if that needs said.

Anyway, Dollhouse has the potential to be a great video game - create your own character, upload skills, do missions, learn more about your background and the Dollhouse and end up trying to escape. I wouldn't have Echo as the main character - the game should be a new experience, not just a rehash of the show. I think I agree that it's a better premise for a game than a TV show.

However, it would be difficult for a developer to get right. The tone is pretty tricky, but the gameplay would probably be the main problem. I'd reckon you'd need a wide range of mission types to fit the idea of the show and to just give variety and a decent length to the game. That means doing adventure, shooting, driving, stealth, etc. Trying to do lots of different game types in one game tends to work out badly. But even as not the greatest fan of the show, I'd still love to play a game of it.

I'd cross your fingers rather than hold your breath for that Firefly MMO. Given the choice of any Whedonverse game, I'd still pick a Firefly game in the style of KOTOR, that would be so amazing. Sigh.

[ edited by NotaViking on 2009-06-12 01:57 ]

NotaViking | June 12, 01:54 CET

gingyfromshrek, that's what I said:



My agree-ance with Kris was that we both think this would be perfect for a video game, owning your hero sort-of-thing. I just thought we should see how the story will play out before they sell it. But they should still start developing now, while the "intro" is still fresh in their heads. ;)

Known characters vs. random characters... I'd rather play characters we know. That way, you know what the goal of the game is. But, allow for choices. Instead of Echo beating up Alpha, have her join him. Then show them going on a wild killing spree... where Alpha eventually kills Echo... and then you have to start over. Bad choice. But still fun to see.

korkster | June 12, 02:12 CET

@ Korster
Sorry, i get confused when im tired. I was probs tired when i answered it lol

gingyfromshrek | June 12, 02:58 CET

mangydog, I hear you about the Firefly MMORPG. If that didn't happen, this one won't. I was dying to see that project come to fruition. Don't think it did, but I haven't checked the developer's site... can't recall it now... in quite some time, 'cause you know, no news in forever.

That said, I LOVE the idea of skills coming and going during specific engagements. Very cool, very cool.

Yeah, pigeon-holing gamers is indeed a slippery slope. I just spent the last five days slaying demons in Diablo II.

If Diablo III isn't released this year, ima die. I mean die.

/still wishing for the Firefly RPG
ETA: I mean, /still wishing for the Firefly MMORPG

[ edited by WhoIsOmega? on 2009-06-12 11:17 ]

WhoIsOmega? | June 12, 11:16 CET

Discussion on Mulitverse forums indicates FF MMORPG on indefinite hold

WhoIsOmega? | June 12, 11:29 CET

Actually, there's something about the Dollhouse premise that lends itself creepily well to an RPG format. In the typical RPG, you have a character (or even better, a party of characters) whose skills and specialties you develop over time and whom you send out on quests/missions/whatevers.

A dollhouse RPG where you were not a specific character/Doll but rather someone running the dollhouse or a Topher-like figure, who put together the "party" for each mission/engagement and got to mix and match from a host of dolls and of abilities/stories/specialties before sending them out (at which point you control them like a party in an RPG), would be a really interesting twist on the regular RPG format. If it were well-done and well-written, the story could be a mystery-type thing where as you complete various missions you find out more about the Dollhouse or about the dolls themselves, whom you could eventually free. (You could have the option to restore their original personalities at any time, but doing so would result in losing the game or getting them killed or something if you did it before you had completed the main storyline of taking down the Dollhouse.)

Septimus | June 12, 16:50 CET

Adelle: The RPG? I like that concept.

Sunfire | June 12, 16:55 CET

Me too.

korkster | June 12, 17:18 CET

Mix of genres would seem to suit Dollhouse well, if it were a game. RPG/action-adventure/shoot-'em-up/dating simulator/driving/flying ('cause sure, why not make one of the dolls a pilot)...it would definitely be M-rated (Mature), not Teen. Story-driven, for sure.

Kris | June 12, 20:09 CET

Love that idea Septimus.

I actually really hope to see more of the proces of deciding on the personality in the show itself.

the Groosalugg | June 12, 23:59 CET

Septimus, that's similar to what I had in mind, too. I didn't edit my post, but wouldn't it be cool if it was kinda Rainbow Six-ish (PC R6, not console) in nature where you have all the plans and team members before, you can mix and match abilities or even choose which Doll to be on the team at a time? Then if you wanted you could control the characters on the mission itself, or possibly just watch them perform if you chose.

There's a lot of potential for a good Dollhouse game, but fat chance of that puppy ever being made, unfortunately!

Edit: Perhaps you could be a new HANDLER in the Dollhouse, and could take orders from Adelle/Topher/whoever, then decide how best to use a Doll (or Dolls) to accomplish your given mission.

[ edited by archon on 2009-06-13 00:14 ]

archon | June 13, 00:12 CET