General opinion on spinoffs

[Mass Distraction]

Let me elaborate on what I'm looking for here. I want to know what do you guys think a spinoff should be like. Should it be justlike the main series with only minor differences and maybe different characters? Are you okay with a spinoff that strays from the original genre or tries something new?

This all comes from the late outrage in the Silent Hill fan community about Silent Hill: Book of Memories which is a dungeon crawling horror game with RPG elements for the PS Vita. It seems like the "fans" are unable to accept that a Silent Hill title is something other than the one and only survival horror format.

Then there's people like me who really don't care if a spinoff has a completely new take on the series because, you know, they're spinoffs. I've played and enjoyed every single spinoff in Resident Evil and there's dozens of them ranging from a light gunner to a strategic mobile game.

[Zaliphone]

It really depends on the quality of the spinoff. A good spinoff is always fun, it's a new take on something old. Sometimes they become a series that thousands of people love (I'm looking at you Mario Kart). I always love seeing what devs can do with spinoffs.

[Mass Distraction]

When I was researching the Final Fantasy franchise a couple years back I was surprised to find that SaGa and Mana series were both born from FF, Mana more than SaGa as the first three SaGa games were only marketed as FF in North America.

In any case, that's a good example on what you just said about spinoffs sometimes becoming their own series and eventually franchises like hwat happened with those two.

[BumblebeeCody]

As long as the game is good, I don't give a crap about anything else. Games like Little Big Planet Racing, Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing etc are fun as hell to play, regardless if the others are a "rip-off"(not) of Mario Kart.
Or Smash Bros/Sony All-stars with's high level fighting game play(though Sony supports it more) combined with characters from different games finally setting those arguments of Raiden or Dante.

Some like Majoras Mask/DmC/Final Fantasy Tactics/Super Puzzle Fighter which step out of the original series to try new ideas are easily welcomed if done right.

Heck, Tekken just released a free Tekken card game that's had me hooked all day. Others like Resident Evil also have their own TCG so. Spin-offs, if done right aren't a problem...




...otherwise we end up with shit like Wand of Gamelon.

[Mass Distraction]

Speaking of card games, has anyone played the Resident Evil Deck Building Game? It's actually a lot of fun.

(02-07-2013 09:40 AM)BumblebeeCody Wrote:  Smash Bros/Sony All-stars with's high level fighting game play(though Sony supports it more) combined with characters from different games finally setting those arguments of Raiden or Dante.

Too bad there propably won't be an All-Stars 2 because Sony and the company that made the game parted ways.

[Arjahn]

I also think that, when done right, spin-offs can work really well. That being said...

[BumblebeeCody]

(02-07-2013 09:45 AM)Mass Distraction Wrote:  Speaking of card games, has anyone played the Resident Evil Deck Building Game? It's actually a lot of fun.

(02-07-2013 09:40 AM)BumblebeeCody Wrote:  Smash Bros/Sony All-stars with's high level fighting game play(though Sony supports it more) combined with characters from different games finally setting those arguments of Raiden or Dante.

Too bad there propably won't be an All-Stars 2 because Sony and the company that made the game parted ways.

At my local comic book store I found players who played it. I was planning on getting into it but never did. I plan on joining the Tekken TCG when that comes out. You can find plenty of cards on eBay however. The web browser game is addicting.

[spoiler]
Sucks that PS-Allstars isn't being supported anymore. Sony can go fugg 'em selves. Apparently PS-Allstars didn't sell as they hoped so they cut the ties with SuperBot entertainment. not only that but the very next day the cancelled the Abe DLC. I blame the Nintentards who considered this game a rip-off, Sony for being money hungry 'tards and those who dismissed it because it's not similar to traditional fighters.
/rant over [/spoiler]

@Arjahn
I honestly didn't mind Star Fox. The thing is, yeah it's not traditional Star Fox but there's a lot of enjoyment to get out of the game. The combat is OK, the voice acting is cartoony (in a good way), the flight sections are fun as heck and the graphics looks incredible (for that generation). It's really not as bad as people think (or what they've been told to think).

[Xannidel]

(02-07-2013 09:45 AM)Mass Distraction Wrote:  Too bad there propably won't be an All-Stars 2 because Sony and the company that made the game parted ways.

That is a lack of research, just because the companies split does not mean Sony did not hand the IP to one of their more inner circles. Oh wait, http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/vie...ale-Studio
That article will help clear some things out for now. I have not played All Stars but I was planning on doing so later on.

[Arjahn]

(02-07-2013 10:02 AM)BumblebeeCody Wrote:  @Arjahn
I honestly didn't mind Star Fox. The thing is, yeah it's not traditional Star Fox but there's a lot of enjoyment to get out of the game. The combat is OK, the voice acting is cartoony (in a good way), the flight sections are fun as heck and the graphics looks incredible (for that generation). It's really not as bad as people think (or what they've been told to think).

I know it's absurdly overrated as a terrible game, which it isn't, but I was more referring to the massive let down I felt after getting hyped for a new Star Fox game, thanks a lot Nintendo Power.

(R.I.P. )

[Ouberry_13]

I think we're all in agreement that, if done right, spin-offs can be amazing.

In my own experience, I liked FF Tactics and Tactics A2.
Hell, I even enjoyed Dissidia and 012. Sure, they weren't the best, the voice acting sucked andthe story was dumb, but I love those two nonetheless.
I think I've mentioned before on another thread my love for the Mario RPG games, specifically Paper Mario: TTYD and Partners in Time.

I'm sure there's more spin-offs I could talk about, but I really don't want to spend an hour typing about all the different spin-offs I liked or disliked.

[Psychospacecow]

I am fine with spin-offs so long as they pertain to the actual license and are done well enough. A recent one would be Pokemon Conquest. Its story has nothing to do with Pokemon, but they do it in a way which takes the established and makes it work. That said, there's always http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_Degrees.

[Mass Distraction]

(02-07-2013 11:54 AM)Ouberry_13 Wrote:  I think we're all in agreement that, if done right, spin-offs can be amazing.

I'm really glad that seems to be the consensus here. It was just so ridiculously heart breaking that people immediately hated Book of Memories from the moment they heard it's a dungeon crawler and not exactly like every other game in the series. Is it really that hard for some people to accept change.

[SERIOUSLY THOUGH]

(02-07-2013 09:06 PM)Mass Distraction Wrote:  

(02-07-2013 11:54 AM)Ouberry_13 Wrote:  I think we're all in agreement that, if done right, spin-offs can be amazing.

I'm really glad that seems to be the consensus here. It was just so ridiculously heart breaking that people immediately hated Book of Memories from the moment they heard it's a dungeon crawler and not exactly like every other game in the series. Is it really that hard for some people to accept change.

But... But... change means we have to leave our cocoon of comfort and try new things...

Seriously though, whenever I try a spin-off game, I just think of it as a standalone with a character I like. It's too tempting to simply compare it to the main series.

[Arjahn]

(02-07-2013 10:06 PM)SERIOUSLY THOUGH Wrote:  Seriously though, whenever I try a spin-off game, I just think of it as a standalone with a character I like. It's too tempting to simply compare it to the main series.

http://youtu.be/2aLgdMz0p5Y?t=1m34s

[SERIOUSLY THOUGH]

(02-08-2013 12:48 PM)Arjahn Wrote:  

(02-07-2013 10:06 PM)SERIOUSLY THOUGH Wrote:  Seriously though, whenever I try a spin-off game, I just think of it as a standalone with a character I like. It's too tempting to simply compare it to the main series.

http://youtu.be/2aLgdMz0p5Y?t=1m34s

Awwww yiss

---

I think they should make spin-offs where two secondary characters from two seperate games meet up and are the main protagonists for another game. Then two secondary characters from two secondary-characters-from-two-seperate-games-meet-up-and-are-the-main-protagonists-for-another-game meet up and are the main protagonists for another game. The two secondary characters from two secondary-characters-from-two-seperate-games-that-had-two-secondary-characters-from-two-other-games meet up and are the main protagonists for another game.

Rinse and repeat and make profit.