Every once in awhile I turn on the TV for something other than videogames. The show Community is one of those reasons. Last week was the season conclusion to the cult favorite show ending on a three episode finale, which was weirdly sandwiched between 30 Rock. One of the three episodes was a loving tribute to videogames in 8-bit style titled “Journey to the Center of Hawkthorne.” To say I liked this episode would be an understatement. I adored it, just as I adored the Law & Order parody and the “Remedial Chaos Theory” episode. This season had some of my favorite episodes of the entire three seasons which I doubt the fourth will capture after news of an important showrunner’s firing. Regardless, I wanted to ask Sony/NBC for a small favor: make Community into a game.
Now I don’t know the exact process of making videogames, nor how long it would take for a team to complete each of their tasks, but based on the episode last week it shouldn’t take as long as most games. The entire episode, in my eyes at least, was a blueprint on the Community Game. Story, check. Characters, check. Style and genre, check. Setting, um, half check. May need tweaking here and there — I doubt the game will get to have a Gay Island, or a Forest of Laziness made out of tacos and Mexican theme items — but all in all the entire game is right there in the episode. All it needs now is a developer to make it happen *cough* Sony *cough*.
The only problem I foresee with this plan is the mmo aspect. Now I have never played an mmo before due to my general fear of multiplayer, but if team work is the point of the game – as is the point of the entire show – I doubt I’ll find it with six random strangers. Then again I have never played an mmo before so take that for what you will.
Even if you have never watched a single episode, there is something in it for regular gamers. Don’t you want to play a game where you play strip poker that can potently have your avatar loses all their clothes? What about a game where you accidently murder the blacksmith and his wife, then proceed to steal all their overcharged items? How about a game where you can have a baby with an NPC and put that baby to work? Dinosaurs that shoot lava? Hippy enemies? Jive turkeys? God, please someone make this game. Based on this Tumblr post, I’m not the only one wanting a videogame of the beloved show. Okay, so it’s only 50 people who want the damn game. Tumblr is slow sometimes.
All I’m saying is if Perfect Strangers can get a game (technically fanmade), why not another cult favorite that’s about to get canned? That’ll be one Kickstarter project I’d be happy to support.
