In TV, film and video games, documentaries are a tough market to crack. They're increasingly popular on streaming services in series form, but it's been a long time since mass-market films like Fahrenheit 911 and Supersize Me have been successful at the box office. And movies or series about the history of video games have focused on niche topics or been relatively sparse on detail. Is it possible to capture interest in the history of video games outside of academic circles or journalism?
Developer Digital Eclipse is giving us a twist. The Atari-owned retro studio began releasing original projects such as Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story along with conventional commercial games like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita Rewind.
The two games don't seem similar at first: one is part of the studio's new experiment mixing documentary interviews with gameplay, and the other is a side-scrolling beat 'em up featuring the cast of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV. show. Digital Eclipse editorial director Chris Kohler acknowledged in an interview with Game Developer that it might be surprising to see the two projects come from the same studio.
He explained that they're both part of the same project: to turn the company into a laboratory for reinventing retro games and to market itself to potential partners as a go-to source for connecting with gamers who want an honest product. a blast from the past.
Documentaries and more 'commercial' projects go hand in hand
Kohler said the studio is “energized” following the release of The realization of Karateka AND Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story. The two projects are aimed at a smaller audience as the games at the center of both interactive documentaries are not as well known to the public. Karateka creator Jordan Mechner later became famous for the Prince of Persia series, and Minter's ZX Spectrum, Atari, and Jaguar games are not as widely mythologized as their peers.
“We have this hill to climb where essentially what's happening is we're making them for people who have never tried these games before,” Kohler said, explaining why Digital Eclipse took this route instead of simply rereleasing the original games. “It's going to be a niche niche. If we can try to expand the audience in some way, then we can sell more of these games and get recognition for them.”
Image via Digital Eclipse.
He said it's safe to repost Karateka otherwise Llamasoft's library wouldn't have sold so well on its own.
There's another way to gauge the commercial viability of these games: They're prototypes for larger documentaries that Digital Eclipse wants to make. “The idea is, 'now we have the foundation, we've done two projects with games that tell really interesting stories… can we do this interactive documentary format with something that people are clamoring for?'”
That step implies a future in which games are liked Astroids OR SimCity2000 can get documentary treatment. Digital Eclipse's two documentary games are like a calling card for license holders of older titles. And these companies aren't the only ones the firm wants to work with.
Digital Eclipse says retro games help companies like Hasbro connect with new audiences
The history of video games doesn't have to be limited to constantly resurrecting the most beloved classics. Many developers, inspired by the aesthetics or gameplay styles of older games, will revive them with modern titles.
Digital Eclipse is doing the same, but with an eye towards games made “collaboratively” (licensed) with major brands. This was part of the motivation to create Rita's rewinda riff on 90s co-op side-scrolling beat 'em ups like the arcade game X-Men OR The Simpsons. It's not a remake, but more of a “what if?” about the kind of game that could have been made in the explosive heyday of Power Rangers.
Image via Digital Eclipse.
“You'll see other games that are [potentially] in collaboration with other publishers,” Kohler said. Digital Eclipse's parent company, Atari, apparently doesn't mind tying the company to its library and wants the studio to bring in revenue by courting any company that wants to make a game retro theme.
The studio organizes developers into two groups: those who work on documentary games and those who work on games Rita's revengestyle games, although there is “a lot of overlap” between the two teams, Kohler said.
He said Digital Eclipse is “very dedicated” to the concept of interactive documentary, which seems to imply that the company doesn't want its more conventional projects to surpass documentaries in terms of resources.
It's a unique strategy and certainly a niche that few other studios will be able to pursue. Game studios looking to capitalize on the interest in classic games face a unique set of challenges, and indulging in the fun of immersing yourself in the story is a solid plan. “We really believe that video games are the best way to tell video game stories,” Kohler said. “and we are still actively looking [new] ways to do it.”