So. Let's have a nuanced(highly niche and boring) discussion of interesting(it was irrelevant years ago) genre takes, satirical, parodical, or otherwise. In particular, I want to bring up two things; Watchmen and The Boys.
Let's start with a poll to determine who I'm talking to here.
Both are genre takes specifically mirroring DC comics mainline superheroes in very different ways, but are both satirical or otherwise tonally shifted takes on the sub-genre of superhero literature that mainline DC comics and to a lesser extent Marvel comics reside in.
The specifics of either comic are wholly irrelevant to the discussion I'd like to start, but what is important is that they are responding to the same context in very different ways but are still recognizably responding to that specific context.
Recently I have become re-infatuated or at least interested in researching a number of things I remember from my childhood, as well as a number of things I was never exposed to back then but were of a similar popularity at the time, or things within the same genre space that have been released since. Namely for this discussion, Card game/TCG anime (Yu-gi-oh!, Future Card Buddyfight, Cardfight Vanguard, Bakugan and more), and 2D Fighting games (Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Blazblue, and so, so, so many more). (1 has the reasons why I specifically DON'T count Marvel Vs. Capcom, Super Smash Brothers, or MultiVersus, or any of the Dragon Ball fighting games as 2D fighting games for this purpose).
Long have at this point in time have I wondered what space is left to explore within these genres in terms of storytelling. See, Card game/TCG anime have a particular storytelling style meant to appeal to elementary school aged children(the reasons for this listed under 2) that unfortunately limits the potential of a real-life playable or otherwise Card Game as a storytelling device. Similarly with 2D fighting games, meant to appeal to a predominately male, late-teens to mid-twenties age group, tend not to focus on having a visible story at all, but all follow pretty standardized and (while generally insane to explain casually) aren't exploring their concepts in any narratively focused way. The focus is having the bare minimum to sell the fighting game, not to have a good story.
I want to have a discussion about writing fiction based around the concept of a card game being integrated into the story as a primary narrative focus. For example, what does it look like to have protagonists, side characters, and antagonist's positions in some sort of mature narrative conflict be resolvable only by a card game that must be comprehensible to a reader and sensible as a trading card game? What unique or rare challenges for the author arise? What unique or rare opportunities arise? What unexplored territory might exist solely because the only current majorly popular stories within the genre are Yu-Gi-Oh! and maybe Buddyfight? Is there anyone who wants to explore or see this territory explored, and why do you? What is 'The Boys' equivalent to Bakugan and is it worth writing?
I want to have a similar, practically identical even, discussion of the same concept but for the specific type of setup and setting of your standard 2D fighting game. What changes about the way we as authors interact with our own fictions within the restriction that it would all need to make sense as a fighting game launch title for a mid 2000s game console? Unique or rare challenges and opportunities? What is the Watchmen equivalent to Street Fighter or Guilty Gear and is it worth writing?
This post is subject to edit and additions as I think of things to potentially add.
Let's start with a poll to determine who I'm talking to here.
Both are genre takes specifically mirroring DC comics mainline superheroes in very different ways, but are both satirical or otherwise tonally shifted takes on the sub-genre of superhero literature that mainline DC comics and to a lesser extent Marvel comics reside in.
The specifics of either comic are wholly irrelevant to the discussion I'd like to start, but what is important is that they are responding to the same context in very different ways but are still recognizably responding to that specific context.
Recently I have become re-infatuated or at least interested in researching a number of things I remember from my childhood, as well as a number of things I was never exposed to back then but were of a similar popularity at the time, or things within the same genre space that have been released since. Namely for this discussion, Card game/TCG anime (Yu-gi-oh!, Future Card Buddyfight, Cardfight Vanguard, Bakugan and more), and 2D Fighting games (Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Blazblue, and so, so, so many more). (1 has the reasons why I specifically DON'T count Marvel Vs. Capcom, Super Smash Brothers, or MultiVersus, or any of the Dragon Ball fighting games as 2D fighting games for this purpose).
Long have at this point in time have I wondered what space is left to explore within these genres in terms of storytelling. See, Card game/TCG anime have a particular storytelling style meant to appeal to elementary school aged children(the reasons for this listed under 2) that unfortunately limits the potential of a real-life playable or otherwise Card Game as a storytelling device. Similarly with 2D fighting games, meant to appeal to a predominately male, late-teens to mid-twenties age group, tend not to focus on having a visible story at all, but all follow pretty standardized and (while generally insane to explain casually) aren't exploring their concepts in any narratively focused way. The focus is having the bare minimum to sell the fighting game, not to have a good story.
I want to have a discussion about writing fiction based around the concept of a card game being integrated into the story as a primary narrative focus. For example, what does it look like to have protagonists, side characters, and antagonist's positions in some sort of mature narrative conflict be resolvable only by a card game that must be comprehensible to a reader and sensible as a trading card game? What unique or rare challenges for the author arise? What unique or rare opportunities arise? What unexplored territory might exist solely because the only current majorly popular stories within the genre are Yu-Gi-Oh! and maybe Buddyfight? Is there anyone who wants to explore or see this territory explored, and why do you? What is 'The Boys' equivalent to Bakugan and is it worth writing?
I want to have a similar, practically identical even, discussion of the same concept but for the specific type of setup and setting of your standard 2D fighting game. What changes about the way we as authors interact with our own fictions within the restriction that it would all need to make sense as a fighting game launch title for a mid 2000s game console? Unique or rare challenges and opportunities? What is the Watchmen equivalent to Street Fighter or Guilty Gear and is it worth writing?
Traditional 2D Fighting games are all original IPs constructing their own worldbuilding and characters from scratch, usually having to do so in a way that makes some surface level sense while also not being important to the understanding of the game. 2D fighting games that use existing IPs (like Dragon Ball) are cheating. They don't have any story to tell, it's just a fighting game for an already popular franchise. Mashup fighting games (Marvel Vs. Capcom, SSM, MV) are cheating in a distinctly different way; they flatly defy the concept of having a story or lore entirely, and instead serve as advertising for the IPs contained within the mashup. As such, they are irrelevant to this discussion, shut up about Subspace Emissary.
TCG Anime like Yu-Gi-Oh! are designed specifically to appeal to young children aged around 10-11, because this age and the few years that follow it are the most likely time for a prospective new player of that TCG to have product bought for them, which is the most powerful gateway into becoming a longtime player of that TCG. Yu-Gi-Oh! Anime aims to appeal to Elementary and Middle-Schoolers so that Konami can get money from a single player and that player's parent; the child has product bought for them to get them into the game, and will later buy their own product with their own money once they've grown out of the age of having it bought for them, usually spending more on purchased for self product than purchased for others product. The issue with selling TCG product is that someone has to get into the TCG somehow, and middle schoolers and late elementary schoolers are the best age group for getting in.
This post is subject to edit and additions as I think of things to potentially add.
