Pipe Dreams – Starship Troopers

Congratulations, recruit! By reading this blog post in full you are now guaranteed citizenship. If you are reading this as the preview on the front page then you are not doing your part. Be a member of the mobile infantry today and click the link now. Inside contains one of our scientist’s best game ideas. Would you like to know more?

It’s a good day to die! We all remember this classic, and if you don’t there’s actually a full version available on YouTube of all places, and it deserves a game. Now before the hardcore fans jump on me and start screaming in the comments that there’s already a Starship Troopers game which was released back in 2005, I would like to clarify that I mean a game which isn’t 7 years old and so badly rendered that it causes my upgraded Alienware Aurora to chug like an overweight Scotsman during a Stella drinking contest. I want a new Starship Troopers game. An awesome Starship Troopers game. Rico’s dream Starship Troopers game!

The 2005 version had the right idea, but it was made by a small UK studio, Empire Interactive, who went bust in 2009 mostly because their most successful game was Big Mutha Truckers. Since then all their IP rights were sold to Zoo Games – may Thor have mercy upon all of us. However, that means that somebody out there does still own the rights to create a Starship Troopers game again, and that hope is enough for me to encourage this idea. While still adding a few caveats to make sure it doesn’t totally suck if it does happen.

The great thing about Starship Troopers is that the formula for success is really simple and can be boiled down to three key requirements: 1) Lots of references; either to the original movie, or the original game, or even other games and movies, as long as the satire is blended well with the references. 2) Lots of bugs; I know you’re tempted to have some human vs. human action in every game to shake things up, developers, but just give us unholy hordes of bugs to squish and we’ll be happy, don’t complicate things unnecessarily. 3) Satire; as mentioned above, just blend plenty of good satire with the references and the fans will be happy. In the original Starship Troopers game I heard a soldier shout out: “I’m so badass I scare myself!” More of that, please.

I think the most promising part of this possibility is that it is ripe for the Kickstarter trend that’s happening right now. I mean, ideally a major studio would back it, but realistically Zoo Games could just throw a Kickstarter out there to see if there was interest and offer out the contract to another developer if they wanted to. I’d happily throw down $20 for the prospect of another Starship Troopers game made for the modern day and age. Even an XBLA/PSN style release would be of better quality than the 2005 version that jitters around the screen like an indecisive hobo between trash bins. The fact that I know of fans who took it without lube through Starship Troopers 2 and then still went back and suffered through Starship Troopers 3 but still praise the original, myself included, shows that we are faithful enough. We are the mobile infantry. We are the fleet team. We are the roughnecks.

I’m going to take a risk. I don’t believe that this game needs any further back-up from me. I’m going to issue a call to arms that you’d want to see a Starship Troopers game. Get your battle song ready because the time is now, marine. The Federation needs YOU! If you do not cast your vote then the chances of a developer picking up on this idea is still 86% unlikely. Play it smart – go for the wallet pocket, and get this game made for good. If you want a Starship Troopers video game, which is filled with satire, tonnes of movie and game references, and more bugs then you can shake a boot at, then it is time to do your part. Come on you maggots, do you want to live forever?! I’m doing my part. I’M doing MY Part. I’M DOING MY PART!

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Do you have a suggestion for future Pipe Dream posts? I want to hear it! I think it would be awesome, and make my job a lot easier, so please do leave it as a comment down below. However, if you would prefer to use that social networking addiction we all have constructively then you can also Tweet your thoughts to @ReadyUp with the hashtag #RUPipeDreams, or just put a post over on our Facebook Page. The options are endless! Except those three are pretty much all of the options… I look forward to each and every one of your opinions! Especially if you are a member of The Federation.