›

Would "Inspector Columbo" work as an episodic detective game?

stoney1981stoney1981
edited July 2009 in General Chat
peter_falk_as_columbo.jpg

Okay, seeing as Telltale also releases CSI Games, i thought about the possibility of releasing episodic Columbo Case Games. You know, the Inspector Columbo played by the famous Peter Falk :)

There are Sherlock Holmes and Poirot Games out there, but heck, there still is no Columbo Game. Anyone else loves the idea of creating a game out of this classic TV Series? It could be split up to one case per episode.

I don´t know it its possible for Telltale to aquire the license, but hell, i sure would LOVE to play a Columbo game, even if it couldnt be voiced by Peter Falk himself.

Comments

  • Secret FawfulSecret Fawful
    edited July 2009
    You know, I think that the episodic format is so flexible, pretty much ANYTHING could be made to work with it under the right hands. I don't think anything is really out of bounds, it just depends on what would sell and if you cna buy the rights.
  • SHODANFreemanSHODANFreeman
    edited July 2009
    Secret Fawful wrote: »
    You know, I think that the episodic format is so flexible, pretty much ANYTHING could be made to work with it under the right hands. I don't think anything is really out of bounds, it just depends on what would sell and if you cna buy the rights.

    I don't think an episodic Punisher adventure game would be very good. "Use gun with Criminal" isn't a very hard puzzle to solve, let alone when it'd be done 30 times per episode. The only thing that might trip some people up would be the "Use ammo with gun" puzzles.
  • Secret FawfulSecret Fawful
    edited July 2009
    Pale Man wrote: »
    I don't think an episodic Punisher adventure game would be very good. "Use gun with Criminal" isn't a very hard puzzle to solve, let alone when it'd be done 30 times per episode. The only thing that might trip some people up would be the "Use ammo with gun" puzzles.

    I think as a medium it would come across a lot like Full throttle conceptually. Sam and Max has a gun, but you can always find ways so that the player can not just use a gun to solve his way through things. And the Punisher is like Ben in that he won't just open the door; he'll kick it in. Getting to see the Punisher go all out guns blazing would probably be a treat that you would get in a cutscene once you've solved a puzzle or chapter. :)

    EDIT: However it still wouldn't be my first pick for an episodic series.
  • Lord-zLord-z
    edited July 2009
    The thing is, not a whole lot happens in a Columbo episode. An average episode is: We see the crime being commited and who did it, Columbo figures out what happened within the first few minutes, and the rest of the time is spend harrassing the murderer until he breaks down and confesses.
  • HitmanHitman
    edited July 2009
    Columbo is just awesome. It's my favourite detective series of all time. I can never get enough of him.
  • stoney1981stoney1981
    edited July 2009
    Yeah, mine too. I´d love to see an Adventure being made out of it. Third Person Point And Click would fit best, if you ask me. Actually, i´m playing with this idea for quite a long time, but now seeing Telltale releasing episodic content, i think this would fit in very well for them.
    The thing is, not a whole lot happens in a Columbo episode. An average episode is: We see the crime being commited and who did it, Columbo figures out what happened within the first few minutes, and the rest of the time is spend harrassing the murderer until he breaks down and confesses.

    That´s partially true, but you could twist that around a little for the game. For example, you don´t have to reveal who the murder is. You don´t have to follow the show, but create own cases aswell.
  • LinqueLinque
    edited July 2009
    Or you could play as some other character trying to figure out the murder, while Columbo is a support character always beating you to the punch in the end!
  • stoney1981stoney1981
    edited July 2009
    Or you could play as some other character trying to figure out the murder, while Columbo is a support character always beating you to the punch in the end!

    Yes, there even exists a Poirot Adventure where you played a fictional character, and Poirot gives you help along the way. Would also be a nice idea.

    Is there even a way for Telltale to aquire the license for it?
  • SHODANFreemanSHODANFreeman
    edited July 2009
    Seems to me like it'd just end up being CSI but with different people showing up and less emphasis on the technical side of evidence gathering.
  • stoney1981stoney1981
    edited July 2009
    I never played the CSI Games myself, but a Columbo Game would need to have some heart being put into it to please it´s fans. :) You know, some references to the show and of course the obligate "Just one more thing.." sentence, and so on.

    One Case per Month would be quite nice, and should work well with the episodic format. If i had a coding team aswell as the license at hand, i´d do this one myself. It´s just a lovely intelligent TV Show, i was really sad to hear that Peter is not doing so well. :(
  • anglerushanglerush
    edited July 2009
    Yes.



    Yes.




    YES!!


    I'd love to personally annoy the crap out of some murderer, watch him get more frustrated as I get closer to nabbing him, setting the trap for him to fall into. That would be awesome.
  • quickficsquickfics
    edited July 2009
    No.

    Some roles are just so iconic that they shouldn't be messed with in any way, shape, or form -- and Peter Falk's portrayal of Columbo is one of them. It would utterly fail as an adventure game for anybody who has any real love for the character. Yes, there are the Sherlock Holmes games and the Poirot games, but so many actors have played those parts that it bothers so few that they are not voiced by Jeremy Brett or David Suchet or Basil Rathbone.

    Columbo is a perfect marriage of actor to part -- a marriage that lasted for 35 years. And they should never, ever be separated.

    Peter Falk is Columbo, and vice-versa; and the entire property should be left as-is now and forever.
Sign in to comment in this discussion.