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What game would make a great Netflix series?

Every week on PC Gamer we ask a question to the staff and open it up to the readers, too. And we'd love to include our new forums in the process as well!

Following the success of The Witcher series on Netflix, we're thinking about other games that would make a great Netflix series. (Though The Witcher show is based on the books, it's also obviously influenced by the games, too.)

So that's our question this week: What game or game series would make a great show on Netflix? Let us know!

We'll be publishing our answers on Wednesday morning (PacificTime) and we'd love to include some of your answers, too!

(If you haven't seen our Ask PCG column before, here's a whole mess of 'em.)
 
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Dec 18, 2019
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Something like Saints Row, probably specifically Saints Row 1 or 2, before things kinda fell apart into the absurd. If I remember correctly, both games have a "default character" that they have in the loading screen for all the climactic scenes in the game...which there's a lot of. A netflix series about a gang war that also includes a gang defending themselves from a corporation just feels like something that would take ground now.

And the Allstate guy could play Julius.
 

spvtnik1

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Jan 13, 2020
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It has to be recognizable, something that is a household name.

I think Netflix would handle Deus Ex series pretty well. They have some experience with the [cyberpunk?] genre, with shows like Altered Carbon and Maniac.

After watching Wheelman, I can't help but wonder what they would do with the Need for Speed franchise.

Another interesting gambit could be a Rainbow Six series. Put Kiefer Sutherland in charge of the operators.

Netflix handles their original productions so well, I wouldn't be surprised if they could turn out any video game IP you threw at them.
 

James

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Jan 13, 2020
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X-Com would honestly make a pretty competent series. It has a clear progression of story beats from "are there aliens attacking us?" to "We're in a secret war with the aliens" to "This country has surrendered to the aliens and is now our enemy" to "we're going to mars blow up those gawd dang aliens."

The mystery and horror of the new alien types appearing every few episodes, learning new ways to combat them and turn their weapons against them, ect.

It'd be alot like the Stargate tv series.
 
I'm a bit biased because I've been playing it religiously this past week, but I believe Dragon Age.

First, fantasy seems to be a very popular genre right now thanks to Game of Thrones and now The Witcher. Furthermore, Dragon Age has such a huge amount of lore and story to pull from and it has everything people loved about Game of Thrones with the political game, dragons, and plenty of space for great heroes and amazing villains!
 
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For some reason I've always thought the traditional point n' click adventures would translate well to TV shows. The ones I'd most want to see would be

Gabriel Knight - A good addition to the supernatural offerings already out there.

Gray Matter - A bit of an under appreciated adventure from the Gabriel Knight creator but a unique enough premise to drive a series.

The Longest Journey - One of the greatest adventure games ever made with a blend of fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, and leading ladies in their undies.

Syberia - its light fantasy and alternate history make a good combo.

Tex Murphy - C'mon. We really, really need a futuristic comedy detective series.
 
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SWard

Supergirl
Staff member
Monkey Island

You need a good comedy vehicle in here! If you thought The Witcher adaptation had the right amount of tight leather, dark humour and witty one liners, imagine how great a follow up Monkey Island series would be! Insult Fencing, problem solving and thievery, but with good effects, amazing costume and the same song writing team. Great through-line for Le Chuck, tons of old references, and you can cast a netflix up-and-comer for Guybrush, or do what everyone would want and give it to Neil Patrick Harris. In fact, if you did that, you could re-contract the Netflix Lemony Snicket Team for easy production meetings. ;)
 

spvtnik1

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Hah, Disco Elysium would make for amazing long-form television.

I want to check that game out eventually. I feel like it would be the template for what a fully-realized "choose your own adventure" series like could be in the future, like Bandersnatch but much less about the gimmick and more about the actual content.
 
Deus Ex. There seems to be quite a market for shows with cyberpunk aesthetics (Altered Carbon, Almost Human, Electric Dreams). These shows look pretty, but they do not explore the "high-tech, low-life" aspect of the cyberpunk genre well enough like the Deus Ex franchise does. I want to see the gritty underworld of a city ran by corporations, the contrast of augmentations between the rich and the poor, and the underground movement to topple companies who control every aspect of the city.
 

SHaines

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I like my adaptations to actually feel like something new and different. Rather than taking a set story and trying to force it to fit into a narrative path, I'd like to see a world created in a game have a series that explores the wider universe.

With that in mind, Portal is the game. This would show more facilities with a broad spectrum of tests, plus the outside world that touches on elements from Half-Life, with Black Mesa and the lot.

Just get some smart people who love those games to think of cool stories to tell using it as a backdrop.
 
Jan 15, 2020
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A few of the top of my head:

Rust: You might think it's shallow at first, but there's a lot of mystery and lore around if you pay attention. Shadowfrax on YouTube has some great videos and theories on the lore of Rust.

Final Fantasy: A great and diverse world and there are so many entries to choose from. Personally, I like the aesthetic of FF IX and I think they nailed the little bit of romance there is, but if it needs a specific plot, I think FF X's plot would be a hit. Fun and interesting world? Check. Romance? Check. Time travel shenanigans? Check.

Life is Strange: This game was lovely, but much to my dismay, the choices aspect wasn't as impactful as I would have liked. I think it'd kill it as a Netflix series.

Frostpunk: This one's pretty generic, but I really enjoyed the setting of this game along with the moral choices you have to make. Some great stories could come out of this setting.
 

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