I lol'd.

I laughed because it's true.  The sad thing is, with the way that EA treated Dante's Inferno, I could easily see them doing this to Moby Dick.

I would totally play that game. 
 
People need to stop being so goddamn stingy about the inspiration of games.  IT'S A VIDEO GAME!!! 
 
Plus...have you played the game?  NO?  Well then, I must say that your opinion, Penny Arcade's opinions, and everyone else's opinions are worth jack and shit.  =  / 
 
@Hailinel said:

" I laughed because it's true.  The sad thing is, with the way that EA treated Dante's Inferno, I could easily see them doing this to Moby Dick. "

" I would totally play that game. 
 
People need to stop being so goddamn stingy about the inspiration of games.  IT'S A VIDEO GAME!!! 
 
Plus...have you played the game?  NO?  Well then, I must say that your opinion, Penny Arcade's opinions, and everyone else's opinions are worth jack and shit.  =  / 
 
@Hailinel said:

" I laughed because it's true.  The sad thing is, with the way that EA treated Dante's Inferno, I could easily see them doing this to Moby Dick. "

Right, because playing as a poet just looking at Hell would've been such a compelling game...  -_- "

Dude, I would totally play that game!! And EA's Jack the Ripper.

Right, because playing as a poet just looking at Hell would've been such a compelling game...  -_- "

That game actually seems interesting though. If it was self-aware in it's ridiculousness.

haha, cool picture.
 
didn't get the joke thou, is it about the fact that EA has these semi meh commercials to this game?

Moby Dick GOTY 2012 CONFIRMED.

" haha, cool picture.  didn't get the joke thou, is it about the fact that EA has these semi meh commercials to this game? "

When i first saw that i was immediately thinking Blood and thunder as the soundtrack.

I haven't lol'd like that since Penny Arcade's take on American McGee games.

Penny Arcade usually exaggerates. This is no exaggeration; this is exactly what EA has done. 

" haha, cool picture.  didn't get the joke thou, is it about the fact that EA has these semi meh commercials to this game? "

My problem with Dante's Inferno is EA's questionable marketing tactics (see "Sin to Win", along with the other stuff).

" Penny Arcade usually exaggerates. This is no exaggeration; this is exactly what EA has done.  "

" Penny Arcade usually exaggerates. This is no exaggeration; this is exactly what EA has done.  "

" @amir90 said:

" haha, cool picture.  didn't get the joke thou, is it about the fact that EA has these semi meh commercials to this game? "

It's about how EA is making a game based on specific source (Danta Alighieri's Dante's Inferno) and twisting the events in the poem so much that you have to wonder why they are using the literature as the game's foundation in the first place. "

" haha, cool picture.  didn't get the joke thou, is it about the fact that EA has these semi meh commercials to this game? "

Instead of making a Moby Dick cover they should've just put the same cover that EA actually published. That would've been great. 

Honestly, I don't really care what it's based on. I also don't really care if it rips off God of War. 
 
My question is, "Is the game fun?"  
 
I think that's the only thing that matters anyway.  
 
Edit: Also, a Moby Dick game would be pretty awesome. Harpoons and shit. 

" If the game's fun, I don't really care where the source material is from.  If it's not, than I won't play it no matter what the source material is. "

The real reason I don't like this game and do not like the people that like it is, it's degrading. 
Everything about this game is whats wrong with games today and the people that want this game are what's wrong with (I hate this term) gamers today. 

 People need to stop being so goddamn stingy about the inspiration of games.  IT'S A VIDEO GAME!!!

 Everything about this game is whats wrong with games today and the people that want this game are what's wrong with (I hate this term) gamers today.

"

 People need to stop being so goddamn stingy about the inspiration of games.  IT'S A VIDEO GAME!!!

The fact that you naturally say "It's a video game!" as if that was an excuse for sad and pathetic storytelling is the EXACT reason why this stuff needs to die, and what is wrong with supply & demand in this particular medium.
 

 Everything about this game is whats wrong with games today and the people that want this game are what's wrong with (I hate this term) gamers today.

 Yes. This. "

I think people need to chill out with this Dante's Inferno backlash. At least give it a chance before you completely cast it aside.

" I think people need to chill out with this Dante's Inferno backlash. At least give it a chance before you completely cast it aside. "

" I think people need to chill out with this Dante's Inferno backlash. At least give it a chance before you completely cast it aside. "

" I laughed because it's true.  The sad thing is, with the way that EA treated Dante's Inferno, I could easily see them doing this to Moby Dick. "

" When i first saw that i was immediately thinking Blood and thunder as the soundtrack. "

• Because of this game, the chances of students actually wanting to read this poem increases GREATLY, even if they will find out that the book and the game are minimally related.  This means MORE people will be exposed to Dante's writing...which NO ONE can consider a bad thing!
• Because of this game, the chances of getting other literary pieces of work brought into the game-scape is increased, especially if they can put a unique twist on it like this has done to make something their own while still holding to pieces of the original text.  INTERPRETATION, not imitation.
• Because of this game, the chances of people being unafraid to be a "clone" to another game will greatly increase, hopefully meaning that people will stop being so damn scared of using elements from other games in order to create their game.  This will lead to less broken games, less broken "systems" in games, and less broken "original" ideas.  There's nothing wrong with originality, but when you as a developer know the originality isn't going to work, then at least you can make sure you make a quality game by cloning something else.
• Because of this game, Visceral will get to continue making games that test the boundaries of what you can and cannot show in games.  If you haven't noticed, both of their games are Mature in a BIG way.  Good sales on the games would show that people want more Mature experiences beyond what we've already seen.
• Because of this game, Visceral will prove that you CAN challenge the developers of other first-party and third-party massive titles and franchises, such as God of War and Resident Evil.

" @Hailinel:   I know what the comic is meant to do, it just doesn't do it very well.   Whether or not The Divine Comedy contains a demon slaying Knights Templar or not is not important as the EA game is based on and derives its atmosphere from the source of Alighieri's allusions and metaphor, especially with regards to the Nine Circles of Hell.   Honestly, people who attack the game for not being a direct translation of a 13th Century Classical Italian poem rife with sexist and racist imagery are fucking idiots.  Even William Shakespeare recommended that his works should be restyled in context to the local politics and religious influences to better situate them for the audience.   Pseudo intellectuals who think they're clever are far more dangerous then people who accept that they don't know everything. "

" @StaticFalconar said:

"

" @StaticFalconar said:

" When i first saw that i was immediately thinking Blood and thunder as the soundtrack. "

SAME HERE!!!  Mastodon confirmed for the soundtrack to the Moby Dick game coming in 2012? 
 
Man, I'm not even kidding - I really want EA to make that Moby Dick game now!!! 
 
@Hailinel You gotta lighten up, as well as everyone else.  Seriously, if we're going to hold EVERYTHING in the world sacred, then stop the production of pretty much every video game out there, as well as every movie and every piece of music...every canvas of art...every sculpture. 
 
It's ridiculous how up-in-arms everyone is getting about the fact that this is INSPIRED by Dante's Inferno.  I mean, how about we stop looking at the negatives and look at the positives: 

• Because of this game, the chances of students actually wanting to read this poem increases GREATLY, even if they will find out that the book and the game are minimally related.  This means MORE people will be exposed to Dante's writing...which NO ONE can consider a bad thing!
• Because of this game, the chances of getting other literary pieces of work brought into the game-scape is increased, especially if they can put a unique twist on it like this has done to make something their own while still holding to pieces of the original text.  INTERPRETATION, not imitation.
• Because of this game, the chances of people being unafraid to be a "clone" to another game will greatly increase, hopefully meaning that people will stop being so damn scared of using elements from other games in order to create their game.  This will lead to less broken games, less broken "systems" in games, and less broken "original" ideas.  There's nothing wrong with originality, but when you as a developer know the originality isn't going to work, then at least you can make sure you make a quality game by cloning something else.
• Because of this game, Visceral will get to continue making games that test the boundaries of what you can and cannot show in games.  If you haven't noticed, both of their games are Mature in a BIG way.  Good sales on the games would show that people want more Mature experiences beyond what we've already seen.
• Because of this game, Visceral will prove that you CAN challenge the developers of other first-party and third-party massive titles and franchises, such as God of War and Resident Evil.

 
So I see little purpose for all the negativity.  These guys have tried as hard as possible to deliver a Mature experience set in an interesting and rarely used environment by telling an interpretative version of Dante's most famous piece of literature.  I'm all for it. 

 Now, I need to e-mail Visceral about a million times to make that Moby Dick game happen. "

" @SeriouslyNow said:

" @Hailinel:   I know what the comic is meant to do, it just doesn't do it very well.   Whether or not The Divine Comedy contains a demon slaying Knights Templar or not is not important as the EA game is based on and derives its atmosphere from the source of Alighieri's allusions and metaphor, especially with regards to the Nine Circles of Hell.   Honestly, people who attack the game for not being a direct translation of a 13th Century Classical Italian poem rife with sexist and racist imagery are fucking idiots.  Even William Shakespeare recommended that his works should be restyled in context to the local politics and religious influences to better situate them for the audience.   Pseudo intellectuals who think they're clever are far more dangerous then people who accept that they don't know everything. "

There's a difference between adapting the style of the work to fit the context of the times and completely upending things to the point that it barely resembles the original source material. The Romeo & Juliet movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio is an example of the former.  EA's Dante's Inferno is an example of the latter.  The Divine Comedy was never an action piece filled with bloodletting and demon-slaying.  For EA to portray it as such is absurd.  If this truly was the only idea that they could think of in turning any part of The Divine Comedy in a video game, then they should have dropped the project before they even began and pursued something else. "

" @Hailinel said:

" @SeriouslyNow said:

" @Hailinel:   I know what the comic is meant to do, it just doesn't do it very well.   Whether or not The Divine Comedy contains a demon slaying Knights Templar or not is not important as the EA game is based on and derives its atmosphere from the source of Alighieri's allusions and metaphor, especially with regards to the Nine Circles of Hell.   Honestly, people who attack the game for not being a direct translation of a 13th Century Classical Italian poem rife with sexist and racist imagery are fucking idiots.  Even William Shakespeare recommended that his works should be restyled in context to the local politics and religious influences to better situate them for the audience.   Pseudo intellectuals who think they're clever are far more dangerous then people who accept that they don't know everything. "

There's a difference between adapting the style of the work to fit the context of the times and completely upending things to the point that it barely resembles the original source material. The Romeo & Juliet movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio is an example of the former.  EA's Dante's Inferno is an example of the latter.  The Divine Comedy was never an action piece filled with bloodletting and demon-slaying.  For EA to portray it as such is absurd.  If this truly was the only idea that they could think of in turning any part of The Divine Comedy in a video game, then they should have dropped the project before they even began and pursued something else. "

I don't see anything wrong with using The Nine Circles of Hell as a basis for action experience.  It's the same thing as Dan Simmons using Keats' poetry and persona as the basis for Hyperion Cantos.  I would think that Dante would be pleased to see his work having context in the modern as it might lead to modern people exploring his work.  Art does not exist in vacuum.  It is not a museum piece to be starred at under glass, it is to be explored and reiterated in many different contexts.  "

EA`s Jack the Ripper would be the shit  
Moby Dick on the other hand...eh....

" @SeriouslyNow said:

" @Hailinel said:

" @SeriouslyNow said:

" @Hailinel:   I know what the comic is meant to do, it just doesn't do it very well.   Whether or not The Divine Comedy contains a demon slaying Knights Templar or not is not important as the EA game is based on and derives its atmosphere from the source of Alighieri's allusions and metaphor, especially with regards to the Nine Circles of Hell.   Honestly, people who attack the game for not being a direct translation of a 13th Century Classical Italian poem rife with sexist and racist imagery are fucking idiots.  Even William Shakespeare recommended that his works should be restyled in context to the local politics and religious influences to better situate them for the audience.   Pseudo intellectuals who think they're clever are far more dangerous then people who accept that they don't know everything. "

There's a difference between adapting the style of the work to fit the context of the times and completely upending things to the point that it barely resembles the original source material. The Romeo & Juliet movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio is an example of the former.  EA's Dante's Inferno is an example of the latter.  The Divine Comedy was never an action piece filled with bloodletting and demon-slaying.  For EA to portray it as such is absurd.  If this truly was the only idea that they could think of in turning any part of The Divine Comedy in a video game, then they should have dropped the project before they even began and pursued something else. "

I don't see anything wrong with using The Nine Circles of Hell as a basis for action experience.  It's the same thing as Dan Simmons using Keats' poetry and persona as the basis for Hyperion Cantos.  I would think that Dante would be pleased to see his work having context in the modern as it might lead to modern people exploring his work.  Art does not exist in vacuum.  It is not a museum piece to be starred at under glass, it is to be explored and reiterated in many different contexts.  "

Dante was a poet.  Not a warrior.  He used words as his weapon and wrote about his enemies and those he didn't like suffering in the nine circles, not beating the shit out of every demon in his path. "

" @Hailinel: Man, you would've really hated the way that Ken Levine and Irrational Games' The Lost was going to turn out, then.  That used Dante's Inferno as an inspiration as well, and you played as a waitress named Alice.  Her daughter committed suicide and was sent to Hell, and Alice makes a deal with the Devil to travel into the nine circles of Hell to get her daughter back.  One of the areas was portrayed as a Nazi concentration camp.  Was there a Nazi concentration camp in the original text?  NO?  Well then, we again get to the term of INTERPRETATION.  Mind you, I understand the meaning of that word, and you are right:  Dante wasn't a demon-slaying and bloodletting Knight Templar.  He was a flaming poet who was highly prejudice.  However, interpretation is all about how someone wishes to perceive the work.  It would seem that with your anger, you are also basically saying "Visceral sucks at storytelling"...yet Dead Space proved that to be COMPLETELY wrong.  The story in that game was solid, as well as the characters.  I care MORE about the characters and story that are presented to me being solid in writing and acting than I'm going to care about "oh, crap, this isn't the exact same as the book".  Plus, it's been...what, 700...800 years since Inferno was written?  I think we're at the point now where we can play around with that and venture into many other themes in our own creative ways.  You are acting like this game is all about profit or something because it has "EA" stamped on it.  This is developed by Visceral, a group of guys that refused to give up their artistic influence and inspirations to make Dead Space, and it showed.  If it were about profit, then it would be Teen, Dante would have a shirt on, there would be no blood, Hell would be called Hades, there would be no nudity, and the demons would be "infected", etc etc etc.  INSTEAD, the game takes place in the nine circles of Hell, each of those nine circles have creatures, monsters, demons, etc that are akin to the circle itself, the maturity level is very high...  Hell, if anything, this game looks to try and validate games as some form of art form.  Also, why SHOULDN'T Dante be a badass?  I'm sure that Dante would even tell you himself he'd love to be a badass!!! "

This only half works because anyone who read the Divine Comedy would see it is at best a photography game, or something. Moby Dick has some physical drama. Its a stretch but if you asked me which story would better convert into a game, Moby Dick by far. To the "its just a game!" argument, I suppose I'll just throw that out next time you bitch about a minigame collection and then I can waste your time with vapid empty comments. 
It just seems so impotent, the idea of taking something some people know about and changing basically everything. What does Dante's Inferno the game get by calling itself Dante's Inferno instead of "Teddy the Templar vs Hell"? Basically nothing short of bad publicity. And anyone who thinks bad publicity is better than none should look at Haze's numbers.

The big issue here that seems to be getting everyone's panties in a knot is the fact that the game is called Dante's Inferno.  Referencing the nine levels of hell and reproducing it as a video game is fine as far as I'm concerned.  The setting translates so smoothly that I'm surprised it hasn't been referenced more.  Just as people don't give games like Final Fantasy or Persona heat for referencing various deities, had EA only done this, I doubt this game would be receiving this type of response.  However, EA didn't stop there, and instead went further and used the name of the piece of literature.  It is at that point that the degree of deviation from their source material becomes problematic.  Calling your game Dante's Inferno invokes a feel that goes beyond just the setting of hell.  Taking that feel and throwing it out the window and replacing it with something much lesser is undeniably insulting.

That's about it. If Darksiders called itself Revelations and Bayonetta called itself Paradise Lost, I think some people would take issue with them implying this game they made really has much of anything to do with the sources alledged in the title. hey, you like the idea of a Hell with levels, a fat demon, a sex demon, and so on, super. Build your own story on that and make your own title for it. Everything has inspirations, but its different when you take the exact title from a well known book and plant it on something clearly only vaguely inspired by it. Because its not an adaptation or anything resembling an adaptation, and if copyright law existed in the 1500s Dante's ancestors would be filing a cease and desist for defamation.

" @Hailinel: Dude... it's a fucking videogame. Why does it matter how true it is to it's source material?  Surely it's enjoyment factor is all that matters. "