DEFIANCE game and TV show - sink or swim?

[shavedape]

The closer this show gets to premiering the less I have hope for it. The game tie-in seems gimmicky. From what I understand the PC version of the game is rather lousy and the console reviews haven't been that stellar either. One has to wonder if either the show or the game will survive for very long:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/09/defiances-game-tv-crossover-is-disappointing



It’s a shame, then, that throughout the opening hours the potential scale of the concept is matched only by the magnitude of its failure to convey any of its rich fiction or deliver on its grand plans. ...muddy textures, lackadaisical AI, thinly veiled fetch quests and monotonous point-defence missions do little to inspire confidence...



Defiance should have been aiming for dazzling first impressions in order to inspire confidence in its long term future. Instead, its game initially offers a clunky and aesthetically unappealing end-of-generation console experience while the pilot episode of the TV show carries an inelegant and laborious script that its recognisable cast struggle to sell...

And here's more:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/defiance-the-tv-show-review/

If Defiance continues down the road it is on, it will remain an average show, as many of SyFy’s show’s tend to be. But if it decides to truly embrace the uniqueness of its setting and premise, then Defiance could be something special. Until then though, it remains an enjoyable, but uninspired show.

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[OMNI]

SINK.

why? its on SYFY ffs it will NEVER be good and the game? just omg what a piece of crap..

 

[Overmind One]

Why? Because the game tie-in just does not work. People who love playing PC/video cames are not the same crowd that sits in front of the TV to watch lame shows. The TV watchers will be annoyed with the game tie in as well. PLUS, its on Syfy which has grown a tail with its original audience. The emo kiddies arent going to want to watch the show OR play the game.


Part of any game is its backstory, but it is supposed to be BACKSTORY, not primary story. A scripted game is not really "played" in a gaming sense. It is merely played with. I think this show as well as the game and any future forms of this mish mash will be dead on arrival.

 

[OMNI]

View attachment 28046

Why? Because the game tie-in just does not work. People who love playing PC/video cames are not the same crowd that sits in front of the TV to watch lame shows. The TV watchers will be annoyed with the game tie in as well. PLUS, its on Syfy which has grown a tail with its original audience. The emo kiddies arent going to want to watch the show OR play the game.


Part of any game is its backstory, but it is supposed to be BACKSTORY, not primary story. A scripted game is not really "played" in a gaming sense. It is merely played with. I think this show as well as the game and any future forms of this mish mash will be dead on arrival.

bolded i disagree with as i know they do.

 

[shavedape]

I tend to agree with you gals. There's just too much evidence that this show won't be anything but the same old thing. They will pump tons of money into the premiere but then the rest of the episodes will be so so. Each week we'll get an "hour" of uninteresting inter-personal intrigue between humans and human-like aliens. Then in the last minute of each episode we'll get some cheap CGI "action". Shampoo, rinse, repeat.

And the game tie in doesn't interest me at all. No way I'm going to blow $60 on a mediocre game that will probably wither on the vine in terms of longevity, same as the TV show.

As it is I think we've seen the best that DEFIANCE offers just from watching the previews. All the visual ooh's and ahh's have probably already been shown to us. So that leaves us with a gaggle of low-level Canadian actors with putty on their faces each week whining about how humans don't understand them cuz they're aliens, blah blah boring blah.

If I'm proven wrong, fine, as that means I'll get a good TV show out of it. But this is SyFy and that alone is enough to give me pause when it comes to getting excited about anything scifi related.

 

[Overmind One]

bolded i disagree with as i know they do.

As a whole? Are you sure about that? Most of those emo type kids dont play video games. They seem to be more interested in iTunes and games on their iPads and iPhones than playing any game that requires an attention span of say...2 minutes or longer. I have also found that most gamers (who are male) do not gravitate towards emo/drama/soap type TV, and are more into action stuff. Of course, this is off the cuff and I dont have hard numbers. I have absolutely no interest in the show, but I might try the game. If somebody here posts a glowing review, I might give the show a shot.

 

[OMNI]

As a whole? Are you sure about that? Most of those emo type kids dont play video games. They seem to be more interested in iTunes and games on their iPads and iPhones than playing any game that requires an attention span of say...2 minutes or longer. I have also found that most gamers (who are male) do not gravitate towards emo/drama/soap type TV, and are more into action stuff. Of course, this is off the cuff and I dont have hard numbers. I have absolutely no interest in the show, but I might try the game. If somebody here posts a glowing review, I might give the show a shot.

yes im sure.

and no im sure you wont.


Watch that and you wont bother.

 

[Overmind One]

yes im sure.

and no im sure you wont.


Watch that and you wont bother.

You were right about the bolded.

 

[OMNI]

You were right about the bolded.

yeah whoopdidoo 3rd person shooter mmo.... im SO dieing to play that...... (insert sarcasm) like he says in the vid its just World of warcraft OLD WOW but thrid person shoother and i did not like the look or the playstyle nor am i really intrested in the world.. actually the World and concept of the show/game doesnt intrest me AT ALL, whatever happened to exploration and discovery in sci fi? thats what i want to watch not mindless pointless action mixed with suposed dramatic momemnts (you know.. who is fking who ) hell even the new Trek Movies dont have that as they are just action movies in the trek universe.

but yeah imo this "show/concept" is the fuk'n Titanic and i refuse to Watch even a goddamn minute of this shit.

but back on the game seeing as its wow cheap looking and obviously a GRINDY mmo i have absolutly no intrest in it. also WTF 60 bucks?????? for a game related to a C/D tv show also buggy laggy weird and obviously cheap as shit???

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUK Defiance.
--- merged: Apr 10, 2013 at 2:37 PM ---
oh and i told you so

and just to clarify the emo shit you mentioned, dude people turn out in the millions to watch TWD and refuse to accept critique on it so WHY would this be any diffrent, idiotic fanboi bitches will allways be idiotic fanboi BITCHES!
--- merged: Apr 10, 2013 at 2:55 PM ---
if you want to play a GOOD immersive sci fi 3rd person shooter game then play this series


it has the exploration down the combat down the story down and the conversation options and actions you take actually has an impact on the game play and story, bolded is what i really like about it and the games that has had this rescently has been the games ive really enjoyed like TWD game by Telltale (tho it turned out to be more scripted then first advertised and the convo options didnt really matter)hell i enjoyed the Star wars mmo for this reason alone tho the convo options there really didnt affect the stories at all either.

 

[Overmind One]

it has the exploration down the combat down the story down and the conversation options and actions you take actually has an impact on the game play and story, bolded is what i really like about it and the games that has had this rescently has been the games ive really enjoyed like TWD game by Telltale (tho it turned out to be more scripted then first advertised and the convo options didnt really matter)hell i enjoyed the Star wars mmo for this reason alone tho the convo options there really didnt affect the stories at all either.

I really liked the bolded aspect of TWD game, but I refuse to watch the series past season 2. And I also noticed the scripting. The problem I had with that game and others like it (scripted) is that there is no free-roam option. My favorite games all have a free-roam option available, as well as "missions" or sub-missions like in GTA:SA. I get bored of games which decide exactly where I will go, and then give me a limited (mandatory) choice of things to do when I get there. That worked in older games, and even text-based games do this. But since GTA3, the free-roam...do whatever the fkk you want aspect has spoiled me. This is why I am enjoying DAYZ so much. . Im already seeing future scenarios with the new stuff you got like the chopper. We can actually pack up backpacks with stuff in the cities, drop them at the camp and fly out to find more...

 

[OMNI]

I really liked the bolded aspect of TWD game, but I refuse to watch the series past season 2. And I also noticed the scripting. The problem I had with that game and others like it (scripted) is that there is no free-roam option. My favorite games all have a free-roam option available, as well as "missions" or sub-missions like in GTA:SA. I get bored of games which decide exactly where I will go, and then give me a limited (mandatory) choice of things to do when I get there. That worked in older games, and even text-based games do this. But since GTA3, the free-roam...do whatever the fkk you want aspect has spoiled me. This is why I am enjoying DAYZ so much. . Im already seeing future scenarios with the new stuff you got like the chopper. We can actually pack up backpacks with stuff in the cities, drop them at the camp and fly out to find more...

im actually doing that right now, and also moving our camp as even tho the hill was a sweet spot the vehicles tend to slide down the hill.

 

[Overmind One]

im actually doing that right now, and also moving our camp as even tho the hill was a sweet spot the vehicles tend to slide down the hill.

You can scout the best spots by air and then I can drive the jeep to the spot. Can the copter have a passenger?

 

[OMNI]

You can scout the best spots by air and then I can drive the jeep to the spot. Can the copter have a passenger?

yup

 

[shavedape]

I really liked the bolded aspect of TWD game, but I refuse to watch the series past season 2. And I also noticed the scripting. The problem I had with that game and others like it (scripted) is that there is no free-roam option. My favorite games all have a free-roam option available, as well as "missions" or sub-missions like in GTA:SA. I get bored of games which decide exactly where I will go, and then give me a limited (mandatory) choice of things to do when I get there. That worked in older games, and even text-based games do this. But since GTA3, the free-roam...do whatever the fkk you want aspect has spoiled me. This is why I am enjoying DAYZ so much. . Im already seeing future scenarios with the new stuff you got like the chopper. We can actually pack up backpacks with stuff in the cities, drop them at the camp and fly out to find more...

This. I hate being treated like a developmentally disabled child. Don't constrict me to a single story line. Give me a large sandbox, with multiple missions, to go and have fun in. This is why I LOVED Fallout 3. It gave me a world to explore, not just one story line to follow.

 

[shavedape]

Well, it premieres tonight, so get your popcorn popped!

 

[Overmind One]

This. I hate being treated like a developmentally disabled child. Don't constrict me to a single story line. Give me a large sandbox, with multiple missions, to go and have fun in. This is why I LOVED Fallout 3. It gave me a world to explore, not just one story line to follow.

Now we have an opportunity to do a ratings thing, a review per episode thing, etc. Like the good old days at SGUS. Lets watch it sink!

 

[YJ02]

I tend to agree with you gals. There's just too much evidence that this show won't be anything but the same old thing. They will pump tons of money into the premiere but then the rest of the episodes will be so so. Each week we'll get an "hour" of uninteresting inter-personal intrigue between humans and human-like aliens. Then in the last minute of each episode we'll get some cheap CGI "action". Shampoo, rinse, repeat.

And the game tie in doesn't interest me at all. No way I'm going to blow $60 on a mediocre game that will probably wither on the vine in terms of longevity, same as the TV show.

As it is I think we've seen the best that DEFIANCE offers just from watching the previews. All the visual ooh's and ahh's have probably already been shown to us. So that leaves us with a gaggle of low-level Canadian actors with putty on their faces each week whining about how humans don't understand them cuz they're aliens, blah blah boring blah.

If I'm proven wrong, fine, as that means I'll get a good TV show out of it. But this is SyFy and that alone is enough to give me pause when it comes to getting excited about anything scifi related.

So, what type of crystal ball do you peer into?

IMO, the show (ok its not totally over there are 7 minutes left) has been the typical formula-outsiders come into town shrouded in mystery, family secrets and their town interactions are revealed, new guy makes a "splash" and becomes the superstar, outside baddies attack and the town and family "hurts" are healed.

ok, thats is a bit short shrifted but it gets to the point

while watching it, i was thinking during certain scenes why some of you will not like it; the alien singing and dance club, the quick and cliche "slam bam" sex scene, and the tired old 'girl wants forbidden boy-her family reacts-tragedy occurs' sphill was tiresome

anyhow--still would like to know how StLouis got rocky mountains around it- or are they just going to leave any and all explanations with the "terra formed" bit (and why call it terra forming? wouldn't they call it 'what ever planet they are from' forming instead?)

and how is it that a culture advanced enough to build "arks" and escape their system and can terraform a planet is now living of off the scraps of human civilization? wheres their tech? (beyond the weapons)

 

[shavedape]

M'kay, just watched the premiere...

The first thing to bug the ever living shite out of me is the fact that the sentient aliens are all basically humans in bad make-up. There have several different species of aliens in this town but they're all English speaking/human acting types of "creatures" -- hell, they're not even "creatures", they're just humans walking around in make-up. There's more that bugs me about this but I don't want to rant too much right now.

The next thing that bugged me was the fact that they didn't explain much, if anything, about how the aliens got to Earth and why they terraformed it and why their ships were all destroyed in orbit. They also didn't explain how every alien can breathe Earth's atmosphere.

The one good part was that we got to see Grant Bowler with his shirt off, although the sex scene was rather weak I thought.

Okay, enough about this show as I feel a rant coming on and can't really indulge it right now. Suffice to say I don't think this show will last very long. Or, to put it in language we can all understand: SyFy strikes again!

 

[OMNI]

M'kay, just watched the premiere...

The first thing to bug the ever living shite out of me is the fact that the sentient aliens are all basically humans in bad make-up. There have several different species of aliens in this town but they're all English speaking/human acting types of "creatures" -- hell, they're not even "creatures", they're just humans walking around in make-up. There's more that bugs me about this but I don't want to rant too much right now.

The next thing that bugged me was the fact that they didn't explain much, if anything, about how the aliens got to Earth and why they terraformed it and why their ships were all destroyed in orbit. They also didn't explain how every alien can breathe Earth's atmosphere.

The one good part was that we got to see Grant Bowler with his shirt off, although the sex scene was rather weak I thought.

Okay, enough about this show as I feel a rant coming on and can't really indulge it right now. Suffice to say I don't think this show will last very long. Or, to put it in language we can all understand: SyFy strikes again!

like i said

im not even going to bother watching it.

 

[Joelist]

Defiance is weird - it has the potential to be something decent but right now it is too muddled. I did note the quickie sex scene (typical SGU like stuff there - comes out of nowhere and really serves no plot purpose). But much more to why the show doesn't work is it seems to lack a real overarching narrative. Shaved is right here that they don't really explain how Earth got to be like this and as a result the backstory is sadly lacking.

With basically no backstory to speak of, the motivations of the characters have no context to fit into. Plotwise, I guess it is a bit like a western for lack of a better description. But the characters are kind of blah that combined with the other issues makes the show boring despite the action - action that just "happens" lacks any meaning and thus is not really entertaining.

In a bizarre way, the pilot made me think they were trying to do a more epic spin on Firefly. The problem is that Firefly had a real backstory and overarching plot, and VERY well drawn and acted characters. Plus the actually gave a decent explanation of the Firefly universe very cleverly in their pilot and hence the stories had a tapestry to fit into. Sadly Defiance has none of these.