Best Pop-Culture Refrence

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JonKaz10

Guest
I’m doing some market research for a game I’m developing. What is your favorite movie quote, scene, character... TV series... etc?

Anything you think would make a great pop culture reference that you’d thing would be cool to include an epic game.

Let me know!

Posted with love by the universe.
 

Cat

Member
It helps if you give us a little more information about your game. What are the themes / genres? What is your target demographic? I'm sure a lot of people on this forum like XKCD, but your audience (especially considering you said it was a mobile game) likely won't get the connection between velociraptors and goto statements.
 
J

JonKaz10

Guest
It helps if you give us a little more information about your game. What are the themes / genres? What is your target demographic? I'm sure a lot of people on this forum like XKCD, but your audience (especially considering you said it was a mobile game) likely won't get the connection between velociraptors and goto statements.
I’m still figuring out what kind of genre the game is going to fit into but it’s a isomorphic adventure into someone’s subconscious - so lots of media/pop culture references will help audiences engage in the crazy world as opposed to just feel the world’s insane scope. I’m not going for “blockbuster game” but I am going for “well developed” and long “play value”. Although I’m not sure if it will have “reply” value.
 
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JonKaz10

Guest
Wouldn't use other game references myself, it looks smarter if you cross media references
I would agree but because it could be something you could encounter in the deep subconscious- I don’t want to rule anything out. Maybe limit it and use game references on occasion.
 

RollyBug

Member
Monty Python and the Holy Grail quotes are always fun.
Its just a flesh wound.
I am your king!
-Well, I didn't vote for you.
Bring out yer dead!
Come and see the violence inherent in the system. Help! Help! I'm being repressed!
 
G

Guest User

Guest
Anything you think would make a great pop culture reference that you’d thing would be cool to include an epic game.
it'd probably be more efficient to provide specific moments and/or purposes the references are supposed to fulfill rather than curating a large list of them tbh.
 
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JonKaz10

Guest
it'd probably be more efficient to provide specific moments and/or purposes the references are supposed to fulfill rather than curating a large list of them tbh.
I suppose you could be right.

The truth is I’m still developing the story and creatively as I add to the story I’d like to incorporate references when I can. The main character is trapped in his own mind in an attempt for one of his scientists to “harness” the artificial energy that sustains the main characters life... without having blood or a heart for that matter. Unfortunately “something” cuz I don’t believe in spoilers “happened” that caused the main character to not wake up into the “conscious” world. Instead he woke up but in his own subconscious - which is literally littered with pop culture references and junk. Besides a neat game play mechanic - no spoilers - the game will progress by the characters inner conversations with his subconscious - ie “you” - without breaking the 4th wall. But he encounters other characters generated by his brain in an attempt to interpret what is really going on.

It should be a quirky - nightmare - insane - “Don’t Starve” type world just a more linear cinimatic adventure, puzzle solving, enemy avoiding, type game. Very easy but intentionally difficult to follow - until the end - when the entire world make sense.

You’re actually playing a character that’s part of a March larger universe so there are bound to be a few things no one will quite understand. Which is good - the inuniverse lore allows for growth and it’s just fun to mess with people.
 

Niels

Member
Ha ha! I have to do a GlaDOS quote.... I just have too.
The cake is a lie is so overdone by now that it probably gets a *sigh* or /facepalm instead of a laugh.

Songnames are always fun for area's/questnames.
Also movie or book quotes do well.

For example if you have a action game with a area set in a harbor where you need to blow up 3 ships by placing explosives while fighting off heavy resistance, call the area "the michael bay" or more subtle, name the area "the bay" and call the area boss "michael".
 
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Cat

Member
Instead he woke up but in his own subconscious - which is literally littered with pop culture references
In this case, it seems the best place to start is to ask some questions about your main character. What kind of references would he be familiar with? Movie quotes? Sports? History? Video games?

For example, take Life is Strange. (spoilers for the first 2 minutes or so) The main character, Max was developed very carefully. She's shy and introverted, likes "nerdy" things, and dislikes the popular cliques. She's into photography, likes indie folk music, watches old movies, and gets along better with animals than with people.

What DONTNOD did here was create a very specific character that a very specific group of people will be able to relate to. Sure, they might have wound up driving away certain audiences with this approach. But ultimately, they struck a chord with their target audience instead of trying to create a "blank slate"-type character. Compare Max to Gordon Freeman from Half-Life. Whether or not you personally are able to identify with Max, it's inarguable that she's a better developed character than the mute scientist-turned-superhero. Sure, I doubt many people were driven away from Half-Life because they disagreed with the character of Gordon, but that's only because there's so little to disagree with!

So. I would first develop the main character. Then, once you have that solidified, you'll be able to better decide which references make sense within the context of the game. Bear in mind: the wider your target audience, the more of your references will go over any given player's head.

Disclaimer: I know very little about Half-Life 2, and from what I do know of it, that's where most of Gordon's character is developed. As a result, this example might not be wholly accurate; I was simply using him as an example of the "mute main character" archetype.
 
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