An open letter to EA, Part 2: Please reboot C&C Renegade, and heres how

The goal, to take an existing property and create a well received game, minimising risk while ensuring a profitable outcome.

In part one of this proposal we located Renegade’s target audience and market position. It almost seems counterproductive to discern this information prior to detailing the game; but it’s an important step in making a profitable title, by defining our audience we can determine the goals Renegade must achieve, and understand the qualities it must encompass. 

The goal, to create a popular online console experience enjoyable by traditional multiplayers and first timers alike.

Renegade’s target audience has been determined, and consists of console owners with the ability to purchase and play content online. The audience can be broken further into two groups – multiplayers, and first timers.

When tailoring a game for traditional online participants there is ample direction and a wealth of inspiration, anything from Doom to CoD4 and every title in between can be studied to observe trends and discern the qualities players of these games hold in regard. But for every console sold, potentially, an offline gamer has the ability to enter the realms of online play. To ascertain what qualities a multiplayer virgin looks for in a multiplayer game, we must apply the knowledge we have of the target group; specifically their interactions with games in other genres.

Games that are popular among the casual, offline crowd share the following qualities.

• Easy learning curve.
• Segmented gameplay.
• Low skill requirement.
• Simple rules and gameplay.

Renegade’s gameplay features and mechanics will not be compromised to suit the casual player, that is not our goal. Our goal is to create mechanics and features from the ground up that lower the requirement for online play, allowing players with less time, skill or motivation to play online.

I’ve briefly outlined some requirements for success, and it’s time to give the game legs and define the gameplay and features that will carry Renegade towards unfathomable popularity. But before we do, there is one matter I would like to discuss.

There is a certain frailty involved when dealing with existing IP, especially when attempting to diverge from the formula; some fans of forerunning titles can be difficult to please. Fortunately, there is an almost universal solution. The most effective strategy for dealing with possible fan backlash, is to ensure the new product is polished; show the fans that the IP means as much to you as it does to them.