011284mm: I really love the idea of zombies. In fact there are many scientific studies that have been done to work out the IF a zombie breakout were to happen how quickly and effectively we could actually control the outbreak.
In games, movies, television and books zombies make a clean opponent.
- You cannot be blamed for picking on foreigners.
Randalator: Yes, you can. I had honestly forgotten about that.
Trust the Japanese to find that particular racist card in the deck. It was also kind of their own fault for setting the game in Africa without making it look as though the majority of the populace was white. You are only allowed to kill 20-something white males these days without having to defend your actions.
011284mm: - You are not at risk from animal rights activists.
Randalator: What about
zombie rights activists...?
I have unfortunately heard of these people before, but they really do appear to be 1) mostly harmless and 2) a reaction to the ever growing groups of Apocalypse nuts. Zombie or other wise.
So I also choose to ignore them until I get a weekly newsletter informing me that I am doing everything wrong in my life.
011284mm: - No real science is needed as the outbreak is just that, a sudden, uncontrollable outbreak.
Randalator: Well, that's also true for Nazi supersoldiers, aliens, ghosts, golems, trolls, elves, orcs, dragons, giant squids and Barbara Streisand among others.
True, and look at the bloat of Nazis when it was okay to bash the second world war. Aliens during the mid 90's. Ghosts in the mid to late 80's and the ever present ghosts, golems, trolls, elves, orcs & dragons of most RPG's ever made. The only one there we really need a conclusive reason for the existence is Barbara Streisand.
011284mm: - Women cannot complain that you are being sexiest by (not)/including them as the bad guys.
Randalator: Uh-huh.
Okay, I surrender that point. No point in arguing with people who feels they should have the right to beat up yet more virtual objects. Worse yet those who feel that they are under represented in games as there are not enough women being beaten in their kitchens because the washing is not sparkling. (Sadists)
011284mm: - No need for children beyond any protagonists. All eaten.
Randalator: I think there's still too many children in zombie games for that to be true.
I can only think of a hand-full, and they are all either story related, or playable.
011284mm: - Only basic AI needed to make a blood hungry zombie work.
Randalator: With all the different types of modern zombies I really doubt that.
You would be surprised. As most modern programming languages work on objects, make a base class zombie and program all the required behavior into it. Then just make a few dozen sub-class zombies with a few altered / new parameters and you have all the normal bases covered. Then it is just off to the art team.
zombie slow --> z fast (more speed), z fat (more life), z woman, z spitter (secondary attack), z explode (explosion).....
011284mm: - Artists can go wild or retained as there is no real basis for the actual look beyond vaguely human.
Randalator: As is the case with Nazi supersoldiers, aliens, ghosts, golems, trolls, elves, orcs, dragons, giant squids and Barbara Streisand among others. Well, maybe not dragons and squids. At least not most of the time.
Yep, good old art teams. I guess all of the above are good for those who have little patience with making something look too realistic.
011284mm: - People like to kill things and as there is no real zombies the producers can bypass higher age ratings by just including a zombie.
Randalator: Doesn't work everywhere. In Germany for example any "human-like" type of enemy will bump up your rating.
You forgot Australia. If you ban it anywhere it will always be banned there too. I also bet that a game such as Resident Evil gets extra wiggle room over Call of Duty even if the opponents look human.
011284mm: - Zombies are just fun.
Randalator: I think they're just a rotten addition to any game.
Not getting involved in personal taste. I just had time to burn before bed and I thought I would try and explain any differences in view.
-night night. ;-)