Reality TV Games Spotlight: The Amazing Race

As I wrote in my very first blog entry here on Wirebot, I have an affinity for reality TV. I watch it, blog about it, make fun of it, and I was even on it for while — more than anything, I’d like to see some more games of a decent quality based on the genre.

So in this new weekly series, I will profile some of the top reality franchises out there with a game attached to them in some way or another. This time, my focus is on The Amazing Race.

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There are a lot of reality TV shows that really don’t lend themselves to be high-quality games. Could you see yourself doing Wii minigames in the Flavor of Love house? Don’t think so. The Amazing Race is one of the few exceptions since it’s one of those out-of-this-world-crazy competitions that features a variety of physical and mental challenges. Eleven teams start out a race, and at the end of each “leg” one group is eliminated. It ultimately comes down to three teams, with one of them being declared the winner.

That said, designing a game based off of this globe-trotting show would have a unique set of hurdles. Can you imagine trying to simulate drama at the airport ticket counter? Okay, you’d probably have to use some sort of dialog tree system (a la Mass Effect 2) where your decisions effect the outcome. If you scream at the ticket lady, you aren’t likely to get what you want. Meanwhile, being nice could get you those coveted final seats and a time advantage.

An Amazing Race game is actually currently under development by Ludia, and could hit stores sometime in 2010. It’s the sort of thing I want to have faith in, but considering Ludia’s past work (which includes adaptations of Hell’s Kitchen and American Idol) I’m more than a little hesitant.

Ludia’s premise doesn’t actually sound that bad: a “highly social” multiplayer experience where people play cooperatively to complete tasks and come in first at the end of “legs.” The problem is that this game, in order to work properly, will require more money than Ludia (or possibly any developer) would be willing to spend.

The reason why The Amazing Race works so well on TV is because teams are so free to get lost in their cities / destinations. In order to translate that over you would need an open world so gigantic Bethesda would even be shaking in their boots. Plus, you would need the game to be full of active AIs who could help you reach destinations (not to mention that one guy who keeps trying to jump in front of the cameraman for airtime).

The next thing you would need is an internet server powerful enough to keep track of multiple teams in different places. This actually wouldn’t be as difficult, but finding players willing enough to go through multiple legs without quitting could be a challenge. Therefore, it might just have to be a system where players must all commit to multi-leg race or they tackle it one leg at a time. They’d also need to create some sort of unique time system where one hour of real life = a few minutes of game time. If a team catches an earlier flight, nobody else will want to wait around for three hours.

During the show teams go through a couple of challenges, such as roadblocks (which one person tackles alone) and detours (where teams choose between two activities to perform). I know a developer would just start screaming “button-mashing minigame!” when they hear this, but let’s be creative! Give your character the ability to fully interact with the world. If you have to look for a needle in a haystack, make it about strategy more than pressing buttons. If you are searching for a clue hidden in a temple, have a first-person perspective.

The final thing this “game” would need to be successful is a full license. It’s the worst feeling ever when a licensed game only goes halfway with their product (with the exception of Madden 64 — that was still awesome even if EA messed up on the NFL license that time around). Make sure host Phil Keoghan is actually Phil Keoghan’s voice. The Amazing Race game is an opportunity to bring in new fans to the show and create a whole new sort of multi-player gaming experience online (complete with teamwork and trash-talking). If enough money and time are spent into this project, we could actually have a game that’s even more fun than the show (and that’s saying a lot, since I love the Race).

Could you see yourself teaming up with someone online and running a virtual race around the world? Feel free to share your thoughts.