by Godzprototype, HSM filmmaker

Hellfire Games created a game way ahead of its time for Home: Novus Prime.

Seriously. Novus Prime has everything it needs to successfully make the jump from PlayStation Home to any Sony-approved device. It probably helps that it was originally designed as a PSN game, only later being adapted and finished for Home. It was a moment of genius, if you ask me; Hellfire, either by accident or design, created a game which suits the consumer habits of PlayStation Home users quite well. We talk today about how Home’s developers are introducing more Facebook-style freemium games to Home (which makes perfect sense), but let’s not forget that Novus Prime was almost certainly the true progenitor for this.

There really are games in Home that could easily translate to multiple devices with relative success, assuming the programming and costs could be sorted out. In my view, Novus Prime is certainly one of those games. Why not adapt it for the Vita, PlayStation Mobile, or some other platform beyond Home and perhaps even beyond Sony?

Megahit.

Not every game can be a good mobile game, and certainly when you reduce the size of the viewing screen and alter control schemes in order to suit multiple devices, things can get sketchy. But we have to confront a certain reality: mobile gaming is huge now, and it’s going to get even bigger. And a mobile game doesn’t have to be a scaled-down Call of Duty to succeed; certainly the success of games like Subway Surfers and Fruit Ninja are proof of this. For over thirty years, the push has been for more and more immersion, more graphical superiority, more sensory overload — and yet the economics of mobile gaming are completely counter to all of this.

Here’s the hidden strength of Home, though: the subtle, social pressure to join in an experience.  It took a few times for me, visiting the public Novus Prime space and seeing so many people standing around playing the game, before I myself jumped in and played the game. Even though you can’t actually see people playing the game in the public space, you can see people indulging in zero-G simulation antics, which gives the game space a life to it that few Home game spaces can match. The public spectacle of seeing such activities taking place encourages the user to want to join in; aside from Novus Prime, only a few game spaces such as Cutthroats have harnessed this. I don’t yet know how any developer can duplicate that social pressure outside of Home for a gaming experience; perhaps the PS4’s “Share” button and overt social emphasis will help with this.

Just like Alex Rogan, we want to live the experience, not just the game.

Because here’s what’s important: games are a dime a dozen today. A great gaming experience is critical for user retention, yes, but the first thing people do when they really get into something — no matter what that something is — is seek out people who are of like mind. Players end up reinforcing each other’s enthusiasm, which helps drive residual sales and longer user session times. This is something which Home’s successful third-party developers have learned to capitalize upon, and as we enter an era where small teams and low budgets can once again release megahits on emerging platforms, the Home developers who survive after Home itself eventually winds down some years from now will be the ones who translate their in-Home success to broader projects.

What I personally hope is not left behind, though, as these development houses inevitably begin to explore beyond Home — as nDreams, Heavy Water, Bigyama and LOOT have all done — is that magical combination of gaming experience and social game environment in which players can interact. Novus Prime itself is an excellent game, yes, but the zero-g simulator in the public space gave the game a level of immersion that was unique, and shared. It’s that fusion of gaming elements and social elements which needs to be explored and monetized.

Hellfire Games must have a crystal ball in the studio with them. Or they are a really smart bunch of game designers, because if any game is suited for future production on the PS4, Novus Prime is one of those games. A very well suited team of game designers that clearly thought of the future of gaming long ago.

Some day, many years from now, when we are deep into the emerging console generation and Home is merely a footnote in the annals of the last generation, I hope to see the Home developers I’ve come to enjoy still making great content. And I hope to see that “classic” content revisited and repackaged for a new audience. Because certain Home gaming experiences — Novus Prime perhaps chief amongst them — are worth preserving across future platforms.

Looking forward to what Hellfire Games has for us in the future. We will be watching.

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