Talk: The Adventure Games

Future episodes

The Doctor Who Adventure Games client connects to http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/static/doctorwho/tag/sparkle/ReleasedEpisodes.txt to see what episodes have been released, by changing this file to something stored on a different host with the number "4" instead of "1" the client will link you to the following sites which, in future, will let you download the client updates. Episode 2: https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/theadventuregames/download/bloodofthecybermen Episode 3: https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/theadventuregames/download/tardis Episode 4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/theadventuregames/download/shadowsofthevashtanerada

This reveals the names of future episodes, hence I have added them to the article.

• Please sign your comments. Anyway, that doesn't work. There may be titles in there, but those can only be considered working titles until the BBC announces them. There are plenty of examples of the BBC changing the titles of DW episodes between production and broadcast. The same can be said of the games, too. As with everything, no information can be deemed 100% correct with regards to BBC-produced Doctor Who material until the BBC confirms it. 68.146.81.123 23:16, June 14, 2010 (UTC)
• The episode titles are more than likely correct as they are contained within a game's file which has data for the episodes menu. The episode names are in plain text at the end of the file entitled 'EpisodeMenu_EN.dat' it is stored in the 'Common' folder which holds files which are universal and are not episode specifc. Menu file (94.168.24.67 15:14, June 16, 2010 (UTC))
• Just one note, after installing Blood Of The Cybermen the files containing the data for the episode menu have been patched to remove the last two episode name. I think it it safe to assume T.A.R.D.I.S and Shadows Of The Deep are the names of the episodes (94.168.24.67 19:10, June 26, 2010 (UTC))
• Current speculation that Blood of the Cybermen was intended to be released first due to file directory is probably incorrect - Blood of the Cybermen starts with a B, and is therefore infront of (or in directory terms, on top of) City of the Daleks. Simple file hierarchy.

Involving the Silurians?

One of the Pictures involves a new GSO logo, Geo- Sur- Out-. Geo- = Geology? Mining = Silurians? Just something to think about. -Tom

GSO is im correct was the exploring base used in the cybermen game.

This is an episodic graphic adventure video game, not an interactive episode

Doctor Who: The Adventure Games is an episodic graphic adventure video game, not an interactive episode. Two completely different things. An example of an interactive episode is Attack of the Graske. An example of an episodic graphic adventure video game is Tales of Monkey Island. Can we please have this changed around so people are not confused? The wikipedia article on the game is a bit more well informed as well having numerous links to sources about it. Just go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who:_The_Adventure_Games --Vitas 12:29, April 10, 2010 (UTC)

Well Piers Wenger has been quoted as saying, "There aren't 13 episodes, but 17', or something similar. So some people up top are viewing them as episodes. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 16:12, April 11, 2010 (UTC)

Lu-igi board - are these games going to be downloadable, or on disc?

In the UK, just download. It might be a different story for the commercial version being released internationally. 68.146.81.123 13:28, June 3, 2010 (UTC)

Discussion of obtaining the games

I recommend the powers that be keep an eye on this article. There is a lot of anger over the fact the BBC has restricted the games to the UK, especially the "free download" part. People have already started posting "workarounds" on various forums, and it would probably be against the rules for similar information to be posted here. I have read that the UK installer confirms the location of the installing computer and won't work outside the UK; this needs a reputable source, but might be worth adding to the article. 68.146.81.123 13:28, June 3, 2010 (UTC)

The installer won't work unless the region/language is set to the UK, confirmed to work. --Antovolk 13:28, June 5, 2010 (UTC)

the winter of terror

is this a game becuse there is no source Drwhoworld 12:01, June 4, 2010 (UTC)

Logos

There are two logos, one is the Adventure Games logo, the other is the title card from inside the game, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttm76h87n-E --Antovolk 13:30, June 5, 2010 (UTC)

Release dates

I know that the remaining three TV episodes will all be continuous in same form, but as there are three games left to be released, d you think each will be released after the episodes, or will they all be released by the time of the finale??

• Since the finale airs in less than 2 weeks, I would imagine the answer to the last part of your question would be no. This also makes it less likely that the non-UK commercial release announced for July will be of the full set (bet that will go over like a lead balloon with fans, especially if the cost for the first game is anything more than what you might pay for an iTunes song download). My wild guess is that the game releases will be spelled out over the coming months, maybe linking up with the Christmas special. 68.146.81.123 23:14, June 14, 2010 (UTC)
• The second game is being released (or at least announced) on 22 June, so that pretty much answers the question. The other two will probably not follow until later in the summer. That also means the so-called "retail version" non-UK fans are being forced to buy will likely be just the one game at a time. That's assuming they even release it. Over in North America we are still waiting for the international release of Destiny of the Doctors from a decade ago. 68.146.81.123 17:01, June 19, 2010 (UTC)

Edit needed, and a section suggestion

I can't edit this because the article is protected -- there's an outdated reference to an "unofficial announcement" of the release date for the second game. Obviously the announcement is official now following the press conference of a few days ago. Also, how about adding a section explaining (with sources) the reasoning behind why the games are free in the UK but not elsewhere? If you go around the boards and blogs there is a lot of people who don't understand why this has happened. There's also been some media criticism of the BBC funding the games, too. Granted, the whole "UK pays the license fee; everyone else doesn't" argument applies to many other geo-restricted online content such as Captain Jack's Monster Files, Attack of the Graske, etc. but these games are certainly the most prominent example of UK-restricted content to date. (Probably the only thing that might exceed it would be if the BBC, heaven forbid, were to produce a Doctor Who episode available to UK audiences only.) 68.146.81.123 15:54, June 25, 2010 (UTC)

International release has occurred

For those able to edit the article the first two games have now been made available for sale (for a small fee) internationally. See [1]. Of course leave it to the BBC or whomever is in charge to screw it up -- the Mac version has not been made available. 68.146.81.123 15:37, July 23, 2010 (UTC)

• And according to a comment made here, there won't be a Mac release outside the UK. Hooray! 68.146.81.123 18:48, July 23, 2010 (UTC)
  • As this appears to be a permanent situation (with no apparent reasons given for the discrimination), I've updated the game-related articles accordingly, including a link here indicating that by not releasing the Mac version D2D has actually prevented some sites from posting reviews. 23skidoo 15:06, August 12, 2010 (UTC)

Available on Steam. http://store.steampowered.com/app/268830/ --173.77.233.152^{talk to me} 03:58, March 18, 2014 (UTC)

Series 1/Series 2

Steven Moffat has confirmed that there will be a second series to be released in 2011 so now that we know they are refering to these as series should we move this article to: Doctor Who: The Adventure Games (Series 1)?? -- Michael Downey 12:22, September 20, 2010 (UTC)

Not sure yet, maybe we should wait for enough info to make a series 2 article before changing this one. Revanvolatrelundar 12:46, September 20, 2010 (UTC)

For future reference the article is here: http://www.kasterborous.com/2010/09/20/more-adventure-games-in-2011/ Revanvolatrelundar 12:50, September 20, 2010 (UTC)

Passing the blame for no Mac version

I'm sure citing personal e-mails in an article would run afoul of some "original research" rule, but I recently received correspondence from the BBC complaints department to whom I harped about the fact Direct2Drive is refusing to issue the Mac version internationally. According to the e-mail I got the blame may not lie with D2D but BBC Worldwide, which may have decided not to release the Mac version outside the UK. Exactly why they'd do this is anyone's guess (maybe for the same reason the recently-announced Wii and DS games won't be available in North America? Platform-specific licensing?). 68.146.81.123 14:01, September 20, 2010 (UTC)

Check Wikipedia please

Someone should probably go check if everything is correct on the Wikipedia counterpart of this page (link). I just had to remove some references to Sega, and the history shows it's mostly been edited by anonymous users. Digifiend 21:14, February 24, 2012 (UTC)

The Adventure Games Cancelled

I went on cite reference 9, on the page, hoping to find out when the next episode was going to be released. However I discovered another page, and it stated that the BBC is focusing it's efforts elsewhere. It also stated that there were going to be three more episodes, but they have all been cancelled and the Series ended. However, The Eternity Clock and other games are still being released. This means the BBC have cancelled "Doctor Who Confidential", "Doctor Who: The Adventure Games" while the Sarah Jane Adventures have sadly ended. While releasing new games and "Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock". --Ryan0ry ^{talk to me} 16:19, March 9, 2012 (UTC)

Publishers and developers

Now, I'm positive that Sumo's the developer, but what are all the other developers and publishers mentioned in the infobox going on about? That just seems made up. (Plus isn't it BBC Wales Interactive who published the online version, rather than "BBC Online"?) -- Tybort (talk page) 16:46, February 1, 2016 (UTC)

Rename

Can I rename the article to The Adventure Games (video game series) that I can get rid of this template? Please, give me a quick answer. Kuki5050 ☎ 12:46, November 4, 2017 (UTC)

As already explained to Kuki5050 on August 3, moves/renames of pages on this wiki are only to be performed by admins. The rationale behind it is explained at Thread:128198. Amorkuz ☎ 13:32, November 4, 2017 (UTC)

Changing infobox to merchandising to game

I believe the page's infobox should be changed from merchandising to game. Similar episodic games, like Doctor Who: Legacy and Doctor Who Infinity, have the infobox of games. Doctor Who: The Adventure Games should be the same, as it is a game, not a merchandising stunt or something like Time Lord Victorious, that was presented in different medias. Doctor Who: The Adventure Games is only a game.

--D25m09 15:04, December 15, 2020 (UTC)

No. Doctor Who: The Adventure Games is a collection of games, unlike Legacy or Infinity. That's why it has the Merchandise Infobox. For something like Series 5 (Doctor Who) we have a specially made Infobox specifically for Series, and an analogous example exists for things like Class: The Audio Adventures, but, for instance, the Virgin New Adventures uses the Merchandise Infobox as well. Even though it's a series. As does, say, Faction Paradox (series). Until and unless there is a "Game Series" Infobox made, which given the wiki's policies around video games I highly doubt will ever happen, this is how we approach the issue. Not because it's a merchandising stunt or because it spans different media, but because it's a series that isn't in audio or televisual form, and we label those with the Merchandise Infobox. Najawin ☎ 18:37, 15 December 2020 (UTC)

Doctor Who: The Adventure Games is not a collection of games, it's *the* game. It's the same, for instance, as The Walking Dead or Batman: The Telltale Series. You can't play the episodes individually. You need the main game to do it. Just like in Legacy and Infinity. A collection of games is, for instance, Atari Vault. It gets different games (*really* different games) who were release separately and released them in one package. The episodes in The Adventure Games follow the same gameplay, the same visuals. It's not like the first game is a top down action-adventure, the second is a 2D plataformer, the third is a 3D first-person shooter. They follow the pattern established by the game, The Adventure Games. They are episodes, not games. --D25m09 15:57, December 16, 2020 (UTC)

The issue is that we've been explicitly told by the naming that it's multiple games, and we try not to argue with things like that. Now, I see you're advocating a much larger policy shift here than just changing the infobox, so that requires more than just you and me. It's a change to multiple pages and is probably best served by the forums when they return, but can take place here for now. I will say that you need to stop making changes based on it until this discussion is resolved. T:BOUND absolutely forbids you from doing that. But what you're proposing is a massive change in how we handle The Adventure Games that many people will need to comment on. Najawin ☎ 19:07, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

I think another window into the issue, @D25m09, which you might not have considered, is that we don't give a damn about game mechanics on this Wiki. This isn't the right place to document whether something "is a top-down action adventure, a 2D platformer, or a 3D first-person shooter". In terms of a gaming experience, I'm sure many a video-gam expert would agree that The Adventure Games is a single "game".

However, we care about these things as stories — and the fact that the narrative elements are cluttered by game mechanics is in fact more of an annoyance than anything else, from where we're standing as Wiki-editors. We view The Adventure Games as the medium for the release of a handful of DWU narratives; the narratives are what we care about, not the production realities of the game framework.

Another thing to look at, if you're still having trouble understanding our point of view, might be short story anthologies. From a real-world publisher's perspective, The Wintertime Paradox and A Brief History of Time Lords are basically the same thing: both are books. However, in terms of narrative content, one contains several distinct stories, whereas the other is a single novel. Scrooge MacDuck ☎ 19:16, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

Thanks, Scrooge. I now understand this point of view. Though I might disagree with calling the episodes as games (when they announced The Adventure Games, they said they were gonna released "the first series", which implies that each "game" is, indeed, a episode), it made more sense to me this reasoning. --D25m09 17:06, December 16, 2020 (UTC)

From Box UK's discussion of the issue:

The Doctor Who Episodic Game Initiative, commissioned for BBC Online and driven by BBC Wales Interactive, is part of the BBC’s campaign to increase computer literacy amongst those who aren’t regular net users. Doctor Who: The Adventure Games comprises 4 interactive downloadable computer games [...] BBC Online undertook production of a downloadable game to complement the Doctor Who TV series, consisting of four interactive episodes. [Emphasis my own] (Source)

The original press release states, though the link we have no longer works and I had to go find it:

These four new adventures will take the form of downloadable computer games [...] "Now, there's something else – now, they can be The Doctor in brand-new episodes.[..]"[...] "There aren't 13 episodes of Doctor Who this year, there are 17 – four of which are interactive.[..]"[...] [Emphasis again my own] (Source)

It is abundantly clear that insofar that they called these things an episode or a series, they were referring to them as games that were episodic in nature and games that took place as episodes within the context of the show itself. Why do we know that? Because they explicitly told us that. The BBC also considers these separate games per their press releases and the press releases of those associated with them. Whether or not we as a wiki want to agree with the BBC is, of course, up for debate. But given our other policies surrounding video games, such as our general belief that gameplay is narrative, something that puts at odds with, I believe, every wiki that covers video games ever, I really can't imagine that we're going to disagree with the BBC over this to preserve conventional game terminology. (Note that I personally think some of our video game decisions are incredibly stupid, but they are what they are and it would take monumental amounts of work to change them.) Najawin ☎ 06:39, 17 December 2020 (UTC)