Game Proposal

Jericho One

Corey Cole & Lori Ann Cole, Senior Product Designers

Executive Summary:

High Concept: Science fiction animated graphic adventure with fascinating, believable party members.

Synopsis:

The year is 2212, sixty-two years after the destruction of world civilization -- the day the machines stopped. You are a special agent assigned to salvage the device called "Joshua", lost deep within the lower regions of the cityplex called Jericho. You will select a team of four specialists to accompany you to this No-Man's-Land that at one time was home, recreation center, and workplace for 885,000 people. The complex is known to be a dangerous place, filled with mutated beasts and traps for the unwary. Each of your team members has unique skills with which to help you accomplish your mission. . . and survive.

Jericho has been long since been built over by the survivors who left the city during the disaster. What is unknown is how many inhabitants trapped in the cityplex survived, and what became of them. You are given a computerized map of the original complex, but how it resembles the current situation is unknown. You and your team enter from the top of the building and try to make your way down to the center of Jericho.

You are not the only one sent on a mission to find the Joshua device. There is a rival organization that has sent its own team. The team is lead by an old acquaintance and enemy, Sandor Vaye. He is ruthless, and will go out of his way to stop you from ever leaving this cityplex, particularly if he has to kill you first.

In addition, your team was picked for its skill, not for its ability to get along with one another. Turning this group of individuals into a team that works well together requires true leadership ability and diplomacy.

Jericho is inhabited by mutant and human tribes. Some of these are actively hostile, while others can be bargained with for supplies. There are a few very interesting individuals who will aid you, delay you, or try to kill you as you work your way through the cityplex. All in all, your mission is dangerous and will require all your skills and the abilities of your comrades to survive and recover the Joshua Device.

Game Play:

Jericho One is a first-person-perspective science fiction adventure game. The player determines the skills and abilities of the special mission team leader and chooses four additional characters to fill out the squad. Each potential team member has a unique artificial personality and agenda. The player will encounter one of eight different story lines depending on the party selected. He must decide whom to trust and determine how to lead a party of very different (and possibly incompatible) individuals. Along the way the party will encounter hostile creatures (and some who may be helpful) and mysterious advanced technology.

The characters improve and learn new skills as they discover memory chips and teaching machines within the ancient ruins. Game play will feel dramatically different depending both on which story line is active and on the party composition. Players will be able to replay Jericho One multiple times, getting a different game experience each time.

Character interaction is an important part of the game. Conversations will be triggered both by the leader speaking to a team member (or to an NPC) and by game events. Conversation will serve as an important way of providing story background and clues to the player, but will be avoidable. Of course, morale depends on how well you communicate with your team, and a team with high morale works better.

Similarly, the player will have plenty of opportunity to deal with hostile encounters by stealth, bribery, or communication.

This game is the next generation of adventure games. It will be the first game in which the character personalities really affect game play. It will appeal equally to women and men since you can select the gender of your choice and is NOT just a hack and slash role-playing game. It will provide hours of playtime and complete replayability.

Marketing:

Target Audience:

* Adventure game players

* Science fiction readers/fans

* Players who like strong character interaction and story games

Market Differentiation:

* Party members have "real" artificial personalities (character interaction)

* Player can choose own role (male/female/exotic humanoid)

* Multiple plotlines determined by player's choice of party

* More believable than fantasy games (technology instead of magic)

* State-of-the-art high-resolution 3-D graphics

Related Products:

Mission Critical (Legend Entertainment)

The Dig (LucasArts Entertainment)