What IP Needs to Be an RPG

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I remember playing my first Call of Cthulhu game. It was at GenCon many years ago when GenCon was in Milwaukee and the Safehouse was the place to be.

At the time all I knew was that Call of Cthulhu was a horror roleplaying game. The idea sounded cool and the game fit into my schedule so why not.

I had a blast.

It truly was a wonderful game that fundamentally changed many of my thoughts around table top roleplaying. It wasn’t just swords and sorcery, there were other worlds out there to be explored.

After the game I realized that Call of Cthulhu wasn’t just a neat game. It was based on an entire world created by author H.P. Lovecraft. I had copies of “At the Mountains of Madness” and “The Shadow of Innsmouth” in my hands by the end of the week.

I think that is where my love of games that come from Intellectual Properties or IPs came from.

What’s an IP you ask? 

Well simply put it is a creation of the mind typically found in inventions, literature, film, or any other medium that a person can apply for a patent, trademark, copyright, etc.

While D&D was built on the backs of Tolkien’s middle earth and Howard’s Conan it wasn’t specifically set in that world. Traveller leaned heavily into the old Sci-Fi serials like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and Dumarest of Terra, but it was its own thing. As far as I can tell Call of Cthulhu is the first roleplaying game truly built on an IP.

But it wasn’t the last.

Star Wars, Star Trek, Middle Earth Role Playing, Marvel Superhero’s, DC Adventures and James Bond 007 all followed quickly. Today as I glance at my gaming bookshelf, I notice a trend.

Games based on IP’s.

From Aliens to Farscape, From the One Ring to Monster Hunter International, From Blade Runner to Star Trek, from Star Wars to The Expanse and from Conan to James Bond. I love the IPs.

In this week’s episode Mike, Christina and I are going to talk about Intellectual Property Games. We are going to talk about why they are so successful, why people like them, and some of our favorites. But specifically, we are going to talk about the what IP isn’t a game right now, but should be.

Before we go down that road, Christina, what’s your current favorite game based on an IP?

[Kick to Christina]

Mike, this question probably makes your brain melt. You can’t pick Star Wars and Middle Earth Roleplaying…you gotta choose, so which one is your current favorite.