As wholesome family-values television shows go, few hold the kind of generation-defining characters as Jim Henson's Sesame Street. Big Bird, Snuffy, Oscar the Grouch, Burt and Ernie – timeless creations from the greatest puppetry studio on the planet. However, why is it that Sesame Street has never had a game spin-off worth playing through? Is it the '5-and-under' age bracket? The squeaky-clean themes? Are these elements holding back a potentially blockbuster franchise?
Yeah, probably.
It doesn't take a genius to look at a brand like Sesame Street and see the potential dollars. But what if, in the traditions of Warren Spector's 'Epic Mickey' game, someone reimagined Henson's colourful cast, fouling their neighbourhood and transforming the Sesame Street franchise into something dark, epic and mature?
Wonder no more. 'Epic Sesame Street' is the brainchild of Clifford Bleszinski over at Epic – the result of a so-called "childhood obsession with Sesame Street and science fiction." Epic has supplied IGN with these images and the results speak for themselves; make of it what you will.
As Cliff explains, "I like to keep gamers on their toes. I like to make them question themselves while they're playing, too. It adds a new dimension to the Sesame Street mythology and I think now's the right time. People are ready for edgier content in games – concepts that take childhood memories and brands and feed them through a meat grinder."
Stick around for a full interview with Cliff Bleszinski coming shortly.