Done right, the well regarded FX biker gang series Sons of Anarchy would seem to be a natural fit for a game adaptation. It's got guns, violence, antiheroes and a natural open-world setting. Doing it right, however, takes a lot of money and commitment. That is is why the series is getting "NO TRACTION" toward a video game, says creator Kurt Sutter, who long ago promised any SoA game wouldn't be "some slapcrap browser thing."
"before you slam all parties, know that making a game is like making a movie," Sutter Tweeted last night. "HUGE upfront cost. games are in decline. it's very risky." That is all very true.
Then, he said. "i still don't wanna do a shitty browser game like [The Walking Dead] (sorry @glenmazzara [the show's executive producer], show's awesome, game sucks). not sure what the options are." And that's true, too. We didn't think The Walking Dead was any good on Facebook, either.
"as a gamer, it's my responsibility to deliver a great game. not some 1/2 promotional piece of shit like [Game of Thrones]," Sutter then said. "to do that means time/$$$." Harsh, but also true. We didn't care for the Game of Thrones adaptation, either.
If you're not going the casual/promotional route, and if you want a fully-featured AAA game that's going to be worth the license, you're talking about a very significant commitment for any publisher of any size. As Sutter's already acknowledged, we're in a risk-averse industry—with publishers like Take-Two Interactive openly avoiding any licensed property.
Faced with those circumstances, what seems to be the solution? It then hits Sutter.
I'm ... reasonably sure Sutter's being facetious, folks. As natural a fit as it might seem, don't expect a Sons of Anarchy game any time soon.