Sons of Anarchy is a highlight of the golden age of television and a clear sign of how a concept can build momentum based on its sheer quality. Around the same time as the likes of Breaking Bad were just taking off, Sons of Anarchy managed to carve a unique niche for itself. It knew exactly who its audience was, mastered its own formula and proved that it was able to deliver on compelling character arcs. Back in the 2000s, it was pretty common for TV executives to look into the potential for a video game spinoff, that would help to establish a brand further. Although the plans rarely came to pass, there were exceptions to the rule, and the likes of Game of Thrones would eventually get their own projects, both on console and mobile.
It is the latter that has been explored in a lot more detail, with those titles that were successful at launch finding it easy to transition from the small screen to a handheld device. Sons of Anarchy seemed keen to go on this same journey, and it looked as if fans would eventually be enjoying their own adventures in this gritty world. However, what should have been a simple win for the studio turned out to be a disaster, and left fans shaking their heads. Years on, audiences are still wondering what on Earth ever happened to that Sons of Anarchy video game.
Executives Were Initially Eyeing Up an Ambitious Project
Fans Could Have Had a Console Experience
Back when Sons of Anarchy was at the height of its success in 2012, creator Kurt Sutter dreamed of a video game adaptation. For him, and the many fans that followed his work, it seemed like a natural fit. Here was a gritty and grimy backdrop, with an impressive ensemble, that audiences should be able to step into with ease, perhaps with their own creative take on an original character. It was always unclear whether Sutter intended the title to be canon or simply inspired by the series, but it would not matter since it was a new way for viewers to interact with the show.
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In their time of need, Sutter and FX reached out to Rockstar Games to help develop a console title. However, the studio, known for juggernauts like Red Dead Redemption 2, turned down the opportunity. The title went into the earliest stages of production regardless, with very few details emerging about what Sutter intended. It was initially said to be a browser-based experience, but it was eventually revealed that Sutter had actually been looking into a console release that would have taken the market by storm. The fact was, though, that regardless of the concept on the table, no studio was actually putting boots to the ground and making it happen.
Sons of Anarchy Season | Episodes | Year |
---|---|---|
1 | 13 | 2008 |
2 | 13 | 2009 |
3 | 13 | 2010 |
4 | 14 | 2011 |
5 | 13 | 2012 |
6 | 13 | 2013 |
7 | 13 | 2014 |
A console-based game inspired by a TV show is incredibly rare, even to this day, and there's no doubt that it would have been a major knock to competitors who were exploring the opportunities of the video game landscape in their own right. However, there appeared to be absolutely no progress on a Sons of Anarchy game of any variety, with Sutter seemingly unable to get the support he needed from higher-ups at FOX, and no development teams jumping on board to support his vision.
Just under a year down the line from Sutter setting out his plans, and he had to officially announce that the dream was over. There would be no console or browser-based title for Sons of Anarchy fans to stew over and their focus would have to be spent on the TV show instead. It seemed like a massive missed opportunity, and perhaps Sutter could never quite let the vision go, despite the fact that he had been told no at every stage of his developmental process.
This Somehow Became a Disastrous Mobile Title
Only One Episode Was Ever Released
Fast-forward to 2015, and Sutter was suddenly sharing a rough-cut trailer for a mobile title in the works. The idea of a Sons of Anarchy game spinoff had been revived, and they would take the form of Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect. The project really came out of nowhere and fans didn't have much to go on, considering the unfinished trailer didn't exactly show off the title's high points. But, nonetheless, there was excitement among the fan base as to what this could be. After all, Sons of Anarchy wouldn't be the first or last televised project to suddenly find itself in the App Store.
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The studio behind the release was called Orpheus Interactive Inc., a team that had no prior credits to its name. How it landed such a massive intellectual property is a mystery, but perhaps no one else wanted to say yes to what could have been considered to be a big risk. Regardless, the production crew plowed on, and fans were treated to the first episode in a ten-episode story-based mobile run. Launching on the SOAgame.com website and on mobile platforms, players were able to leap straight into the initial stage of the adventure to potentially witness the same level of drama and heartbreak that the show achieved.
- The game was developed by Orpheus Interactive, Inc.
- It was initially launched in 2015.
- The site was shut down in 2016.
- Only 1 episode was ever released.
To say it was a disappointment is an understatement. With amateurish graphics, meaningless storylines, and a format that simply didn't work, Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect wasn't taking the industry by storm as intended. It needed a lot of support and updates, to truly refine the concept. But, with another nine episodes to go, there was plenty of time to build an audience of its own and make those improvements as needed. Except, that never happened. Because by 2016 the site was closed down altogether, Orpheus Interactive Inc. ceased all operations, and no new chapters of Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect were ever released.
It's hard to say what really went wrong with the title, or why faith had been abandoned so early on. With executives at FOX not believing in the idea to begin with, perhaps the plug was pulled before the mistake could become even more expensive. Or maybe the call was made to ditch a studio that obviously had no legitimate reason to have access to the brand to begin with. Either way, Sutter's hopes of a video game adaptation were once again buried, and for now, with the series ended, it seems that they may never be dug back up again.
Sons Of Anarchy Failed To Capitalize on Its Success
There's No Chance Of a Return To the Concept
The fact is, Sons of Anarchy left it too late to capitalize on its own success. Perhaps it was the friction caused with FX's executives, but the process was simply too slow to make the most of the audience. If a game like this had been launched in 2012, maybe there would have been more interest. But things had come too far by the mid-2010s, and a title like this simply looked outdated. Especially when Sons of Anarchy was reaching its end.
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Video game adaptations, although they do happen, do not have a great history of success on mobile or console. Perhaps Sons of Anarchy could have been the concept to change all of that, but Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect only reinforced what the market thought it knew about this formula. Titles like these that put studios off of going down this path, instead opting for original takes on much larger franchises.
Mayans M.C. Season | Episodes | Year |
---|---|---|
1 | 10 | 2018 |
2 | 10 | 2019 |
3 | 10 | 2021 |
4 | 10 | 2022 |
5 | 10 | 2023 |
The future of Sons of Anarchy itself is unknown. With Disney blocking new prequels now that it has control of FX after the FOX acquisition, and Mayans M.C. coming to an end, it may well be that the IP itself will be left to die. A return to a video game project, in any form, would thus seem impossible. Especially when this kind of episodic storytelling that Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect tried to achieve is falling out of fashion.
There are very few studios left that may be able to make something like this work; Telltale is likely the only major name that would come to many fans' minds. Maybe Sons of Anarchy deserved a studio like that to give it a chance. Maybe things would have turned out differently if they had. But, for now, Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect is just a part of history and cannot be accessed in any capacity. The details of a console game have also been lost to time. Perhaps one day, fans will find out more about what was planned for either project.
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Sons of Anarchy
Crime
Drama
Thriller
A biker struggles to balance being a father and being involved in an outlaw motorcycle club.
- Release Date
- September 8, 2008
- Cast
- Kim Coates , Charlie Hunnam , Theo Rossi , Mark Boone Junior , Maggie Siff , Katey Sagal , Tommy Flanagan , Ron Perlman
- Seasons
- 7
- Story By
- Kurt Sutter
- Writers
- Kurt Sutter , Chris Collins
- Number of Episodes
- Network
- FX
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu
- Franchise(s)
- Sons Of Anarchy
- Directors
- Kurt Sutter
- Showrunner
- Kurt Sutter