Ironic game titles

[Saint Sandy]

Don't Buy This!

http://www.crashonline.org.uk/17/dontbuy.htm

oh .. and Bored of the Rings

[Foozwah]

Don't Buy This!

http://www.crashonline.org.uk/17/dontbuy.htm

oh .. and Bored of the Rings

Why is Bored of the Rings ironic?

[Saint Sandy]

... because it's a sardonic piss-take of Lord of the Rings, perchance?

[Foozwah]

Yeeeeeeees, but no.

If the title signposts that it's a piss-take of LOTR, and it is indeed a piss-take of LOTR... where's the actual irony?

(Assuming you understand "irony" is a contrast/incongruity between intended and actual expectation. Rather than a parody, which you seem to be confusing it with, and which is an entirely different thing.)

For actual irony, see Final Fantasy, for a particularly apt example which grows increasingly more so with every successive iteration of the series.

[Saint Sandy]

Yeeeeeeees, but no.

If the title signposts that it's a piss-take of LOTR, and it is indeed a piss-take of LOTR... where's the actual irony?

(Assuming you understand "irony" is a contrast/incongruity between intended and actual expectation. Rather than a parody, which you seem to be confusing it with, and which is an entirely different thing.)

For actual irony, see Final Fantasy, for a particularly apt example which grows increasingly more so with every successive iteration of the series.

right-o ... dictionary ...

1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature.
a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
3. Socratic irony.
4. dramatic irony.
5. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6. the incongruity of this.
7. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.

[WiteWulf]

The whole Civilization series, for starters because it almost always ends up in a huge war (decidedly uncivilised behaviour) and also because IT'S NOT SPELT WITH A SODDING Z!

[craigt]

Last Ninja 2 and 3

[tufty]

Iron Horse

[merman]

Last Ninja 2 and 3

On holiday years ago I was reading the ZZAP review of Last Ninja 2, and Paul Glancey's comment was "Perhaps they should have called it The Penultimate Ninja". The German teenager reading over my shoulder didn't get it.

[betamax]

Yeeeeeeees, but no.

If the title signposts that it's a piss-take of LOTR, and it is indeed a piss-take of LOTR... where's the actual irony?

(Assuming you understand "irony" is a contrast/incongruity between intended and actual expectation. Rather than a parody, which you seem to be confusing it with, and which is an entirely different thing.)

For actual irony, see Final Fantasy, for a particularly apt example which grows increasingly more so with every successive iteration of the series.

right-o ... dictionary ...

1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature.
a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
3. Socratic irony.
4. dramatic irony.
5. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6. the incongruity of this.
7. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.

It's satire, actually. Ask whats left of the Harvard Lampoon

[Foozwah]

right-o ... dictionary ...

1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature.
a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
3. Socratic irony.
4. dramatic irony.
5. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6. the incongruity of this.
7. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.

Well there's been some controversy regarding the definition of irony (fostered, it would seem, by people who don't understand what it actually is - haha! ) and I can't help but feel it's a little telling that you're citing the seventh definition from some (presumably online) dictionary...

Hair-splitting perhaps (And why not eh? This is teh interwebs!), but it's also interesting that, given that rather voluminous range of sub-definitions, the seventh and eighth differ wildly to all six that precede it.

The principle definition of irony (which you kindly provided six varietal types of above) require there to be contradictory/incongruous/opposing elements, so far so good, but then suddenly we have definitions seven and eight, which basically throw all that out the window and say "anything sardonic is irony".

To which many people (well, me for starters) would say, well no, that's just mocking/cynical humour. Or in the specific case of BotR (both the game and the book it was based on), as betamax noted, it's satire.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, methinks.

[The Caffeine Kid]

Ironic The Hedgehog

[Foozwah]

Ironic Man.

[Alarm]

Street Fighter IV

[Saint Sandy]

right-o ... dictionary ...

1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature.
a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
3. Socratic irony.
4. dramatic irony.
5. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6. the incongruity of this.
7. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.

Well there's been some controversy regarding the definition of irony (fostered, it would seem, by people who don't understand what it actually is - haha! ) and I can't help but feel it's a little telling that you're citing the seventh definition from some (presumably online) dictionary...

Hair-splitting perhaps (And why not eh? This is teh interwebs!), but it's also interesting that, given that rather voluminous range of sub-definitions, the seventh and eighth differ wildly to all six that precede it.

The principle definition of irony (which you kindly provided six varietal types of above) require there to be contradictory/incongruous/opposing elements, so far so good, but then suddenly we have definitions seven and eight, which basically throw all that out the window and say "anything sardonic is irony".

To which many people (well, me for starters) would say, well no, that's just mocking/cynical humour. Or in the specific case of BotR (both the game and the book it was based on), as betamax noted, it's satire.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, methinks.

No, I'll agree with you, I was just being a pedant.
Next week bathos vs. pathos!