Do movies make good video games and vice versa? That is the
question that has irked both game and movie makers for years.
Generally, it turns out that movies translate well into games, as
“Golden Eye” and “Star Wars” have proven.
Unfortunately, this property is not commutative, as there has yet
to be a good movie adaptation of a video game.
I write this column as we stand on the precipice of the release
of two hugely anticipated “movie games.” The first is
“The Lord of the Rings” for PlayStation 2 (not to be
confused with the Xbox game of the same name, which is based solely
on the book) and the second is “Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets” to be released on PS2, Xbox and GameCube.
Interestingly, both the “LOTR” and “Harry
Potter” games were developed by Electronic Arts Games.
Fundamentally, a video game is more difficult to adapt to the
medium of film because video games are more action-driven than
plot-driven.
Likewise, the characters are often so fantastical that getting
actors who can play them is an impossibility (with one exception
possibly being Angelina Jolie in “Tomb Raider”).
Another issue is movies based on video games usually assume the
viewer is familiar with the game, instantly cutting out a large
portion of the possible audience. In the flip case, practically
every video game consumer can be assumed to have viewed the movie
in question without excluding any prospective buyers.
Where am I leading with all of this? Well, the video game
industry has been evolving at amazing speed in the last few years,
and it is steadily approaching Hollywood in terms of cost of
production and publicity for each game. “Shenmue,” for
instance, cost almost 30 million dollars to produce.
Newer games are likely to cost up to 50 million dollars to make,
especially if the developer has to program a new game engine.
More importantly, games like “Shenmue,” “Metal
Gear,” and “Final Fantasy” are beginning to blur
the line between movies and games. The result is a sort of
interactive movie in which the player becomes the will of the main
character.
While games can range from movie-like to arcade style, movies
have much less leeway. Most game-to-movie failures simply lacked a
plot. “Street Fighter,” “Mortal Kombat” and
“Resident Evil” come to mind. While “Tomb
Raider” and “Final Fantasy” were actually
watchable, they were only commendable with the qualification they
had the disadvantage of being based on video games.
So, the verdict is video games place a muzzle on film
creativity, while movies open a world of possibilities for games.
Yay for gamers!
The word on the street is “Lord of the Rings” for
PS2 is a perfect adaptation of the movie into game format. The game
follows the events starting from the end of “Fellowship of
the Ring” and ending somewhere within the events of the
“Two Towers.” Most impressive is that the actual actors
such as Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortensen provided voices for the
in-game characters. The game format allows for heavy inclusion of
video from “Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Two
Towers.” Each level starts with video from the movie,
followed by a computer generated cut scene, which flows seamlessly
into gameplay.
The graphics are also said to be top notch, and the sound
includes music from the original soundtrack score.
Meanwhile, in Harry Potter’s world, an entirely new game
based on “The Chamber of Secrets” will soon be released
for all three consoles. The buzz around this game promises gorgeous
graphics and textures that the exotic settings from the movie would
demand. The game is also touted for the various genres of gameplay
all built into one game. Some levels will resemble normal action
adventure games a la Mario Sunshine, while others will require
stealth operations in the vain of Metal Gear Solid.
The holiday season is looking good. With so many quality films
and movie-inspired games on the way, I can just hear the money
flying out of my pockets, and thankfully I don’t have to
spend it on “Street Fighter the Movie 3: Revenge of Street
Fighter.”
Robert’s entertainment technology column runs on
Fridays.