The New York Times reports that blockbuster Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer is going to try his hand at developing video games. The Times says Bruckheimer's company is going to announce a deal with MTV next Wednesday.
On Wednesday Mr. Bruckheimer's company will announce a deal with MTV to develop actual video games, which would probably start appearing on store shelves in 2009. The new games will be based on fresh concepts rather than on current MTV shows or on Mr. Bruckheimer's vast library of past projects, which includes the "C.S.I." television franchise and movies like "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."
As its audience has grown more interested in video games, MTV, a division of Viacom, is trying to follow them. In August, MTV announced that it would invest more than $500 million in its interactive entertainment business over the next two years. Several weeks ago, it released Rock Band, a well-reviewed game in which players operate instrument-shaped controllers in time to pop songs.
But this deal marks the company's first attempt to develop titles that do not involve music or its already established television shows.
"This is more analogous to a film deal," said Van Toffler, president of the MTV Networks Music and Logo Group. "We'll have a handful of people who will develop and nurture ideas."
The article doesn't really say what type of games Bruckheimer will develop but if it follows the style of his movies then these will be games with very large budgets. Other big Hollywood directors including Steve Spielberg and John Woo have also developed video games.
Electronic Arts placed this video of The Simpsons video game on YouTube where it quickly received over 1.5 million views. The video plays to the "Rock You Like a Hurricane" song by the Scorpions. The Simpsons game hits stores November 1st for the Playstation2, Playstation3, XBOX 360, Wii, NDS and PSP. They are pretty excited about a toy called the Homerball (pictured on right) on the official website. If the game is as big a hit as the movie it should do pretty well. By the way, the website for the Simpsons film had a few time killer games include a skateboarding Bart game that isn't bad and a pong game you play against computer opponents. They also have a Simpson's avatar creator tool there.
GT Countdown has created this video featuring the worst movie-based video games. Movie video games can be extra bad because as GT Countdown explains they are often rushed so they can have the same release date as the movie. Some of the games listed as the very worst include Back to the Future, Fight Club, Street Fighter The Movie, Bad Boys: Miami Takedown, The Fifth Element, E.T. (Atari) and Charlie's Angels. These are some really bad video games but the stupid E.T. game for the Atari 2600 really should have been the #1 worst movie video game because it is so terrible.
HBO has acquired a documentary film shot in second life that follows the journey of Molotov Alta in Second Life. Molotov Alta is the avatar of the documentary filmmaker Douglas Gayeton. Reuters reports that Gayeton was paid a six-figure sum for the rights to the film.
HBO said on Tuesday it has acquired the rights to a short-form documentary shot entirely within Second Life, as entertainment companies increasingly turn to virtual worlds as a source for new content.
"My Second Life: The video diaries of Molotov Alta" purports to tell the story of a man who "disappeared from his California home" and began issuing video dispatches from Second Life. The popular virtual world, which has its own currency and a growing economy, has drawn millions of users who create alter egos called avatars and interact with people from around the world.
HBO, the premium channel owned by Time Warner Inc, paid a six-figure sum for the rights, Douglas Gayeton, who made the film, said in an interview. Gayeton, who uses the avatar Molotov Alta in Second Life, said the documentary is scheduled for release in 2008.
Second Life has hosted dozens of real world companies in the past year, usually as a means of promoting products like cars or movies. However, Hollywood has been increasingly interested in using worlds like Second Life as virtual movie sets, a process known as machinima.
A website for the documentary can be found here. The documentary film contains seven parts. 1UP reports that HBO is so excited about the film that are submitting it for an academy award in the animated short subject category.
The film was first reported at a mystery documentary by Boing Boing back in March. It was also covered by New World Notes.
Writers Write, Inc. Launches Fantasy and Science Fiction Blog
Writers Write, Inc. has added a new blog to its blog network called FantasySFBlog.com. Fantasy/SF Blog is a daily blog covering what's new and interesting in the worlds of fantasy, SF, and horror, including books, movies, TV and gaming.
Jessica Alba is one of the characters in the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer video game, which is based on the blockbuster film. Jessica Alba talked recently with Yahoo Games about video games. Alba's clearly been a gamer since she was little and she says that games have made great progress.
The graphics are insane. They're so real. I grew up playing Bomberman and Pac-Man and Super Mario Brothers and Zelda, where you had just this little guy who could barely walk and the music was like doot... doot... doot. And the way they walked was so stiff and robotic. And now the game characters look like people moving around. It's a similar technology to what we use in Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. We now know how to make films that are completely animated and computer-generated, and convincingly real.
Alba also told Yahoo Games she likes the Wii and how it gets people active.
I think the physicality of the Wii gets people off the couch. Sometimes you can just sit there playing a video game for hours and never move and you're brain is just zapped from playing the game. With the Wii, you're up on your feet and moving around. The physical aspect of it is great, especially for kids. They actually call it the Wii Diet, since active players can burn calories!
Jessica Alba also explained what it is like to see yourself in a video game.
"I have seen myself in video games, like in Dark Angel or the first Fantastic Four game. It's totally weird. It's like having an action figure. It's super cool, but it's like, there's no way this is real. You know they do body scans and everything to make the game characters look as much like you as they can. It's completely cool and bizarre."
It would be totally weird to see yourself in a video game. We should all be able to have this experience eventually thanks to improving face-scanning technology (see here and here). Someday you will simply scan yourself and make the game the Fantastic Five instead of the Fantastic Four.
You can catch a glimpse of Jessica Alba in the trailer for the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer video game below. The homepage for the video game can be found here.
The International Herald Tribunereports that game developer Ubisoft is creating a short film for Altair, the hero of Ubisoft's Crusades-era video game Assassin's Creed. Ubisoft has launched its own digital film studio to create this film and future films.
Altair, a stealthy assassin with a preference for crossbows and retractable stilettos, is already a hero of his own popular video game, but soon he will leap this genre like he jumps giant chasms.
Ubisoft, the French developer of games like "Prince of Persia" and "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell," is opening a digital cinema studio in Montreal, and its first production will be an eight-minute film based on the game "Assassin's Creed," starring Altair.
"We may consider doing longer-form films or television sometime in the future," said Mary Beth Hensen, a spokeswoman for Ubisoft, which is based in Montreuil, a suburb of Paris. "We're basically putting to work the existing creativity of our game developers as well as adding a more traditional cinematic slant to our roster."
Ubisoft says the short film will be distributed online and in video game consoles.
"We want our universe to be respected," said Emmanuel Carre, a company spokesman. "Too often, the movies made from video games don't respect the characters. The producers want to make a mainstream movie, but if the fans decide it's not good, the movie won't be a success. With our new studio, the same people making the games will be working closely with the people making the films." The company already has made alliances with Hollywood, creating games like "Peter Jackson's King Kong" and selling rights to the Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer to make a movie inspired by its medieval game "Prince of Persia."
Ubisoft's first short film will appear this year with the ambition of circulating it through Web sites, iPods and video game consoles like Microsoft's X-box Live, according to Carre, who said that for the moment the company was not looking to traditional movie theaters for distribution.
The Multiverse Network, Inc. has optioned the rights from Twentieth Century Fox to develop an MMOG based on Firefly, the science fiction television series and film (Serenity) created by Joss Whedon. A Wiredarticle notes how popular the show is with fans -- especially with the diehard Browncoats. Multiverse will have to try and please these fans in order to be able to populate the MMORPG with players.
The "Browncoats," as Firefly's most devoted fans are known, have been campaigning to bring the show back almost since the moment it was canceled in late 2002. Now they'll get their wish, albeit in a new form.
"We see virtual worlds as an extraordinarily promising new entertainment medium," said Adam Kline, Fox Licensing's vice president of media enterprises in an e-mail. "We believe Multiverse can deliver an experience that will remain true to the original series, while enabling a whole new level of personal involvement for fans."
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The online version will move away from those central characters -- after all, there's only one Mal Reynolds. In an MMORPG, "everybody has to have their own story," says Multiverse co-founder and executive producer Corey Bridges.
"Television series can be really good properties to turn into MMOs, because when you make a TV series, not only do you need great characters, but you need to create a full, rich, compelling place," Bridges says. "If you're doing science fiction, you have to really think it out and create an incredibly rich environment that is compelling in its own right, and worth exploring and going back to week after week. That's what Joss Whedon did with Firefly."
The Red Herringreports that professional game leagues like Major League Gaming (MLG) and the World Series of Video Games (WSVG) are heading to television thanks to deals with television networks like Comcast and CBS.
The Comcast deal is a partnership with professional game league Major League Gaming (MLG) and will include distribution of a MLG television show on Comcast’s On-Demand service and also the company's GameInvasion.net web site. Comcast also opened access to GameInvasion, which was previously only available to the company’s high-speed Internet service customers. The site will also feature videos from G4 Television, GameTrailers.com, and IGN.
Yesterday, the World Series of Video Games (WSVG) unveiled its own network TV partnership, announcing a series of deals with CBS, CSTV, and HD network Voom that will bring the footage to a major U.S. network for the first time. The deal will collectively bring some 20 hours of content to U.S. viewers. The WSVG also said it is investigating international distribution for the content.
CBS coverage will include a one-hour special set to air on December 30 at 3pm. The show will feature footage of a number of professional gamers, including Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel—one of the sport's best-known U.S. competitors. Mr. Wendel has appeared in a number of mainstream media outlets and, in addition to his tournament battles, now peddles his own line of game hardware, accessories, and apparel.
Comcast did not offer details about when its initial gaming broadcast will be available, saying only that it will include footage from last month's MLG national championship in Las Vegas. The footage will initially air on NBC-owned USA Network. Earlier this year, MLG announced a partnership with USA to bring several hour-long shows to the cable network.
It is about time the pro gamers have their fifteen minutes of televised fame. The competitions also might be more exciting with the help of professional announcers.
Most of the coverage of persistent online worlds is focused on WoW or Second Life but MTV's September launch of Virtual Laguna Beach was noteworthy. MTV turned the reality-tv idea into a virtual world as the New York Timesreported two months ago when Virtual Laguna Beach debuted.
Now the cable channel aims to push the boundaries of false reality one step further. This week, MTV will introduce Virtual Laguna Beach, an online service in which fans of the program can immerse themselves - or at least can immerse digitized, three-dimensional characters, called avatars, that they control - in virtual versions of the show’s familiar seaside hangouts.
"You can not only watch TV, but now you can actually live it," Van Toffler, the president of the MTV Networks Music, Film and Logo Group, said in an interview.
Wednesday's introduction of Virtual Laguna Beach is the first of three virtual worlds that MTV plans over the next year as part of an effort to steal a march on popular Web sites like MySpace and YouTube that have diverted the attention of the MTV audience. Virtual Laguna Beach will be making its debut two weeks after the abrupt dismissal of Tom Freston as chief executive of Viacom, MTV Networks' parent. One reason cited by Viacom’s chairman, Sumner M. Redstone, for replacing Mr. Freston was that the company had not been aggressive enough in its online expansion. Judy McGrath, the chief executive of MTV Networks, said the timing with the Web site was unrelated to Viacom’s corporate turmoil.
CNET also had an article about the launch of VLB which is a partnership between MTV and There.com. The site includes features like avatars, chat, shopping, games, videos and event parties. There is no charge to register. The site has included tie-ins with the Laguna Beach reality-tv show like this one:
As Tessa, Chase, Cameron and the rest of the cast attend the Winter Formal in this week's episode (10 p.m. ET/PT Wednesday, Sept. 27), viewers can live the experience for themselves a day earlier in Virtual Laguna Beach (VLB), the new, immersive 3D social-networking experience from MTV Networks' Music Group. They can also catch the following night's episode a day before its on-air debut -- a move that marks the first time a television show premieres in its entirety in a virtual world.
Wikipedia has a list of some of the guests that have made appearances in VLB. Terra Nova also has a post with some interesting thoughts about VLB. If MTV's idea catches on we may see many virtual worlds pop-up to live side-by-side with their tv show counterparts.
It was over a year ago when we first blogged that a company called Cecropia was working on a romantic comedy game. They were working on an interactive game with complex characters and a rich graphics and animations. The Cecropia team includes former Disney and Pixar animators. They are closer to releasing the romantic comedy game and recently offered a preview of their upcoming game called The Act.
Players take the role of Edgar, a shy window washer who is tossed into a strange role and must maintain the deception – The Act – through a series of increasingly challenging scenes. Players use a simple knob to control Edgar's reactions and interactions with a comic supporting cast.
More than 1,200 people have played The Act since the field test began. The reaction, from hard-core gamers to people who don't usually play video games, is outstanding.
These are comments of people who played the game from a Cecropia press release but they do indicate that some people found the game enjoyable.
"It's a cinematic experience you don't get in any other video game. I enjoyed watching the emotions of the characters and I wanted to know how the story ended because I really cared what happened to them."
"It is the most original game I've seen in a long time. It has the eye candy factor of past games like Dragon's Lair but you've eliminated the tedious and repetitive move-memorization game play."
"The slapstick comedy in The Act is tremendous and made us want to play over and over."
It sounds like Cecropia may have something good here with its new genre of video games. You can read more about them on the company's website. They have even created characters to represent the management team.
The website for the Ghost Rider movie has a great little timekiller called Demon Duel. Using Ghost Rider's chain weapon you have to kill zombies as they continually approach you. If you are a killed a very frightening demon zombie head appears to taunt you. The game has great sound effects. In a way it is somewhat of a souped up version of De-animator, which we mentioned in an earlier post. In the upcoming Ghost Rider video game you will get a chance to ride the supernatural Hell Cycle.
In the October film Stormbreaker (The Weinstein Company) a teenage spy named Alex Rider turns his Hot Rod Red Nintendo DS into a spy gadet. In the film Rider converts his Nintendo DS into several devices including an eavesdropping device, a wiretap detector and a smoke bomb. A press release explains how the device was written into the film.
"Along with writer Anthony Horowitz, we asked ourselves how the Secret Service would get secret tools into the hands of a 14-year-old spy," says Peter Samuelson, who, with his brother Marc, produced the film. "Nintendo DS is the perfect fit: Alex's spyware hides in plain sight. Audiences will be thrilled to see how it helps Alex get out of a host of heart-pounding predicaments."
Stormbreaker is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom on July 21 by Entertainment Film Distributors, in the United States on Oct. 6 by The Weinstein Company and worldwide from August by leading local distributors.
The film stars Alex Pettyfer as Alex Rider, with Sarah Bolger, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Damian Lewis, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Missi Pyle, Andy Serkis, Alicia Silverstone, Ashley Walters and Mickey Rourke.
But here's the bad news for Nintendo DS owners eager to convert their DS into a hip spy gagdet.
"The agreement is a perfect marriage of two hot entertainment properties," explains George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "And while the Nintendo DS is one of the most versatile gaming systems available, we unfortunately have no plans to make any DS spy-related functions available to the general public."
No plans? Bummer. Nintendo DS MacGyvers will have to figure it out on their own.
Bad Reviews Could Prevent X-Men 3 Game From Sharing in Film's Success
X-Men: The Last Stand made box office history (including $44 million in one day) but what about the video game? The video game actually launched before the movie and it could have benefited from the buzz created by the blockbuster film. Unfortunately, there are a lot of reviews out there that give the game only poor to mediocre reviews. That's a shame because with the huge box office score the game had a real chance to be a hit as well. The game is called X-Men: The Official Game and the storyline actually takes place between the two films: X-Men 2 and X-Men 3: The Last Stand.
GameZone gave the PS-2 version of the game ony a 5.6 and was unhappy with how the Wolverine character performed.
Wolverine has been in virtually every X-Men title ever developed. Even so, the developers have failed to make Logan's badass-combat style come through in the game. Iceman will mainly be used during race 'n chase levels where Bobby is constantly in motion dodging hazards and using his powers for ranged combat (the levels are time-restricted, which plain sucks). Nightcrawler presents the most gameplay appeal. It is easy to control his teleport powers and comes in handy when evading groups of enemies.
But GameZone really liked the Xbox version. The Oshkosh West Index was really unhappy with the latest X-Men game.
With no real appeal other than the X-Men title stamped on the front, X-Men 3 should be quarantined before the terrible mutations it underwent infect other games and the industry collapses. X-Men fans must now wait with their fingers crossed, hoping that the beloved film franchise does not fall the way of its video game counterpart.
GameSpot was especially harsh.They said the game is "officially a lame action-game cash-in" on the film. Joystiq says the bargain bins will be full of copies of X-Men: The Official Game. More reviews can be found here on Metacritic.com. You can read more about game on the official website and on Amazon.com.
2K Games has released a video game based on the popular Da Vinci Code novel by Dan Brown and movie directed by Ron Howard. Blogosphere buzz about the book has increased now the movie has become a worldwide blockbuster. 2K says the game includes codes, puzzles and mysteries just like in the book and film.
"The Da Vinci Code video game expands upon the plot in the film and book, allowing gamers to experience new adventures and solve new puzzles," said Christoph Hartmann, President, 2K. "The game takes players beyond anything they have seen or read."
Here are some of the features of the game from a recent news release:
Expands upon The Da Vinci Code universe by giving the player new experiences and locations not visited in the film or the book.
Guide Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu on their quest to solve a bizarre murder-mystery and uncover the ultimate treasure protected by an ancient secret society.
A unique blend of puzzle-solving, stealth, combat and exploration.
Explore detailed environments and discover hidden clues in world famous locations such as The Louvre, Westminster Abbey, Saint-Sulpice and more.
Players must solve a wide variety of challenging physical and intellectual puzzles that will ultimately lead them to the resting ground of the Holy Grail.
Charles Cecil, designer of the critically acclaimed title Broken Sword aided in the game design.
Featuring an incredibly moving and haunting sound track, from acclaimed composer Winifred Philips.
The book sold over 40 million copies and the film is already a monster hit so the game has the well-branded Da Vinci Code story going for it. Sony has already signed on to make a movie out of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons novel. This novel also stars Professor Robert Langdon and its packed full of puzzles, codes and conspiracy theories just like in The Da Vinci Code. If a film is made then it's highly likely that Angels & Demons will be made into a video game as well. More information about the Da Vinci Code game can be found on the 2K Games website and on the official game website. Amazon.com also has information about the PS2, Windows XP and Xbox versions.
We love to watch! TV, Film and video, that is. We're happy to
announce the launch of WatchersWatch.com, our new blog about what's hot in movies, television and videos.
What's hot this week at WatchersWatch? Why it's the Da Vinci Code,
of course. Dan Brown's international bestseller opened in wide release
Friday, May 19, 2006 and has already made $224 million worldwide
in its first weekend, making it the second biggest opening weekend of all
time.
You can find our Da Vinci Code review roundup, the scoop on the new fall TV shows and much more at: http://www.watcherswatch.com
World of Warcraft, the popular MMORPG with six million players, is going to the big screen. Blizzard signed a deal with Legendary Pictures to make the movie according to a Blizzard press release.
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and Legendary Pictures today announced that they have entered into an agreement to develop a live-action film based on Blizzard Entertainment's award-winning Warcraft® universe. Based on the terms of the agreement, Legendary Pictures has acquired the movie rights for the best-selling game universe, and both companies are now focused on translating the high-quality Warcraft entertainment experience to the big screen.
"We searched for a very long time to find the right studio for developing a movie based on one of our game universes," said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. "Many companies approached us in the past, but it wasn't until we met with Legendary Pictures that we felt we'd found the perfect partner. They clearly share our high standards for creative development, and because they understand the vision that we've always strived for with our Warcraft games, we feel there isn't a better studio out there for bringing the Warcraft story to film."
"One of our goals at Legendary Pictures has been to bring heroic stories to life in groundbreaking ways, and it's inspiring to work with a company such as Blizzard that takes that approach with each of its products," stated Legendary Pictures chairman and CEO Thomas Tull. "The Warcraft universe is possessed of such a rich mythology and, as such, serves as an ideal platform as we go about translating that universe into what we intend to be a major event film."
Hollywood Reporter reports that Legendary was looking for fantasy film idea.
For Legendary, which is developing a live-action version of "Paradise Lost," the game fit the branded fantasy bill the company was seeking.
"We were looking for worlds that are rich in mythology and theme, that were branded in some way, and partners who could help in the translation of making something that was going to be seen as standing above and beyond some of the other translations from game to film that have not worked," Legendary chief creative officer Jon Jashni said.
If you are curious about who Legendary Pictures is the Hawaii Film Office Blog says it is a new production company that kicked off in 2005 with a $500 million investment.
The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reported today that Chris Lee will be president of Legendary Pictures, a new production company headed by venture capitalist Thomas Tull and backed by $500 million in private equity. The company just inked a 25-picture 50-50 co-financing and distribution deal with Warner Brothers. Legendary is expected to be based on the Warners' lot.
Legendary's investors include a host of VC outfits like ABRY Partners, AIG Direct Investments, Banc of America Capital Investors, Columbia Capital, Falcon Investment Advisors, and M/C Venture Partners
The distribution deal with Warner Bros. sounds promising as does the $500 million. Getting WOW players to the theatres should be easy. The difficult part for Legendary and Blizzard will be convincing non-players to watch it.
MegaGames reports that 2K Games is publishing a Ghost Rider game based on the comic book series and the February 2007 movie starring Nicolas Cage (Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios).
The Ghost Rider feature film follows superstar motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze as he strikes a deal with the vile Mephistopheles for the most precious of commodities -- his immortal soul. Now Johnny Blaze is forever destined to ride night after night as the host to the powerful supernatural entity known as the Ghost Rider. The video game continues the storyline, dropping players into the role of Blaze as he is transformed into a super hero with powers to avenge any evil he encounters. Featuring many of the characters and motorcycles from the comic book and movie, Ghost Rider will engage gamers in an immersive, supernatural third person world with a seamless blend of hand-to-hand combat and high-speed motorcycle action.
A GameSpot says 2K Games acquired the rights to publish Ghost Rider from Majesco. So far the 2K Games website has no information about the game. An earlier story we ran back in July, 2005 when Majesco was working on the game talked about being able to ride Johnny Blaze's supernatural Hell Cycle in the game. The website for the game has not changed since last year. (via Destructoid)
Sony Offers Free Blackberry Game to Promote RV Movie
Blackberry Cool reports that Sony is using a game called RV Pile-up to promote the RV film starring Robin Williams. The game was developed by Regard Solutions Corp. and works on BlackBerry devices.
The idea for "RV Pile-Up" came out of discussions about Williams’ character, Bob Munro, who obsesses about staying connected to work even while he has persuaded his family to give up their Hawaiian vacation in favor of motoring cross-country. As events unfold, he discovers the greater importance of staying connected with his loved ones.
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"RV Pile-Up" was developed by Regard Solutions Corp. and requires players to guide their RV through various levels, avoiding obstacles and collecting traffic signs. It is available on RV-PileUp.com or via the movie’s official Web site for BlackBerry 7200 Series, 7500 Series, 7700 Series, 7100 Series and 8700 Series in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese.
This is likely the first of many movie advergames.
Varietyreports that a deal has been cut that will bring Vin Diesel to both game systems and the big screen in a role as an expert driver in the Wheelman
In one of the biggest partnerships to date between a vidgame publisher and a studio, MTV Films and Paramount are developing Midway Games' "The Wheelman" as a feature film.
Plan is to release the pic and the game simultaneously; Vin Diesel is signed on to star in and produce both.
"Wheelman" is an action-adventure title about an expert driver who comes out of retirement to protect a woman from his past.
ParPar and MTV Films bought the rights from Midway, which is already well into development on the game for next generation consoles Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Budget is believed to be north of $15 million -- on the high end for videogames.
Variety says the game and film will be released simultaneously sometime in late 2007. Midway will produce the game with the big $15 million budget and MTV will provide the game's soundtrack and sell ads within the game according to the article. The game will be available for Xbox 360 and PS3 game systems. GameSpot also has an article about the Wheelman project.
An article on Kansas.com reminds us that the the adaption of video games into movies began back in 1993 with Super Mario Bros. starring Bob Hoskins (Mario), John Leguizamo (Luigi) and Dennis Hopper (King Koopa). Samantha Mathis played Princess Daisy in the film.
The genre began in earnest in 1993 with the release of Nintendo's franchise game, "Super Mario Bros."
I wasted much of my youth in my parents' basement controlling this pudgy plumber as he ran around and jumped over evil turtles. And I waited in a near-frenzy for "Super Mario Bros. 2" (still quite possibly the best Christmas present I've ever received).
But when the movie was released, I couldn't understand how any studio exec could think that this video game would hold an audience's attention for 90 minutes. And to do it live action. And to cast Dennis Hooper as something called "King Koopa."
Information about the movie can be found on IMBD.com, Classic Gaming and Amazon.com. In the film the Mario brothers try and rescue Princess Daisy from a Koopa in an alternative universe ruled by dinosaurs. Super Mario Bros. was not a box office hit according to this Game Cube Advance article.
Back in 1993, Miramax Home Entertainment released the Super Mario Brothers movie, a $42 million dollar budget movie. However, game fans all around did not receive it well. The movie was absolutely nothing like the game, other than the fact it had the characters. By the end of it's time in theaters, it had only grossed $20 million dollars, about half of what it cost to make it. While many people liked it, many people regarded the movie as trash and a complete upset. The movie's failure was most likely due to it not being similar the game.
The recently released Doom movie starring the Rock is not faring much better at the box office according to the stats at Box Office Mojo.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Fox has acquired the television rights to develop a game based on THQ's Destroy All Humans video game.
Fox Broadcasting Co. has acquired the rights to develop THQ's best-selling sci-fi video game "Destroy All Humans!" into a half-hour CGI-animated comedy by former "King of the Hill" writer/co-executive producer Jim Dauterive. The deal marks the first time a video game will be used as the basis for a primetime network television program. The script will be developed through 20th Century Fox TV, where Dauterive has an overall deal. Set in the 1950s, the third-person action game puts players into the bulbous gray head of Crypto 137, an alien who has landed on Earth and is intent on destroying it.
Joystiq asks "could this turn into a cult hit or just a mess of a good idea?" It is a fun concept to play the role of an alien out to destroy humanity but how will this be done as half-hour tv show? It sounds like Jim Dauterive has a difficult task ahead of him. More about Destroy All Humans can be found on the official website and on Amazon.com.
In an MTV story David Jaffe talks about some possible movie stars that could play Kratos, the main character in the slightly controversialGod of War video game based on Greek myths. Jaffe said Mel Gibson is too old and Kurt Loder is too expensive.
Jaffe said he has also been working as a consultant for the "God of War" movie, an informal process that's keeping him focused on games but just a phone call away to advise the creative team on the project. "I'm not sort of there making the movie," he said. "I'm more making sure the property keeps its integrity and sort of a big fanboy on the sidelines excited to see it and hoping it turns out great. They ask me questions like, 'Does this fit in the 'God of War' universe? Is this something Kratos would do?' "
Even the basic details of who is working on the movie are still under wraps, but Jaffe was willing to share his thoughts on who should fill the role of the game's bald, brutish, blade-swinging warrior hero.
"I think it's pretty clear to everybody that's played 'God of War' that Kurt Loder would be, probably, the best Kratos. So that's what we're shooting for. I don't know if we'll get him. I hear he's very expensive and a pain to work with. But we'll see," Jaffe joked.
But seriously? He said many people have suggested Vin Diesel, an actor who first leapt into Jaffe's mind as well. But he's cooled to that notion and is now leaning toward someone "a little less obvious who might not necessarily look like Kratos but can really bring that really brooding [attitude] and [the] inner demons struggling to get out of this guy. I think someone like that would be really cool." Who fits that description? "People have talked about Billy Zane, and I think that's an interesting choice. I saw somebody say Mel Gibson; I think he's great, but he's a little old."
What about Goran Visnjic? He played Spartacus in the TV movie that was really good. Jaffe also says he is working on a game that will literally make gamers weep. Sounds interesting.
Joystiq points us to a press release about a deal between Sony Pictures Digital and Kayak Interactive to create a two mobile games based on the upcoming The Da Vinci Code film starring Tom Hanks, which is based on the novel by Dan Brown. Kayak Interactive will develop, publish and market mobile games based on select Sony Pictures Entertainment licensed properties. The first two games in development will be based on the upcoming motion picture The Da Vinci Code, and will be available close to the nationwide release of the film on May 19, 2006.
From director, Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and writer Akiva Goldsman, the Oscar-winning team of A Beautiful Mind comes the film version of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, one of the most popular and talked about novels of our time, with a cast headed by two-time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Paul Bettany.
Produced by Grazer and John Calley, The Da Vinci Code, begins with a spectacular murder in the Louvre Museum. All clues point to a covert religious organization that will stop at nothing to protect a secret that threatens to overturn 2,000 years of accepted dogma.
What about the Xbox 360, PS2 or PC Game versions of Da Vinci Code? Those game annoucements are sure to be coming later.
Steven Spielberg is teaming up with Electronic Arts' production team in L.A. to develop three original video games. In a press release statement Spielberg said he has playing games for years.
Beginning this year, with offices located on site at EALA, Spielberg
will work directly with EA's development teams to offer his signature
style of storytelling to the concept, design, story and artistic
visualization of the new games. EA will own the intellectual
properties and the game franchises will be developed, published
and distributed worldwide by EA. Financial terms of the agreement
were not disclosed.
"I have been playing EA games for years and have watched them master
the interactive format." said Steven Spielberg. "Having watched the
game industry grow from a niche into a major creative force in
entertainment, I have a great deal of respect for EA's understanding
of the interactive format. I'm looking forward to working closely
with the team in Los Angeles."
Variety's EEG News
says the initial game is expected to be a
sci-fi or action adventure game. With Hollywood's most successful director moving into video games we can expect budgets for blockbuster games to get bigger and bigger. And hopefully with Spielberg applying his storytelling skills to these three EA projects the games will get bigger and better as well.
Bungie reports that Peter Jackson, the director of the immensly popular Lord of the Rings films has signed on as executive producer of the Halo film. Bungie also says the the award-winning team from Weta digital has also signed on for the film.
Needless to say I and the rest of Bungie are positively incontinent (Marty especially). But what really knocks us on our asses is we’re also getting the combined talent of the mighty men and women of WETA in the bargain. From fabricating Covenant weapons to building life-sized Forerunner structures to accomplishing shot after shot of complex live-action/CG integration – simply put, there’s no group of people we’d rather have realize the Halo universe on screen.
Both Jackson and Weta are huge plus for the Halo film. Monsters and Critics notes that most past games-to-film projects have been box office failures.
While to date, most video game to movie adaptations have met with critical and box office failure, Bungie and its parent company are determined to make "Halo: The Movie" a little different. They started by crafting the script in-house, and now rather than handing control over to an Uwe Boll type director, Bungie maintains control over the movie version of their creation, and is on record as refusing to settle for anything less than the best. Their search for a director continues, at one point Peter Jackson was rumored to be in running to helm it, his confirmation as the film's executive producer will likely only add further fuel to those rumors.
As most of you probably remember the search for a company to develop to film begin with Microsoft sending Master Chief (pictured above) off to Hollywood carrying the screenplay written by British novelist Alex Garland. Garland was paid $1 million to write the screenplay. So from start to finish it appears Microsoft and Bungie are serious about their goal to make the Halo film one to remember.
The Boston Globereports that a company called HoloDek plans to offer immersive gaming environments or what they call "interactive gaming theatres." The company, which is named after virtual simulators found on the Star Trek: The Next Generation, is currently testing the environments.
But in a back room, nearing completion, are two far more immersive gaming environments. One, nicknamed ''half-pipe," features a screen that is 20 feet wide and 12 feet high. The other is a sphere, 20 feet in diameter, that eventually will offer a 360-degree wraparound gaming effect. The gamer sits inside the sphere on a robot that rumbles, banks, and spins out, providing many of the same effects as a flight simulator.
Other companies offer settings where gamers can play together or online. HoloDek adds style to the equation, with plush chairs, subdued lighting, jazz or light rock in the background, and screen savers featuring paintings by such famous artists as Dali, Vermier, and Picasso. But what really has the potential to set HoloDek apart is its ability to offer unique gaming experiences.
The Globe says HoloDek is trying to get funding to build 160 of the interactive gaming theatres over the next five years. HoloDek also wants to place the gaming theatres inside movie theatres. Since many movie theatres already feature arcade games this might be a good mix. Movie theatres are also in search of new revenue streams because ticket sales have been following as more people watch purchased or rented movie at home on large TVs.
G4TV's website at g4tv.com has undergone a redesign and has a new logo. The picture on the right is G4TV's new logo. You can see the previous logo here on a prior GamersGame.com blog entry. We think the new logo looks much better. And they are calling themselves Videogame TV -- which makes great since. However, we don't care for the splash intro even though it is short lived. G4TV, which offers several gaming shows, is planning live coverage of the E3Expo. This page on the G4TV website offers more information about their E3 coverage.
Writers Write, Inc. Launches PleasantMorningBuzz.com
Writers Write, Inc., the parent company of GamersGame.com, has
announced the launch of the newest Blog in our Network:
Pleasant Morning Buzz.
Pleasant Morning Buzz features light-hearted commentary about current
events and items of interest. One of Plesant Morning Buzz's first few posts discusses the book Everything Bad Is Good for You, which says that things thought to be bad are actually good for you -- even playing video games.
If you love games then you will probably like at least something G4TV
has to offer. G4TV, which has the tagline "Video Game Television," has
several shows which cover gaming. Some of the video game
shows include Attack of the Show, Icons, Cheat! and X-Play. A complete list of shows with descriptions and cast member profiles can be found on the g4tv.com website.
Next Harry Potter Game Offers Co-operative Magic Spells
The Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire videogame is scheduled for a November 2005 release in conjunction with the Warner Bros. Pictures film based on J.K. Rowling's fourth book. Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment are developing the game. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire videogame, Harry is mysteriously selected as the fourth competitor in the dangerous Triwizard Tournament. Each contestant in this international competition must confront a fire-breathing dragon, rescue friends from the icy depths of the Black Lake, and navigate the twisting mysteries of a vast, dangerous maze. The game includes events from the film including the Quidditch World Cup and a duel with Lord Voldemort.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all playable characters, modeled after their
big-screen counterparts. The game also includes a spell-casting system that allows players to feel the magic as the controller shakes and reacts with every flick of the wand. Players can team up with friends in co-operative play to combine their magic and produce more powerful spells. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will be available for the PC, all major game systems as well as the PSP and Nintendo DS portables. Ongoing coverage of the next Harry Potter film can be here on the Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator (HPANA).
Majesco has announced a deal to publish an Aeon Flux video game for the Xbox and Playstation2. Aeon Flux is a new film from MTV Films and Paramount Pictures that will star actress Charlize Theron as Aeon Flux. The film is based on an animated series that ran on MTV from 1992-1997 and will be released this fall. Aeon Flux is set 400 years in the future, when disease has wiped out the majority of the earth's population except for one walled, protected city-state, Bregna, ruled by a congress of scientists. Theron plays Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron), the top operative in an underground rebellion. Majesco also announced that it is working on a BloodRayne game for the PSP. BloodRayne is being developed by Full Fat and will make its handheld debut this fall. BloodRayne is Majesco's popular vampire/human character. She is blessed with the powers of a vampire but cursed with the unquenchable thirst for blood and a weakness to sunlight.
A new article in Wired magazine offers a look at several film directors who are now working specifically on game projects. Wired says, "Films have long been grist for the gaming mill, from ET for the Atari 2600 to Enter the Matrix for Xbox. But until recently, these movie-based titles were mostly tie-ins and spinoffs. Now big-name directors - David Fincher, John Singleton, Ridley Scott, and David Lynch - are taking their ideas straight to videogame." The film directors in the article include John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood), George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead), John McTiernan (Die Hard), Bryan Singer (X-Men) and John Woo (The Killer). The article mentions that John Woo has even founded his own game studio. Woo is directing a game called ShadowClan from Tiger Hill Entertainment which will be out in Fall 2006.
No. Not a game that costs 50 cents -- wouldn't that be nice?
But a game, called 50 Cent: Bulletproof, for Rapper 50 Cent.
Vivendi Universal Games is publishing the game which stars
50 Cent himself. 50 Cent gets caught in a web of corruption,
double-crosses and shady deals that leads him on a bloody path
through New York's drug underworld where he takes on
dangerous crime families. The game will be announced at the
Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on May 18th, 2005.
About his new game Rapper 50 Cent says,
"In everything I do, I play to win, I'm out to destroy the
competition and my video game is no different. It's a fantasy
version of my life. I plan to shake up the video game world like
I did the rap world -- I'm pulling no punches with my game."
Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have secured an all-star cast for the Batman Begins video game. The game will feature the voices and likenesses of Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Liam Neeson (Henri Ducard), Katie Holmes (Rachel Dawes), Cillian Murphy (Dr. Jonathan Crane), Tom Wilkinson (Carmine Falcone) and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox), all reprising their roles from the upcoming film directed by Christopher Nolan. Launching day-and-date with the film on June 17, 2005 the Batman Begins video game will explore the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. Gamers will play as both Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, Batman, hunting classic evil villains like the Scarecrow, Ra's Al Ghul and Carmine Falcone. The game will be available for multiple systems: Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance and PSP.
Midway has bought the rights to turn popular cartoons from the Adult Swim company into video games. Adult Swim's cartoon shows are very popular with young adults viewers. Games will be made based on five of Adult Swim's shows: Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Brak Show, Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law, Sealab 2021, a nd Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Avault.com has more details on the game publishing deal.
Atari is working on its second Matrix game called The Matrix: The Path of Neo. The first Matrix game,
Enter The Matrix, released in 2003 sold 6 million units.
Atari is working with the film's directors, the the Wachowski
Brothers, for footage and scripting. Actual film footage from
the three Matrix films will also be in the video game. In this game
characters get to be Neo, who was played by actor Keanu Reeves
in the film series. The Path of Neo will be released for the
PC, Xbox and PS2 in time for the 2005 holiday season. A seperate MMORPG Matrix Online game is coming out on March 22nd from Sega and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The massively multi-player online game has been in beta testing for months and features many of the original talent from the films - Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Monica Bellucci
(Persephone), Mary Alice (The Oracle), Lambert Wilson (The Merovingian),
Harold Perrineau Jr. (Link), Harry Lennix (Lock), Nona Gaye (Zee), Collin Chou (Seraph) and Tanveer Atwal (Sati). GameSpot.com has more information about the March 22nd release of Matrix Online.
What more could a gamer ask for than the opportunity to become a mobster in a world based on The Godfather? The challenge for Electronics Arts will be to make the game fun and exciting while keeping the feel of the films and Mario Puzo novel. The game will be available this fall for multiple systems and the PC.
EA developers will have one advantage -- before his death Marlon Brando granted the rights to his digital likeness to EA and conducted a voiceover session with the developers. His character, Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather, will be featured in the game. Gamers will create their own mob character in the game. After a life of small-time jobs and petty thefts the player will be accepted into the Corleone family, America's most famous criminal organization. It will be up to the player to carry out orders, earn respect and make New York City their own. The Godfather game will offer numerous options for solving the family's problems with brutal violence, skillful diplomacy, or a cunning mixture of both. Players can engage in mobster activities like mob hits, bank heists, drive-by shooting and extortion.
Atari Game Created With Help of Novelist, Film Footage
Atari, Inc.'s Act of War: Direct Action, a techno-thriller for
PC in March 2005, will have a story created and written by New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown and will feature nearly one hour of original feature film footage produced by SWAT Films/Beyond FX to vividly present the story. Bob Welch, Executive Producer for Atari's Beverly studio, said, "By bringing together a novelist, filmmakers and game developers, Act of War: Direct Action is more than the sum of its parts." The film production element of Act of War: Direct Action was shot over two weeks and featured a cast of 10 principal actors and hundreds of extras. The film footage will be blended with scenes created by the in-game engine to tell the story of Jason Richter and Task Force Talon as they discover a web of intrigue and terrorism that spans the globe from Moscow to Washington, D.C. Novels, films and games are already highly interconnected. Major films, especially big fantasy and science fiction films, often have computer and video game released when the film hits theatres.
A recent USA Today article speculates that we might be in the golden age of gaming. As we mentioned last week there is a remarkable onslaught of very entertaining game releases this month including Halo 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Half-life 2 and Metroid Prime 2. A few we did not mention before include Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, The Urbz: Sims in the City, World of Warcraft, EverQuest II and GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. Microsoft may benefit the most from this golden month as
Halo 2 is leading many gamers to try the Xbox for the first time.
USA Today points out that with so many great highly-promoted games
some good games like Killzone and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal could get lost in the crowd. This is just another way the game industry is becoming more like the film industry. A few high profile releases and blockbusters dominate
the month, while other films get less attention and many films just go
straight to video. However, gamers certainly are not going to complain about having lots of choices.
Electronic Arts placed this video of The Simpsons video game on YouTube where it quickly received over 1.5 million views. The video plays to the "Rock You Like a Hurricane" song by the Scorpions. The Simpsons game hits stores November 1st for the Playstation2, Playstation3, XBOX 360, Wii, NDS and PSP. They are pretty excited about a toy called the Homerball (pictured on right) on the 
GT Countdown has created this video featuring the worst movie-based video games. Movie video games can be extra bad because as GT Countdown explains they are often rushed so they can have the same release date as the movie. Some of the games listed as the very worst include Back to the Future, Fight Club, Street Fighter The Movie, Bad Boys: Miami Takedown, The Fifth Element, E.T. (Atari) and Charlie's Angels. These are some really bad video games but the stupid E.T. game for the Atari 2600 really should have been the #1 worst movie video game because it is so terrible.
HBO has acquired a documentary film shot in second life that follows the journey of Molotov Alta in Second Life. Molotov Alta is the avatar of the documentary filmmaker Douglas Gayeton. Reuters 
Writers Write, Inc. has added a new blog to its blog network called 
Jessica Alba is one of the characters in the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer video game, which is based on the 
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G4TV's website at 
If you love games then you will probably like at least something G4TV
has to offer. G4TV, which has the tagline "Video Game Television," has
several shows which cover gaming. Some of the video game
shows include Attack of the Show, Icons, Cheat! and X-Play. A complete list of shows with descriptions and cast member profiles can be found on the 
Atari is working on its second Matrix game called The Matrix: The Path of Neo. The first Matrix game,
What more could a gamer ask for than the opportunity to become a mobster in a world based on The Godfather? The challenge for 