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Aiming For Hit Games, Movie Licenses Come Up Short
Thanks to the New York Times for its article (free reg. req.) discussing the relative unpopularity of licensed videogames based on recent films. The piece notes: "Of the nation's 10 top-selling games for video consoles last year, only one was based on a film, a television show or a book: Enter the Matrix", before arguing: "The problem seems to arise from basic differences between films and games as forms of media. Films, like books, are obviously linear, with a specific, tightly defined story arc and specifically defined characters." Are there ways film adaptions can break free of these constraints?
Damn straight. It worked wonders for the Super Mario Brothers game. That thing was hardly like the movie at all, but it shared just enough concepts to make it work.
For one thing, Miyamoto really captured the "Essence of Hoskins" perfectly in his take. I'm sure I'm not the only one who died countless times on level 2-1 after daydreaming that I was watching Bobbi Hoskins taking a nice skinny dip in the ocean with all the friendly animals.
Oh, Bobbi.
One of my favourite games was based on a movie. It was ET for the Atari 2600. Man that game was hot in its time.
-- I don't buy it, I grow it.
We get the sister article, "Aiming for hit movies, game licenses come up short"