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Nintendo Eyeing the Big Screen
techstar25 writes "Coming soon reports that video game giant Nintendo is going to Hollywood by creating an in-house unit to develop animated features based on the numerous properties owned by the company. The plan calls for Nintendo to create a movie based on one of its own franchises for theatrical release in 2006. The original story is from Variety (reg. required)." It doesn't really say what properties to expect, but obviously it's Excite Bike.
Despite TRON holding a place in my heart- the movie was widely panned. However the video game raked in the quarters. (falshbacks to the beauty of the Discs of Tron environmental cabinet!)
Look at it this way: These movies are simply advertising vehicles for Nintendo's games. Good, bad, doesn't matter. Get the word out there and get the games bought. Thats the TRUE strategy.
In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
Video game companies have always wanted to be Hollywood. Unfortunately, they don't know how.
Hollywood has always wanted to be a video game. Unfortunately they don't know how.
One thing Hollywood does better than video game companies is arrange funding for new ideas. Despite their multi-billion dollar annual sales, no video game company spends any significant amount of time or money on research or development of truly new ideas, nor do they fund innovative new companies.
They simply market and re-market sequels and clones, sequels and clones. Oh, and they make people work 100 hour weeks until they are exhausted.
But Nintendo is the Apple of the video game industry, so they probably have a better product and better ideas.
Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.
Hey, The Wizard rocked! To all us Nintendo geeks, The Wizard is as classic as Breakfast Club. We all drooled at the opportunity to a) get a sneak preview of Mario 3 and b) dream of a reality where we could make money playing video games (those of us that were kids at the time, anyway).
Forget animated films.. who can forget the 90 minute Nintendo commercial, The Wizard starring Fred Savage?
It was a story created out of the classic song, Pinball Wizard, but with heavy Nintendo advertising.
It was the first time anyone saw the Power-glove in action and we were all so jealous. Unfortunatley for everyone who went out and purchased it, it didn't work quite as well as the 'movie' made it look.
It was also the worlds first glimpse at Super Mario Brothers 3!
I don't know if the movie caught flack from parents, but I remember quite enjoying it at the time as a kid.
I also remember a Mario Brothers Saturday morning show - and if memory serves correctly, it was also non-animated.
..mork
More likely that Pixar will crush Disney. Picture-for-picture they are the most successful film studio in history and no one playing the game can touch them. Period.
The Farewell Tour II