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Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

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Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So many video game movie projects are missing the simple question, "why?" So many of these games are inspired by movies in the first place, and their stories are mostly just cliches based on their source material. I agree. > It's fine in the context of the game, because the player is doing something, but when you put that into a non-interactive medium, the flaws become obvious. All forms of art are inspired by othe…

>> It's fine in the context of the game, because the player is doing something, but when you put that into a non-interactive medium, the flaws become obvious. >All forms of art are inspired by other forms of art, this is no basis to write them off. Would you dismiss Michelangelo's work because he was influenced by Giovanni? Or Giovanni because he worked under Donatello? Should we just write off all fantasy novels pos…

> Games allow you to fail

Most games will allow you to try until you succeed, very few accept failure and progress the story. When they do, people generally do not accept it and retry anyways [1].

> thus the story can't have the same tension or structure as a movie.

I would argues that the much hated quicktime event has been used successfully to give users interaction and have the same flow and tension in a story.

The reality is that most people play through a game in a linear fashion, they may fail but they replay instead of accepting the failure, if that's even an option. Thus to the character and story, there was no failure.

Even still a solid premise can be adapted to either medium successfully. The movie Memento and the video game Braid are fundamentally the same idea presented in radically different ways with very different stories. The impact of the twist at the end of both though is equally poignant.

[1] https://www.filfre.net/2018/03/wing-commander-ii/

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#332

The same reasons why adaptations of books aren't better than the book, usually. The medium is different, books can go into much more detail and leaves many things up to the readers imagination which is based on their own worldview, perceptions, knowledge, etc. A movie glances over many details and doesn't leave much to the imagination of the viewer. Movies and books are both scripted stories. Video games involve choi…

I think the audience is being unfair and have flawed expectations if they go into a movie adaptation of a book and expect it to be "better".

They're fundamentally different, and as long as the creators and the audience are on board with that fact you can absolutely make quality movie adaptations from books as long as you play to the strengths of the medium.

You can't make a movie with as much depth and breadth as a book. You can't cram as much exploration and detail in and hope it'll come out even halfway decent. What you can do however is show beautiful and breathtaking imagery, and offer action and thrill-rides the likes of which you can't hope to match with the written word.

Reading Lord of the Rings makes me appreciate just how special it is that Legolas and Gimli become friends, because there's more room to explain the relationship between dwarves and elves. I get to feel what Frodo feels when he leaves his home behind.

But when I saw Rivendell or the Mines of Moria for the first time in the movies it overshadowed what the books had told me about those places. And I still to this day get goosebumps whenever I see the charge of the Rohirrim. Something I never experienced in the books.

Is one set of experiences better than the other? Or are they just different.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Create a movie that coexists with game plots rather than trying to sum them up or replace them and you'll have more freedom to make a movie that's actually good. The challenge with this is that a studio would be alienating fans and making a large investment into an IP and then throwing most of that in the garbage... Mass Effect isn't enough of a name to carry an untried, unanchored, narrative into the mainstream. M…

The challenge with this is that a studio would be alienating fans A standalone Boba Fett movie would coexist with Star Wars without much interaction with the main plot, but still attract fans as he's a cult character. The studio would benefit from the IP's profitable reputation, but they'd retain the freedom do new things and attract new audiences.

That's a bit of a tortured example: Boba Fett was highly popular, a named character, and was featured in literature and promotional materials. Mass Effect has no character remotely as iconic or well established as Boba Fett, much less a side character, much less "a different angle".

Star Was illustrates my point quite nicely: after a couple decades of world building they're already plumbing diminishing returns in one of the worlds largest and most popular IPs only one or two stories removed from their main narrative. I have high hopes for the Han Solo prequel, but Disney isn't putting money behind "alternative" Star Wars narratives until the nostalgia well is tapped, and even then they're going full-court on a trilogy.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#334
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember back in the day the Final Fantasy 7 trailers had a voiceover that went something like: "Dozens of characters, hundreds of locations, a plot spanning 40 hours, they said it couldn't be done in a movie, they were right." Lots of games tell stories these days. There's no fundamental reason those stories couldn't be adopted to the silver screen. Of course many of these stories aren't really very good, but the…

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children might interest you.

I thought Advent Children was proof that the ad was correct.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#337
post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, but I've been told the same about to many things I have a hard time believing advices on modern games now.

Well, New Vegas had a few people from the original fallout working on it afaik. And it's made by Obsidian, who made the excellent Pillars of Eternity which you already praised :)

Raising my hopes. Careful. I know your username.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#338
post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not scandalized by the sex. I just find myself eye rolling at the hamfisted treatment of the topic. A couple of lame pickup lines and every woman you encounter practically impales herself on you. Not to mention the tedium of the cut scenes where sex is depicted. But you’re right that I have a double standard in one regard: I’ll put up with lengthier cut scenes with magic explosions and plot advancements than I wi…

>I’m not scandalized by the sex. I just find myself eye rolling at the hamfisted treatment of the topic. A couple of lame pickup lines and every woman you encounter practically impales herself on you. Ah, I'd suggest you check the digit on your game install again. It appears you've played The Witcher (the 1st game of the trilogy). That was indeed a bit ridiculous. On the other hand, it's not like being strong, handso…

My goodness, you mean the Witcher 1 was worse? I only managed 45 minutes before stopping the first one.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The challenge with this is that a studio would be alienating fans A standalone Boba Fett movie would coexist with Star Wars without much interaction with the main plot, but still attract fans as he's a cult character. The studio would benefit from the IP's profitable reputation, but they'd retain the freedom do new things and attract new audiences.

That's a bit of a tortured example: Boba Fett was highly popular, a named character, and was featured in literature and promotional materials. Mass Effect has no character remotely as iconic or well established as Boba Fett, much less a side character, much less "a different angle". Star Was illustrates my point quite nicely: after a couple decades of world building they're already plumbing diminishing returns in one…

"I have high hopes for the Han Solo prequel, but Disney isn't putting money behind "alternative" Star Wars narratives until the nostalgia well is tapped, and even then they're going full-court on a trilogy."

Um, Rogue One?

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#340
post #39
post #26

Mostly because videogame plot lines aren't as good as we give them credit for. Videogames are great at being interactive diversions, but their stories leave a lot to be desired and are really just thin background dressing for the real reason we play videogames: for the gameplay. The most successful videogame movies tend towards genre films like Mortal Kombat (the film) and Resident Evil (the series). Of course, let's…

The video games that do have a decent plot often have a plot that just can't be squeezed into a movie. I've seen some decent anime conversions of some video games, which were arguably interactive anime anyhow (i.e., Persona 4), but at roughly 8 hours (call it 24 20 minute episodes by the time you're done with commercials, opening, and closing) and still feeling a bit squeezed at times, that's not going to be a movie…

"From a more western perspective, good luck getting Planescape: Torment into a movie format."

A Game of Thrones-style "Sigil: City of Doors" series might work. Don't reuse the Nameless One or the plot of the game. Maybe reuse some characters like Annah. Like the game developers did, use the setting and make up new characters and plots.

Maybe before the show airs, put a series of entertaining shorts up on YouTube that introduce the city, the unusual beings resident there, the factions, and finally the main characters of the series.

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