There are now video games available based on movies, movies based on video games, TV series based on video games and movies about video games and gamers.
There is a large market for the crossover in characters and storylines between the various media types. In the context of gaming, a crossover occurs when a character from one storyline appears in the storyline of another. This may happen between different games, between an animated movie and a game or between a movie and a game. For movie houses and game developers there is the opportunity to tap into a market that has already shown interest in a product. A game that performs well can by made into a movie and can build on that popularity. The same holds true for a movie that does well that has the right elements to be translated into a video game.
Video Games Based on Movies
Many of the big movie franchises such as Ghostbusters, Blade Runner, Terminator, Spider-Man (with dozens of games titles) and Star Wars have made the successful transition. Video games based on movies provide a product that supplements the original movie and provides an additional revenue stream for franchise owners.
It is a challenging task to build a video game that includes a crossover of characters, scenes, and storyline that reflect at least to some degree the finer nuances of the movie into an interactive gaming format. Timelines are tight to deliver the video game in time for the movie’s release which in many cases leads to video games that are not particularly good and are seen as nothing more than a way to plug a studio’s movie product.
Some formats of film based games have proved to be more successful than others, especially movie themed slot machines. Take for example Basic Instinct, Planet of the Apes, Rambo and even the Anchorman. Most of you know them as names of successful, even timeless movies, but players to the Winstar.com Real money slots know them as some of the most popular slot machines in the casino.
Movies Based on Video Games
Movies based on characters and storylines from video games are becoming more popular. These include successful franchises such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia. It is challenging for producers of such films to choose a franchise that has enough depth to support the storyline of the video game in a non-interactive medium.
To create a successful movie, producers must create a visual spectacle with believable characters and settings that appeal to a broad audience. The actions and sound effects from the video game to a movie do not translate well enough into a movie to ensure a successful product. The action scenes need to be backed up by credible, believable characters that have depth.
Movies Based on Video Gamers
Gaming has become a massive business over time, and the movie industry has taken note and included gamers as characters in roles or even starring roles in movies made for the big screen. These movies span a number of genres that include action, suspense thrillers, sci-fi and comedy providing for most tastes. Some of the more popular ones are The Game, The Last Starfighter, War Games, and Tron.
The popularity of the concept of crossover between franchise characters, scenes, and storylines across media modes has been growing. But there still appears to be some gaps in the delivery of good quality end products that properly complement their original format. This can be seen in box office earnings, and games that don’t sell as well as anticipated. What is important to note though, is the market-readiness for cross-overs between media types with movies based on video games and gamers as some have performed extraordinarily well, but they have to be done right.
