Alf-Life
03-26-2002, 12:43 AM
Just to bring up a topic which has been on my mind of late.
Movies. And videogames.
Now, this has mainly be spawned out of all the ravings and rantings I've heard from Resident Evil [game] fans, who, apparently got a 'deeper' meaning from the film because there was a lot of homage.
I have also thought about this while playing Medal of Honor: Allied Assault; a huge set-peice in the game is identical to the Omaha Beach landing in Saving Private Ryan... heck, Steven Spielberg himself had a hand in starting the Medal of Honor franchise on the Playstation (big up to him, then).
As well as Resident Evil, there has been Tomb Raider, Super Mario, Mortal Kombat, Streetfighter, and there are numerous movie-to-game tie-ins planned such as Duke Nukem, Serious Sam, and a few more, which escape me at present.
There are also a few games which have furthered concepts (such as the alien skull in Predator 2) and may now spawn further films (such as Aliens Versus Predator).
However, looking at the above list; Streetfighter, Mario Bros. ...shudder... these have all been movies which haven't really been explored from a movie-angle, more from a franchise cash-in one.
However, there have always been huge amounts of film-to-game franchises too, especially among the juggernaut epics, like Star Wars which must by now have a game for every game genre.
So, what can games learn from film?
Are games a viable medium...?
They don't seem to not be taken seriously as an art-form, unlike movies, however it *is* a younger medium than film.
Probably my main point here is [again]; what can games learn from film, and what can film learn (if anything) from games?
In my opinion, each medium has its drawbacks, the main one being movies aren't as interactive as games, however, games until now have been trying to emulate film.
Take Final Fantasy, for example; a glorious game... transmitted to film showed up its weak plot and flat characters.
However, now take 'ICO'; a game which probably could not be done in movie form, but can be just as masterful as any Oscar-winning movie.
Repeat that times two with 'Rez' - a true multi-sensory journey of a game.
However, before anyone mentions that games are just there for pure 'fun', take a look at almost any Arnie film. True, games on the whole are there to entertain, but in the same way as films can be deep, so can games.
My final point, is the subject of professionalism.
A game based on the Bond movie 'GoldenEye' came out on the Nintendo 64 in August of '97 - it was pure fun-in-a-cartridge. Million-selling, multi-awarded, a sequel was inevitable.
The GoldenEye team (at Rareware) now free from the license of Bond went ahead and created their own Universe; a female secret agent, and made the game 'Perfect Dark'.
A bigger, more polished GoldenEye... but lacking that certain something.
Upon personal analysis I believe this certain something to be 'professionalism' or at least 'true creativity'.
Not to put the game developers down, the game was absolutely feature-packed and awesome... however, the game wasn't as good as GoldenEye.
This lack of 'professionalism' I believe originates to the designer; one person (or perhaps a small group of people) who are skilled with computers to take charge of the story, the characters, the script, even the voice acting (done internally).
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in the movie industry, is it not perhaps a group of professionals who take care of even as little as one element each.
i.e. the designer, responsible for making the game 'fun' now has to make a good story for it, write the script, create deep characters. Pffft.
No disrespect indtended... but... well, visiting Area 51 (taken form brief glimpses from Independence Day), AirForce One (taken from the AirForce One movie, no less) and saving the president, then killing a clone, then introducing aliens, then on the last level meeting an Alien Boss who's not been mentioned before all this and then killing him which will supposedly end an alien war, which has been brewing, all the while, the alien race has double-crossed an Earth-based corporation called dataDyne (which itself has been using a the NSA who've turned against the president and the FBI/CIA) so they can get to an Alien 'MegaWeapon' in the form of a Cetan, living, breathing spaceship crashed on the ocean floor..... weeeell, let's just say it must have been conceived back when the X-Files was big.
The point of my example is, to hightlight how much better GoldenEye was when the games team concentrated on the GAME and not the characters or the plot.
With GoldenEye, the team took the best parts from the movie, took the settings, added their own ideas and bam, a good plot already in place with 'decent' characters, reasons for their [evil] actions, etc etc.
Plus, you see Trevelyan (as in film) on the second level as your ally. Then from levels 10-18... so you know who your 'target'/enemy is and build a grudge... the problem with Perfect Dark is it tried to be all FPS-y and threw in a big 'end-of-game Boss' at the end without explaining anything, and without giving the player a grudge against him/her/it.
Things ARE coming into place however, with professional writers being drafted into the games industry (mainly from a freelance POV though), as one can see by playing No One Lives Forever; an Austin Powers-esque shooter... although, one can only guess how 'professional' the writer is; although the plot and characters are excellent all the twists come right at the end, (about 5) whereas letting one or two slip before then would have improved matters.
Also, UK-based games developer Rebellion have 'helped' Comic masters 2000AD, by buying them out - giving them exclusivity on any content, while also financing their comics, as well as financing the two new Judge Dredd movies due to be filmed back-to-back.
(Which also I suppose brings in the point about movies borrowing from comics.)
As a final note, if anyone reading this is very skeptical about games... try playing either Grim Fandango or Half-Life.
Grim Fandango is an excellent example of good writing mixed with a good game, and excellent use of resonance. It's brilliant, in fact.
Half-Life, meanwhile, is an example of a good game merging with a good ambience, atmosphere and narrative (not plot).
The plot, incidentally is fairly simple, it's just the immersive nature which shines through, and the way it is all done. It was supposedly inspired by Stepthen King novels, and also has the bonus of for once you're out to save your own skin rather than the world. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif
Both are for the PC, and should be pretty cheap since they're ageing.
Movies. And videogames.
Now, this has mainly be spawned out of all the ravings and rantings I've heard from Resident Evil [game] fans, who, apparently got a 'deeper' meaning from the film because there was a lot of homage.
I have also thought about this while playing Medal of Honor: Allied Assault; a huge set-peice in the game is identical to the Omaha Beach landing in Saving Private Ryan... heck, Steven Spielberg himself had a hand in starting the Medal of Honor franchise on the Playstation (big up to him, then).
As well as Resident Evil, there has been Tomb Raider, Super Mario, Mortal Kombat, Streetfighter, and there are numerous movie-to-game tie-ins planned such as Duke Nukem, Serious Sam, and a few more, which escape me at present.
There are also a few games which have furthered concepts (such as the alien skull in Predator 2) and may now spawn further films (such as Aliens Versus Predator).
However, looking at the above list; Streetfighter, Mario Bros. ...shudder... these have all been movies which haven't really been explored from a movie-angle, more from a franchise cash-in one.
However, there have always been huge amounts of film-to-game franchises too, especially among the juggernaut epics, like Star Wars which must by now have a game for every game genre.
So, what can games learn from film?
Are games a viable medium...?
They don't seem to not be taken seriously as an art-form, unlike movies, however it *is* a younger medium than film.
Probably my main point here is [again]; what can games learn from film, and what can film learn (if anything) from games?
In my opinion, each medium has its drawbacks, the main one being movies aren't as interactive as games, however, games until now have been trying to emulate film.
Take Final Fantasy, for example; a glorious game... transmitted to film showed up its weak plot and flat characters.
However, now take 'ICO'; a game which probably could not be done in movie form, but can be just as masterful as any Oscar-winning movie.
Repeat that times two with 'Rez' - a true multi-sensory journey of a game.
However, before anyone mentions that games are just there for pure 'fun', take a look at almost any Arnie film. True, games on the whole are there to entertain, but in the same way as films can be deep, so can games.
My final point, is the subject of professionalism.
A game based on the Bond movie 'GoldenEye' came out on the Nintendo 64 in August of '97 - it was pure fun-in-a-cartridge. Million-selling, multi-awarded, a sequel was inevitable.
The GoldenEye team (at Rareware) now free from the license of Bond went ahead and created their own Universe; a female secret agent, and made the game 'Perfect Dark'.
A bigger, more polished GoldenEye... but lacking that certain something.
Upon personal analysis I believe this certain something to be 'professionalism' or at least 'true creativity'.
Not to put the game developers down, the game was absolutely feature-packed and awesome... however, the game wasn't as good as GoldenEye.
This lack of 'professionalism' I believe originates to the designer; one person (or perhaps a small group of people) who are skilled with computers to take charge of the story, the characters, the script, even the voice acting (done internally).
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in the movie industry, is it not perhaps a group of professionals who take care of even as little as one element each.
i.e. the designer, responsible for making the game 'fun' now has to make a good story for it, write the script, create deep characters. Pffft.
No disrespect indtended... but... well, visiting Area 51 (taken form brief glimpses from Independence Day), AirForce One (taken from the AirForce One movie, no less) and saving the president, then killing a clone, then introducing aliens, then on the last level meeting an Alien Boss who's not been mentioned before all this and then killing him which will supposedly end an alien war, which has been brewing, all the while, the alien race has double-crossed an Earth-based corporation called dataDyne (which itself has been using a the NSA who've turned against the president and the FBI/CIA) so they can get to an Alien 'MegaWeapon' in the form of a Cetan, living, breathing spaceship crashed on the ocean floor..... weeeell, let's just say it must have been conceived back when the X-Files was big.
The point of my example is, to hightlight how much better GoldenEye was when the games team concentrated on the GAME and not the characters or the plot.
With GoldenEye, the team took the best parts from the movie, took the settings, added their own ideas and bam, a good plot already in place with 'decent' characters, reasons for their [evil] actions, etc etc.
Plus, you see Trevelyan (as in film) on the second level as your ally. Then from levels 10-18... so you know who your 'target'/enemy is and build a grudge... the problem with Perfect Dark is it tried to be all FPS-y and threw in a big 'end-of-game Boss' at the end without explaining anything, and without giving the player a grudge against him/her/it.
Things ARE coming into place however, with professional writers being drafted into the games industry (mainly from a freelance POV though), as one can see by playing No One Lives Forever; an Austin Powers-esque shooter... although, one can only guess how 'professional' the writer is; although the plot and characters are excellent all the twists come right at the end, (about 5) whereas letting one or two slip before then would have improved matters.
Also, UK-based games developer Rebellion have 'helped' Comic masters 2000AD, by buying them out - giving them exclusivity on any content, while also financing their comics, as well as financing the two new Judge Dredd movies due to be filmed back-to-back.
(Which also I suppose brings in the point about movies borrowing from comics.)
As a final note, if anyone reading this is very skeptical about games... try playing either Grim Fandango or Half-Life.
Grim Fandango is an excellent example of good writing mixed with a good game, and excellent use of resonance. It's brilliant, in fact.
Half-Life, meanwhile, is an example of a good game merging with a good ambience, atmosphere and narrative (not plot).
The plot, incidentally is fairly simple, it's just the immersive nature which shines through, and the way it is all done. It was supposedly inspired by Stepthen King novels, and also has the bonus of for once you're out to save your own skin rather than the world. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif
Both are for the PC, and should be pretty cheap since they're ageing.