We've all seen the terrible video game movies that don't grasp onto the feel of a game we love. They change the characters, story, and feel of some of the classics of the medium often ruining them. Recently theres been a change though, and video game movies have changed what they're about. Shifting from "Mario Bros The Movie" to things like Pixels or Wreck it Ralph we're seeing more and more movies about games rather than about a game. What is causing these changes? There are still plenty of games that have an engaging story and fast passed action but they aren't getting adaptations. Meanwhile movies about the conscept of video games are becoming more and more prevelent. What caused those changes? Why are directors staying away from pre-made stories? Is this an evoluion in how video game are seen by hollywood?
I think it's because everybody recognizes Pac-Man, et al, but you can't make a movie about Pac-Man since there's no story within the actual game. So they sort of set these characters aside, as a reference most people will get, but at the same time, the writers won't feel obligated to flesh them out, because there's nothing there. – MaxEngel9 years ago
The interesting thing about video games are that it is dynamic. If it's not about the character you're navigating, the farm you're ville-ing, the league you're becoming a legend in, or even when your stoning a hearth, it can be about the how you tried so hard to get a better score or beat a boss.
Now, with mobile devices, video games are expanding to more casual users. So, the arena of gaming and the term "gamer" has changed. Video games, interactive media is a large part of society where almost anyone can be a participant.
The reason that video games are becoming a prevalent subject in Hollywood is because it's becoming a prevalent part of life: learning games, casual mobile games, the expansion of E-Sports, and other interactive media.
Also, gaming culture is interesting and shifting. It's niche but broad enough that people can recognize it. I.e. Almost any Nintendo character. – jambles9 years ago
One point that people often overlook is that video game stories are told over the course of dozens of hours. Even for games like Metal Gear Solid that mostly tell the story through the cinematic sequences, those still add up to much more than epic three hour long movies. And it can't be solved by splitting them up into more sequels because no one would want to invest in that kind of risk. So I think that filmmakers are likely to find more success by synthesizing game culture into their own stories, like Wreck-it-Ralph (which as a gamer I enjoyed, even if it wasn't completely faithful to video games). – marknm9 years ago
I'm going to wait til Ready Player One comes out until I lay judgement on this one. – Lazarinth9 years ago
I think maybe part of video game adaptations not being so specialized is because of the fan base for those games. It's probably unlikely for someone to get mad over Wreck-it-Ralph "screwing up" the plot line (like MaxEngel said, there's no story within the actual game), but God forbid anyone ever adapt Bioshock for the screen. I would cry myself to sleep. For me, I prefer not to see my favorite games turned into movies. I guess part of it is out of jealousy (I don't want to share my favorite game with a more mainstream audience) and I don't want to be let down by a terrible adaptation. Plus, it's hard to adapt games for the big screen. Video games are unique because of the platform on which they're produced. Some games practically play like movies (The Last of Us), but others don't. – clegler9 years ago
The revolution here is the same as the Super Hero movie genre.
Video games are being looked as a medium, finally, rather than something for kids.
The shift in attitude is not only because of this change in perception, but also the fact that people who grew up playing video games are beginning to make these movies.
Both of these are reasons why, but it could also be the shift in movie making in general, that good entertainment sells. Either way, I'm glad it's happening at all. – Emishson9 years ago