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I've just placed my order for Dungeons and Dragons on DVD (15th of May for anyone who cares) and, while looking at the extra features list, I noticed a quite brilliant extra. As part of the DVD ROM content the disc includes a demo of the PC game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
I was disappointed when I found out that the film was based on the game rather than the cartoon (how great could that have been?!?) but it was still thoroughly enjoyable and including a demo of a game based on more or less the same thing as the film is a great piece of advertising.
I know there is a limited number of films this is useful for but surely this won't be a one off. I know some DVDs have included rolling demos of tie in games but to my knowledge none of them have ever been playable.
Now how about this. Suppose a game of a film is being released on a console and not just a PC. Could the disc include a PS2 demo or, eventually, an Xbox one? I think they could but I doubt that they'd want to. The vast majority of film licence games are so awful that playing them on a trial basis would convince a lot of people not to buy them at all.
Another problem is if the game isn't released in time to tie in with the films cinema release (i.e. they aren't complete enough to be included, even as a demo). However the favour could be returned in such cases where the game includes a trailer for the film it is based on just nicely in time for it's video release.
It doesn't have to be a game based on a film either - it could just as easily be the other way around. Think of the extra buzz that would have been created if Square had included a trailer for the Final Fantasy film on the PS FFIX disc. There's always the PS2 version of FFX around the corner so maybe they're saving it for that.
On the other hand would film companies be interested in paying advertising fees to include a trailer for a forthcoming film on a game disc which is likely to appeal to a similar audience?
Films and games need not go hand in hand together (we all know how truly awful the results can be), but they could very easily complement each other through advertising.
I was disappointed when I found out that the film was based on the game rather than the cartoon (how great could that have been?!?) but it was still thoroughly enjoyable and including a demo of a game based on more or less the same thing as the film is a great piece of advertising.
I know there is a limited number of films this is useful for but surely this won't be a one off. I know some DVDs have included rolling demos of tie in games but to my knowledge none of them have ever been playable.
Now how about this. Suppose a game of a film is being released on a console and not just a PC. Could the disc include a PS2 demo or, eventually, an Xbox one? I think they could but I doubt that they'd want to. The vast majority of film licence games are so awful that playing them on a trial basis would convince a lot of people not to buy them at all.
Another problem is if the game isn't released in time to tie in with the films cinema release (i.e. they aren't complete enough to be included, even as a demo). However the favour could be returned in such cases where the game includes a trailer for the film it is based on just nicely in time for it's video release.
It doesn't have to be a game based on a film either - it could just as easily be the other way around. Think of the extra buzz that would have been created if Square had included a trailer for the Final Fantasy film on the PS FFIX disc. There's always the PS2 version of FFX around the corner so maybe they're saving it for that.
On the other hand would film companies be interested in paying advertising fees to include a trailer for a forthcoming film on a game disc which is likely to appeal to a similar audience?
Films and games need not go hand in hand together (we all know how truly awful the results can be), but they could very easily complement each other through advertising.
I've just placed my order for Dungeons and Dragons on DVD (15th of May for anyone who cares) and, while looking at the extra features list, I noticed a quite brilliant extra. As part of the DVD ROM content the disc includes a demo of the PC game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
I was disappointed when I found out that the film was based on the game rather than the cartoon (how great could that have been?!?) but it was still thoroughly enjoyable and including a demo of a game based on more or less the same thing as the film is a great piece of advertising.
I know there is a limited number of films this is useful for but surely this won't be a one off. I know some DVDs have included rolling demos of tie in games but to my knowledge none of them have ever been playable.
Now how about this. Suppose a game of a film is being released on a console and not just a PC. Could the disc include a PS2 demo or, eventually, an Xbox one? I think they could but I doubt that they'd want to. The vast majority of film licence games are so awful that playing them on a trial basis would convince a lot of people not to buy them at all.
Another problem is if the game isn't released in time to tie in with the films cinema release (i.e. they aren't complete enough to be included, even as a demo). However the favour could be returned in such cases where the game includes a trailer for the film it is based on just nicely in time for it's video release.
It doesn't have to be a game based on a film either - it could just as easily be the other way around. Think of the extra buzz that would have been created if Square had included a trailer for the Final Fantasy film on the PS FFIX disc. There's always the PS2 version of FFX around the corner so maybe they're saving it for that.
On the other hand would film companies be interested in paying advertising fees to include a trailer for a forthcoming film on a game disc which is likely to appeal to a similar audience?
Films and games need not go hand in hand together (we all know how truly awful the results can be), but they could very easily complement each other through advertising.
I was disappointed when I found out that the film was based on the game rather than the cartoon (how great could that have been?!?) but it was still thoroughly enjoyable and including a demo of a game based on more or less the same thing as the film is a great piece of advertising.
I know there is a limited number of films this is useful for but surely this won't be a one off. I know some DVDs have included rolling demos of tie in games but to my knowledge none of them have ever been playable.
Now how about this. Suppose a game of a film is being released on a console and not just a PC. Could the disc include a PS2 demo or, eventually, an Xbox one? I think they could but I doubt that they'd want to. The vast majority of film licence games are so awful that playing them on a trial basis would convince a lot of people not to buy them at all.
Another problem is if the game isn't released in time to tie in with the films cinema release (i.e. they aren't complete enough to be included, even as a demo). However the favour could be returned in such cases where the game includes a trailer for the film it is based on just nicely in time for it's video release.
It doesn't have to be a game based on a film either - it could just as easily be the other way around. Think of the extra buzz that would have been created if Square had included a trailer for the Final Fantasy film on the PS FFIX disc. There's always the PS2 version of FFX around the corner so maybe they're saving it for that.
On the other hand would film companies be interested in paying advertising fees to include a trailer for a forthcoming film on a game disc which is likely to appeal to a similar audience?
Films and games need not go hand in hand together (we all know how truly awful the results can be), but they could very easily complement each other through advertising.