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Picture the scene. It’s 1989. Stephen Spielberg lounges in his luxury leather desk chair, gazing across the LA skyline from the window of his opulent high-rise office. A rookie director is pitching his idea for a new hit movie.
"Mr. Spielberg, you're going to love this! A Hedgehog. Slow, lethargic, curls into a ball at the slightest sign of danger, yes? Now we crank the irony up to ten, making him a super fast fighting machine. Great huh? That's not even the best part! Get this - he's blue! And he's even gonna have a really good name. Loads of zazz and really proactive. Lightning, or Blast, or Supersonic - no wait - ‘Sonic’! Oh yeah, and he can spin manically.”
What would Spielberg have been likely to reply to this new movie concept? I don’t think that it needs spelling out. Now cut to a different office. Japan, late 80’s. Somebody somewhere will have pitched a very similar idea to the big wigs at Sega HQ. Only, in this case they replied, “Yes, yes, yes! This is just what our company has been looking for! A Blue Hedgehog! You, sir, are getting a promotion.” and so on.
As we all know, some of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry have sprung from very peculiar concepts. The aforementioned hedgehog for one, but also: Super Mario Brothers - a pair of Italian plumbers, who have a penchant for moustaches and jumping on top of turtles. Pokemon - Child collects vast quantities of dangerous animals and makes them fight with lightning bolts and other phenomena. The list goes on and on.
Despite these concepts being a bit “far out”, they have become extremely successful, helping their parent companies to shift millions of units. In comparison the film industry (a main rival in the entertainment industry) are far more orthodox in their ways. Set of human characters is defined, events occur, film ends. Now I’m sure that to a certain extent these differences is are down to the film industry being almost entirely based in the USA and the games industry being heavily based in Japan, a nation renowned for being a bit “bonkers” with some of their ideas! None the less, you would expect the two to take note of each other and steal ideas.
This is occurring to an extent. CGI films that have been seen so far have been massively successful, and have largely featured unconventional, almost game-like plotlines involving warring armies of insects or a nation of monsters for example. Similarly, as console capability advances the graphics now possible are allowing games to be made in a style that owes more than a nod in the direction of the movies (MGS2, The Getaway et al.). This leads to the question, “are these styles going too crossover even further?” Will we wind up ten years down the road watching movies featuring bizarre colourful creatures making humorous noises and collecting coins, whilst playing games as humans who have car chases, fall in love, kill bad guys, crack jokes and so on?
Probably not... I think that at the end of the day, the massive capability of computers nowadays means that the possibilities for new games are much less restricted tan they were ten years ago, and likewise, the improvements of computer graphics in films allow new avenues to be explored. None the less it’s interesting to see how these two different fields of entertainment are ever expanding into one another’s territory.
Who knows? Maybe one day soon we’ll see a Super Mario Brothers film done the way it should have been done!
"Mr. Spielberg, you're going to love this! A Hedgehog. Slow, lethargic, curls into a ball at the slightest sign of danger, yes? Now we crank the irony up to ten, making him a super fast fighting machine. Great huh? That's not even the best part! Get this - he's blue! And he's even gonna have a really good name. Loads of zazz and really proactive. Lightning, or Blast, or Supersonic - no wait - ‘Sonic’! Oh yeah, and he can spin manically.”
What would Spielberg have been likely to reply to this new movie concept? I don’t think that it needs spelling out. Now cut to a different office. Japan, late 80’s. Somebody somewhere will have pitched a very similar idea to the big wigs at Sega HQ. Only, in this case they replied, “Yes, yes, yes! This is just what our company has been looking for! A Blue Hedgehog! You, sir, are getting a promotion.” and so on.
As we all know, some of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry have sprung from very peculiar concepts. The aforementioned hedgehog for one, but also: Super Mario Brothers - a pair of Italian plumbers, who have a penchant for moustaches and jumping on top of turtles. Pokemon - Child collects vast quantities of dangerous animals and makes them fight with lightning bolts and other phenomena. The list goes on and on.
Despite these concepts being a bit “far out”, they have become extremely successful, helping their parent companies to shift millions of units. In comparison the film industry (a main rival in the entertainment industry) are far more orthodox in their ways. Set of human characters is defined, events occur, film ends. Now I’m sure that to a certain extent these differences is are down to the film industry being almost entirely based in the USA and the games industry being heavily based in Japan, a nation renowned for being a bit “bonkers” with some of their ideas! None the less, you would expect the two to take note of each other and steal ideas.
This is occurring to an extent. CGI films that have been seen so far have been massively successful, and have largely featured unconventional, almost game-like plotlines involving warring armies of insects or a nation of monsters for example. Similarly, as console capability advances the graphics now possible are allowing games to be made in a style that owes more than a nod in the direction of the movies (MGS2, The Getaway et al.). This leads to the question, “are these styles going too crossover even further?” Will we wind up ten years down the road watching movies featuring bizarre colourful creatures making humorous noises and collecting coins, whilst playing games as humans who have car chases, fall in love, kill bad guys, crack jokes and so on?
Probably not... I think that at the end of the day, the massive capability of computers nowadays means that the possibilities for new games are much less restricted tan they were ten years ago, and likewise, the improvements of computer graphics in films allow new avenues to be explored. None the less it’s interesting to see how these two different fields of entertainment are ever expanding into one another’s territory.
Who knows? Maybe one day soon we’ll see a Super Mario Brothers film done the way it should have been done!
hmm. naughty Balderix.
tsk tsk tsk
tsk tsk tsk
Good post there Wolfcastle, if Balderix doesn't like it then he should keep his mouth shut or reply in a more constructive way.
Balderix wrote:
> loser loser loser
Balderix, you legend! Some interesting points, which I must say I am regretting not having thought of myself and included in the post. Wow.
> loser loser loser
Balderix, you legend! Some interesting points, which I must say I am regretting not having thought of myself and included in the post. Wow.
and reported rightly so, why is it when someone posts an interesting post that has been well thought out and is a pleasure to read does some incompetant illiterate twerp have to butt in with a demeaning, pointless and irelevant 1-liner comment that is really not needed.
It just makes me sick is all, good post Wolfcastle and i hope that when you next post another topic of similar calibur that you'll get a more inteligent first reply instead of some imane babble that none of us in these forums who actually put time and effort into our posts should have to endure.
slik ~_~
It just makes me sick is all, good post Wolfcastle and i hope that when you next post another topic of similar calibur that you'll get a more inteligent first reply instead of some imane babble that none of us in these forums who actually put time and effort into our posts should have to endure.
slik ~_~
Nice, constructive reply to a post I imagine took some time to type out.
I've reported it, of course.
I've reported it, of course.
loser loser loser
Picture the scene. It’s 1989. Stephen Spielberg lounges in his luxury leather desk chair, gazing across the LA skyline from the window of his opulent high-rise office. A rookie director is pitching his idea for a new hit movie.
"Mr. Spielberg, you're going to love this! A Hedgehog. Slow, lethargic, curls into a ball at the slightest sign of danger, yes? Now we crank the irony up to ten, making him a super fast fighting machine. Great huh? That's not even the best part! Get this - he's blue! And he's even gonna have a really good name. Loads of zazz and really proactive. Lightning, or Blast, or Supersonic - no wait - ‘Sonic’! Oh yeah, and he can spin manically.”
What would Spielberg have been likely to reply to this new movie concept? I don’t think that it needs spelling out. Now cut to a different office. Japan, late 80’s. Somebody somewhere will have pitched a very similar idea to the big wigs at Sega HQ. Only, in this case they replied, “Yes, yes, yes! This is just what our company has been looking for! A Blue Hedgehog! You, sir, are getting a promotion.” and so on.
As we all know, some of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry have sprung from very peculiar concepts. The aforementioned hedgehog for one, but also: Super Mario Brothers - a pair of Italian plumbers, who have a penchant for moustaches and jumping on top of turtles. Pokemon - Child collects vast quantities of dangerous animals and makes them fight with lightning bolts and other phenomena. The list goes on and on.
Despite these concepts being a bit “far out”, they have become extremely successful, helping their parent companies to shift millions of units. In comparison the film industry (a main rival in the entertainment industry) are far more orthodox in their ways. Set of human characters is defined, events occur, film ends. Now I’m sure that to a certain extent these differences is are down to the film industry being almost entirely based in the USA and the games industry being heavily based in Japan, a nation renowned for being a bit “bonkers” with some of their ideas! None the less, you would expect the two to take note of each other and steal ideas.
This is occurring to an extent. CGI films that have been seen so far have been massively successful, and have largely featured unconventional, almost game-like plotlines involving warring armies of insects or a nation of monsters for example. Similarly, as console capability advances the graphics now possible are allowing games to be made in a style that owes more than a nod in the direction of the movies (MGS2, The Getaway et al.). This leads to the question, “are these styles going too crossover even further?” Will we wind up ten years down the road watching movies featuring bizarre colourful creatures making humorous noises and collecting coins, whilst playing games as humans who have car chases, fall in love, kill bad guys, crack jokes and so on?
Probably not... I think that at the end of the day, the massive capability of computers nowadays means that the possibilities for new games are much less restricted tan they were ten years ago, and likewise, the improvements of computer graphics in films allow new avenues to be explored. None the less it’s interesting to see how these two different fields of entertainment are ever expanding into one another’s territory.
Who knows? Maybe one day soon we’ll see a Super Mario Brothers film done the way it should have been done!
"Mr. Spielberg, you're going to love this! A Hedgehog. Slow, lethargic, curls into a ball at the slightest sign of danger, yes? Now we crank the irony up to ten, making him a super fast fighting machine. Great huh? That's not even the best part! Get this - he's blue! And he's even gonna have a really good name. Loads of zazz and really proactive. Lightning, or Blast, or Supersonic - no wait - ‘Sonic’! Oh yeah, and he can spin manically.”
What would Spielberg have been likely to reply to this new movie concept? I don’t think that it needs spelling out. Now cut to a different office. Japan, late 80’s. Somebody somewhere will have pitched a very similar idea to the big wigs at Sega HQ. Only, in this case they replied, “Yes, yes, yes! This is just what our company has been looking for! A Blue Hedgehog! You, sir, are getting a promotion.” and so on.
As we all know, some of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry have sprung from very peculiar concepts. The aforementioned hedgehog for one, but also: Super Mario Brothers - a pair of Italian plumbers, who have a penchant for moustaches and jumping on top of turtles. Pokemon - Child collects vast quantities of dangerous animals and makes them fight with lightning bolts and other phenomena. The list goes on and on.
Despite these concepts being a bit “far out”, they have become extremely successful, helping their parent companies to shift millions of units. In comparison the film industry (a main rival in the entertainment industry) are far more orthodox in their ways. Set of human characters is defined, events occur, film ends. Now I’m sure that to a certain extent these differences is are down to the film industry being almost entirely based in the USA and the games industry being heavily based in Japan, a nation renowned for being a bit “bonkers” with some of their ideas! None the less, you would expect the two to take note of each other and steal ideas.
This is occurring to an extent. CGI films that have been seen so far have been massively successful, and have largely featured unconventional, almost game-like plotlines involving warring armies of insects or a nation of monsters for example. Similarly, as console capability advances the graphics now possible are allowing games to be made in a style that owes more than a nod in the direction of the movies (MGS2, The Getaway et al.). This leads to the question, “are these styles going too crossover even further?” Will we wind up ten years down the road watching movies featuring bizarre colourful creatures making humorous noises and collecting coins, whilst playing games as humans who have car chases, fall in love, kill bad guys, crack jokes and so on?
Probably not... I think that at the end of the day, the massive capability of computers nowadays means that the possibilities for new games are much less restricted tan they were ten years ago, and likewise, the improvements of computer graphics in films allow new avenues to be explored. None the less it’s interesting to see how these two different fields of entertainment are ever expanding into one another’s territory.
Who knows? Maybe one day soon we’ll see a Super Mario Brothers film done the way it should have been done!