Disclaimer: The opinions that I express here that almost all video game movies are awful are just that, opinions. I'm not trying to personally attack you're favorite film, and, if you like any of these movies, it's your choice, these are just my opinions and you're entitled to your own as well. Thanks.

So after using Gamespot for quite some time and being active in the forums, I've come to realize that I haven't really spewed any of my thoughts out in to a blog post yet. So, I thought to my self, why not try to write one? And for my first topic, why not tackle two things you love that seem destined to fail when placed together: films and games. So without further delay, here goes nothing.

The Issues

So, as many of you likely will know if you've ever seen a video game movie, you've probably left the theater thinking to yourself "That really wasn't that great, but what went wrong?". There may have been some talented actors in it, and it may have stayed true to the games vision, but you really didn't enjoy it as much as the game, did you? And, more importantly, why didn't you? And you're not alone in saying this. Almost every video game film, if not every one, to ever be released has been a critical and financial flop, generally making a very small profit when compared to other wide release films and financial success standards.Just look at some of the examples, like the erroneous and dumb in all the wrong ways Super Mario Bros film, the professional but boring Prince of Persia film, the flat and odd Need For Speed (though notably noble for creating a whole film based on a game with nameless and plotless car drivers) or the strange and hyperactive Hitman adaptation, and don't even get me started on the nauseatingly dumb Dead Or Alive movie, with its dumb and hilarious towel scene, which, out of good faith for Gamespot, I won't link here.

But what is it about these adaptations that make them so poor and bland. Well, in my seemingly infinite free time, I've boiled it down to three main points that I will lay out here for all to see, and, who knows, maybe somebody who knows somebody might pass this information along to a director or filmmaker considering creating a video game movie.

Issue One: The Story

This first point ties in a bit with a latter point, but it's enough of a criticism to be considered a point of its own. A thing that a lot of directors and writers seem to do when adapting a game is that they do just that, adapt the full game. There's nothing inherently wrong with this, but the issue is that games are already pretty cinematic on their own. Games aren't like books where you there are tons of details to play with and the author rarely, if ever, gives you a cannon description of what a scene or character looks like. This allows directors and writers to create their interpretation of the world based on the authors description and nothing little to nothing else. The problem with games is that they present you with a cannon image. Games don't expect you to create an image of what a character looks like, they simply show you because he is the character and you need to see him to be him. The issue here is that this leaves little avenues open in the way of creative interpretation for a director to play with when adapting a game to the screen, as they are confined by the rules and appearance of the game, which is is already there for players to see. It's for this reason that you often feel as if you've just watched a scaled down and thinner version of something that you've already played and seen, and that you really didn't need a film for the game at all. To emphasize this, I'm going to present two examples of film adaptations, one from a game, and one from a book. The first film is that of the Mortal Kombat adaptation from 1995. While many, myself included, commend this film for it's loyalty to its subject matter in creating something that felt as if it had stayed true to MKs core details, there really were no creative liberties taken in the process of making the film separate or unique from the game. You weren't surprised by how a fight between Subzero and Scorpion looked because you had already seen it unfold a hundred times on screen. You weren't in awe by how massive and intimidating Goro was because you had already seen him tear through his enemies before in full detail. Contrast this now with the Lord Of The Rings films of the 2000s. The appearance of Sauron and his menacing appearance was shocking to many fans because they had never seen him outside of their minds. The battle of Minas Tirith was electrifying and amazing because you had never seen it presented to you in any other form other than words on a page, The problem is that games are naturally cinematic, and it's hard to truly be original or awe inspiring when you're simply taking details that fans have already seen and porting them over in to a live action format, rather than images made up entirely in the fans minds. The story may be on a bigger screen, but, at the end of the day, it's essentially the same experience that you could get at home or, depending on the time, at the arcade.

Issue 2: The World

As stated before, this ties in with the previous point regarding the story, and yes, it may be more of a tip than a criticism, but I still feel that it's a strong point and that it should be expressed. One of the biggest things that writers and directors seem to overlook is just how massive and detailed these games that they're adapting are. A majority of these games have massive and fully realized worlds that can provide all matter of inspiration and opportunity from a creative standpoint, yet, they are, for the most part, never taken advantage of, with the majority of films again being a direct adaptation of the game itself with little to no differences thrown in. A notable and promising exception to this seems to be the new HALO: Nightfall series, taking place separately from the games but still holding multiple tie ins and even using other characters. If you were to write a Mass Effect film, and yes, one is in production, do you think you, as a writer or viewer, would have more fun seeing the same Commander Shepard story you've seen a hundred times play out on screen, or a different film, still grounded in the same universe, but with a new plot, enemies, and cast of characters to follow and connect with. It seems that directors and writers alike are ignoring these opportunities for originality and flexibility and instead reaching for the easiest and least creative option possible. The real way to create a truly unique an engaging game experience is to allow for the writers and directors creativity and vision to shine. If the studio picked a poor team then it will show, and if they chose well it will also show, but don't hide behind another's work because you're afraid to look deeper in to the world of the game. play the game some, think about the story and what made the characters work in that setting, and make it your own, not a sloppy adaptation of somebody else's work.

Issue 3: The Gameplay

This final issue is a bit hard to find a way around it, because it's at the core of every game. While the story may have been great to see unfold, one of the primary reasons that these games being adapted are so great is due to the fact that the developers knew how to blend story and gameplay seamlessly to craft a great experience. The issue here is, short of making a strange and likely infinitely flawed interactive movie, there really is no way to incorporate this essential piece of the game industry in to a film without it seeming strange and out of place. Each game has a certain flavor to its gameplay that works with the story to create one cohesive and enjoyable experience. This can be anything from wandering the world like in most games, player choice in the plot in RPGs, or even direct cut scene control. In a film, however, this kind of immersion and choice is nowhere to be found. Where you might feel that you are controlling Adam Jensen in Deus Ex and that you are guiding him on your own path, though it's still a path decided for you by the games developers, you are completely disconnected from the characters on screen in a film, leaving you helpless and giving you no more choice other than yelling at the screen like a mad man to influence the characters actions and plot. Again i'm going to go to the MK example to provide an example of this. In an actual MK game you feel the tension of the matches on a whole other level. Every hit you take is your fault, ever strike you make is your doing, and every tense and down to the second fatality is a reward for you the player. Now imagine watching this unfold on a screen in front of you with none of your input. this is how the MK film feels overall. There isn't any viewer action or decision, and, while you could argue that there is tension, it's a lot less immediate and dire, as you haven't put yourself in any dangerous situation, the writers and directors have. This overall makes game films feel a lot more shallow and bland overall, and create, again, what often seems like a less effective version of what you could get at home without buying a ticket to a film or watching events unfold without your control. The film takes away your input and your eye for detail, you no longer feel like you exist in the world and are exploring it yourself, but that you are viewing the thoughts and experiences of another a far less personal experience than if you were to play the actual game.

while I can see how the idea of video game movie adaptations might appeal to some, the errors made so far and inherent challenges faced when bringing a game to the screen are numerous, and typically limit the film's success. Unfortunately, however, with the advent and rise of games in popular culture, the temptation for many studios to publish such films is ever increasing, attempting to capitalize on the success of the growing demand and market of games. These future films have also faced the same challenges and many seem poised to make the same mistakes as their predecessors, along with numerous production challenges seemingly being faced even in the creation of these films, with many already the subjects of delays and rewrites, signs that typically spell trouble for a film at release. Hopefully, however, these films and their creators will be able to learn from past mistakes in time to save their products, and we may one day see a decent game adaptation hit theaters.