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Game plots are too weak to be films

LA Times evaluates a cinematic year ahead.

Dark blue icons of video game controllers on a light blue background
Image credit: Eurogamer

US publication The LA Times believes game narratives are too weak to be turned into successful films.

In her article, Nicole LaPorte looks at the cinematic year ahead and what will lure us off our bottoms and in-front of the big screen.

She says assuming videogames will be as inspiring as comic books because millions spend countless hours on them is wrong.

"Hollywood can't win at videogames," claims LaPorte. "Because 13-year-old boys spend hours zapping asteroids or stealing virtual cars, movies based on videogames would seem to be the logical follow-up to the comic- book-to-movie frenzy.

"Screenwriter Josh Olson, who was rewriting the 'Halo' script (Peter Jackson was to direct) before the movie fell apart, says video games 'have aimless cycles. You go to A, shoot some monsters, then go to B, then start over and do it again'.

She concludes: "Step away from the videogames. Transforming this medium's weak narratives to film hasn't been as successful as with comic books."

In the need to come up with a counter argument because we like videogames, we decided Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie was a good watch.

However, in truth, most adaptations are rubbish. But is it because Uwe Boll directs them or because our concepts are as flimsy as LaPorte suggests? Sock it to us.

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