I remember back in the day when a video game would be made based on an existing movie. Quite often the characters in the game wouldn’t even LOOk like the characters from the movies… let alone sound like them. I was just unheard of to hear the actual actor’s voice from the movie to also be in the game.
But these days, you almost expect to hear the voices of the original actors in their video game roles. Many movie contracts now have clauses specifically setting out that actors are now obligated to do the voice work for any game version of the film. The Matrix was the first series of films that actually purposefully integrated the game (Enter The Matrix) into the overall story of the films, and thus when the actors signed on, they understood that their job also included work on the game.
Now the old timers are getting involved too. Clint Eastwood has just agreed to do the voice work for a video game adaptation of “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly“.
So are we seeing a trend of Movie/Video game mergance that will eventually lead to a fully blown integration of games and film? WIll eventually every movie be released with a video game already attached to it with the same directors and actors? How much further do you see this trend going? Or do you even see it as a trend at all?
Too true – Americas Army online is one BIG recruitment drive. Good game though. As a resident of the UK I can play without fear of subscribing to the moral filth pit that turns young men into killers before they even know whats happening to them. Remember when guns used to be scary???
:-p
Anyhoo – I reckon the closest hit so far to a movie / game merge was Metal Gear Solid. If you can be arsed to listen to all the dialogue – it really felt like I was playing out an honest-to-goodness cause and effect – 3 point hollywood thriller narrative. Lovey bits ‘n all!
trend?
the u.s. army and marine corps uses adds on television that try to merge/confuse video game world with real war.
tank command is fun and thrilling!