What comes to mind when you think of movie based games. Let's see crap, buggy, totally unlike the movie, lame graphics, and crap. With a few exceptions to the rule, these games are polished turds. On the surface you see a familiar friendly face, only to get closer and unmask the scheming impostor trying to separate you from your hard earned cash.
There are a myriad of reasons why these games turn out to be barely mediocre at best and damn near unplayable at worst.
Obviously I'm sure there is the temptation to churn out an inferior product made with little effort and testing knowing that it will sell like hotcakes based on the title alone. This is kind of an obvious reason, but on the other hand I feel like the execs who front the money for these games stifle the designers creative process. For one they must make sure the game is on schedule to release around the time of the movie, possibly resulting in cut corners. If a movie has come and gone, and the buzz is old news then the game won't sell nearly as well. The game needs to come at the heels of the movie to maximize profits. Games without a cinematic counterpart are often delayed to ensure the best quality possible.
Another factor is that many of these movies just don't translate well into games. They have to stick with the movies plot but at the same time shape it to make an engaging gaming experience. Considering the majority of movies are mostly dialog dominated and games are a lot more action oriented, its like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. From my experience this makes for a very awkward game. First you have the main story arcs from film, but then you randomly have elements added to make it fit the game mold.
I don't think it's impossible to make a great game based on a movie but the deck is stacked against the likelihood of it becoming commonplace.
There are a myriad of reasons why these games turn out to be barely mediocre at best and damn near unplayable at worst.
Obviously I'm sure there is the temptation to churn out an inferior product made with little effort and testing knowing that it will sell like hotcakes based on the title alone. This is kind of an obvious reason, but on the other hand I feel like the execs who front the money for these games stifle the designers creative process. For one they must make sure the game is on schedule to release around the time of the movie, possibly resulting in cut corners. If a movie has come and gone, and the buzz is old news then the game won't sell nearly as well. The game needs to come at the heels of the movie to maximize profits. Games without a cinematic counterpart are often delayed to ensure the best quality possible.
Another factor is that many of these movies just don't translate well into games. They have to stick with the movies plot but at the same time shape it to make an engaging gaming experience. Considering the majority of movies are mostly dialog dominated and games are a lot more action oriented, its like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. From my experience this makes for a very awkward game. First you have the main story arcs from film, but then you randomly have elements added to make it fit the game mold.
I don't think it's impossible to make a great game based on a movie but the deck is stacked against the likelihood of it becoming commonplace.
Max this is a great topic! I'm heading into the forums to reply to this one.
Join me =)