Ghostbusters 3

[dariusk]

So apparently Harold Ramis, Dan Akroyd, and Bill Murray are teaming up to write and do voice acting for a video game sequel to the Ghostbusters movies! Even if the game sucks, the writing will probably be sharp enough to warrant buying it anyway. W00t!!

Comments

[mikecap]

Not only is that awesome, but it's a great example of using new media to continue movie storylines when the actors (avatars!) are no longer able/alive/young enough to play the parts.

It's kind of surprising really that there isn't more of this. Why no Arnold Schwarzenegger FPS game/movies?? Commando II or Predator: Further Adventures of Arnie vs. Aliens would ROCK THE HIZZOUSE.

[dariusk]

Well, Schwarzenegger won't be authorizing his digital image on any entertainment media until he's no longer in public office. But your general point is a good one.

[dariusk]

Oh, and the main reason is that the movie studios own the IP, and their business as they see it is movies, not games. Which is why they'll license movie IP to a game company to release something that they see as supporting the movie, but not to a game company that wants to do something original with a fairly dormant license.

[mikecap]

I do hope for 3D technology to advance to the point where digital actors can convincingly replace human ones. Not that I want to put physical actors out of work (I doubt that will ever happen) but I do want to give new life to old images and characters - or maybe even provide a low cost vehicle for the continuation of a story/show that was too expensive to create/continue in reality.

I think we're actually 80% of the way there in terms of pure physical representation, but there's a strong need for new technologies that can add more human factor to models. I'm specifically thinking of motion and facial response - there isn't enough complexity yet to have really convincing/really subtle emotion, and somehow motion in general always seems "too smooth" or "too mechanical". There's just not enough imperfection. People are just too good at facial and spatial recognition!

[alexx_kay]

That's starting to change. We've seen games based on The Godfather, Scarface, and Jaws in the last few years. The new John Woo game is a sequel to a movie from several years ago.

[dariusk]

Yes, definitely things are getting better. It's heartening.

[sirroxton]

All based on the capricious whim of monolithic entities that came to power by abusing their status as gatekeepers to the channels of distribution. YARGH.

(Sorry, pet peeve.)