Now is the time for the re-birth and return of the FMV game

[Zadoc]

There are no new genres in the videogame industry today and that there haven’t been in quite a few years. It seems that the best that one can hope for is a fresh new take on an existing genre, as Bungie did with Halo, as Valve did with Half-Life, as Visual Concepts did with NFL 2K, and as Nintendo did with Super Mario 64.

Platformers, shooters, RPG’s, RTS games, MMORPGs, sports… genre’s become stale and the market becomes inundated with a new Sims game every six months, a new Madden game once a year, ten different Army Men games, and so many Medal of Honor titles that even EA has lost count.

One genre, however, has been left dormant for nearly a decade. It’s been tucked away under the beds of game developers and stuffed into a sock. But now, it’s ripened and is ready to be welcomed not only by gamers, but by that mythical group of consumers known as the ‘casual gamer,’ and by those who have never played video games at all.

In the 1990’s, a new fad had appeared in the gaming world. The CD format was seen as the future by both software developers and hardware manufactures alike. It was a cheap replacement for costly cartridges, and it could deliver CD-quality sound and even full motion video. Yes, I am talking about the forgotten genre of the infamous FMV game.

FMV games of the 90’s are left buried and dead for good reason; they sucked, they were horrible, and everything about them should be forgotten, except for the lesson to be learned from the experience.

Technology of the time delivered barely watchable, grainy video that could not approach any resemblance of TV quality. If that wasn’t horrible enough, the budgets for these games meant that developers could only hire actors who couldn’t even land a job in soaps. Even if the actors were skilled, there wasn’t enough money in the budget for a well-written script and an engaging plot to come to light.

Today, current and next generation systems are all capable of DVD quality sound and video, some are even equipped for high definition; blockbuster game budgets rival those of major Hollywood movies, and a weekend opening for a video game launch can shame the box office draw for a major motion picture. What we have is the technology, the ability and the budget, but we have not the desire.

How can FMV games be good, let alone bring a new type of gamer to the market?

There have been numerous games based on movies and TV shows alike; The Terminator, The Simpsons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Blade, Batman, Robocop, CSI, Law & Order, Farscape, Pirates of the Caribbean, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Lord of the Rings, and even a recently announced game based on the TV drama Desperate Housewives.

The average reception of games based on movies is a-typical of the reception of movies based on game franchises (which is famously dismal). The sales of games based on movies is historically poor. Generally, a publisher gains the rights to X movie/TV franchise and puts out a piece of software that is completely devoid of anything resembling art, not to even mention fun. This narrows the market for the game released to only fans of the TV series/movie who are willing to by the software and who already own the game system that the title is released for.

Imagine a game released based on a popular TV series such as Friends, Gilmore Girls, Lost, or (insert name of TV show here). Not a game licensed out to a developer who intends to use the intellectual property for a quick buck before they move on to a new project, but imagine if this were an FMV game. Not a game with a poor script, small budget and bad actors, but a game that was co-produced by the same producers of the TV serial, and used the same writers and actors. Now imagine if this game bridged a gap in the story-arc of the TV series.

Such a game could allow for a consumer to enter the virtual world of their favorite TV show and interact with their beloved characters. With the possibility for multiple paths to be followed in the game, there in lies the possibility for multiple outcomes in the game, thus high replayability.

The game described would not only appeal to gamers, but would also appeal to the non-gamer, a number of whom would be willing to purchase a new game console just for the chance to become a part of their favorite story. Non-gamers would especially be inclined to come to the game market if the FMV game were to reveal important plot developments in the show.

If the FMV concept were to be revived, there lies the possibility for Hollywood to find a new outlet for their creativity, a new way to capture the minds and hearts of consumers, a new depth to storytelling can be discovered. There also lies the possibility for game publishers and developers to expand based on gaining the rights to these properties, and for console manufactures to experience a surge in sales as the non-gamer comes to their system to play the newest chapter in their favorite TV show.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I've actually put a fair bit of thought into this.

I think the problem with FMV in a packaged-and-sold format is that it has extremely limited replay value, even if you've got as much storage space as a DVD or one of the next gen DVD formats have. However, with the advent of Flash video, I think there's a real possibility for FMV to come back as an online format whose material could be produced in tandem with a given show (am I the only person thinking that the absolute best bet for this right now would be Lost?). That way, new "chapters" of scenes, dialogue and game play can be grafted onto the structure of the game each week, which would bring folks back to the web site for the show repeatedly. And of course, the bonus there is that, at the end of the season, you've got all this material shot, and a branching structure already figured out, just begging to be included as a DVD boxset bonus feature or a standalone release.

The biggest drawback to this idea is the availability of cast, crew and creative personnel to be doing something basically at the same time as they're trying to film an hour of TV, and let me tell you, from the network's perspective where the deployment of resources are concerned, that hour of TV is always, always going to win. It'd have to be thought out very carefully in advance, and maybe even done in such a way that the cast wouldn't be needed for much of the game segments - i.e., again using Lost as an example, they could film all of the possible tangents of a multiple-choice "conversation" with Locke or Jack fairly quickly from a first-person perspective - i.e. you're the camera and they're talking directly to you - but the bulk of the game footage would be you-as-the-camera walking through the sets, which could be shot either by the second unit already doing pickup shots, or by a special third unit that only works on the game footage.

FMV has a future. But that future is on broadband internet first and foremost, and in a physical form such as a DVD only as a happy side-effect.

[Blanka789]

I'm all for this, animation is popular, shows with actors are popular, just don't overdo it. We don't want all FMV games...

[Jorpho]

It takes more than the sight of familiar faces to make a game worthwhile. Do you really think that if they took the recent 24 game and replaced the action sequences with dialog trees that an excellent game would result?

But it must be said that Phoenix Wright, in all its brilliance, is in the end little more than an FMV game, suggesting that the corpse of the genre is not as dessicated as it may seem.

[Neo Rasa]

0 Story from Enix was an FMV game for the PS2 and it was a launch title. There's Maximum Chase on the XBox as well though that just had FMV cutscenes like the first Headhunter.

I don't think we'll ever see a comeback of this sort of game. Not a huge loss, though another Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective or Dracula Unleashed could be really cool.

[Anthony1]

I've been crying for this for quite some time. I really think that with todays technology, FMV games could be pretty interesting. Sure, there will never be true interactivity, and the games will be more movie than game, but that doesn't mean they can't be extremely entertaining. I for one, actually enjoy many of the old FMV games. Sure, I know they aren't "real" games, and they have very little interactivity, but I appreciate them for what they do. Ground Zero Texas is one of my favorite. Heck, I would just love to see somebody get their hands on the actual film stock for all the old Digital Pictures games, and transfer them to HD and remix them with 5.1 sound. I'm sure the footage for those old games was originally shot on 35mm cameras. That footage could be transfered to High Def quite well, although a remix for 5.1 sound would be somewhat daunting. But, I would love to see those old games, get the full restoration treatment.


As for a brand new, state of the art, FMV game, that would be even better. The footage could be shot in widescreen, with HD camera's, and with a 5.1 soundtrack. I'm sure they could get the interactivity of the game to be much, much higher, and more interesting. Imagine a big budget production for a FMV game of CSI or some other crime drama. A crime drama would be perfect, because you could play the role as the detective, and you can visit various locations and gather info, and determine how to proceed. I loved the Sherlock Holmes game back in the day, but just imagine if things were full screen, widescreen format, with 480p video or maybe even better, and some kick ass 5.1 sound production.


Now, the thing is, that these types of software wouldn't really be considered "games", per se, but they still could be damn entertaining. And for those of you that have a Sega CD and have never tried Ground Zero Texas, you should give that game a try. It's actually not that bad, and quite funny. Of course, I also enjoyed Sewer Shark and Night Trap, so what does that tell you?

[Fighter17]

Thinking about the horrible acting in many FMV games, not to metion the limited replay value. Also these games cause the deaths of the Sega CD, 3DO, and CD-i.

If you guys want FMV games to come back, you guys are all high on weed! LOL

Look at the Guy Game for example, that's what FMV are in the first place!

[CRV]

Also these games cause the deaths of the Sega CD, 3DO, and CD-i.

I think people overexaggerate the role FMV games had in the deaths of these machines.

[Anthony1]

Also these games cause the deaths of the Sega CD, 3DO, and CD-i.

I think people overexaggerate the role FMV games had in the deaths of these machines.



I wouldn't say it's overexaggerated so much, it's probably true to a pretty high degree. The thing is, just cause FMV killed those systems, and just cause the critical press and general public rejected them, doesn't mean that you couldn't make some today that would be highly entertaining, and would find a nice little devoted audience. I'm telling you, some of those games weren't all that bad. Sure the acting was corny, and there wasn't much interactivitiy, but you just have to look at it as a completely different type of game. You accept it for what it is, and ultimately you either enjoy it or don't. If you are looking for any reason not to enjoy them, then you certainly won't. Some of them were complete and utter crap. But some of them were pretty damn good. As much disrespect as Night Trap gets, that game was actually a pretty good game for it's time. I remember playing that game when it first was released, and thinking that video games as I have known it have changed. Of course I soon realized that it ultimately boiled down to a game of memorization, like Dragon's Lair or Space Ace, but it's not like Dragon's Lair or Space Ace can't be enjoyable. You have to take it for what it is, and either accept or reject. Anybody that rejects Ground Zero Texas as being total crap, is not giving that game a fair chance.

[Jorpho]

Sure the acting was corny, and there wasn't much interactivitiy, but you just have to look at it as a completely different type of game. You accept it for what it is, and ultimately you either enjoy it or don't. If you are looking for any reason not to enjoy them, then you certainly won't.

:hmm: Such as, the acting is corny and there isn't much interactivity?

[googlefest1]

I felt this was missing in the game world as well.

also, I questioned as to why did the fmv almost totally disappear from games. Is it not cheaper to produce fmv than cgi?

I also enjoyed fmv titles and fmv in games. To name a few - X-files (PC - psx), Deadelus Encounter (PC-3do), Night trap (sega cd -3do)

If new games were made and released in the classic fmv style like "night trap" then I think the first titles may sell well and then sales for new titles would die off because the novelty would have once again worn off. BUT, I think the next step afterwards for fmv games would be the dvd scene in the form of or under the guise of "interactive movie"

[Jorpho]

also, I questioned as to why did the fmv almost totally disappear from games. Is it not cheaper to produce fmv than cgi?

These days, I doubt it. If you're going to produce FMV, you need actors, directors, sets, cameras, schedules, editors, and a lot of other support crew. It's not necessarily the sort of thing that any old game studio would have access to.

It might be argued that switching back and forth between FMV and CGI can be kind of jarring, but then for a long time games were using prerendered cutscenes that looked vastly superior to any of the in-game graphics anyway.

[Amy Rose]

I demand a sequel to Wirehead! LOL

[kevin_psx]

How can FMV games be good, let alone bring a new type of gamer to the market?


Disagree. I see no need for using FMV (pre-recorded video) that follows the near-identical path every time.

I prefer modern graphics that can branch in ANY direction & with near-photo-realism-- like the X360. The X360 can create real-looking people & settings & take those persons in any direction.

There's no need to go back to pre-recorded/fixed-path video.

[SNKFan75]

I beleive that we are seeing FMV games in today consoles. Sure they might not be exactly how we remember them, but they are using the same principles.

If you look at games like Still Life, you will see some characteristics of FMV games. I do not think we can go back to the way of pre-recoreded, rail gameplay. I don't think the current market would accept it. I feel that the next gen systems are going to be using pre-rendered images and a mixof live video. That will be the extent of it.

I would love to see Spave Ace and Dragon's Lair redone with todays technology, but other than that, let it die. Do you remember games like Sewer Shark, Night Trap, and even Microcosm? Sure those games were fun to play once, but with todays technology, I would want more freedom and a lot more interactivity.

This just cannot be done with FMV games. You can however make CG games totally interactive and allow the player to decide where to go in the game. You can also add photo-realsim to the game to complete the experience.

SNKFan75

[n8littlefield]

Didn't the latest Need For Speed game combine FMV video actors/actresses with CG backdrops? I seem to remember seeing footage that looked like it.

I don't think we'll see a return of the FMV game, primarily because systems are getting so powerful that you can render people quite well without needing real footage.

While I don't think FMV will make a comeback I do think we'll see more acting in video games, because more and more movie actors are getting involved in games and do the motion capture and voice overs.

[Jorpho]

I would love to see Spave Ace and Dragon's Lair redone with todays technology

:hmm: Completely forgotten Dragon's Lair 3D, have we?

[Zadoc]

I think that some people are really missing the point.

Phoenix Wright is an exceellent point.



What do TV shows and movies do? They entertain with dialog and with cinematography and with other special visual effects. TV shows and movies are money makers, proof that people like to be entertained.

The goal is to bring the TV-junkie/movie-goer to the game console by allowing them to interact in the world of their favorite movie or TV series. With all of the producers, actors, directors and writers from the said TV show are involved in the development process, not only will such a title sell well to gamers, it'll spur non-gamers to buy a game console.

If CSI or Law & Order or Gilmore Girls or (insert TV show here) were to create such a game there would be an entire to market busted wide open.

A TV show like Lost would be perfect for this. There's so many people on the plane, that having a side story with some of the minor background characters could add to the mythos, without stepping on anyones toes. It's also an insanely popular show.

Law & Order or CSI would also be great because of their episodic nature. One show isn't really connected to the other.

A show like (insert random night time drama) that has large story arcs could use the game to connect one story to another, thus expanding sales.

And shows like Farscape, Friends, Enterprise or any other cancelled TV show could use the medium to give another episode to fans. Equlivant of putting out a special edition DVD, with a greater chance for profit.

I believe that it can be done right if all of the producers, actors, directors and writers are involved in the development process.

The need? The need is to appeal to a new audience, to make money, to double the market penetration for traditional game consoles.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

If CSI or Law & Order or Gilmore Girls or (insert TV show here) were to create such a game there would be an entire to market busted wide open.

A TV show like Lost would be perfect for this. There's so many people on the plane, that having a side story with some of the minor background characters could add to the mythos, without stepping on anyones toes. It's also an insanely popular show.

Law & Order or CSI would also be great because of their episodic nature. One show isn't really connected to the other.
My aunt bought a Windows game based on Law & Order sometime last year. I was looking at the box and it said that it featured all the actors from the show. I assumed that it was indeed a FMV game and that the genre was alive and well on PCs.

I'm not gonna take a stand on this debate about whether FMV games should make a comeback, but one interesting idea is that a good FMV might mix a lot of different gameplay styles into one package. Imagine scenes that play out like a Dragon's Lair/Space Ace sort of FMV game mixed with others that are more like Supreme Warrior and maybe others that are like Sewer Shark plus plenty of Sherlock Holmes style. Breaking things up that way might liven the experience up.


...word is bondage...

[Jorpho]

Zadoc, you miss the aforementioned point: it is EXPENSIVE. Most movie or TV licenses cannot necessarily even get the original talent from the movie or TV show to reprise their parts for the purposes of voice acting. Some licenses can't even get the rights to the actors' likenesses! And even if the talent can be hired, they won't necessarily have the time to do their takes repeatedly until they get it right!

To actually get a huge crew of professional, well-known actors together on a studio for long enough to do enough scenes to make a halfway-decent branching storyline (and just how much time were you thinking of!?) would represent a HUGE investment that the game would be highly unlikely to recoup, given the genre's less than stellar reputation. Heck, the sets for Farscape and Enterprise are already long demolished by now, and you proprose rebuilding them for the sake of a game?!

I daresay there's a reason that all those old FMV games had bad acting: bad actors are cheap! Phoenix Wright's three-frame animations and extensive stills are also cheap.


Imagine scenes that play out like a Dragon's Lair/Space Ace sort of FMV game mixed with others that are more like Supreme Warrior and maybe others that are like Sewer Shark plus plenty of Sherlock Holmes style. Breaking things up that way might liven the experience up.

Cheesy Flash-like minigames? Survivor: The Interactive Game and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (PC) come to mind. You'll notice that neither of these have been heralded as spectacular achievements in game design.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

Well, I could give examples of collections of mini-games that are indeed spectacular achievments in game design (Ganbare Neo Poke-kun and the Warioware games spring to mind), but actually I was thinking that things would be handled more or less seemlessly with non-interactive FMV or simple branching path stuff inbetween.

And hey, I'm not saying it would be good, I choose not to decide one way or the other on this matter, just saying that it seems like it might be more interesting than all the FMV games I can think of.

Actually, I always really liked Loadstar and Microcosm quite a bit, I must say.


...word is bondage...

[Zadoc]

Zadoc, you miss the aforementioned point: it is EXPENSIVE. Most movie or TV licenses cannot necessarily even get the original talent from the movie or TV show to reprise their parts for the purposes of voice acting. Some licenses can't even get the rights to the actors' likenesses! And even if the talent can be hired, they won't necessarily have the time to do their takes repeatedly until they get it right!

To actually get a huge crew of professional, well-known actors together on a studio for long enough to do enough scenes to make a halfway-decent branching storyline (and just how much time were you thinking of!?) would represent a HUGE investment that the game would be highly unlikely to recoup, given the genre's less than stellar reputation. Heck, the sets for Farscape and Enterprise are already long demolished by now, and you proprose rebuilding them for the sake of a game?!
[quote]

Yes.

Top 15 movie open weekends in US history:

[quote]
1 Spider-Man Sony $114,844,116 5/03/2002
2 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Fox $108,435,841 5/19/2005
3 Shrek 2 DW $108,037,878 5/19/2004
4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire WB $102,685,961 11/18/2005
5 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban WB $93,687,367 6/04/2004
6 The Matrix Reloaded WB $91,774,413 5/15/2003
7 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone WB $90,294,621 11/16/2001
8 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets WB $88,357,488 11/15/2002
9 Spider-Man 2 Sony $88,156,227 6/30/2004
10 X2: X-Men United Fox $85,558,731 5/02/2003
11 The Passion of the Christ NM $83,848,082 2/25/2004
12 Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Fox $80,027,814 5/16/2002
13 Austin Powers in Goldmember NL $73,071,188 7/26/2002
14 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King NL $72,629,713 12/17/2003
15 The Lost World: Jurassic Park Uni. $72,132,785 5/23/1997


Halo 2 single day sales:

$125 million


In a single day with the right cast and the right IP, such a game could not only make its money back, but turn a significant profit as well.

Halo 2 brought in $125 million in one day. Imagine how much could be brought in on a multi-console release? What about just PS2?





I daresay there's a reason that all those old FMV games had bad acting: bad actors are cheap!


That's right. However, that was a market when a game budget was $10,000 dollars or $50,000, now a game's budget is $10 million dollars or $50 million dollars.

For sales like Halo 2's, Hollywood would pay whatever it costs.

[Jorpho]

Come now. Halo 2 was selling to a very large and well-established user base. It has extensive replayability and a large online gaming community. FMV games have none of these things.

Why exactly you are throwing around numbers from box-office opening weekends is baffling. Not even the vast, vast, vast majority of movies see numbers anything like that.

And a game's budget is only $10 million or $50 million when the producers know it will sell.

[biscuitdough]

i think the future of the fmv game is not in fmv movies.
the perfect example is indigo prophesy. o my god that game was freaking awesome and had all the needed requrements of an fmv game, besides the fmv. it did have some free moving sceans, but it didn't distract from the story or the very good acting.
the problem with the earlyer fmv games was that the producers thought the story , or the acting would drive the gameplay. but the gameplay was thrown away like a retarded baby, and usually the company didnt even have enough money to get good acting or story.
so here are the requirements for a fundementaly good fmv game
1. a foundation of gameplay made of steel that wont alter the story
2. a thought out story that provides twists and multiple branches of endings
3. good acting, doesnt need to be perfect
4. pizzaz
now with indigo prophesy you have all those requirements filled at least partly
1. rythem based action sequences that are o so sweet, lightning fast talking sequences that make your hands sweat from just talking, and not so sweet investigative sequences...bleck
2. this is the weakest point, the story does have a few interesting points, but it's still a little predictable and only one ending
3. the acting is great besides a few cheasy lines
4.tons of unlockable artwork, making of features, videos and music

we meed more games like indigo prophesy to keep the fmv tradition alive.

[Zadoc]

Come now. Halo 2 was selling to a very large and well-established user base... FMV games have none of these things.


They will if they're based off of existing popular TV shows and movies and use the same actors. Could you think, for a moment, how many people watch shows like Gilmore Girls, Lost or CSI? How many people who have never played a video game would be willing to pick up a console to get the next episode of their favorite show? What if that was the only way to complete the story? What if it provide immense back story?

TV Shows and movies have larger and better established userbases than Final Fantasy, Mario and Halo combined.

And Halo 2 was limited to Xbox owners alone! Xbox accounts for < 50% of the total market.



Why exactly you are throwing around numbers from box-office opening weekends is baffling. Not even the vast, vast, vast majority of movies see numbers anything like that.

You made my point exactally for me. Most movies don't come close to the top 15 listed there, and all of those movies got trumped in sales by videogame releases.

If the number one box-office opening weekend grossed less than what popular videogame releases saw in a single day, that's enough to get Hollywood to cooperate, obviously.




And a game's budget is only $10 million or $50 million when the producers know it will sell.

Check your facts. Game budgets regularly exceed $25 million, more if you factor in not only the production costs, but the advertizing as well.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Heck, the sets for Farscape and Enterprise are already long demolished by now, and you proprose rebuilding them for the sake of a game?!
Nah, just do what all the cool kids are doing, shoot the talent against a green screen and generate the sets in the computer.

[Jorpho]

They will if they're based off of existing popular TV shows and movies and use the same actors. Could you think, for a moment, how many people watch shows like Gilmore Girls, Lost or CSI? How many people who have never played a video game would be willing to pick up a console to get the next episode of their favorite show? What if that was the only way to complete the story? What if it provide immense back story?

I would quite expect that they could make substantially more money from regular advertisers when broadcasting an episode of such impact than they would from the relatively few people who would suddenly go out and buy their first video games.



Why exactly you are throwing around numbers from box-office opening weekends is baffling. Not even the vast, vast, vast majority of movies see numbers anything like that.

You made my point exactally for me. Most movies don't come close to the top 15 listed there, and all of those movies got trumped in sales by videogame releases.

Ah, that was your point. In that case you're comparing two even more wildly different things. Those movies stayed in theaters for a good long time, went on to DVD, often had sequels, and so on. Halo 2 certainly did not continue earning $125 million per day.



And a game's budget is only $10 million or $50 million when the producers know it will sell.

Check your facts. Game budgets regularly exceed $25 million, more if you factor in not only the production costs, but the advertizing as well.

And what games are you referring to? The well-known ones that producers knew were going to sell well, or the likes of Barbie Horse Adventures?

[Melf]

Yes.

Top 15 movie open weekends in US history:



1 Spider-Man Sony $114,844,116 5/03/2002
2 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Fox $108,435,841 5/19/2005
3 Shrek 2 DW $108,037,878 5/19/2004
4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire WB $102,685,961 11/18/2005
5 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban WB $93,687,367 6/04/2004
6 The Matrix Reloaded WB $91,774,413 5/15/2003
7 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone WB $90,294,621 11/16/2001
8 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets WB $88,357,488 11/15/2002
9 Spider-Man 2 Sony $88,156,227 6/30/2004
10 X2: X-Men United Fox $85,558,731 5/02/2003
11 The Passion of the Christ NM $83,848,082 2/25/2004
12 Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Fox $80,027,814 5/16/2002
13 Austin Powers in Goldmember NL $73,071,188 7/26/2002
14 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King NL $72,629,713 12/17/2003
15 The Lost World: Jurassic Park Uni. $72,132,785 5/23/1997


Halo 2 single day sales:

$125 million

That's not really a fair comparison, given that each of those movies you listed had to sell almost 4 tickets to equal to retail price of a single copy of Halo. Moreover, movies don't have the same distribution in theaters that games have in stores. Compare how many retail outlets got copies of Halo 2 for sale on launch day with the amount of screens Spider-Man debuted on, and you'll see the disparity.

[Zadoc]

I would quite expect that they could make substantially more money from regular advertisers when broadcasting an episode of such impact than they would from the relatively few people who would suddenly go out and buy their first video games.


Why do you assume low sales numbers? This is the same industry that talked people into seeing Titanic in record numbers. No, I really don't think that sales are going to be a problem.




Ah, that was your point. In that case you're comparing two even more wildly different things. Those movies stayed in theaters for a good long time, went on to DVD, often had sequels, and so on. Halo 2 certainly did not continue earning $125 million per day.


And those movies did not make that amount of money the next weekend either. However, like the movies that stayed in theaters, Halo 2 stayed on store shelves and has many times surpased its first day sales numbers, and has generated yet even more income by selling map-packs and downloadable content.

An FMV based game, one like the product described here, has equal or more selling power than Hollywood blockbusters.



And a game's budget is only $10 million or $50 million when the producers know it will sell.

Check your facts. Game budgets regularly exceed $25 million, more if you factor in not only the production costs, but the advertizing as well.

And what games are you referring to? The well-known ones that producers knew were going to sell well, or the likes of Barbie Horse Adventures?[/quote]

How exactally is a game well-know before it is ever sold? Oh, you mean like how EA invested millions into "The Godfather" because everyone knows the IP? Ya, my point exactally.

[googlefest1]

I do think a fmv game based on a show could do well - especially if you choose the right show ( I don't think gilmore girls would make any kind of good game)

I think x-files (the first one) is a good example of what your talking about

But I don't think the sales figures your thinking of would happen

Does anyone know how well 24 the game is doing -- I noticed that csi the game has become a 10$ title (new)

Those games are not fmv - I wonder if there would have been a difference in sales if they were.

To pick up a new audience to games, I believe you would have to introduce the game on a medium other than a console. The people that have no interest in game consoles would more likely not buy a console just to play a game for their favorite TV show.

If your talking about an interactive movie (like the kind they used to have) where the plot of the story changes based on the choices you make for the main character (like the choose your own path books) then I think you would have to release those in the movie market. Also, I think you would have to heavily advertise to get them to catch on.

I would actually like to see some one give a try at bringing that back.

[Jorpho]

I would quite expect that they could make substantially more money from regular advertisers when broadcasting an episode of such impact than they would from the relatively few people who would suddenly go out and buy their first video games.

Why do you assume low sales numbers? This is the same industry that talked people into seeing Titanic in record numbers. No, I really don't think that sales are going to be a problem.

These comparisons are making less and less sense. Titanic was a theatrically released movie that was eagerly anticipated, in part due to the vast, vast amounts of money invested in it. Even if you can get James Cameron to direct an FMV game with a Celine Dion soundtrack, you'll still have a much harder time getting people who have never played a video game to drop $150 on a game console than you would ever have in getting them to go see a movie!



And those movies did not make that amount of money the next weekend either. However, like the movies that stayed in theaters, Halo 2 stayed on store shelves and has many times surpased its first day sales numbers, and has generated yet even more income by selling map-packs and downloadable content.

An FMV based game, one like the product described here, has equal or more selling power than Hollywood blockbusters.

Now you're proposing to have an FMV game with map-packs and downloadable content?! And really, Halo 2's sale figures have even less to do with the majority of game sales than the aforementioned box office statistics have to do with the majority of movies.


How exactally is a game well-know before it is ever sold? Oh, you mean like how EA invested millions into "The Godfather" because everyone knows the IP? Ya, my point exactally.

:hmm: And now you're saying that games based on movie licenses are best sellers?

[Anthony1]

I do think that if FMV games ever made a comeback, they would be budget priced titles, and they would cater to a limited audience, but I really think they could still do good enough to justify the cost.


Also, I think that the old game on rails gameplay, can be improved with modern technology and techniques. Certainly the games won't be interactive like a regular action/adventure game, but I'm guessing they could increase the interactivity level quite dramatcially. Of course, the biggest improvement would be going with Full-Screen, crystal clear video and 5.1 sound. Just having it full screen, with clear video and 5.1 sound would covince me to buy any FMV game that hit the scenes, just cause I would like to see what something like that would look like.


Even if it was done with cheesy actors that couldn't even get a Soap gig. Look at Ground Zero Texas, all of those actors were totally unknown and they did a decent job. None of them will be winning any academy awards anytime soon, but I thought they did a pretty decent job, all things considered.


The key factor for any publisher/developer that was going to try a modern FMV game, would be to NOT claim it had any kind of real interactivity, but to market it as a different kind of game, and a break from the norm.

[Zadoc]

I do think a fmv game based on a show could do well - especially if you choose the right show ( I don't think gilmore girls would make any kind of good game)

I think x-files (the first one) is a good example of what your talking about

But I don't think the sales figures your thinking of would happen

Does anyone know how well 24 the game is doing -- I noticed that csi the game has become a 10$ title (new)


That's because it sucks. As you know, game developers simply get any license that they can in order to get a quick buck.



If your talking about an interactive movie (like the kind they used to have) where the plot of the story changes based on the choices you make for the main character (like the choose your own path books) then I think you would have to release those in the movie market. Also, I think you would have to heavily advertise to get them to catch on.

I would actually like to see some one give a try at bringing that back.

Yes, and I agree.