LA Times: game narratives too 'weak' for movies, Uwe Boll agrees

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 25th 2008 at 2:30PM }

Los Angeles Times Magazine spent some time breaking down the rules of Hollywood, schooling would-be fortune-seekers and laying down some hard truth: "Hollywood can't win at video games." Filmmakers are advised to avoid video games as source material because games' "weak narratives" haven't transitioned to the big screen as well as comics – a sentiment echoed by Uwe Boll during a recent Fox News interview; the infamous director declares, "A lot of video games have no story." (Yeah, especially light gun games.) But even something as intricately devised as the Halo universe doesn't seem to hold much promise in the eyes of Hollywood. Halo script re-writer Josh Olson (A History of Violence) complains that video games "have aimless cycles. You go to A, shoot some monsters, then go to B, then start over and do it again." Why argue?

Historically, Hollywood has done a miserable job selecting games for film adaptation, while we've enjoyed plenty of strong narratives developed for and executed in games. We say: Why give Hollywood a chance to muck up the true gems? The game industry has nothing to prove to American cinema.

Read - LA Times (subscription required; try: bugmenot)
Watch - Uwe Boll on Fox News (warning: obnoxious)

Tags: film, hollywood, la-times, uwe-boll, uweboll

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

paragraph @ Jan 25th 2008 2:41PM

Video Games Sales outperform Movie Ticket sales...

So yeah, this tells us one of two thing

1) Video Games DO have stories

or

2) People don't want stories, they want digitaly orgasmic sex scenes and games about randomly shooting people...

Honestly, both are true... depends on my mood for one...

Vapor187 @ Jan 25th 2008 3:39PM

I think that can go both ways. Movies don't translate well in to games either. That and Uwe Boll sucks. Seriously, maybe they're upset because video games make more money than movies. I'd rather have an interactive video game experience than sit and watch the drivel that comes of Uwe Boll's mind.

Mr Khan @ Jan 25th 2008 5:31PM

Or rabidly over-acted scenes of over-the-top action and blood spray?

Sorry... still blown away by NMH...

wyrdtoo @ Jan 25th 2008 6:16PM

@paragraph...

Actually, while your statement about video games outselling movie ticket sales is true in pure dollars, it's one of those false-truths that marketing teams use to brainwash us.

The REAL truth is that a video game costs 5 times what a movie ticket costs, but revenue in the US is only double ($17 billion vs. $9 billion). That means more movie tickets are sold than games - each movie ticket just costs less.

The second REAL truth is that movie studios don't make a movie for the box office nowadays - they make it for the home market. The global film industry is about $500 billion per year, with only 5% of that coming from theater ticket sales.

By comparison, the video game industry is about $40 billion per year.

Hollywood doesn't NEED videogames to make money on movies. What happened was a bunch of 30-something hipster film students and writers, who grew up on Mario and Doom thought they were going to create the next big film genre.

My only problem with game-based films (and I am a 30-something lifelong gamer also) is that I play games BECAUSE they are games - interactive experiences where I make choices that affect the outcome. No matter what tricks movies try to come up with, a movie is NEVER the same experience as a game, and therefore, it's NEVER as good.

Lone Starr @ Jan 25th 2008 7:41PM

@ wyrdtoo,

$500 billion? Do you have a source for that?

In 2006, the six major film companies in the US saw all-media revenues (including the home market)of $42.6 billion. Where is the extra $460 BILLION coming from?

Cyro @ Jan 25th 2008 11:47PM

PWNED ?

Frenzy @ Jan 26th 2008 2:21AM

@paragraph: LOL :). Thanks for the honesty.

wyrdtoo @ Jan 26th 2008 12:08PM

@Lone Star

The stats come from Screen Digest (www.screendigest.com), a research and analysis firm that tracks global media industries, including film and games. If you are a member of the media or a company who needs to access these stats, you would already have access to these (typically pricey) reports. You may be able to find some snippets of statistics released in these reports by doing Google searches for various media outlets or press releases that quote Screen Digest reports in their articles.

Now, granted, the report I saw was a few years old and included revenue projections for 2005 through 2015 (2005's film industry revenue was projected at $450 billion and 2015's is projected to double that). So the figures may not be exact for 2007/2008, but my point is that the global film industry's popularity and financial health far exceeds the global gaming industry for now and well into the forseeable future. After all, films have many more available revenue streams: box office, video/dvd/onine sales and rentals, network and cable TV, pay-per-view, airlines; not to mention that many of these revenue streams continue earning money for decades after a theatrical release. Games just don't have that many opportunities, and only rare games continue making money even 5 years after their release.

My entire point was that movies and games, at least for me, are like cake and beer. I don't need to choose one OR the other to enjoy - I can have both anytime I want - I just don't like my cake and beer mixed together. :-)

T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 25th 2008 2:42PM

sigh...that still doesnt help the fact that you have no talent Uwe. Arent most action movies by michael bay the same way. One big set piece and the journey to the next. This shows that Boll and most writters and critics know too little about the medium they are in. They are hacks.

Greyseal @ Jan 25th 2008 2:44PM

This might be true in a lot of instances, but the argument fails when you consider that most video game to movie adaptations have been completely altered from their orginal source. Resident Evil? Doom? These movies have almost nothing to do with their inspirations.

I'm not saying the originals would make great movies, but the updated plots are just as "narratively weak" as the old ones, so the movie writers aren't doing any better than their video game counterparts. Why bother rewriting them at all?

StarFoxA @ Jan 25th 2008 2:45PM

Chrono Trigger begs to differ.

paragraph @ Jan 25th 2008 2:48PM

Final Fantasy
Kings Quest
Mass Effect (digital orgasms FTW)
Even GTA

all of these have decent stories, but need to be adapted correctly... thats the key here.

dan stabbingworth @ Jan 25th 2008 3:02PM

I think they've yet to find a game that has a good story but isn't too long to fit into a movie shell. All those titles you mention are far too long to fit into a 2 hour movie. All those RPGs are 40+ hour games, and while that isn't all story, it's enough that if you tried to make a movie out of them, it would be choppy with poor character development.

On the other hand, you have jackasses like Boll taking shit games with little story and trying to have some hack writer fill in the blanks.

This is why I was sad about the Halo movie, because there's just enough story to make a 1.5-2 hour movie out of. Especially if you limit it to the original Halo and the two main characters.

Llenlleawg @ Jan 25th 2008 4:43PM

@ dan, honestly, Most of those games are mostly game mechanic, fighting etc. I think many of them could adapt well into movies if they had some good fill writing. I think the issue is not so much having too much story as just too little. Having too much story tends to not be much of a problem, just look at LoTR, they cut out tons(some of my favs....) yet it still was a masterpiece.

Pro-Truth League @ Jan 25th 2008 5:43PM

Freaking Chrono Trigger? Freaking shallow Chrono Trigger? Every time someone tries to throw that up as a pinacle of videogame stories, or of narrative (ESPECIALLY narrative, since the game essentially HAS none) someone should be punched.
Older RPG's have decent gameplay, bad stories, and bad characters. Take off those nostalgia tinted glasses, please.

Psaakyrn @ Jan 25th 2008 8:17PM

The beauty of Chrono Trigger's narrative is that it's one of the extremely few instances of narrative which takes advantage of a game's non-linear format. It's also one of the few instances of time travel-based narratives done right. If you take out every single bit of RPG combat and levelling, it would still make a good adventure game.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Jan 25th 2008 10:58PM

im probably just a Final Fantasy whore, but ive always said that the story in FFVII would be perfect for a movie. i mean i saw Advent Children but that was more of a "hey! come look at some of your favorite characters from the past in new CG!". i would certainly pay $8 to see 3-4 hours of FFVII characters in updated graphics WITH the same captivating story from FFVII.

StarFoxA @ Jan 26th 2008 8:25AM

Indeed, Psaakryn, that's what I love about it.

Jerk Face @ Jan 25th 2008 2:48PM

Uwe Boll is too weak for movies.

Slaziman @ Jan 25th 2008 2:49PM

There are some games with a strong enough story to bring to the big screen. There also games like Crysis with a story with enough set pieces that could make a mediocre action movie.

paragraph @ Jan 25th 2008 2:49PM

I like the picture of Uwe on the left, it really captures his good side.

Arturo @ Jan 25th 2008 2:51PM

Half life saga, Metal Gear saga, Shenmue, Bioshock, that's all i've got right now =(

Invader Alex @ Jan 25th 2008 2:51PM

Eternal Darkness begs to differ.

T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 25th 2008 2:52PM

That would not work. Hell we havent even had a good H P Lovecraft movie (well re animator) yet. Maybe Del Toro can get mountains done though.

Invader Alex @ Jan 25th 2008 3:00PM

What i was say was that eternal darkness had a good narrative and a good story...

Greyseal @ Jan 25th 2008 2:54PM

The rare videogames that have deeper narratives just aren't really structured in a way that would be useful for a standard-length movie. Mass Effect, for instance, just has too much going on to make a consolidated movie. You'd either need to water it down terribly, or maybe have an episodic TV series.

Microswirl @ Jan 25th 2008 4:33PM

Ever watched an Episode of Battlestar Galactica? Imagine if those writers/directors created a movie/TV series based on Mass Effect... one word: awesome.

PointyThings @ Jan 25th 2008 2:55PM

This is why we need people like David Lynch (Dune, Twin Peaks) or Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream) to direct game movies like Shadow of the Colossus, Silent Hill, or Okami. Not some asshole who thinks Dawn of the Dead or BloodRayne are rich soil where brilliance is sown.

GreyFox @ Jan 25th 2008 5:19PM

Dawn of the Dead was by Zack Snyder dude. Uwe Boll busted out Alone in the Dark, House of the Dead and other shit movies. That guy shouldn't be talking about shit when it comes to video games.

danny. @ Jan 25th 2008 5:36PM

dawn of the dead>slither>tromeo and juliet

That guy is inconsistent at best

PointyThings @ Jan 25th 2008 7:17PM

Ah shit, sorry. I totally meant House of the Dead. Dawn was actually pretty good.

Mike-453 @ Jan 25th 2008 2:59PM

Because Spiderman 3 had a lot more dialogue and story progression than Mass Effect, right?

zuburi @ Jan 25th 2008 11:57PM

I approve of that burn.

born2kill @ Jan 25th 2008 2:59PM

Dont blame the game, blame the mentally retarded filmmakers who can't make a decent movie if their lives depended on it. Resident Evil wrote itself, yet somehow or other Paul "Shakespeare" Anderson thought it was a better idea to rewrite the script to help the career of the flat chested whore, in exchange for sleeping with him.

Arturo @ Jan 25th 2008 3:18PM

Agreed. And no demons/hell in doom movie =(

Lekko @ Jan 25th 2008 3:24PM

There is only one game I can think of that could actually go from game to movie flawlessly, and that is Metal Gear Solid. It was almost a movie in and of itself.

If that were to go to film though, Hideo Kojima would have to direct it, period.

Skippy @ Jan 25th 2008 3:33PM

Fuck this elitist bullshit. Game narratives operate on a different level, they're not "too weak" or some crap like that. Go play Silent Hill 2.

mcatrage @ Jan 25th 2008 3:36PM

You know based on 90% of the movies that have been released lately I don't think this magazine nor Hollywood event know what good narrative even is.

humperdinck @ Jan 25th 2008 3:37PM

Like all the early, horrible comic book-to-movie adaptations, it all boils down to a lack of respect for the source material. Can a guy who sees videogames as merely "go from point A to point B and shoot stuff" ever write a proper screenplay based on source material he obviously looks down upon?

Until passionate gamers grow up to be screenwriters and directors (as comic book fans did), we'll continue to see the Uwe Bolls of the world fuck it up time and time again.

Evan @ Jan 25th 2008 3:38PM

The problem is that Hollywood chooses some of the most shallow video games to turn into movies, and then re-writes them as mindless popcorn action flicks. But who can blame them when mindless popcorn flicks like Spiderman 3 make more money than all five Oscar nomanees combined! As long as effects-porn like Spiderman and Tranformers make all the money, that's what Hollywood is going to make!

Evan @ Jan 25th 2008 3:39PM

Evan @ Jan 25th 2008 3:40PM

Thank you Joystiq for the double-post!

88Mr88 @ Jan 25th 2008 3:42PM

It's funny when a game like MetalGearSolid is offered as a university course with philosophy.

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/01/07/texas-professor-offers-metal-gear-solid-and-philosophy-course/

Eric @ Jan 25th 2008 3:45PM

really Video Games need to be handled Like BSG Take the Characters and the Lore and do your own thing with them, Make something Compelling out of it.

There is enough Lore in Metal Gear or Halo to make a interesting film if you keep it grounded in reality and not make it ridicules.

driven2sin @ Jan 25th 2008 3:50PM

you saying a Diablo movie wouldn't be way deeper than that 300 and Beowulf shit?

mr mobius @ Jan 25th 2008 3:53PM

I happen to find the story of all the Mario games quite compelling. They'd make a brilliant movie. They just got unlucky with the last Mario film because they deviated from the plot a bit.

Batzarro @ Jan 25th 2008 10:59PM

No. The Street Fighter movie deviated from the plot bit; Mario The movie turned it's back entirely on the game and ran into the abyss!

wootman @ Jan 25th 2008 3:58PM

heck, even zelda could produce a good move.
why no half life movie, TF2 movie, bioshock movie, gears of war movie, call of duty movie, GRAW, metal gear movie, god of war movie, metroid movie, advanced wars movie, elite beat agents movie, command and conquer, unreal, homeworld,
or even a WoW (10 million garenteed views from subscribers)?
surely at least ONE of these games has enough story for a decent movie.