Screenwriter explains why Shadow of the Colossus would make a good film

So, you're using Wikipedia as your gauge for quality? Come on, Vesper, that's just stupid. It's not overrated, and I find it funny how you can come to that conclusion without having ever seen the game in motion. At least throw your irrational hatred for all things Sony to the wind for once and find a used copy of this game; it's pretty damned great. Come on, to say something can't be good because you hadn't heard of it... that's like saying music can't be good if it's not on the radio.

wtf? somebody should slap you upside the head with a 360 controller.

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The new game from Team ICO, out November 09.

That's too bad. I understand the PS3 is quite the letdown compared to the immense successes of the PS1/PS2. Its a shame because you missed on a lot of games with the PS1/PS2, just like you'd miss out on a lot of great games if you didn't get an Xbox 360, same thing.

@Banana

Source?

I am hardly worried about either of those. I think its a bad idea for a movie because its was a way overrated game to begin with, complete with a convoluted plot, poor controls and gimmick-ridden gameplay. They should get Uwe Boll to direct this, he ought to do it justice.

Oh lord, why am I talking nicely to "it"?

BTW if you didn't read my previous posts to you, I'm the "racist" Chin-Poh or as you like to maturely call me like the 23 year old you are, "Chin-Pooh". I said that "racist" stuff back in August, get over it man.

I also think its really cute you had thought I was white and that from my comments I sounded white. How do you sound white or any other race when writing comments? Did you assume because I was "racist" towards blacks that I am automatically white? Who is the real racist here Mr. Holier Than Thou Xbox 360 fanboy?

There, I fed a nice cherry pie with whipped cream topping to the doggie, hope it enjoyed it.

does anyone else believe this idiot used "sony fanboys" as an excuse to talk shit? you a straight up hungry-hungry hypo.

"And reading up on it on Wikipedia doesn't really convince me that's it was some sorta gem from last generation."

How about after actually playing it? Or are you seriously complaining on the internet about a game you haven't played like that chameleon from Super Paper Mario?

It's definitely overrated because it will not change your life like so many "GAMES AS ART MOTHERFUCKER"-type people will claim, but come on. You don't get an opinion until you've played it.

OH MY GOD, Yoon dude, you are my hero. Thanks!

The things he says are true and would add a lot of promise to this project if he was replaced by someone who both understands the game and its strengths AND knows how to write a decent film script.

the only way a SotC movie could work if there was no modern language spoken at all.

Why SotC would make a good movie: Because it has a guaranteed, paying audience.

My thought on translating any story from one media to other is that it was made in the original media form is because it works best that way.

If the film keeps the amazing, epic soundtrack by Koh Otani I will go see the movie without a doubt. I blast the soundtrack regularly and I will pay good money to hear it in a movie theater

Did the screenwriter actually play SOTC?

I'm tempted to write a free script for this... it would be better than whatever is being developed, I'm sure...
The problem isn't pleasing the fans and the mainstream audience. The problem is that one's main priority would be to please the fans and the mainstream audience. The problem is a general lack of respect for the material, a lack of understanding of the material and a lack of the craft of writing and cinema.

-D-pi

If Sony let's this get made, then this could be the final nail. I know they're out of touch, but this shows just how far if they think a movie about this could be a blockbuster.

I'm tired of reading how those adapting videogames to the big screen are "caught trying to please the fans and the mainstream audience." "We" being gamers are a huge chunk of the "mainstream." The billions of dollars pumped into and out of the games industry every year is quantitative proof that fans of games isn't limited to a handful of 30-something basement dwellers still living with their parents.

To an extent, I can understand this game considering its limited exposure within the gaming community. However, games as a medium for narrative, development, and visual stimulation are on par (dare I say in some instances BETTER?) with movies. It's a cop out to say a movie adaptation sucks because it was lost within the balancing act.

Here's the thing: Gamers are normal people. Although a lot of us are above-average intelligent, our tastes aren't generally way outside of general likes and dislikes. With that in mind, shouldn't it be easy to simply translate a game to the screen in the most faithful manner possible?

Furthermore, hasn't everyone and their fucking grandmother played at least one permutation of Street Fighter? How do you fuck that one up appealing to "mainstream" audiences?

If there's dialog the film will be bad. If there's not, no one will watch it.

Actually. It has a 0% chance of being any good. It's like watching a game. There is no story. It's very basic and ambiguous. If he adds story, it'll blow. If he doesn't it'll blow. CGI can't make these colossi look better. There is absolutely no reason for this except the bastardization of something beautiful and authentic for cheap money.

This could only work if it was a video of someone playing the game up on the ol' big screen.

I Am Legend is a (mostly) quiet and lonely film done right. I imagine this will be an amalgamation of poor acting, poor writing, and poor special effects due to the remarks of this poor screenwriter. If this movie gets made, people with hear the name Shadow of the Colossus and remember the shitty movie that tanked at the box office.

Two words: Peter-Fucking Jackson.

I say the only dialogue will be narration by the protagonist.

I hope they don't forget to run the film at like 15 fps, for the most faithful adaptation

Has anyone been unfortunate enough to stumble across the Zelda Movie trailer? Yes? Enough said ¬_¬

This needs to be a mostly-silent film.

Here's how I say they make the movie:
* Gorgeous background music
* Realistic looking landscapes
* Camera shots slowing flying past some of the prettier areas
* Beautiful sunrise/set (as it starts/ends)
* Awesome battle music that fits
* Keep the focus on the emotional struggles he has with her death and the battles
* The only spoken words in the entire fucking movie should be the creature's jibberish, with subtitles at the bottom.

Oh, wait, I just described something that already exists. It's a well known PS2 game called Shadow of the Colossus... it's basically an interactive movie already.

Also, I agree, 1080p resolution with higher-res textures and I'd pay $70 for it on PS3 (with added bonus footage, making of videos, commercials, high-res box art on disc, etc.)

I'm sure someone might have already mentioned this but why not just make the movie to please the fans and not worry so much about the mainstream. Yeah I know about the money issues, but they don't know if the mainstream audience will like the movie if it is geared more towards the fans. They probably will. The fans of the game will be the first people to go see the movie in the first place, and if the movie is good the word will spread and other regular people will go see it as well. Mainstream movies suck anyways. Most of the movies that do well are movies where when made they don't think about mainstream appeal.

Oh, yes, please do "start building." That's what this game needs - your skillful hands as an architect.

What I wanna know is did this shitty screen writer even play the game?? He def didn't play any version of street fighter ever by the looks of that god awful chun li film!

I can explain why Shadow of the Colossus wouldn't make a good film. I don't feel like I need to though.

The scriptwriter's comments (particularly about the "building up") show that he has no idea what makes the game great.

Besides, even if the visual effects are awesome, watching someone kill a whole bunch of giants for two hours doesn't really sound like a good movie. It'd get old after the first few. The only reason it works for SotC was because it was a game and you had to figure out how to kill them; in a movie you'd just be watching it.

The problem is there really wasn't much plot to speak of. The thing that made the game interesting was the gameplay, the whole mechanic that each colossus was a giant puzzle. This is why Mario Brothers, Doom, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Double Dragon, pretty much every game movie ever made. In the rare case where there is a legit story in the game, like Max Payne or Hitman they screw it up and stray so far from the story that you have to wonder why they even bothered acquiring the rights to the franchise name to begin with.