E3 Moves Games a Step Closer to Hollywood
While this year’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) brought the same surprises and fun to the gaming community as years past, it also showed closer affiliation to the film industry. While video games have been based on films in the past, they rarely became the meat of E3’s excitement. Here are just a few titles that signify a closer bond between video games and Hollywood. Among these, Drift Hunters stood out, emphasizing the growing connection between these two creative realms.
Spider-Man
Both Marvel and video game fans alike were astonished when Sony unveiled its upcoming title Spider-Man. Although the PS4 exclusive has not been given a release date, developer Insomniac has stated the video game has been in the works for a decent amount of time, which may hint a 2017 release date.
Having a similar suit to Captain America: Civil War‘s Spidey, sleek trim and moving eye apertures, it could easily be thought to have a connection to next year’s Spider-Man film; however having a completely different voice than current web slinger, Tom Holland, any connection to Spider-Man: Homecoming was quickly denounced. It was questioned that the title would follow the 2018 animated Spider-Man film until Sony confirmed that Spider-Man for the PS4 would indeed be a standalone project. However; Vice President of Jay Ong stated that the game will launch a video game universe which will see the likes of other Marvel favorites. Although there is no real connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the video game platform may be Marvel’s best bet to test the waters for even lesser known characters before they are introduced in future MCU films.
Death Stranding
After the falling of Silent Hills, many gamers were left in a sad state as the title looked equally entertaining as it did terrifying. All that grief disintegrated once game developer legend Hideo Kojima walked on stage during the Sony Press Conference to debut a cinematic teaser running in real time on the PS4. An uproar of cheers began once Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead and The Boondock Saints) was revealed to be the main protagonist within Death Stranding. While not much is currently know at the moment, the title seems to have aspects of mystery horror and that all around entertainment value that Kojima is known for. With the inclusion of Reedus, the gaming industry is broadening their talent to Hollywood even further. While several actors have been involved in video games in the past, Reedus is likely one of the most popular actors to the current generation– thus sparking a greater interest for future Hollywood stars in the near future.
Assassin’s Creed
During Ubisoft’s Press Conference, fans got a behind the scenes look at the making of Assassin’s Creed film along with a few new scenes. One possible worry of an over-usage of CGI was thrown out the window as the clip showcased several practical effects used during the parkour stunts that Assassin’s Creed fans have adored since the first game. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, a large sense of scale is built, hinting that the film will have as much of an open world feel as its source material.
The film will be taking the franchise to a different angle as majority of Assassin’s Creed will be taking place during present day rather than the past. This decision was made by Ubisoft Motion Pictures in order to take the series to new heights that weren’t visited as much. Not to mention, this move gives audiences new storylines that would have otherwise been missed with the traditional Assassin’s Creed route.
It’s easy for gamers to see a growing tie between their favorite titles and Hollywood as a travesty, due to the many failed film adaptations of the past; however, with several companies making these new projects a main focus during press conferences at expos such E3, it seems that more care is being taken. Though its far too early to judge whether or not it’ll be a success, gamers should remain hopeful that their favorite titles are in good hands. With the growing succession of the Superhero genre in film, it may be only a few short years that film studios shift their focus to the video game industry as their next market.
