Here we go again. Not exactly movie news per se, but something I think you guys might find intriguing… Sergio Leone’s classic spaghetti western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly joins the likes of The Godfather, Dirty Harry, Scarface, and Taxi Driver in an ever elongating line of classic film-to-game adaptations. My mind continues to be boggled.
Bits Studios (the guys behind the painfully medicore Constantine video game) acquired the rights to the Leone film in a deal with MGM Interactive. The game, which is is being planned as a third-person shooter, will incorporate both the haggard voice work of Clint Eastwood as well as Ennio Morricone’s popular score. Pardon me a moment…
*coughRedDeadRevolvercough*
The consensus for the most part on video game adaptations is that they’re shit. Of course, like anything there are exceptions. Ubi Soft’s upcoming King Kong seems to be shaping up to be not only a more than respectable adaptation of Peter Jackson’s epic film, but a great piece of action-adventure gaming. Granted, I’m speculating and judging mainly from the KongisKing.net Production Diaries since Jackson’s film isn’t even complete, but the point is that these game adaptations are for the most part, at best, mediocre games that are nothing more than cash-ins on the name of the film (I’m looking at you Batman Begins).
So where does that leave The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and its ilk? Judging from experience, not in a good place. Bad design and all that aside, I’m wondering how much bankability something like TGTBATU really has outside of film buff circles? Same with Taxi Driver and Dirty Harry. I know gaming nerds and film geeks are sometimes one in the same, but is that really that large (and bankable) of a group? Are they maybe going for an older audience that would be more familiar with these titles? Scarface I can see as it has transcended into youth pop-culture and beyond, but I’m curious about the rest.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go back to playing Tron.
Make a Burnout-esque French Connection game and totally miss the point on our message boards!