Games and movies have shared a rocky relationship over the past 20 years, ever since the first movie-licensed game - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial was released on the Atari 2600.
Subsequent videogame tie-ins have gone from being seen as cheap and low-quality cash-ins, frowned upon by hardcore gamers, to forming an important part of a movie's release package. Lord of the Rings, The Matrix and the Harry Potter films have all been accompanied by high-profile games.
But while the commercial potential of movie-licence games is being taken much more seriously, which in-turn has resulted in a sharp increase in the quality surrounding such titles, the games industry is also looking to the film industry for creativity, better production values and talent.
Over the past five years a few actors have made brief forays into the world of videogames. Some have lent their vocal talent to games, like David Warner in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Tim Curry in Toonstruck. And during the vogue for Full Motion Video (FMVs) during the mid to late 90s they provided their actual imagery, in particular Mark Hamill and John Rhys Davis, who starred in several of the Wing Commander space combat games.
Film actors might have been willing to work on the game versions of their films (if only to protect their own imagery). But, as Scot Bayless, Executive Producer for EA's upcoming Bond game Everything or Nothing, explains: "The A-list talent can often be willing to do the work, but they are ignorant about games. They have no idea what games are about and they don't care."
The answer to this, in Scot's opinion, is time - and trying to make use of the talents of young Hollywood in particular. "As young actors grow up with our medium as a part of the life they lead they are going to be more and more comfortable with working in our space."
But the risk the games industry is running as it seeks to emulate its more successful media sister, is that it will lose its individually as a unique entertainment form in its own right, and consequently become a derivative marketing tool.
Chris Deering, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, believes that although there is a lot that games can learn from movies, such as story-telling and conveying emotion through body language and expression, the movie industry is not going to drive the future of interactive entertainment.
"Our industry is much more complex and capable of dealing with flexibility and creativity if we only let it out and think broadly enough beyond simply those games that have sold up to now."
While the quality of movie-licence games has improved greatly, helping to encourage established talent to climb onboard, the games industry needs to concentrate not on providing the best tie-ins possible, but on creating its own, individual intellectual properties.
Original IPs are the life-blood of the games industry: not only are they the best selling games, but through films like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil they have shown that they are appealing to the wider media as well. The character and storyline of Take 2's Max Payne games have also been sold to a film studio recently, in a multi-million dollar deal.
Good movie tie-ins may help the film industry to take games more seriously and widen the channels for a more effective sharing of knowledge and talent, but above all the games industry must seek to retain its individuality and unique creativity.
These, after all, are what give gaming the potential to become the most powerful entertainment medium on the planet.
CHARTS - FULL PRICE SOFTWARE
Official UK Leisure Software Charts (c) ELSPA compiled by Chart-Track
1/ FIFA 2004 (PS2, Xbox, PC, PL) Electronic Arts - £34.99
2/ WWE Smackdown! Here comes the pain (PS2) THQ - £37.99
3/ True Crime: Streets of LA (PS2, XBox) Activision - £37.99
4/ The Simpsons: Hit & Run (PS2, Xbox, GC) VU Games - £37.99
5/ SSX 3 (PS2, Xbox, GC) Electronic Arts - £37.99
6/ Finding Nemo (PS2, GBA, PC, Xbox) THQ - £34.99
7/ Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (PS2) Konami - £37.99
8/ The Sims: Makin' Magic (PC) Electronic Arts - £19.99
9/ Call of Duty (PC) Activision - £29.99
10/ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (PS2, Xbox, PC, GC) Electronic Arts - £37.99
