Join the cast of Another Videogame Webcomic as we peek behind the curtain to see what exactly goes into bringing your favorite video games to the small screen. It may be a job in video games, but it's still a job.
World of Warcraft: The Motion Picture
I'm not sure what surprised me more, the fact that Sam Raimi is doing Spider-man 4 or that he's doing a World of Warcraft movie. I've got a lot of faith in Raimi as a director, but he's had his missteps before (most would say its Spider-man 3, but I like it in spite of it's flaws). But whereas Raimi's Spider-man movies had other comic book movies to pave the way, there aren't many good videogame movies laying the groundwork for Raimi's Warcraft. And while comic book movies have their built in audiences, videogame movies have a built in audience a couple degrees of magnitude larger.If anything has a built in audience its World of Warcraft with its 11.5 million subscribers. But the real trick is going to be pleasing all of those players with the countless hours they've invested in the game with a two hour movie.
So why do so many videogame movies suck? Is it because the filmmakers aren't faithful to the original story? Is it because a "good" filmmaker wouldn't touch a videogame property with a ten foot pole? While these may contribute to a videogame movie's crappiness, it's most likely not the source of said crapiness. More often than not, the source of a videogame movie's problems is the videogame itself.
Think about your favorite story from a videogame. Personally, one of my favorite stories told in videogame form is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It's a tale of loyalty to one's country... about the sacrifices a soldier is willing to make for the sake of his or her country in spite of himself or herself. It's a layered story with interesting characters... but it also has a guy who uses a shield of bees.
On the flip side, Resident Evil: Degeneration, the CGI Resident Evil movie accomplished what all three of the Milla Jovovich vehicles couldn't. It was as close to the videogames as it could be without needing a controller. Did that make it a good movie? Not unless you like disjointed stories with non-existant character development.
What most people fail to realize is it takes different skills to make a compelling movie and a compelling game. The language of film and the language of videogames are different. Story ideas that we will willingly accept with a controller in our hands might be harder to swallow on the silver screen. We, as active participants in a videogame, will assign character development to our on screen avatars, whereas we're less likely to do so being a passive participant while watching a movie.
Is it possible for a videogame movie to transcend its pedigree and become a good movie? I think so. But it's a delicate balancing act for all involved. Hollywood isn't going to stop making videogame movies anytime soon, so eventually they might get it right. And for all you citizens of Azeroth, I hope it's Warcraft.
Player Two
After the resurgence of multiplayer co-op, GameBizCo Inc. hired Player Two to be the Goose to someone else's Maverick. His workload isn't quite as heavy as most of the other people working at GameBizCo Inc. and as a result, he spends a lot of time in the break room or playing computer solitaire.
First Appearance: Another Videogame Webcomic?!? An Introduction
Player One
Player One is top dog at GameBizCo Inc. Nearly every game, from Pong to Mario Bros to Grand Theft Auto, requires Player One's expertise. His cocksure and sometimes inappropriate attitude is an annoyance to his coworkers but seeing as every game needs a first player, they make due.
First Appearance: Bonus Stage! Here comes Player One!
Damsel I. Distress
Whether it be a castle, a dungeon or mystical island, Damsel always needs to be saved... and she hates it. Damsel longs for the day when she's given the role of a strong female lead character who doesn't have huge breasts with hyper accurate physics.
First Appearance: LittleBIGPlanet
Final Boss
Underneath the huge brute that is Final Boss lies a timid creature who wouldn't hurt a fly. He puts on his "angry face" when throwing barrels down ramps or breathing fire but deep down he feels sorry for doing so. He's been known to throw a game or two in the player's favor.
First Appearance: World Record
John Minion
John Minion, or Min for short, is the hardest working employee at GameBizCo Inc. Playing everything from Goombas to no name thugs, Min gets beat up on a daily basis but loves every minute of it. He always wanted to work in the gaming industry and was originally hired as an intern. After years of getting coffee, his big break came when someone called in sick... and the rest is history.
First Appearance: Watchmen: The End is Nigh
Middle Manager
Middle Manager works in the Human Resources department. He runs staff meetings and interviews prospective employees. The other 90% of his time is spent playing Freecell on his computer.
First Appearance: Another Videogame Webcomic?!? An Introduction