Movie directors and games

[Hanzii]

So playing the great Boom Blox had me wondering if there's any other example of a (famous) movie director crossing over and being part of making an actual good game.

John Woos Stranglehold was decidedly 'meh' and I remember Spielbergs name attached to a so so moviestudio tycoon game (that I never played).

Does Wing Commander count? He was a game designer first, but the last games were so cinematic (not in a good way), that Ginger Lynn had to return to porn...

Any other examples?

[TomChick]

I believe Spielberg cut his game-making teeth on the original Medal of Honor, although I doubt he's ever been very hands on.

Clive Barker has directed a few movies, and he's let his name get stuck on some games. All mediocre, IMO, but lots of people really dug Undying.

Of course, the Siblings Wachowski are credited with helping make the awful Matrix games, as well as Matrix Online. Somehow, I wouldn't be surprised if they were more hands-on than Spielberg or Barker.

-Tom

[MemoryKay]

Well there's Cory Barlog of God of War 2 lead design fame working with Mad Max director/writer George Miller on the next Mad Max game and movie. They actually pushed back the release of the movie to coincide with the game I hear. Big plans but we'll see how it all turns out in the end. Cory is awesome so we'll see what comes of that. But I don't really know how much input George will have on the game side of things.

As for Undying, I loved it. Gameplay was so-so but the whole story was amazing and the idea of this twisted family... brilliant. I was hoping for great things from Jericho, but no. :(

[Sam Jones]

I believe Spielberg cut his game-making teeth on the original Medal of Honor, although I doubt he's ever been very hands on.


Wasn't "The Dig" his first, or did he only write the story for that?

[Bob Violence]

Of course, Takeshi's Challenge (http://www.goodtimeretrocafe.com/nes/takeshi.html) remains the gold standard (although to be strictly accurate he wasn't a director at the time).

[Prodigy]

I believe Spielberg cut his game-making teeth on the original Medal of Honor, although I doubt he's ever been very hands on.

Wasn't Spielberg indirectly - or was it just Dreamworks - involved with The Neverhood ?

[krise madsen]

Erm, George Lucas -> LucasArts...

Respectfully

krise madsen

[Hanzii]

I know Lucas claims to have invented CGI - are you saying he coded Tie Fighter as well?

In other words, do you have specific examples of him being involved in games.

[Enduro_Man]

The four members of Delta Squad were originally planned to wear similar all-white suits of armor. It was George Lucas who suggested changing them to have individual colored armor to not only distinguish one clone from the other, but also play up a theme he established in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
Thus altering the course of gaming history forever.

[Pod]

I heard that George Lucas personally pissed on the grave of Monkey Island...

[krise madsen]

I know Lucas claims to have invented CGI - are you saying he coded Tie Fighter as well?

In other words, do you have specific examples of him being involved in games.

Nope, none, sorry if I gave that impression. At least "his" creations (Indy, Star Wars) require his approval before being turned into a game, though I wouldn't know if that constitutes "being part of making a game".

Respectfully

krise madsen

[Rock8man]

I believe Spielberg cut his game-making teeth on the original Medal of Honor, although I doubt he's ever been very hands on.

I don't know how accurate this is, but EGM mentioned in their Bloom Blox preview a couple of months back that Spielberg is a really avid gamer, and that he was very hands-on with Bloom Blox at several stages, including the initial game design, and then providing feedback on changing the game design as the game went through its iterations. (They mentioned nothing about how hands-on (or not) he was on Medal of Honor).

[ZekeDMS]

Does Vin Diesel count? Because Chronicles of Riddick was pretty fucking awesome, thanks to him.

[Jason McMaster]

Wasn't "The Dig" his first, or did he only write the story for that?

He came up with the concept

[steve]

I don't know how accurate this is, but EGM mentioned in their Bloom Blox preview a couple of months back that Spielberg is a really avid gamer, and that he was very hands-on with Bloom Blox at several stages, including the initial game design, and then providing feedback on changing the game design as the game went through its iterations. (They mentioned nothing about how hands-on (or not) he was on Medal of Honor).
I know that two E3s in a row I was kicked out of a part of EA's booth just so Spielberg could get a private showing of Spore and something else. Fucker.

[ZekeDMS]

I'd point and laugh, but I don't even get to go to E3 this year. But I'll blame Spielberg anyway.

[Kaigen]

Thus altering the course of gaming history forever.

It's pretty sad that he had to make that suggestion, but sarcasm aside I'm one of the people that thought Republic Commando was pretty fuckin' badass.

Not that that's really on topic.

[JD]

Gore Verbinski (The Ring remake, Pirates of the Carribean) also recently confirmed that he's working on a game project. He also happens to be the guy in charge of the Bioshock movie.

-Julian

[Kevin Grey]

I think Andrew Davis (director of Under Siege and The Fugitive) had some sort of input on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

The cutscenes in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes were all directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, director of Versus and Godzilla Final Wars.

[Thierry Nguyen]

I know that two E3s in a row I was kicked out of a part of EA's booth just so Spielberg could get a private showing of Spore and something else. Fucker.

I've had the Spielberg Tour prematurely end both an EA appointment and an Ubisoft one (for Assassin's Creed)!

[Talorc]

Nope, none, sorry if I gave that impression. At least "his" creations (Indy, Star Wars) require his approval before being turned into a game, though I wouldn't know if that constitutes "being part of making a game".

Respectfully

krise madsen

Yeah, because Lucas green lighting another Star Wars game seems to have been a REALLY high hurdle to overcome in recent times....

[Athryn]

I know Lucas claims to have invented CGI - are you saying he coded Tie Fighter as well?

In other words, do you have specific examples of him being involved in games.

Lucasarts is a direct spinoff of Lucasfilm, (it was called Lucasfilm games before it was called Lucasarts) and George Lucas is Chairman of the Board of the company, so I would think that it most certainly counts.

Obviously no, he didn't personally code any of the games, but Lucasarts put out some of the best games of the 90s PC golden age.

[dashingly]

I believe Spielberg cut his game-making teeth on the original Medal of Honor, although I doubt he's ever been very hands on.

Clive Barker has directed a few movies, and he's let his name get stuck on some games. All mediocre, IMO, but lots of people really dug Undying.

Of course, the Siblings Wachowski are credited with helping make the awful Matrix games, as well as Matrix Online. Somehow, I wouldn't be surprised if they were more hands-on than Spielberg or Barker.

-TomMax Spielberg was credited in the first Medal of Honor, he was only fourteen at the time. Is he still at EALA? I remember reading something about him working on LMNO. Also, the ending of The Matrix: Path of Neo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TLJb9NZN0I) might be the best thing the Wachowski brothers ever did.

Well there's Cory Barlog of God of War 2 lead design fame working with Mad Max director/writer George Miller on the next Mad Max game and movie. They actually pushed back the release of the movie to coincide with the game I hear. Big plans but we'll see how it all turns out in the end. Cory is awesome so we'll see what comes of that. But I don't really know how much input George will have on the game side of things.He turned down Ratbag with their attempts to acquire Mad Max license a few years ago, even though they had pretty much the quintessential Mad Max game sans Mad Max.

I heard that George Lucas personally pissed on the grave of Monkey Island...Wasn't he attached to a Monkey Island film at one point?

Does Vin Diesel count? Because Chronicles of Riddick was pretty fucking awesome, thanks to him.Yeah, Vin Diesel rose to prominence because of his directing/writing career (I remember being floored by Multi-Facial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YszYwOyAfw) and Strays, seriously) and, I presume, D&D geekery (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUsiKfeDfo). If the Tigon name were not attached, I couldn't care less about The Wheelman.

[Omniscia]

...I remember Spielbergs name attached to a so so moviestudio tycoon game (that I never played).

Are you perhaps thinking of Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg's_Director's_Chair)?