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Being in the San Francisco, hardly a week goes by where one company or another isn't promoting something or gathering the nearby media for drinking, appetizers and socializing.

Though last week was supposed to be my relaxing week off while preparing to join the gang here at Multiplayer, I ended by the ocean for a few hours. I was there to see what Brash Entertainment, a publisher formed early last year exclusively focused on producing games based on Hollywood licenses, had for their big coming out party.

Some folks from Brash came by the 1UP offices where I used to work a few months back to discuss the direction of their company and allegedly incorporate feedback from the enthusiast press. I wasn't present there, but everyone I talked to who was said Brash appeared surprisingly receptive. With that in mind, I decided to give up one of my nights off.

I didn't drag a camera along, so we'll need some imagination here.

See the transparent tent in the picture above? Okay, probably not, but try to picture it's on the right hand side of the building in the center there. The Pacific Ocean is to the right. Still with me? A presentation outlining Brash's strategy in the coming years was scheduled to start at 6:30, but given that most of the games industry doesn't come into work until at least 10 or 11:00 A.M. and works past the typical 5:00 P.M. shift, no one was there -- but I was! The rest showed up 30 minutes later, so the ensuing theatrics were delayed until then.

As the few in attendance shuffled around with beverages procured from the open bar (a standard at nearly every media event), I set off to see what Brash had to show. What did I find? Did 1UP staff members find me and string me up as a traitor? Read on to find out.

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With the monumental success horrendous flop of the latest video game based movie "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale" the gaming community was yet again subjected to the bastardization of properties that they hold near and dear to their hearts. As we all know, this has happened time and time again over the last 25 years. Many video game based movies have come, and swiftly gone from the theaters, appreciated by few, and ridiculed by many.

In honor of these films, we have put together a little quiz for all of you to test your game movie knowledge. Can you name the movie posters, from the details that have been pulled from the images? We fully understand that most of you probably never saw these posters before, so we made sure to make the quiz (almost) as difficult as possible.

On with the quiz....10 questions. And the prize is? Pride.

The Multiplayer Video Game Movie Poster Quiz 
(Click each thumbnail to reveal the full poster)

1.                              2.

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I played EA's "Godfather" game last year. And while it was a solid enough interpretation of the "Grand Theft Auto" open-world formula, it did not feel much like I was playing "The Godfather" movie.

I started playing BioWare's "Mass Effect" a few weeks ago. And, well, I'm only exaggerating a little when I say it felt a little like I was playing "The Godfather" movie.

How "Godfather" was "The Godfather" EA game? It had lots of shooting, driving, and twisting of merchants' arms. It was never designed to ape the film. It told a story that ran parallel to it, focusing on the experience of a young man hopeful to join the Corleone family.

But is that the "Godfather" fantasy? The classic "Star Wars" fantasy involves swinging lightsabers or flying starfighters. The James Bond fantasy requires gadgets and beautiful women.  I look at the picture at the top of this post and I'm reminded that the Godfather image many people like me have is of the Don, sitting in a dark room, listening to the pleas of the desperate, raising a finger, muttering decisions and being untouchably powerful without directly soiling his hands.

Is there a lot of violence in "The Godfather"? Sure. But there is even more potent... talking. That's not really the recipe for a fun game, most people would agree. It certainly isn't the recipe for a popular console game.

Or is it?

BioWare developers, this is where you come in.

Image courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment.

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