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Uwe Boll On How He Failed To Make 'Metal Gear,' 'World of Warcraft' Movies

Posted 4/24/08 1:05 pm EST by in metal gear solid, Movies, Uwe Boll, world of warcraft


'Metal Gear Solid 4' -- Not For Uwe BollDid we know that film director Uwe Boll kinda sorta almost got involved with making movies based on "World of Warcraft" and "Metal Gear Solid"?

Yeah, we knew.

But these are the kinds of stories that don't get old. The ever-excellent MTV Movies blog reminds us of both, with fresh quotes from the famous filmmaker on his near misses with some sure hits.

  • On getting snookered by Frenchmen who claimed to have an official "Metal Gear" movie script, Boll says: "This is how it is sometimes."

Best quote from this two-part series is about how Boll doesn't feel the need to please hardcore gamers: "And to be honest, the real gamers are the typical download guys, right? They don’t pay anything for movies, because they illegally download the movies. So why I should please these guys? I need the normal audience."

Exclusive: First 'Speed Racer' Wii Gameplay Video

Posted 4/11/08 10:00 am EST by in Movies, Racing Games, Speed Racer, Video, Wii, Wii Wheel



Last month, we got to see "Speed Racer" on the Wii in action and learned that it's a cross between "F-Zero" and "WipEout." Even though no Wii Wheel was present, we did get some answers about how it works with the third-party title. But forget about us -- take a look at "Speed Racer" yourself and see what you think of the very first gameplay video.

"Speed Racer" on the Wii hits stores May 6.

How Well Can 'Speed Racer's Speed Channel 'F-Zero's Captain Falcon?

Posted 3/14/08 10:56 am EST by in Movies, Racing Games, Speed Racer, Wii, Wii Wheel


Speed vs. FalconWhat happens when the speed of "F-Zero" meets the crashes of "Burnout" and is wrapped in the eye-popping colors of "WipEout?" You get the latest movie based spin-off game "Speed Racer."

The Wachowski Brothers-produced movie hits theaters this May. "Speed Racer" the game will hit Wiis and DSs right around the same time, courtesy of WB Games. (The PS2 version will coincide with the DVD release later this year). The game is also the first third-party title to be compatible with the Wii Wheel.

After spending a little time with the game, it's hard not to compare it to some of the more classic racing franchises.

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Do TV-to-Game Stories Have To Suck? 'Lost: Via Domus' vs. 'Sopranos' Vs. '24' Vs. Others

Posted 3/4/08 7:48 pm EST by in Lost, Movies, Story in Games, TV


LostWaaaaaaalt!

Sorry.

I spent this past weekend playing the four-hour adventure that is Ubisoft's "Lost: Via Domus" (last visited by Stephen in January) You can scope out more of my critical thoughts at 1UP. As a hardcore fan (some might say "obsessed," but I call it "passionate") of the television show, completing "Via Domus" was a forgone conclusion, for the same reasons I made it through "24: The Game" a few years ago.

The stories presented in the weekly episodes aren't enough; the games provide me with more.

I didn't boot up "Via Domus" expecting to enjoy the game itself; rather, this experience was purely about fan service and having a little fun in a mysterious island of my own. What intrigued me, though, was "Via Domus"' storytelling. It got me thinking about the wildly different approaches licensed products take.

Consider the following approaches (some with movie games, but you get the point). Which was wisest?

  • "Lost: Via Domus": Invented character who sees the major events occur around them, but doesn't participate in them
  • "24: The Game": Story occurs between two seasons, thus avoiding stepping on TV's toes and simultaneously bringing a new story for fans
  • "Sopranos": Road to Respect: Set in the same world as the show, incorporates main character interactions, but plot is otherwise separated
  • "Scarface: The World is Yours:" Occurs after the film, thereby contradicting the movie's ending but freeing it from its storyline
  • "The Godfather": Also features an invented character, but unlike "Via Domus," the character is an active player in major events from the films

"Lost" is a series anchored in meticulously doling out answers to its layered mysteries. Devising a story that allowed the player to explore Lost's world without contradicting the already established doesn't sound simple. Maybe "Via Domus" should have taken a cue from the sentiments in last season's "Greatest Hits" episode, embraced the existing moments and simply let us become part the show's most pivotal moments.

I don't want to punch 4-18-15-16-23-42 inside the hatch as Elliott, some random background castaway that's suddenly been shoehorned into the storyline. I want to be John Locke. Or Desmond Hume. Or Jack Sheppard. Or maybe I'm just too hard to please as a fan.

Readers, what do you want out of your licensed games that so heavily rely on good stories? Is there a better approach?

***
Have a hot tip? Is there a topic that Multiplayer should be covering and isn't? Maybe you know what the smoke monster is. Drop me an e-mail.

What Did Uwe Boll Wear To The Oscars?

Posted 2/26/08 4:21 pm EST by in Awards, Movies, Uwe Boll


Uwe BollNothing, actually. Uwe Boll, the infamous director behind such works as "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale" and "BloodRayne," told Multiplayer in an e-mail that he didn't attend Los Angeles film celebration this past Sunday.

In fact, Boll has never attended the Oscars, nor does he plan to change that. Does that explain the ceremony's lowest ratings in history? Maybe not, but in addition to simply not living alongside much of Hollywood's elite in the Los Angeles area, Boll is currently busy completing production of his latest project, an adaptation of Ubisoft's "Far Cry."

Anyone who followed my work at 1UP likely realized I'm an unabashed fan of Boll's work, albeit one could argue it's for all the wrong reasons, if you're interested in the kind of movie that's nominated for an Oscar. Boll's films have a certain intangible appeal.

Oh, and for those that were wondering if Boll thought anyone was snubbed by the Academy this past weekend, worry not. "They made good choices," he said.

For more Boll -- including a clip of the man himself telling Multiplayer how to pronounce his name -- check out our index Uwe Boll posts.

Microsoft Says Games Are Bigger Than Movies, Music and YouTube, Reveals 'Gears of War 2' (GDC 2008)

Posted 2/21/08 1:25 pm EST by in GDC, gears of war, microsoft, Movies, mtv news, Music, Xbox 360


Gears of War 2San Francisco -- Games became bigger than music last year, Microsoft exec John Schappert proclaimed as part of his keynote address Wednesday to kick off the Game Developers Conference 2008, adding that every monetary measure attests to that fact.

And with that bold statement out of the way, Schappert (the corporate vice president of Xbox Live) and a variety of developers argued that the Xbox 360 could make a good run at YouTube, not just with the likes of "Gears of War 2" — which was not quite properly announced during the keynote — but with a suite of new Xbox 360 functions that are designed to enable the (almost) average person to upload games to the 360 for friends to rate and play.

The YouTube target was made clear throughout the presentation. Shappert claimed that in any given day there are 30 percent more pieces of user-captured content uploaded from "Halo 3" to that game's official site than there are new videos on YouTube. And the flow works the other way too: In an Xbox 360 developer's reel, MTV's Harmonix revealed that consumers had already purchased more than 3 million downloadable songs for "Rock Band."

Microsoft's more interesting — and most YouTube-esque — reveal of the keynote came at the start. Chris Satchell, the company's head of XNA game-development tools, said Microsoft was ready to embrace indie games. XNA is a free toolset for garage developers that has been available for more than a year but hasn't supported an easy way to get playable games to the public. Enter Community Games, a new feature for their Xbox Live online service that makes games produced with the indie-focused toolset available for download to the more than 10 million Xbox 360 owners.

Naturally, one would wonder how Microsoft intends to open the floodgates without the 15-year-old boys of the world immediately taking advantage of the newfound openness.

Read the rest of the story at MTVNews.com

Rockstar Shoots Down Rumors Of Eminem 'Grand Theft Auto' Movie

Posted 2/5/08 8:35 pm EST by in Grand Theft Auto IV, Movies


GTA IV(Below is the beginning of a report filed at MTVNews.com.)

"Grand Theft Auto" creators Rockstar Games shot down rumors Tuesday (February 5) that a "GTA" movie starring Eminem was almost green-lighted last year.

On Monday night, Variety reported that "a deal was virtually in place with one of the six major movie studios" to begin development of a "GTA" movie, possibly starring Eminem. But the deal, according to the report, fell through for unknown reasons.

Reached for comment by MTV News, Dan Houser, vice president of creative at Rockstar, said no movie was ever in the works. "Not as far as we are concerned," he said via e-mail. "Some movie producers were trying to put something together to entice us to make a movie, as studios and production teams frequently have done in the past. This proposal was no more interesting than the numerous others we receive. We never entertained proceeding with the project."

A "GTA" movie would likely be a successful affair. The series has sold more than 65 million copies, according to publisher estimates. Its next installment, "Grand Theft Auto IV," stands to be one of the year's biggest entertainment blockbusters, video games or otherwise.

But Houser not only shot down the prospect of this "Grand Theft" project — "Rockstar was not involved in this project in any way, shape or form," he wrote — but he also nixed the plans for any upcoming movie based on the series. "It is not something we are currently interested in."

Read the rest of this story at MTVNews.com

Our Overly Difficult Video Game Movie Poster Quiz

Posted 1/17/08 8:00 am EST by in Flops, Games Based On Movies, Movies, Photo Quiz, Uwe Boll


inthenameoftheking_281x.jpgWith 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. movie_1.jpg                             2. movie_2.jpg

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Greg Kinnear On Playing A Role In Possible Remake Of 'Donkey Kong' Documentary 'King of Kong'

Posted 12/4/07 3:06 pm EST by in Arcade, Donkey Kong Controversy, Movies, Retro


Greg KinnearIt's time to write again about the highly acclaimed "Donkey Kong" rivalry documentary "King of Kong," my favorite topic of the year.

The occasion? MTV Movies editor/reporter/nice-man Josh Horowitz was hanging out with actor Greg Kinnear for some non-gaming-reason and asked him about the "King of Kong" filmmakers' desire to have Kinnear play a lead role in a dramatic remake of the documentary.

Had he heard that they think he'd play a great Steve Wiebe, the soft-spoken up-start schoolteacher who makes a run at the "Donkey Kong" world record held by arcade hero (but "King of Kong" villain) Billy Mitchell?

Kinnear told Josh: "No, but I saw that documentary. I loved it. I thought it was a very cool documentary. If they make that into a movie…I wouldn’t want to play Kong. So that guy [Wiebe] would be better."

I trust Josh will follow through and badger Johnny Depp next about playing Mitchell. Don't let me down, Josh!

Uwe Boll's Favorite Wii Game Secures Publishers

Posted 11/27/07 5:53 pm EST by in Mobile, Movies, Uwe Boll, Wii


zombiemassacre_mtvmultiplayer_exclusive.jpg"Zombie Massacre" is one step closer to becoming a reality.

The upcoming Wii game by little-known developer 1988 Games turned heads when infamous video game movie director Uwe Boll quickly secured the rights to make the movie version.

A few months ago, I spoke with 1988 Games President Benjamin Krotin about "Zombie Massacre," a hybrid of an on-rails, "House of the Dead"-type shooter and a "Crazy Taxi"-style driving game for the Wii. He seemed confident that it was only a matter of time before "Zombie Massacre" would find a publisher.

Now there will actually be a game to back up the announced film (set to begin shooting in 2009). Today, the game studio announced that the Irvine, California-based developer Papaya Studio ("Medal of Honor: Airborne," "Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey") will partner with 1988 Games to develop "Zombie Massacre." In the press release, Papaya Studio President Lin Shen said, "We are extraordinarily excited to be collaborating with 1988 Games on Zombie Massacre, and we look forward to applying our game development expertise as we strive to make an unforgettable game for the Nintendo Wii."

Meanwhile, AppAbove Games ("Armadillo Gold Rush," "Jail Trail") will help produce the mobile phone version.

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