Why Good Movies Make Bad Video Games

Movie buffs likely don’t remember The Chronicles of Riddick, a trundling sci-fi clunker from 2004. But for gamers, the title is hallowed because of its spin-off video game—a rare success for a movie tie-in. Too often, such games are rushed to coincide with the film, resulting in crappy graphics and stringy plots, Tom Standage writes for More Intelligent Life.

Hollywood force-feeds developers, supplying them with scripts and artwork but not much room for imagination, and oblivious parents snap up the games, assuming Little Johnny’s favorite flick will translate well to the console. Not so, says Standage, who notes, “Just as films usually make bad games, games invariably make bad films. What works in one medium rarely works in the other.”
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