Loading... continues the sci-fi vs. fantasy discussion with a lot at why high fantasy makes for successful MMOs but (typically) lousy movies, while it's the exact opposite for sci-fi. The difference is liveability?
We also have links for a Holic Online preview, the newest Top Ten Free to Play games list, an EQ retrospective, and three brand new WoW guides and our daily real world news that we couldn't make up in today's Loading... Genre Wars.
__________________
Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle Editor-in-Chief - The Ten Ton Hammer Network
You haven't sat on a Corellian mountain top and watched the purple clouds or ran through the snow there. Or sat through a rainstorm on Naboo, or played on the beaches there.
You might have missed the special Cantina, complete with a band or jukebox and dancers, while enjoying a drink.
The atmosphere of Star Wars Galaxies is amazing; what players have added to it even more so.
The problem with the Box Office is that for the most part "Fantasy" films have been cheesy and cliche. The most being weak and cheep knock offs of their low brow and weak scripted originals.
They tried time and time again to use the same Buddy/Cop formula and pluck t down into a fantasy setting.
Excalibur was an exception that springs to mind, a rare occasion imo
Jackson's excellent handling of LOTR films brought a much needed legitimacy to the genre in film.
I look forward to the day that a movie with the cinematography and seriousness of say Gladiator is mixed with a bit of magic. We don't need over acting, we need well scripted human stories brought to life in a world where magic exists, when those two mix under the helm of the right director and writer...then we'll see Fantasy in film rise and flourish into the art form it should be. (i hope )
Fans of fantasy have been turn off by the trite silliness that's been infused into so many fantasy films and the suits think it's the genre when it's really the script and direction.
Imagine a Glen Cook story adapted to the screen or Steven Erikson or George R R Martin...stories of this caliber virtually BEG to be brought to the screen and preserved in their depth of character and setting.
Maybe I need to max my credit cards and get to work lol
Regards
__________________
Roland
"believe in what gods you may...but Trust in cold hard steel!"
I have to say that this is an excellent topic of conversation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roland
The problem with the Box Office is that for the most part "Fantasy" films have been cheesy and cliche. The most being weak and cheep knock offs of their low brow and weak scripted originals.
They tried time and time again to use the same Buddy/Cop formula and pluck t down into a fantasy setting.
I agree 100%! All fantasy movies need is more major filmmakers to actually take it seriously.
I have always thought of Star Wars as a mix of the two genres. It is technically sci-fi, but it has a n epic fantasy feel to it.
Speaking generally, I love both but I has been reading fantasy books and playing fantasy games for a long time and have been getting a little tired of it lately. I have switched to sci-fi gaming (EVE) and I have looked into more sci-fi books to read. I want to see both genres innovate and flourish.
__________________
EVE - Brutus Agrippa - Currently looking for an active corp
Atalntica - Germanicus - Macedon Server - Enclave Guild
I don't think it's the sci-fi setting that prevents sale it's the other factors.
Tabula Rasa was suppose to be dumbed down into a pre-century Richard Garriot MMO and yes this is a bad thing.
EVE was HARDCORE FFA PvP. You die, You lose. Not to mention you have to sacrifice a big part of your life if you want to get far, it became more friendly to new players and continue to do so however the main selling point is still big space battles and selling a game where you can lose all your nifty stuff in a single dead is a hard sell when the majority of the MMO gamers aren't used to it.
Game had a hard start aswell but recoverd and is still going strong and still is king in the sci-fi mmo's but it might become de-crowned in the up coming years and the game is far from bad and looking at the ninche hardcore market it does extremely well for a subscriber based MMO.
And then you have starwars more fantasy then sci-fi if you ask me the cliché good vs evil story.
It wasn't a perfect game when released at the start but it was an uncut gem and SOE came saw and made it lose all it's value so that people now are more interested in an older MMO emulator version of the game then the current game itself.
Did i miss any major sci-fi MMO?
Like sci-fi novels, sci-fi movies also got 'a big question' mixed into it even if it in most cases it's just "will it really be like that in the future?" then just an entertainment picture.
In addition to that we are a species that likes to evolve constantly and new things interest us.
Fantasy 'recycling the old' while it has it's pure gold writers and movies it has reached a point it's one spin off to another that leads to boring family friendly movies.
Sci-fi while having also some of those cases it does have some new things and elements in it(technology future theories help with this 'new' element as inspiration source ex nanobots).
Even though I have an obvious bias here, I can see the points being made about film vs. MMOGs. Just look at the Matrix trilogy vs. Matrix Online as a prime example.
In some ways, I think a part of the issue with sci-fi MMOs boils down to most of them drawing inspiration from too many genre cliches. Why does everything have to have a gunmetal texture? Why does sci-fi have to equal guns and post apocalyptic destruction?
Look at the difference between Blade Runner and A Scanner Darkly. Both films are based on books from the same author (PKD), yet are worlds apart in terms of tone, setting and visual style. Then again, I suppose it's the "sameness" factor that appeals to fans of fantasy MMOGs, so who knows.
I liked your bit about "explorer highs". I'd never really articulated that feeling before, but I guess always was aware of feeling it. If that makes any sense?
I'm kind of new here, so I don't know about the link to the person going on about Star Trek. So please don't lump me in with some Trek nutter or something when I say this.
I think that maybe the opportunity for getting those "explorer highs" is a sleeper aspect of STO not many are delving into. As far as their interest in the game goes I mean. For STO, Cryptic seems to have picked up on that facet. Probably because it's such an obvious element in Star Trek to make sure is there in a mmo (i.e the whole "....to explore new life, new civilizations, and to boldly go......").
As for possible reasons why sci fi seems to do better as movies, but not so well in games.
It might be due to one of the core aspects of most sci fi stories. That being it's ability to examine the human condition as it is in the now, but doing so in a way so as not to make people uncomfortable. By that I mean in most great sci fi stories we're presented with what is essentially moral dilemmas that can be related to what we see in the world today, but we're not forced to deal with the issue today. We're allowed to ponder it as something yet to come. Most people do that on a subconscious level without realizing it.
That's something about sci fi that's very hard to translate into a game. Especially if the game is being made by people that don't really get what sci fi is, and just think that sci fi lovers want to see teh purrty lazers go pew pew fron teh space ships. The pew pew seems to only go so far in a sci fi game before it becomes too much to swallow for a lot or people too. Probably because people are thinking 'Ok, I can buy us maybe getting to this point, but getting way over there? I don't think so".
In movies (and books) fantasy has a harder time examining the human condition. It still often does, but everything is buried down deep underneath, and not all that many dig far enough to extract it. In games though, the fantasy can stand on it's own, and can usually go as far as the maker of the game wants it to, since most everyone playing the game is clear that it's not supposed to be based on, or from, anything "real".
Those are my jumbled thoughts on the matter anyway.
Imagine a Glen Cook story adapted to the screen or Steven Erikson or George R R Martin...stories of this caliber virtually BEG to be brought to the screen and preserved in their depth of character and setting.
You good sir are the winner of the Internetz!! Not only a great post but you managed to mention my two favorite fantasy authors in your post!
I would probably have a heart attack before I could manage to get into my seat at the theater if someone turned the Black Company series into a movie or even The Malazan series into a movie. Either one would make for an amazing trilogy!
__________________
"That is strength, boy! That is power! What is steel compared to the hand that wields it? Look at the strength in your body, the desire in your heart, I gave you this! Such a waste. Contemplate this on the tree of woe. Crucify him!"
Loading... Genre Wars
)
Linear Mode
