Activision 'likely' to sell cutscenes as movies - 30$ for a 20 minutes scene
146 replies, posted
[url]http://www.gamespot.com/news/6275971.html[/url]
[quote]Blizzard Entertainment's games are renowned for their strikingly cinematic cutscenes. It's a reputation that parent company Activision is looking to capitalize on, as evidenced by comments CEO Bobby Kotick made in a presentation today at Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Media, Communications, and Entertainment Conference.
"I oughta be in pictures?"
In talking about Blizzard's latest hit, the 3 million-selling Starcraft II, Kotick noted that there was more than an hour of prerendered and in-game cutscenes in the real-time strategy title.
"If we were to go to our audience and say we have this great hour-and-a-half of linear video that we would like to make available to you at a $30 price point or $20 price point, you'd have the biggest opening weekend of any film ever," Kotick said. "Within the next five years, you are likely to see us do that. Now that may be in partnership with somebody; it may be alone. But there will be a time when we capitalize on the relationship that we have with our audience."
Kotick said that Activision could do better than a traditional video company with such a product because "we have their credit card information and we have a direct relationship" with them, meaning the company could bypass the expenses of standard distribution methods. What's more, given the loyalty of the company's enthusiast consumer base, he believes "an extremely high percentage" would be willing to then go to a theater and see the same film.
This isn't the first time a publisher has embraced that idea. In 2001, Sega launched a limited Japanese theatrical run of Shenmue cut together from various parts of the Dreamcast original. The movie was later included with the Xbox version of Shenmue II. The following year, Blizzard itself released a three-DVD set featuring the cinematics from Starcraft, Starcraft: Brood War, Diablo II, and Warcraft III, as well as director's commentary and cinematics. The company continues to offer similar DVDs for Starcraft and World of Warcraft at a $10 price point, although many users have stitched together their own movies from the games' cutscenes on YouTube.
That wasn't the only part of Kotick's presentation that had touches of Hollywood. He talked about a vision he had held for years that is coming true, namely that the audience for games would broaden such that it more closely resembled the audiences for television and films. (Activision is likely to see significant overlap on that front sometime in the next few years, as director Sam Raimi and Warner Bros. are currently working on a Warcraft-inspired feature film.)
Kotick also touted the facial animation and lip-synching technology in the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops as a breakthrough for the gaming industry. He said it is the first game where the company has advanced the animation technology far enough "that the lines being delivered are believable." He also said the ability to have characters with whom players could form an emotional connection--the same way they do with characters in movies--was a "Holy Grail" in the industry. [/quote]
[img]http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/56/1284590539223.jpg[/img]
i'm gonna fucking kill him.
how can someone be so greedy?
Bobby Kotick should be removed from the position of Head of Activision.
No one running a company would think this is a good idea.
what the fuck is this i mean seriously
No one would be stupid enough to pay for a god damn cutscene.
Who watches cutscenes in games anyway, unless they're informing you on how to do something?
Simple. They only publish games. They can't do jack, but can force other REAL game makers to do their bidding. This is why series and good titles go south fast.
[QUOTE=DrMortician;24849323]Who watches cutscenes in games anyway, unless they're informing you on how to do something?[/QUOTE]
Story development is very important to some people
If Konami adopted this model they'd make a KILLING with Metal Gear Solid
Bobby Kotick is really not very smart.
Are they for real?
[QUOTE=Tetracycline;24849331]Story development is very important to some people[/QUOTE]
Having a bunch of tacky cut scenes as opposed to working the story into the game play is a really lazy method of story development.
I'll just watch them on Youtube I guess.
Like the "COD being pay2play" thing, this will probably not be true.
Some somewhere in Activision must be knocking some sense into Kotick's head
[editline]03:55PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=DrMortician;24849388]Having a bunch of tacky cut scenes as opposed to working the story into the game play is a really lazy method of story development.[/QUOTE]
No not really
[QUOTE=Xploder;24849349]If Konami adopted this model they'd make a KILLING with Metal Gear Solid[/QUOTE]
I was just thinking that; The whole game would probably be $20,000 total.
I'll just have to download those linux distro plugins for the boxed copy of the game
if they were longer (like feature film length) i'd buy it.
paying $30 for a 20 min scene doesn't seem to fit well for me
:lol:
"You killed the bad guy, please enter your credit card information or send 20$ by cash or cheque to see how the story resolves."
What the fuck, $20-$30 for a normal length movie. Yeah right. Also, "Capitalizing on the relationship they have with their community." Yeah, I'm sure that their 12 year old target demographic would be able to fork over $30 for a shitty CG movie.
Now imagine the cost of Heavy Rain with this in effect :v:
[QUOTE=Jessesmith1;24849455]if they were longer (like feature film length) i'd buy it.
paying $30 for a 20 min scene doesn't seem to fit well for me[/QUOTE]
Read the article, he's talking about making full length movies. Thread title is totally wrong.
[quote]Kotick said that Activision could do better than a traditional video company with such a product because "we have their credit card information and we have a direct relationship" with them, meaning the company could bypass the expenses of standard distribution methods. What's more, given the loyalty of the company's enthusiast consumer base, he believes "an extremely high percentage" would be willing to then go to a theater and see the same film.[/quote]
Wow, what a dickish comment. It's like he doesn't value his customers. Oh wait he probably doesn't.
[quote]Kotick also touted the facial animation and lip-synching technology in the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops as a breakthrough for the gaming industry. He said it is the first game where the company has advanced the animation technology far enough "that the lines being delivered are believable." He also said the ability to have characters with whom players could form an emotional connection--the same way they do with characters in movies--was a "Holy Grail" in the industry.[/quote]
I'm sorry maybe you want to get your head out of your ass because Valve has been doing this since HL2 in 2004.
[QUOTE=animephreak135;24849516]Read the article, he's talking about making full length movies. Thread title is totally wrong.[/QUOTE]
[i]"talking about"[/i] is not [i]doing[/i] so stfu and sit down
[QUOTE=Jessesmith1;24849623][i]"talking about"[/i] is not [i]doing[/i] so stfu and sit down[/QUOTE]
What in the hell are you talking about. The OP mistakenly put down "20 minute scene" in the thread title. This article is about them making 1 hour and 30 minute long movies. You can't read, can you?
[QUOTE=DrMortician;24849388]Having a bunch of tacky cut scenes as opposed to working the story into the game play is a really lazy method of story development.[/QUOTE]
Blizzard's cut scenes are amazing.
and Starcraft 2's story would be awkward to "work into game play."
Maybe for an FPS, like Half-Life 2, but not a RTS.
[editline]04:07PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Edthefirst;24849605]Wow, what a dickish comment. It's like he doesn't value his customers. Oh wait he probably doesn't.
I'm sorry maybe you want to get your head out of your ass because Valve has been doing this since HL2 in 2004.[/QUOTE]
Seriously, this was done probably even before Half-life 2.
Not to judge something before it exits the conceptual stage,
but I can't tell if he is talking about paying an extra $30 to be able to watch the cutscenes in games,
or if hes suggesting developers release short animated movies to theaters, for which a ticket would cost $30.
[QUOTE=Lucinice;24849312]No one would be stupid enough to pay for a god damn cutscene.[/QUOTE]
You'd be surprised, this would sell a shitload. Hell, look at all the people who were "boycotting" MW2 and ended up buying it anyway. Gamers are sheep these days and will buy anything.
[QUOTE=Diet Kane;24850362]You'd be surprised, this would sell a shitload. Hell, look at all the people who were "boycotting" MW2 and ended up buying it anyway. Gamers are sheep these days and will buy anything.[/QUOTE]
I'm sure they're sorry for not living up to your superior opinion, and giving into the want to have fun with friends
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