Films as inspiration for games

[Midnight]

While I don't like it when games try to be more like films (e.g. Fahrenheit / Heavy Rain), I do appreciate how games can try emulate the atmosphere of films whilst still being a fully interactive game (I guess Red Dead Redemption is probably the most recent example of this being done right).

 

I'll admit that I wasn't that taken with The Ninth Gate when I first watched it, but I appreciated it more after a second viewing and it's since become one of my favourite films. The appeal is mostly down to the moody music, art direction and sense of unease that you get from the film, and I feel this is the kind of film that could inspire the same kind of atmosphere in a FM. The story, character and plot actually feels right at home in a setting like Thief/TDM, which is probably why it's become a favourite of mine.

 

Parts of a mission I've been designing were somewhat inspired by the atmosphere of films like Interview with the Vampire and Eyes Wide Shut, which is what got me thinking about this.

 

Can anyone suggest any films that they think have the kind of atmosphere, mood or art-style that could inspire a TDM FM?

 

On a different note, some commentators have noticed how modern games (such as Rockstar games) are increasingly inspired by films, whereas older games were mostly inspired by books. Is this necessarily a bad thing, or does the medium that inspires a game not really matter if it just provides a basic theme and the developer needs to work hard to introduce depth into the game regardless?

[nbohr1more]

What a coincidence! I was just thinking about how Heart of Lone Salvation reminds me of Eyes Wide Shut and how funny it would be to have that "infamous deleted scene" in an FMS

[nbohr1more]

I'll probably catch hell for this but...

 

"Prisoner of Azkaban" (HP3) has lots of moody sneak around scenes... Heck the Time-Turner sequence is essentially a filmed example of "ghosting a mission".

 

[Komag]

I couple years ago I worked on re-creating the grounds from "The Name of the Rose", never got past just a rough outline stage, but here are some comparison shots attached:

[demagogue]

The Abominable Dr. Dragon was inspired by a movie (The Abominable Dr. Phibes), and Thief Noir was quite noir inspired, of course. Films can be good inspiration because they also rely a lot on visual storytelling ... telling a story just by the way a scene is laid out and the mise en scene. Actually, on that, here's some background reading. You can't literally copy all the mise en scene techniques of film (you can some), but take the lessons and think about analogues to games ... lighting, blocking, music, open and closed (& safe and dangerous) space, scripted cues, etc, to direct the storytelling presentation of your FM.

 

Of course, remember the key distinction about game storytelling. Whereas film-storytelling is directed through time (moving forward, scene to scene), game-storytelling is directed through space (moving where the player moves, scene to scene). Rather than fighting that & trying to get a linear story in time, it's better IMO to embrace it and use it to your advantage by breaking the story up through open space, where you can take the pieces in any order and gradually the structure of the story takes shape like a web.

[Melan]

Can anyone suggest any films that they think have the kind of atmosphere, mood or art-style that could inspire a TDM FM?

Look no further than The Third Man, which inspired The Dark Project itself according to Daniel Thron. Shots (spoilerish, since they follow the movie plot and have explanations on the side). I checked it based on the recommendation, and it is not just a cornucopia of visual inspiration, but a genuilely great movie as well.

 

 

If you don't like this image, you don't like Thief.

[Amita12]

I couple years ago I worked on re-creating the grounds from "The Name of the Rose", never got past just a rough outline stage, but here are some comparison shots attached:

 

Ooo, I've never seen the movie, but I'd love to see this completed . It would be a great scene to use for an FM.

 

I'm sure this may sound silly, but I'd say that the new Sherlock Holmes movie would be good inspiration for an FM. The scenery is beautiful, gritty, and dark. It's given me a couple ideas for some FM's.

 

mike

[OrbWeaver]

I couple years ago I worked on re-creating the grounds from "The Name of the Rose", never got past just a rough outline stage, but here are some comparison shots attached:

 

That's a coincidence, I've often thought about re-creating the library from that same book as a Thief mission.

 

Also, the Mines of Moria in the LotR films are fantastic, every time I see it I want to create a huge mission to explore every hall and passageway.

[nbohr1more]

Also, the Mines of Moria in the LotR films are fantastic, every time I see it I want to create a huge mission to explore every hall and passageway.

 

 

Gandalf did recruit Bilbo as a "Thief"...

 

Man I'd love to see a LotR off-shoot of this mod or a bunch of FMS inspired by it!

 

Imagine playing "Escape from the Shire"...

 

...or sneaking into Mordor...

 

Hobbits have to sneak around so it's a great game-play match!

[nbohr1more]

Goonies as FM:

 

1) Sneak out of Jail (Home)

2) Find Tavern (Restaurant)

3) Sneak into Basement

4) Find hidden sewer entrance (cave below fireplace)

5) Indiana Jones style traps (not yet available in version 1.02?)

6) Water Slide (not yet available?)

7) Swim-able Water!

8) Pirate Ship (get the loot)

 

(this would make up for the NES game...)

Edited July 12, 2010 by nbohr1more

[demagogue]

At least the sloth character would be sort of easy to model. Just get a head into ZBrush and push the add-brush for some nice big, face-stretching lumps. Not sure it'd be my cup of tea, though.

[Mortem Desino]

At least the sloth character would be sort of easy to model.

Aaaauughhhh...! Chunk!

 

 

Oh yes, don't forget the rocky-road ice cream loot!

[nbohr1more]

I was thinking that since the cave with the pirate-ship is so large a portal-sky painted to look like a cave would do the trick...

 

The bicycle trip could be replaced by an out-of-control cart ride...

 

And the pipe-meddling country club scene could be replaced by meddling with Builder machinery...

 

(yeah I'm psyching myself up... feel free to grab this idea mappers... I'm a greenhorn)