In case you haven't seen it on the Gaming Reviews page, there's a whole truckload of games out this week - and not surprisingly a handful of them are the dreaded movie tie-in game. That's right, this week sees LEGO Indiana Jones, The Incredible Hulk Game, and Kung Fu Panda the Game in stores and on all platforms.
Is this the marketer's ploy to increase awareness and saturation of its product? Do we really need to PLAY a Jack Black panda? There have already been Hulk games, but we need another for the theatrical release? Just take a look at the Iron Man video game to realize just how wrong a game can go - and how it can ultimately hurt the reputation of an otherwise stellar film.
Now, not all move-based video games are bad. In fact, the LEGO series of Star Wars tie-in games are actually stellar. Great game play, humor, and wit, with a childish attitude but mature tone. The LEGO Indiana Jones game proves to be the same - but ultimately is it necessary?
Should video games be used as a $50 commercial for a movie? I'd much rather see an ORIGINAL game premise come along, like this week's Ninja Gaiden 2 over a corny re-hashed game like The Incredible Hulk. "Hulk Smash" ya ya ya, we've heard it before.
Between television commercials, internet trailers, billboards, banner ads, posters, etc. is a videogame really necessary to a movie's marketing now? Is it worth taking creative minds off of projects like GRID and putting them on sh*tty games like Kung Fu Panda? I say NO!
What do you think? Is this over saturation of movie advertising taking away from the GOOD aspects of the gaming industry? All of these non-essential games are cluttering the desks of great designers and we the gamer suffer (both of the senses and of the wallet).
Let me know what YOU think below.
Games for the Week of June 2:
Kung Fu Panda Game
Ninja Gaiden 2
Race Driver: GRID
Lego Indiana Jones
The Incredible Hulk Game
The Bourne Conspiracy
My pick for the week is Ninja Gaiden 2: It's a great action-packed game with an amazing team behind it. Check out the page for its trailer and let me know what YOU think!
