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300 is the first videogame movie translation? What did I miss?

9:47 AM on 12.28.2007, Dale North 55 comments

300 is the first videogame movie translation? What did I miss? photo
     Movies

You and I know the 300 as the CG-heavy movie retelling the story of the Spartan's fight against the Persian King. I thought it was based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, but Sony Pictures' Yair Landau is calling it a videogame translation.

"Even though it's based on a graphic novel, the execution of that graphic novel was more to video games - and so you could say 300 is the first video game movie translation even though it's not really based on a video game."

He discusses film-game crossovers in the Gamasutra interview:

"I actually think that the phenomenon of 300 is really, in fact, a manifestation of the video game experience in kind of the collective conscience. The audience who came to see 300 was weaned on video games and what they saw in the marketing materials for 300 was a similar experience. They didn't show up because they were interested in the Spartans, or because they read Herodotus, or because they thought the Battle of Thermopylae was a great, untold story."

"They showed up because they saw a movie experience that was the most similar to the game experiences that they've grown up playing. The movie works because it's violent and it's actually very video game-ish."

What about you? Were you into the 300 for its videogame-like qualities, or was it just another Hollywood thing you wanted to see.


Next page: More Hollywood stories




cjpkiller's Avatar
cjpkiller at 12/28/2007 09:54
uhm... I showed up because I like Greek history being horribly over dramatized with unrealistic fantastical creatures and events...
but... I see where he is coming from, most plebians don't know much about ancient history... and came for the violence... and yelling.
FOR SPARTA!
Zero Atma's Avatar
Zero Atma at 12/28/2007 09:55
I'l admit that I haven't actually seen it, but from the marketing it seems like 300 is so much in the same vein as other recent epics - Gladiator, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, etc. - that ANY of those could be said to be a "video game movie translation," given his broad definition of violence and "video game-ish[ness]."
Is it just because it was written by Frank Miller? Seems like a thin argument to me, especially since being video game-ish is so vague a term.
No shock though, it seems like most of Sony's branches, video game, movie, or otherwise, have a tendency to put their collective feet in their mouths.
PKN's Avatar
PKN at 12/28/2007 09:56
I showed up because it's cool to see production values even higher than video games and to hear an interesting story. If they let me put some input into the film then it would be a video game. As it stands it is no closer to games then any other movie ever produced.
Thornnn's Avatar
Thornnn at 12/28/2007 09:57
I watched it because a friend of mine told me it was epic. I thought it had a few stunning visuals. But if you take them out the story was no better than some of the old Sinbad or Hercules movies especially the dialog.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 12/28/2007 09:59
I never even saw 300... I should get around to it though.
Neonie's Avatar
Neonie at 12/28/2007 10:00
I mean whereas I can see some similarities. I can see the same similarities in other movies that ARENT compared to videogames.

Truth be told, movies will always be movies, and games will always be games. You can't really see that the gamer audience came to see the movie becuase it was set up like a videogame just becuase it had some werid special affects and fighting. If that's the case then just about EVERY action movie is set up like a videogame.

When I watched 300 it WAS a movie. There was no player/watcher interaction with the movie, and therfore is in no way a game.

I was actully really suprised when i first heard 300 was being compared to a videogame, becuase I really couldent understand what they were getting at by saying that.
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar
EternalDeathSlayer at 12/28/2007 10:01
I never read the comics or anything, just got interested in it while it was being made. Saw the blood, the violence. The epic struggle and the whole spartan ideals really sucked me in though.

This guys right though. Lots of game fans saw this movie. Fuck, it was like watching an epic game in action.
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 12/28/2007 10:03
I was under the impression that 300 was loosely based on the acutal epic battle of Thermopylae.
micropizzle's Avatar
micropizzle at 12/28/2007 10:12
I went to see Thermopylae actually. A hip manifestation of my Rome Total War battles. But yes, it was very much like a video game, and looking back, I'm suprised they didn't have voice overs of someone screaming COMBO!
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 12/28/2007 10:20
M-M-M-M-M-M-MONSTER KILL
Jasongame's Avatar
Jasongame at 12/28/2007 10:20
I don't know about the above explanation, but I did seem to think a bit about God of War as I watched that movie.
mr showtime's Avatar
mr showtime at 12/28/2007 10:28
I haven't even seen it. The testosterone in me is dying to watch it, though. Luckily, my brother runs a Blockbuster out of his living room and I hear it will be in stock very soon.



NO LATE FEES!
vitus's Avatar
vitus at 12/28/2007 10:32
i think that might be the biggest load of shit i have ever read.
jfbguy's Avatar
jfbguy at 12/28/2007 10:38
I think Run Lola Run would be closer to the first video game translation. She collects money, does fetch quests, hell, she even has three lives.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 12/28/2007 10:40
I don't think there's a clear line that can be drawn here, and unless you've been hiding under a rock the past ten years, you know that talking about a bunch of nonsense garbage must be a requirement for keeping your job at Sony.
Brandon Undead's Avatar
Brandon Undead at 12/28/2007 10:41
Further proof the video game execs are completely out of touch with reality.
NyghtcrawleR's Avatar
NyghtcrawleR at 12/28/2007 10:41
If you havent seen it. Watch it NOW!
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 12/28/2007 10:44
When I read this I laughed hard. Stupid people.

300 is epic.
wydren's Avatar
wydren at 12/28/2007 10:52
I'd actually say that Crank is the first and best video game movie not based on a video game.
MrFudge's Avatar
MrFudge at 12/28/2007 10:58
I'm not sure what it classified as, but it did become a meme before it was even released. Videogames and memes seemed to be linked quite closely in culture. Just saying is all.
Eques-Ardor's Avatar
Eques-Ardor at 12/28/2007 11:03
I went to see it because it looked kickass. That's about it. :\
gyshall's Avatar
gyshall at 12/28/2007 11:16
300 was a fucking movie.
F Whipple's Avatar
F Whipple at 12/28/2007 11:16
People should realize stupid comments make you look stupid
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 12/28/2007 11:39
If you want to make the video game comparison to 300, its very there. Finite number of troops, various battles with beginning and ending cutscenes, a final boss that you pretty much fail at and would take about 200 continues to defeat. Sure, I'll go there if you want.

But, is that why anyone wanted to see it. No, stupid. Epic movie is epic. Anyone trying to create movies based on a "video game" experience, and especially because its violent, is completely out of touch with the meat of what a video game is. The violence is just a Barbecue sauce on what should otherwise be a well cooked cut of beef. I'll take my games with mango salsa.

Also, I haven't seen Crank, but THAT movie made me think video game, at all steps in its marketing.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 12/28/2007 11:59
That makes no sense
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 12/28/2007 12:04
@gyshall:
Truer words have never been spoken.
TC101's Avatar
TC101 at 12/28/2007 12:25
Man, those Sony guys are so right about everything.


Oh. Wait....
HyrulianSpartan's Avatar
HyrulianSpartan at 12/28/2007 12:39
Well...It did have boss battles
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 12/28/2007 12:41
I like frank miller, I didn't even think about video games when I went to watch it.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 12/28/2007 12:55
Confession time: I haven't seen this movie yet. Apparently, that means I'm not a man.
vexed alex's Avatar
vexed alex at 12/28/2007 13:19
Necros is now Necrosa.

But yeah. I saw this because my friends said, "d0000d! 300 is siiick, man. Check it out or else you suuuck dick!"

And so I went and enjoyed myself.
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 12/28/2007 13:27
Hi Sony, please learn something or die. Ktnxbye.
Tekoa's Avatar
Tekoa at 12/28/2007 13:49
when i seen 300, not once did i think of video games.

i just wanted to see a good movie.
Meesterjojo's Avatar
Meesterjojo at 12/28/2007 14:04
I hope you don't get paid for this "journalism".

But sure, I'll bite/troll: 300 must've been the first, nevermind M.A.S.H., or Porkies, or others on the 2600.

Regardless, it doesn't matter: Can I have this guys job? Please tell me he doesn't get paid to write that shit.
Cheeburga's Avatar
Cheeburga at 12/28/2007 14:08
What?
mr showtime's Avatar
mr showtime at 12/28/2007 14:12
What about Night Trap?


It was like a movie and a game at the same time!



I miss my Sega CD.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 12/28/2007 14:31
Even though it's based on a graphic novel, the execution of that graphic novel was more to video games — and so you could say 300 is the first video game movie translation even though it's not really based on a video game.

Yes, you could say that...but then, you’d be horribly and stupidly wrong. Moron.
Aequitas's Avatar
Aequitas at 12/28/2007 14:37
I don't know what he's talking about. I viewed the film because it was streaming on some site within days of theatrical release. And I still enjoyed the History Channel feature on the Battle of Thermopylae more.
Edarios's Avatar
Edarios at 12/28/2007 14:44
my friend made me read the comic book, and afterwards i just had to go and see it.
bottled dark's Avatar
bottled dark at 12/28/2007 14:52
that is one of the stupidest things i have read in a long time.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 12/28/2007 15:18
I didn't see this movie, I just watched its memes on the internet.
moot button's Avatar
moot button at 12/28/2007 15:43
the structure of 300 was definitely videogame-ish. think of the scenes without fighting or action as cut-scenes, and the fighting scenes as gameplay. the pacing is just about the same as what i'd expect in an epic action game. obviously it was a movie, but if you stretched the action scenes out to 20-45 minutes each it could easily be directly "ported" to a game
Semantic Poetry's Avatar
Semantic Poetry at 12/28/2007 16:06
"Even though it's based on a graphic novel, the execution of that graphic novel was more to video games - and so you could say 300 is the first video game movie translation even though it's not really based on a video game."

Bwuh?

So what he's trying to say is that it's an adaptation that's drawn stylistic influences from games?
Fading Star's Avatar
Fading Star at 12/28/2007 16:37
I can see where this person is coming from.

........

SPARTA!
flaming burrito's Avatar
flaming burrito at 12/28/2007 18:57
uh no...

i went to see epic epicness
B-Radicate's Avatar
B-Radicate at 12/28/2007 22:20
The only relation it had to video games was that the PSP game sucked balls. Movie is comic book movie. End of story.
Satertek's Avatar
Satertek at 12/28/2007 22:51
I saw it for the "THIS IS SPARTAAA! *kick*"
Icarus-Rising's Avatar
Icarus-Rising at 12/29/2007 19:51
A big part of it's Hype, was the success of "Sin City" which put Frank Miller's name into the Public spotlight. Also partially the success of Batman Begins (which is based on Frank Miller's "Year One" graphic novel)

I went because I love Greek history and stories, I loved Sin City and love comics and graphic novels. Videogame comparison never entered my mind, just great storytelling.

On a side-note, Frank Miller is fucking insane now. "I'm the goddamn batman!" (See I-Mockery)
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