Video Games’ Influence on Mainstream Movies

Video games have moved right out of the niche interest group that they once were and into the mainstream consciousness. Video games have been exerting an ever growing influence on the realm of mainstream media, including blockbuster films.

Direct Influences

If we take a look at some of the most recent animated movies coming out, some of them take directly from the world of video games. Pixels and Wreck it Ralph immediately spring to mind as those that are about and focusing on video games. These are drawing directly from some of the much loved video game characters that have been around for decades, with cameos from Pacman, Sonic, Q’bert and others.

The Lego universe has successfully created a franchise of movies and games that look almost identical to one another. With the Ninjago movie coming out later in the year and their game development studios pumping out games to match, they’re twinned in success in the gaming industry.

Musical Influences

Video game soundtracks are now in a league of their own, with an entire genre dedicated to them. These have a really unique sound and this is being replicated within movies to create a dynamic and interesting soundtrack. Some of the simplest video game music is instantly recognisable and conjures up certain memories for viewers.

The way that Bingo on TV and Film is represented is very indicative of this, often featuring bright and colourful soundtracks and sound effects. Online bingo games have a super distinct style, with many representations striving to show this.

Videography and Storytelling

It’s no secret that video games are amazing at telling stories through unconventional techniques. The storytelling techniques that are in play in some of the most famous games have caused a ripple through the movie industry, though some may not notice the exact correlation.

Take the hit movie Children of Men as an example, which takes place in the sort of dystopian future that will remind you of Fallout or The Last of Us. In many of the scenes, we watch the action as though we’re playing a third person shooter, with the camera poised just over the main character’s shoulder. This is a very clever technique that makes us feel like we’re actually part of the movie, rather than just passive viewers.

CGI has always been a part of the video game world and now this is becoming a more prominent part of the film industry. Motion capture and 3D rendering looks better than ever in both films and games, making it much more enjoyable for the user. VR is in the games industry at the moment, but VR and AR films may also be on the way too, we’re sure someone out there is working towards this.

It’s clear to see that these two industries have become more and more influenced by one another as time goes on. At the start of this relationship, video games took more from films, but now films seem to take much more from the world of games.