Mass Effect games as Sci-fi

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by crookeddy, Dec 16, 2012.

  1. crookeddy

    crookeddy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Has anyone here played the Mass Effect trilogy? Am I the only one that thinks that a movie done right could be an absolutely amazing sci-fi movie?

    I mean, the universe is detailed, the characters are already fleshed out. The story is gripping. I wish I could talk about the details, but that would be spoilers.
     
  2. Bob The Skutter

    Bob The Skutter Complete Arse Cleft In Memoriam

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    Mass Effect movie has been in the works for a while, I guess it may or may not happen but they did start developing it.

     
  3. M'rk son of Mogh

    M'rk son of Mogh Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'm not overly fond of the idea of a movie.
    What can the movie do that's better than the game, which YOU get to decide how you want to play?

    Absolutely nothing.
     
  4. crookeddy

    crookeddy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I must be a bit too old school, because I just can't see video games as a true story telling medium. I kind of feel like the story would get far more acclaim as a book or a movie.

    Also, I found myself wishing to get the FPS parts over with so I could get more of the story.
     
  5. Jono

    Jono Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I don't think it would be a great movie but instead just a good popcorn flick...probably a bit like Expendables In Space. If that even. I can't think of the last game-turned-movie that was any good at all.

    If any film was to follow the games imagine the noise that fans would make about any decision the film Shep would make...even selecting the gender of the film Shep would see a bunch of complaining no doubt.
     
  6. Aragorn

    Aragorn Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Resident Evil makes money, but the only video game-turned-movie that seems to be held in any regard is the first Mortal Kombat.
     
  7. crookeddy

    crookeddy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    And it's not like Mortal Kombat was a difficult movie to make... Resident Evil just ignores the plot of the games. And the moves are getting worse with each sequel.
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2012
  8. Angel4576

    Angel4576 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Well the first movie is supposedly going to adapt the story of the first game, hence it's probably safe to assume that subsequent movies will adapt the latter games. Huh, that should prove interesting when they try and adapt the trilogy's ending.
     
  9. Reverend

    Reverend Admiral Admiral

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    The movie project was announced several years ago and as far as I'm aware they've made no overt progress. I honestly won't be surprised if it ends up in development hell, if it isn't already there.

    Can't say as I'd be too bothered either since if they're seriously just going to adapt the main plot of the games, there'd be very little to hold my interest. I mean no matter what plot choices they go with, it's a loose loose situation for Mass Effect fans, no? For example; do they kill off Ash or Kaiden on Virmire? Either choice means one group of fans is going to be disappointed that their preferred character isn't going to be in the subsequent films.

    ME2 will be a problem too as they'd either have to cut characters altogether or drastically compress the recruitments to some kind of half baked montage. Factor in the loyalty missions and you're either going to have a very unfocused plot, or next to no character development for the squadmates.

    All in all I think they'd be better off making a movie based off their own original story and leave Shepard's tale in the realm of video games.
     
  10. Kegg

    Kegg Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^
    The time spent on characters is why it'd arguably work better as a television series, I've seen people convincingly make the argument that ME2 in particular feels arced like a good season of television.

    And yet you liked Mass Effect enough to want it get its own film adaptation, and called the story 'gripping.' However one feels about the gameplay of the series (which I found improved markedly with ME2 after some missed calls with ME1, while ME3's multiplayer was largely frustrating) that it places so much emphasis on player choices - right from your character's gender and appearance on to their history and etics - is a major part of that story's appeal, and in itself is a good example of how 'gaming' can tell meaningful and interesting stories. (Telltale Games' surprisingly excellent Walking Dead adventure game is another example of same.)
     
  11. crookeddy

    crookeddy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    If they just have a basic plot in the same universe, what's the point? The games pretty much established that Shepard was in the thick of almost every important event. The movie would just be a re-imagining of one person's playthrough.
     
  12. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I really don't see the need to do a direct adaptation of the games' stories myself. The games tell the story very well, and in a much more interesting way than a movie ever could. Now, I would love to see a movie or TV series set in the universe, I rank it right up there with the 3 Stars (Trek, Wars, and Gate) as one of my favorite sci-fi universes.

    To be completely honest, at this point doing movie adaptations of games is kind of pointless IMO. In this day and age the games are pretty much telling movie quality stories just as well, if not better in some cases, than movies themselves. At this point I would gladly put any of the Uncharteds up there with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and any of the Mass Effects up there with Empire Strikes Back and Wrath of Kahn.
     
  13. Drago-Kazov

    Drago-Kazov Fleet Captain

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    Mods, please give this thread the title ME Paragon Lost and let's discuss that since it's almost out.
     
  14. Kegg

    Kegg Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^
    Wouldn't that be better suited to the Mass Effect thread in the game forums? This is about Mass Effect as a potential film (or series of films).
     
  15. Reverend

    Reverend Admiral Admiral

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    Or you could just make a new thread, no?

    I hadn't considered a TV show and you're right, from a pacing standpoint it would be a better fit. Still, I stand by my dislike for a retelling of Shepard's story. Since you mentioned 'The Walking Dead', I think right there is an excellent example of an existing IP being adapted into a different medium--two, in point of fact--and being able to remain faithful to the source while telling a unique story. More so with the game, but even the TV show has already gone it's own way on numerous occasions and so far all for the good.

    Like just about any good IP, there's ample room in the Mass Effect universe for any number of new stories not directly tied to the central plot of the games. Take Star Wars for example, the game with the highest regard among fans is KotOR, which has *nothing* whatsoever to do with the plot of any of the films. Opinions vary of coruse, but from what I can tell the X-Wing novels are also considered the best of the medium and again, aside from the odd cameo and the presence of a three time background character, nothing to do with the films beyond the setting.
     
  16. OdoWanKenobi

    OdoWanKenobi Admiral Admiral

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    You've never played The Walking Dead, have you?
     
  17. crookeddy

    crookeddy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    An Anime about Vega? Why is this even being made? Who gives a crap about Vega? He is obviously one of the worst, and most irrelevant characters in the whole story...
     
  18. Drago-Kazov

    Drago-Kazov Fleet Captain

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    I found him to be fun.
     
  19. MNM

    MNM Captain Captain

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    He's one of those characters that I only interact with when the game forces me to. Otherwise I ignore him whol heartedly.

    I've thought this for a while, but when/if they make a Mass Effect film with Sheperd in, they should make two versions, nearly exactly the same except that one has a male sheperd and the other a female one.

    Not just that though, in the promotion of the movies, make no mention of the fact that there is a male and female Sheperd versions. Just treat it as the one movie which is different depending on which screening you go to. I'd love that for some strange reason.
     
  20. jefferiestubes8

    jefferiestubes8 Commodore Commodore

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    CrookEddy there was a thread about this



    What if a 'Mass Effect' TV series were made?

    And

    Related for movie franchise thoughts
    Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation?

    Sure it would be a costly TV series but it could be done on greenscreen like BG:Blood & Chrome.
    Could all of the CGI models used in the actual Mass Effect games be converted & used within very popular CGI software Lightwave 3D for TV production?

    Sure a feature film would allow more epic CGI sequences but if it is the characters that are the focus then bring back the voice actors from the game and do a TV series. But the problem is it will just feel like cutscenes of the game unless you have live ction actors recast for shooting on greenscreen.
    People like to see live action not CGI characters talking when it is a real TV show or movie. No uncanny valley.
    It is the idea of if you are going to be building worlds in CGI then why just do a 2 hour sci-fi-action feature film when there is a market for good space opera on TV. It is just costly TV.
    BG:Blood & Chrome was supposed to be the first series but never made it past the backdoor pilot stage.
    With each episode of a TV series reusing most of the CGI models the cost of making the CGI models gets spread over the cost of the series.
    Sure the actual camera moves, motion capture performances still have to be created, lighting done on the CGI models, and rendered for each episode but the CGI models can be reused thus reducing the cost.