Mass Effect games as Sci-fi

[OdoWanKenobi]

crookeddy wrote:

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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.

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

[crookeddy]

Drago-Kazov wrote:

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

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...

[Drago-Kazov]

I found him to be fun.

[MNM]

crookeddy wrote:

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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...

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.

[jefferiestubes8]

Kegg wrote:

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^
The time spent on characters is why it'd arguably work better as a television series,

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.

[JD]

So if we were to get a life action TV series or movie series, would you rather see the aliens done in CG or live action make up/puppetry. Personally, I'd prefer Farscape style make up/puppetry.

[Kegg]

^
A bit of both. Some aliens obviously work best as makeup/costuming (Asari, Quarians, Drell, Batarians), some may need slightly too extensive prosthetics (Salarians, Taurians), and others would need to either be an extensive puppet or completely CGI (Krogans).

[Gotham Central]

MNM wrote:

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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.

Why would any studio go through the expense and trouble to do this?

The default Shep has always been shown to be male> Players have the option of reshaping the base character to better reflect themselves or make someone new...but that never changed the fact that there was just one main Shep for use in the series...you know the one used in promotions etc.

[Kegg]

Gotham Central wrote:

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Why would any studio go through the expense and trouble to do this?

The default Shep has always been shown to be male

Specifically this guy, although they did add a default female Shepard for Mass Effect 3.

Unless someone just wants Vanderloo for their film star, it wouldn't be a bad idea to just have an open casting call regardless of race or gender. It's similar to what Dan O'Bannon wanted for Aliens, and it's something Star Trek has toyed with (male actors were considered for the role of Voyager's captain).

[FPAlpha]

M'rk, son of Mogh wrote:

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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.

Actually i think this is overstated by fans when it comes to the movies.

You can't influence the main storyline at all.. you can just influence cosmetic details surrounding the main story that deal with issues regarding a race (granted.. some of these are pretty life changing for some races) or a person but the main storyline will still progress like planned.

The movies will most likely focus on the main storyline and have its hands full with it as it is.. i'd also guess they won't switch out nearly the entire team from movie to movie so the movies will bound to deviate significantly from the games.

Of course fans will cry murder when their favorite scenes get omitted entirely but as comic fans have learned sometimes you have to sacrifice original material and change stuff because otherwise it wouldn't work onscreen.

[Aragorn]

FPAlpha wrote:

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Of course fans will cry murder when their favorite scenes get omitted entirely but as comic fans have learned sometimes you have to sacrifice original material and change stuff because otherwise it wouldn't work onscreen.

If the Mass Effect 3 movie doesn't have Shepard loafing around at the Citadel mall for the next six months after Earth's been wiped out while other planets are falling left and right, then I'm boycotting.

[Camren]

How do you compress a 30 hour game into a 2 hour movie? I wouldn't have high hopes for this. If it happens (and I doubt it will) it's going to be another dreadful adaptation like all other game-to-movie projects. I don't think a single good movie was ever made out of a video game. They've pretty much all sucked and Mass Effect will be the same, in spite of the quality of the ME series.

In fact, a TV series based in the ME universe (not necessarily about Shepard) would probably be a better idea than a standalone movie. It's about time we had a decent space-based TV series again and the ME universe would provide a lot of good material for an entertaining sci-fi series.

[Hartzilla2007]

FPAlpha wrote:

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The movies will most likely focus on the main storyline and have its hands full with it as it is.. i'd also guess they won't switch out nearly the entire team from movie to movie so the movies will bound to deviate significantly from the games.

Well they could probably get away with it if they keep some of the sequel game squad mates in the sequels (honestly they could trim out the less interesting ones) and Mass Effect 3 has most of the original squad back anyway so it wouldn't be too much trouble there.

Honestly as long as a film based on Mass Effect 2 has the same beats ie Shepard forced into basically going outlaw and working with terrorist organization Cerberus because none of governments want to get involved with the Collector attacks it should still work, of course I'm rather they still blew up the Normand SR-1 and replace it with the (in my opinion) better designed Normandy SR-2.

[RAMA]

I'm a believer that scifi/games/VR/nanotech will eventually converge, it will be scifi, and will exist AS scifi. It will be a new storytelling medium. Having said that...............the current era of video games, while influential don't seem to be on the level of a good novel or movie/tv series. I tried playing Mass Effect 2 (I am not a gamer in any sense of the word) and it didn't really suck me in. I plan on returning to it to explore it further sometime.

PS I started one of those threads mentioned in some of the op links that led to older links...I questioned if Mass Effect or Halo are this era's Star Trek or SW...I think the answer is a definitive yes...I see lots of kids that hardly seem to watch tv or movies much at all anymore, their only concern is for games. Its's cool that they're interactive I suppose, but I found the Halo 4 low budget movie more appealing than any of the game itself. I also liked the historical presentation from Halo Legends, it inspired me to buy two Halo novels by Greg Bear. I guess I'm old fashioned on this point.

[MNM]

Gotham Central wrote:

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Why would any studio go through the expense and trouble to do this?

I'm sure they wouldnt. so what? I'd enjoy it, which is why I said I'd love to see it.