Entertainment can be briefly described as any form of activity, such as movies or music, that holds the attention and interest of its audience or offers pleasure and delight. The entertainment industry has always been a very vast one, ranging from banquets, music, literature, comedy down to storytelling. A part of the entertainment industry that gets ignored or not completely considered to be a bonafide member of the family is “gaming”.
The gaming industry is one of the leading players in entertainment and technology and as of 2020 is believed to have crossed the $200 billion mark in terms of value. Some of our favourite movies and tv shows such as Tomb Raider, Mortal Kombat, Assassin’s Creed, Angry Birds, Pac- Man, to mention a few.
However, not enough attention is given to the fact that the relationship between movies and games is a symbiotic one. This is evident when it comes to the many video games inspired by tv shows and movies developed by the online casino industry in recent years. Tomb Raider and Game of Thrones are two of the most popular video slots in Australia, the UK casinos have their own Britain’s Got Talent slot and where online casinos are legal in the US, South Park slots are just as popular as the TV show.
Let’s take a look at some of the more notable movies and TV Show conversions, shall we?
South Park: The Stick of Truth
South Park is a sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone in 1997. The game tells the story of a customizable character “New Kid” who moves to South Park and finds himself deeply involved in an epic fantasy war that spirals out of control due to the involvement of Nazi zombies and aliens.
The game which received a lot of positive reviews for its comedy and visuals is available on most consoles but was heavily censored in some regions due to its adult language. As mentioned above, there is also a South Park slot game developed by Net Entertainment. It was released in 2012 and is still very popular.
Game of Thrones (2014)
After exploding onto the tv screen in 2011, the Game of Thrones tv show – which is an adaptation of the fantasy novel series by George R. R. Martin – had audiences all over the world hooked on Westeros and its casts of morally equivocal characters. The tv show received a quite disappointing video game adaptation in 2012, however, Telltale Games added their touch to the show two years and the result was an absolutely beautiful video game.
The plot follows House Forrester, a family absent from the tv series, the story also plays out from the view of the different members of the Forrester family as the battle for the Iron Throne reigns supreme in Westeros. Game of Thrones: The Game isn’t particularly innovative but features the voices of many of the tv series’ actors, as well as capturing the beauty and brutality that fans have come to expect from the show.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War & Shadow of Mordor
Based on the Middle-earth: Lord of the Rings franchise, more the books than the movies, both games put you into the shoes of a ranger named Talion; whose spirit is infused with the elf lord by the name of Celebrimbor. Like the Lord of the Rings movies, the goal of Talion is ultimately to stop Sauron – who’s a fallen evil Maia with the ambition of ruling the whole Middle-earth.
As you confront Sauron’s orc army, you must take out ranking members to complete your quest. The game offers multiple playthroughs, as the enemies throughout your playthrough will be a factor of who’s way high on your list.
The Walking Dead: The Game
Based on the American post-apocalyptic horror television show and comics series titled The Walking Dead, this episodic video game by Telltale Games takes place in the same world as the tv show. The plot follows a convicted criminal, Lee Everett, who heads out in search of the parents of a girl named Clementine – whom he rescued from the jaws of horror. The critically acclaimed game also focuses on character development and each of the episodes offers various play-through outcomes.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The Star Wars media franchise is known for its movies of vast world characters involving humans and aliens. The franchise has also expanded into various films and media including tv series, themed parks, and video games, and no other video game has caught the eye like the Fallen Order.
The game which takes place between Star Wars: Episode III and Episode IV, puts you in the shoes of a Jedi Padawan known as Cal Kestis with a customizable lightsaber and force powers as you fight the oppressive threat of the Great Jedi Purge.
Notable TV Shows and Movies mentions
We picked a handful above, but there are so many other great and terrible games too. Here are just a few honourable mentions: Marvel’s Avengers, Alien: Isolation, 007: From Russia with Love, The Simpsons: Hit & Run and, Jurassic World: Evolution.
There is, of course, a host of other movies or tv projects based on video games still in the pipeline, as the bond between the movie industry and its gaming counterpart seems like one Romeo & Juliet would have been proud of. We are looking forward to seeing what new games will be released in 2021.
If we’ve missed any of your favourite Movie/TV Show conversions, let us know in the comments below what makes them so great. In the meantime, check out some of our other featured posts such as opinion pieces and interviews by clicking HERE.
