Will Video Games Ever Take the Place of Comic Books Movies?

Will Video Games Ever Take the Place of Comic Books Movies? Comic book movies are, without a doubt, the most successful subset of the movie genre today – as long as they are Marvel movies, that is. Unfortunately for DC’s fans, its movie universe seems not to be able to take off. While the MCU managed to turn characters virtually unknown outside of America into literal cash cows (even Ant-Man made more than $500 million at the box office), established characters like Batman and Superman seem to underperform on the darker side (Justice League, featuring none other than Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, barely made twice its budget). The moviemakers behind the MCU seem to have that “je ne sais quoi” that turns everything they touch into gold, and while DC’s stories seem more deep and thought-provoking, they are appreciated by a much smaller audience.

When it comes to video games, though, things are not this polarizing. While the latest Spider-Man game is praised on all channels, DC’s games are, overall, more appreciated. Games featuring DC superheroes like Gotham City Impostors and the Batman: Arkham series are constantly receiving praise from critics and gamers alike, and Batman: The Telltale Series is also on the positive side, good enough to ensure the development of a sequel. And this is where we should ask our question: will video games be able to take the place of comic book movies? Especially in a time when gaming consoles are said to go extinct?

Today’s video games have the potential to become a brand new means of interactive storytelling – as many of them already have. The above-mentioned Telltale game (and the many others, covering everything from popular TV series like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones to comic book stories like Batman and the Guardians of the Galaxy, video game franchises like Borderlands and Minecraft, along with some original stories. These games focus extensively on storytelling, often as tie-ins to the “canon” stories shown in movies and on TV, giving players enough on-screen action to keep them tied to their gaming devices and enough interactivity for them to really feel part of the story.

This interactivity and the potential to put players inside the story will likely go one step further if and when virtual reality reaches a critical mass. Game developers (and not only them) are already experimenting with serious VR storytelling Ubisoft Montreal and Elijah Wood’s film studio SpectreVision have recently released a psychological thriller called “Transference” about the dark side of the human mind where players have to wander in an “impossible home” made of the combines consciousness of a family. It might be the first in a row of VR experiences that go beyond simply flying around or racing through a maze – VR will be able to take Telltale’s style of storytelling to a next level, offering players (or viewers?) a never-before-seen level of interaction and immersion. Think sitting behind Star-Lord while he flies The Milano through a meteor shower, joining Thor on a trip through the BifrÃƒÂ¶st, facing Dr. Strange in a training session inside the Mirror Dimension or – why not – explore Gotham City on the side of Batman on one of his nightly missions enjoying the story as a spectator and perhaps even stepping in when needed.

*Image Source:Â http://leagueoffiction.blogspot.com/2012/08/borderlands-2-desktop-wallpaper.html