Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Technology

Media Credit: Alton Richardson More and more TV shows are now becoming video games.

The next generation of TV spin-offs is straight out of the 21st century: video games for your PC or gaming system. Even phone companies are taking a hint from the tube. Games such as "American Idol", "Jeopardy!" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer "have all been made into video games available to mobile phones and other gaming systems such as the Playstation 2, Xbox 360 and many other next generation gaming devices.
A few popular TV shows are being made into video games, shows such as "Lost", "Dexter" and "Heroes". The video game "Lost: Via Domus" was released for the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on February 27th 2008, by the video game developer company Ubisoft. The player is cast into the role of an amnesiac photojournalist Elliot Maslow, a character not derived from the show.
The game play involves "Resident Evil"-style fetch quests and puzzle solving. The game uses flashbacks, as a storytelling device, which is important to the plot of the television show. The game's timeline coincides with the first 70 days portrayed in the television series and different locations seen on the show, such as the beach camp. Maslow also explores the dark territory and other locations seen on the show.
According to an article by Geoff Keighley on msnbc.msn.com entitled "Ubisoft inks deal for 'Heroes' video game", the "Heroes" video game will be a third-person superhero action game that brings the series characters, locations and story lines to next-generation game consoles and the PC. In the article "Heroes" co-executive Jesse Alexander, said "that since day one we've all been thinking about the game."
Instead of the game featuring a specific character's heroic journey, the game will focus on the entire cast. "Heroes" is a drama that chronicles the lives of ordinary people across the world who discover they possess extraordinary abilities, such as telepathy, telekinesis and radiation manipulation. They soon discover the fate of the world depends on them, and be forced to team up against someone seeking to eliminate them.
The Showtime TV show "Dexter" will also be presented in video game form. Showtime and Marc Ecko Productions will develop the game. A blog entry about the game on the web site complex.com entitled "Marc Ecko Entertainment to Chop it up with 'Dexter'" mentions that no firm release date has been set but Marc Fernandez, vice president of Ecko Entertainment confirmed that the game will follow a third-person action adventure format with the show's main character, Dexter Morgan, as the playable character.
If you've never seen the TV Show Dexter Morgan is a forensic expert in the Miami Police Department who preys on the criminals that manage to get past the Justice System.
If game developers and TV show producers keep following this trend of popular TV Shows being made into video games, your favorite show may be one of them.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools