Relationship Between Movies and Video Games | Best Movies Based on Video Games
Time To Read:10 mins
By 
O.B. Wonkeynobuy | 
Veena
1. Introduction
If we think about the relationship between movies and video games, we usually think that movies came first and video games are a result of it.
Some examples given throughout history include the Marvel and superhero movie adaptations into video games like Spider-Man, Batman and more. Other examples are television series like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.
Do you think movies are much different from video games? Could they be in competition with each other? What are the best video game movies and video game adaptations?
2. History of inspiration between video games and movies
“ The video game is a neon-lit daydream, whereas the cinema is the projection of that dream.”
Jérôme Dittmar
- From darkness to the Lumières
The creation of movies had been credited to the Lumière brothers with the use of the camera made by Thomas Edition in 1891.
Video games first appeared a century after that. Movies on the other hand had time to develop during that period. From straightforward, voiceless situations to Machiavellian shenanigans to action-packed, stunning shows with award-winning actors.
Video games too had evolved in the same way, with some calling it the 10th art.
- King Pong the 1st ohm
Long before Pong made its way into our homes in 1972, William A. Higinbotham’s oscilloscope (Tennis for Two) in 1985 is regarded as the first video game.
Due to the power of computers and consoles at that time, groups of moving pixels made up video games.
Even though that was the case, the huge machine is still a huge progress and gained popularity.
- Cinema as a starting point?
Steven Lisberger pioneered a new genre when he placed his lead character Kevin Flynn, a video game programmer into the virtual world in the 1982 cult classic Tron.
With this, the groundwork had been laid.
The year after, John Badham’s WarGames shared the story of a high schooler who is obsessed with video games and unintentionally breaks into the computer network of NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) instead of a video game firm and starts a world nuclear war.
These two examples are great examples of how video games and the incredible potential of virtual reality were fast-inspiring movies. However, the opposite seemed to happen much later.
- Reality as a limiting factor
Movies have always pushed the bounds of reality in the quest of the spectacular and dramatic to draw audiences to the screens.
With the exception of Jackie Chan, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Tony Jaa and others, it is important to protect the physical well-being of actors and stunt performers for the sake of a movie.
The number of extras needed for epic fights, the costs of sets as well as the manpower needed to build and maintain them are all raising concerns for the production budget.
- The virtual to the rescue of the real
The rise of 3D animation and computer-generated graphics with the increase in computer processing capacity was able to significantly advance the cinematographic industry, especially in science fiction, heroic fantasy and horror films.
Other producers went so far as to build their own special effects studios like Peter Jackson with Weta Digital in 1993 and George Lucas with Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in 1975.
Every movie now mainly features special effects as it is able to unlock possibilities that are limited only by one’s imagination.
- And video games in all this?
Arcades started to pop up all over the world after the debut of Space Invaders in 1978 and Pac-Man two years later, this is when video games had been introduced to the general public.
The advancements in computers, CD-ROM, and consoles like the Super Nintendo (1992), PlayStation (1994), and the Xbox (2001) contributed to the significant improvement of game aesthetics.
- The new heroes
Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, the three titans of the video game industry, sold millions of copies of their systems while acquiring exclusive game licenses for cult favorites like Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), Spartal 117 (Halo), and Mario (Nintendo).
The urge to embody the hero and the search for humanity drive video games to progress similarly to movies do.
It was able to create recognizable characters, a history, and familiar events.
A progressive emancipation from its distant cousin is being developed with a new group being born because of the result of the video game culture. They have their own heroes, jargon, and codes. This new community is called the gamers.
In the early 2000s, the trend would gradually become more balanced for the new heroes. Before, the road would be relatively one-way and was seemingly towards blockbusters only.
Today, the video game industry is able to generate a lot of revenue which is more than 70 million dollars. This is more than what the film industry is able to generate.
Because of this, movies use video games as inspiration to get more viewers instead of just a marketing tool.
The popularity of video games from PlayStation like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil were able to use cinema mechanics to create an intro video that is fit to be a movie trailer increased film adaptations.
The circle is complete when moviegoers are able to take on the role of their occasionally awkward and humorous heroes and finish their quests far better. Video game players are now able to affix a face to their favorite game characters.
- The law of series
With the introduction of movie channels (such as HBO, OCS, etc.) and video-on-demand (VOD) services like Just Watch, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, television watching has increased.
The tendency to stay home and watch television was amplified because of the recurrent confinements fur to the widespread Covid 19 epidemic.
Streaming services also finance TV series and movies as well as show previously released popular films to make sure that they are exclusive.
An example of this is the Netflix series Cyberpunk: Edgerunner. It is a TV series inspired by the video game Cyberpunk 2077. The huge audience of the show gave new life to the video game.
In fact, the game was able to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide by December 2022 in spite of a rather challenging debut.
At this time, a bridge is being built for video games and television.
3. How video games inspired the cinema
As we have seen, movies were quickly able to take control of the video gaming industry’s virtual world. They have done so in various ways.
Thus, we can identify four key inspirations for this:
- Conceptual inspiration
Here, we employ the rules of video games and the concept of virtual reality, similar to Ready Player One, in which a world population seeks refuge in a global MMORPG to escape a depressing reality in a population that has descended into chaos.
- Subjective inspiration
Whether in a movie or video game, the protagonist serves as the source of inspiration.
We’ve already talked about Lara Croft, who Angelina Jolie portrayed in the 1996 video game Tomb Raider and its 2003 sequel, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life.
While being transported into new experiences, the hero or heroine retains the richness of the character.
- Objective inspiration
Situational inspiration is when characters are developed using physical and psychological settings that are unique to the source of inspiration even though the character didn’t previously appear in any existing story.
For instance, the movie Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, which is based on the well-known video game Halo that was launched on the Xbox console. The movie used the game content without strictly following the story of the game’s adventure.
- Film or video adaptation
As the name suggests, the inspiration nearly completely dominates the plot by taking over the characters, setting, and actual adventure.
As in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which keeps the same name as the movie as well as the novel, the players or the audience are able to recreate the full story.
4. The best movies adapted from video games
We have for you the list of the best movies that are inspired by video games that you can rent or purchase. We also have the video-on-demand platforms where you are able to watch them.
Uncharted 2022
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Where to watch Uncharted 2022 in Streaming and VOD:
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
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Where to watch Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in Streaming and VOD:
Warcraft The Beginning
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Where to watch Warcraft The Beginning in Streaming and VOD:
Hitman
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Where to watch Hitman in Streaming and VOD:
Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City
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Where to watch Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City in Streaming and VOD:
Free Guy
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Where to watch Free Guy in Streaming and VOD:
Ready Player One
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Where to watch Ready Player One in Streaming and VOD:
Assassin’s Creed
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Where to watch Assassin’s Creed in Streaming and VOD:
Max Payne
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Where to watch Max Payne in Streaming and VOD:
Doom Annihilation
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Where to watch Doom Annihilation in Streaming and VOD:
Prince of Persia The Sands of Time
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Where to watch Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in Streaming and VOD:
5. The best video games inspired by movies
We have for you the 10 best video games that were inspired by movies. We also have the best deals for the games for you.
6. The best TV series about video games
Here are the best TV series’ inspired by video games or shows that are inspired by video games that are currently available on VOD movie channels:
Cyberpunk Edgerunners
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Where to watch Cyberpunk Edgerunners in Streaming and VOD:
The Walking Dead
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Where to watch The Walking Dead in Streaming and VOD:
The Witcher
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Where to watch The Witcher in Streaming and VOD:
The Witcher Blood Origin
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Where to watch The Witcher Blood Origin in Streaming and VOD:
Arcane 2021 (Netflix)
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Where to watch Arcane 2021 in Streaming and VOD:
Halo
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Where to watch Halo in Streaming and VOD:
High Score
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Where to watch High Score in Streaming and VOD:
Not a Game
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Where to watch Not a Game in Streaming and VOD:
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
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Where to watch Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in Streaming and VOD:
Costume Quest
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Where to watch Costume Quest in Streaming and VOD:
Future Man
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Where to watch Future Man in Streaming and VOD:
7. The best upcoming TV series inspired by video games
We have for you the list of the most anticipated TV series inspired video games this year:
The Last of Us
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Where to watch The Last of US in Streaming and VOD:
Splinter Cell
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Where to watch Splinter Cell in Streaming and VOD
Tomb Raider (2023)
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Where to watch Tomb Raider in Streaming and VOD
Assassin’s Creed
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