By Stevie Smith Dec 19, 2007, 8:14 GMT
Seemingly not content with producing some of the world’s most videogame-friendly movie franchises, Hollywood bigwig Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean, Top Gun, Black Hawk Down) has joined forces with MTV to launch a brand new videogame development studio.
Movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer preparing to helm new videogame development studio. Credit: MovieWeb.
Bruckheimer, who is also producing the Hollywood adaptation of Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, aims to continue his career of conquering content genres that others would perhaps shy away from.
Speaking in a Reuters interview, Bruckheimer revealed that approaching the videogame market is "no different than what we did with movies." He elaborated on that point by explaining that the likes of Top Gun and Pirates of the Caribbean were huge hits although it was largely believed (at the time of their creation) that any and all aviation films failed and pirate movies simply didn't work.
"We approach gaming the same way," says Bruckheimer. "We see things a little differently, that maybe other people wouldn’t see."
MTV Networks’ Music and Logo Group president, Van Toffler, has outlined that the deal will see Bruckheimer’s new venture focused on developing new ways to beat back barriers in interactive storytelling through the Internet, computer, and videogame systems. MTV has set aside some $500 million USD to invest in the $30 billion USD videogame market through ventures such as this one.
Van Toffler has also said that MTV is hoping some of Bruckheimer’s emergent gaming properties and characters will eventually make the jump from videogame to TV and film.
In terms of assessing his 35-year resume and production credentials ahead of him accepting the reins of a videogame studio, Bruckheimer certainly knows how to deliver action to the movie-going masses. Popular action films with his name attached include King Arthur, The Rock, Con Air, Armageddon, Days of Thunder, Bad Boys, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, and Beverly Hills Cop.
However, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee success in the gaming arena, with both John Woo and the Wachowski brothers failing to create breakthrough videogames with John Woo presents Stranglehold and The Matrix series.
Your Talkback on this Story