Why do game devs and filmakers always feel the need to butcher original material?

[Tigranes]

HK doesn't seem to be addressing posters in this thread or the arguments in this thread, which is why I'm a bit peevish. In general, who's arguing against new or different interpretations? Or Disney?

 

I never said that. It's just that people spend way more time whining about the mere existence of a new version of a story then they do explaining why the original version (or rather, the version they hold up as the One True version of the story) is important.

 

Yes, I agree...?

 

GAME OVER.

 

One day I want to see you as a mod somewhere, just so you can close with this.

[Rosbjerg]

But myths are highly susceptible to distortion. Some people will go away from plaing RotA believing its distorted myths to be the real thing, and they will in turn influence other people. Add a bunch of incorrect films and games down the line and in a hundred years the distorted versions will be considered the real thing. Sure, the books and documents holding the correct story will still be there, but in the mind of the public, Jason was an elf who defeated the evil wizard Zorbglargh using his magical rainbow-laser nunchucks.

 

Or not.

 

 

But its still extremely annoying when idiots take a piss at mythology that would make kickass games right off the bat.

 

But that's exactly what happened with the myths you are holding in such high regard - they were hip and modern intepretations when they were written down and quite different from their original form. Because they needed to fit the actual time they were told in.

 

I'm sure someone will defend the story of "Jason and the laser nunchucks" as a more original story one day..

 

It's a shame not to reinvent stories and myths, we should keep the original ones, but old stories are an excellent source of material for modern stories. I hate to quote the film, but the Leonardo DiCaprio film "Romeo + Juliet" is a great example of how you can take an old story, maintain most of the original dialouge and put it in a modern setting to great effect. Games could do the same and while RoTA is not a good example I have absolutely no problem with them trying, I find it refreshing compared to most of the bread and butter stuff that comes out these days.

[Hell Kitty]

HK doesn't seem to be addressing posters in this thread or the arguments in this thread

 

I'm arguing against the general idea that a new version of a story "ruins" the original (or and older) version. "OMG this RPG ruins Greek Mythology!!!" is really no different than "OMG this American horror movie ruins the Japanese original!!!". It's people being precious about their own favourite version of a fictional story, with the version they prefer being RIGHT and anything different being WRONG.

 

In general, who's arguing against new or different interpretations?

 

Er, that's what this thread is about. That a new version of a story (an CRPG) has "butchered" an older version of a story (Greek Mythology).

 

Both you and Wals have claimed that yes, this new version of the story (Rise of the Argonauts) damages the old version (Greek mythology), but so far only Wals has given a reason, that being damage by association. Which I think is wrong, because if one dismisses an original product because of an inferior copy without having experienced the original, that's their own failing, not a failing of the copy. And of course if you are going to use the argument that the new version might turn people off the old version, you can't ignore all those who develop an interest in the old version after experiencing the new. For example, how many kids in the 80s went down to the local library to look up Greek mythology after watching Clash of the Titans for the first time?

 

Or Disney?

 

Kaftan was the one that brought up Disney, but I was simply carrying on from those discussing fairy tales. Disneys versions are probably far more well known than the stories than inspired them, and it's possible that one day those versions may be forgotten, they haven't been "damaged" or "ruined" or "butchered". As long as whatever version of the story you prefer exists to be experienced, it cannot be ruined.

Edited January 5, 2009 by Hell Kitty

[Gorgon]

Hercules and Xena are 'awesome'

 

 

...

 

 

 

You learn something new every day.

[Morgoth]

http://users.livejournal.com/_dva_/24239.html

 

Lorne Lanning (Oddworld fame) just nailed it down.

 

Beyond having an extremely strong work ethic, beyond looking at and studying all the games that you can learn from, beyond being educated and brilliant in programming, design, computer animation, writing, whichever is your skill set, you need to look at and study the life outside of games that is all around you. The best ideas will not come from other games. The best ideas will come from areas that have nothing to do with games. They will come from other areas, art forms and sciences like sociology, agriculture, philosophy, zoology, or psychology. The more you fi nd inspirational sources that come from areas beyond the spectrum of your intended medium, the more unique your creations will feel to others.

 

Won't stop developers to release more WoW and GoW clones though.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Lorne needs to shut up with all the philosophizing and make another game already.

[Morgoth]

Lorne needs to shut up with all the philosophizing and make another game already.

He's working on a game and a motion picture, apparently. Not much info, but some artworks on Citizen Siege.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Yeah, I know, and I think there's a new Oddworld game in the works too, but it sounds like it'll still take years. Meanwhile I've got nothing to play.

 

Edit: Thanks for the artwork btw, haven't seen that before, looks very cool.

Edited January 5, 2009 by Wrath of Dagon