BlogAllAlong » Disney

Toy Story 3 Video Game, Just How All Movie Games Should Be

Bashar — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:49:37 +0000

How many movie games are released each year? How many movie games have you tried in your life time? How many did you really like? The answer would be I bet very close to zero! Well I can say I added one to mine. The moment I saw Toy Story 3 video game trailer it felt like something different. Like something with a hope of enjoying it. Having gone through the story mode game now, the game really delivered the promise, setting an example of how video games should be made.

First of all, voice actors are all real not a replacement like many other Disney games I tried, this by it self tells you the company is taking the game seriously. Graphics was really great as well, and the game followed the real story to a very good extent, and added some extra fun levels as side stories that won’t really spoil the game, but rather add extra spice to it. Yes there were some critical scenes I thought should be included, like what happened to the bear. They made it look like he was no evil or anything, just a side character you pass by. Other characters were also missing, but nothing that spoiled the joy in my opinion.

What’s the best part for me was the multi-player mode. For the first time I’m really able to enjoy a game with my kid, playing together through the story mode, making our through the obstacles, helping each other, and most of the time, the lack of one player doesn’t hardly affect the other. You die, the other player resumes play until you respawn at next point. So this was for real a family + gaming time in one. I was kinda pushing him to play it over other games toward the end really :).

Is this because of the Avalanche Software? I never liked THQ games, but UP demo sounded a bit nice for kids.

Either way, I hope this isn’t an incidental success but a sign of better Pixar movie games to come. And why don’t other movie studios give such focus to their games? Have you ever heard of a good Harry Potter game? Yes Lego version was probably fun for kids, but that’s a lame shift after the successive failure the movie games have seen. I guess massive movie game failures have given them a bad reputation. It’s just something they have to get done, get quick cash from and leave.

NOTE: Zurg character is playable on PS3 version of the game.

Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides

Bashar — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:29:22 +0000

Finally, Jack Sparrow is gonna ride the seas to stranger tides! Just wonder why don’t they get Ron Gilbert to enhance the story, and win even more fans? Arrgh!

UP Blu-ray 4 Disc Combo Pack

Bashar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:31:07 +0000

The previously announced high-priced pre-order from Amazon for the PIXAR animation UP has now got a a lower price, and more details about the item contents. The new price guarantee now for pre-order is $31.99, and it comes as a set of 4 discs that includes a DVD copy, and a digital copy that you can play on your PC, Mac, or iPhone. One is ofcourse for the movie it self, and a fourth for the bonus materials, like several original ideas about Muntz’s end. Amazon page has all the details.

Sounds cool, and is a fair price now. Only bad thing is, it’s still two months to go!

UP Available for Pre-Order on Amazon

Bashar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:24:21 +0000

Knowing Disney however, I bet this will take sometime before it’s released. And hey, when are we going to get the previously promised PIXAR movies like Finding Nemo & Monsters on Blu-Ray?

Lucas Powering Monkey Island Inspired Movie

Bashar — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:17:27 +0000

Isn’t it funny how it all started? In the late 80′s, Ron Gilbert, creator of the legendary Monkey Island so-called best adventure game of all time, Ron started reading Tim Power’s On Stranger Tides, which inspired him about the game. Ron him self said it several times that Pirates of the Caribbean the ride also did inspire him. Even though he says that’s not totally true, the scene with the dog holding the key in his mouth can be seen in the original ride. At least, it must have had some positive impression on him.

1990 came the first Monkey Island game, followed by a bigger success one year later with Monkey Island 2: Lechuck’s Revenge. Years passed then, and Ron started his own career. 2003 brought a new taste from Disney films. A piracy taste. I still remember how I was waiting eagerly to go back to my PC from the cinema and check what people say about the Monkey Island movie. I was absolutely right, and only then I could rest down asleep. Last year, Ron him self talked about the Monkey Island movie (Dead Man’s Chest). He him self admired it as you can read, I totally agree. But the point is, now Disney are taking ideas from Ron. And now, as posted earlier about part 3, there is even a more clear evidence from the town of ship parts.

So is that all really bad? Well, I don’t think so. If they are using things as inspiration, they are adding their own theme, story and touch, this could only help things get better. As Steve Jobs used to quote Picasso for saying “Good artist copy, great artists steal!”. So Disney are good artists, not great yet. They would have been if they hired Ron for script writing the movie maybe.

Enough talking now, so what’s the really funny thing about it. The funny thing is that Lucasfilms Studios are hosting and powering the graphics rendering for the Pirates of the Caribbean (Monkey Island movie). So eventually, the two sides shake hands on the big project, and it’s team work at the end that will come to the big screen. Lucasfilms participated in Dead Man’s Chest as well. You can see from CNet a video from inside the Lucasfilm server studio farm.

Pixar Vs Disney

Bashar — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:56:55 +0000

Walt Disney have been for long the brand for children entertainment and animated movies. Companies used to clone whatever Disney does, but were always less fortunate. Over the past few years however, things have taken a different path. Every decade or two, with the evolution of new technologies, a company has to invest and risk to save it’s prosperity and survival. Walt Disney did not take that thing seriously as it seems. With the emerge of the 3D animations, new competitors started rising up as serious threat, and very quickly take on the top. While Walt Disney have been busy producing quick and low quality sequels to their big movies, along with short series as well that brought nothing but frustration for the fans, as they kept watching their character quality sinks lower and lower. Things became so much commercial there, and no more we can see a four year production movie like The Lion King. We saw Lion King 2, 1 & 1/2, Aladdin 2 and series, Little Mermaid 2 and series, as well as many others. But that was most about it.

On the contrary, Dreamworks have been working hard with a long term strategy plan, that resulted in Shrek. The story of an ugly ogre who managed to get into the hearts of people so quickly. They did come with a sequel, only 3 years later with better graphics, much better, and a movie that outperformed its former, taking on the third place of all time domestic income in the box office. Another runner was Pixar then. A company with leading technology, yet no market to accommodate it. Company was struggling to continue, until they managed to sign a joint agreement with Disney in 1991 to produce three movies. The terms were not on their side however. Disney’s condition was that, unless the first movie was a big hit, Pixar would get nothing more than ZERO out of the project. Toy Story however proved Disney was wrong. Six more films followed Toy Story, all were big hits. 15 years later, Disney found them selves struggling to reach an agreement with Pixar for contract renewal. Confused what to do, the famous Walt Disney had no choice but to acquire Pixar for $7.4 billion! Can you believe that. After being the leaders and only brand in the market, they signed with Pixar for BIG or nothing, and then they had to bow for them to keep the Disney Wheel running.

I was really sad because of this, and hope Pixar does not get lost in the merge. I read some news about a split in Pixar already, and some people left to start their own new technology. Don’t have much details though. But as for Pixar, Disney have already lined them up for Chicken Little sequel, so I have a feeling the same Disney spirit is going to affect their work too. There is a debate going on for Pixar Vs Disney right now at ConvinceMe.net, which is a real great new site for online debates. It’s fairly simple and easy to use, still not spoiled by spammers and lousy writers. What is interesting to know is that, according to IMDB reviews, half of Pixar movies had a rating of 8/10 or more, and overall average was 7.9. On the other side, latest big 3D film from Disney, Chicken Little got only 5.8! Lowest Pixar film was rated 7.3. Difference in numbers speak for them selves, and people started asking the question in public, who is better? For me, Disney can come third after Pixar and Dreamworks.

Anyhow, I came across this trailer today for RATATOUILLE, the story of a rat in Paris, who wants to live a luxurious life, and does not like to live the garbage food lying around. The film is coming from Pixar this summer, and seems very worthy to wait for. Hope you like it.

BlogAllAlong » Disney

Toy Story 3 Video Game, Just How All Movie Games Should Be

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