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Drug runner vs. Superhero

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Drug runner vs. Superhero

...and the drug runner is winning.

What do you think about this? In only a week, Grand Theft Auto IV has made over $500 million dollars... beating their forecast by $100 million. Its almost been a week for this summer's superhero Iron Man, and that movie's made a fraction of that... $109 million to date.

Wow. A videogame just kicked the s#*! out of a feature film.

Is this a statement to the status of the videogame industry vs. the film industry? I know we've had this discussion before but... I mean... you can't ignore those numbers...

cartoonchaos's picture
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The numbers are misleading, because the unit cost of a video game is.......what, $60? What's a ticket to a movie going for these days? About $12?

$500 million is five times $100 million--what is 12 into 60 again?
Seems like the SAME numbers of actual people partook in both items, which is the more important number to look at in this, not the final dollar count.

The cost disparity between the game and the film mean the comparisons are flawed until the numbers of consumers are taken into account. If both cost the same, then one could say the game kicked the shit out of the movie, but that is not actually the case.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

The fact that any great number of people would spend their time and money on either of those instances of big-budget flashy entertainment bodes ill for the social and cultural development of Western civilization - but, it does bear mentioning that, whereas the game provides perhaps several dozen hours of "entertainment," compared to the two-ish of the movie, the final gross of each (which is just another form of expressing the price differential) is further rendered a non-issue.

I wouldn't be surprised if roughly the same demographics were responsible for the majority of the gross of both products. As far as "statements about the industries," I think that the fairly clear picture being presented is that video games have (partly as a result of eschewing any of their early charm, innovation or requisite intelligence, i.e. adventures, grand strategy, dialogue-heavy RPGs, etc.) basically caught-up to the mind-numbing mass-media juggernaut that is the film industry in terms of general appeal. But, whereas the financial statements of each industry are public information, this is not a new conclusion - it is established in industry records. In fact, many published figures support the proposition that whereas console-based videogames are inherently more difficult to pirate, copy, trade and play than are films (which at present have no server-based DRM protection except in a few special circumstances, unlike Xbox's protection that neutralizes accounts of piraters) the games industry will fare better than the film industry throughout the aborning global recession. I think it has something to do with kids' whining for the things, too, though.

There is, however, another statement being made that is far more deserving of attention - and one that is perhaps hinted at in your message title and initial line: that of a society grossly and openly infatuated with violence, crime and immorality. I don't regard the film as being much improved over the game in that regard, as the function of superheroes is to inflict violence upon the supposedly criminal and immoral; the attributes are just as intense and focal, and the violence is still being vicariously exercised by the audience through the main character. The audience is still enthralled by the spectacle of an avenging crusader - a lone judge and executioner, dictating his or her own principles, through physical coercion, to the rest of the world, in the spirit of imperialism. Both (most of) the game(s) and (most) film(s) are just examples of a culture of violence and judgement. How can one form of unaccountable self-righteousness, where the world revolves around the whims and powers of a single individual, be a better example than any other - when every problem of our age, and every solution to those problems, is social in nature?

But that statement, its rationale and its logical conclusions are obviously not going to be popular either here or in the entertainment industry, and for all the difference it makes to have typed them here, I may as well not have made the effort at all.

Also, I hear that the driving controls suck in GTA IV.

The fact that any great number of people would spend their time and money on either of those instances of big-budget flashy entertainment bodes ill for the social and cultural development of Western civilization

There is, however, another statement being made that is far more deserving of attention - and one that is perhaps hinted at in your message title and initial line: that of a society grossly and openly infatuated with violence, crime and immorality.

Since when have any of the stories in human culture(from before the time of Aristotle or Plato to today) ever varied from this?
Even those stories that are considered great literature are steeped in those attributes.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

Plus, people are fascinated by what they cannot have or do in their own lives. Most people live ordinary lives without committing crime and violence themselves. However, what if you were a drug runner? The possibilities tickle the imagination, and hence the popularity of game playing and obsession with violence. Passively watching is far less involving, even with the best character actors on the planet. In a game, you are the actor and the audience all at once. If the game also gives you the possibility to explore this imaginary world (as in GTA4), that is even better.

Of course, sometimes, you just want to relax and watch a movie, and not play a game. So, games will not replace movies any time soon, in my opinion.

There is, however, another statement being made that is far more deserving of attention - and one that is perhaps hinted at in your message title and initial line: that of a society grossly and openly infatuated with violence, crime and immorality.

I guess you've never read Shakespeare or the Bible?

I guess you've never read Shakespeare or the Bible?

There are all of those things in all of those literary works, openly and implied.

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

There are all of those things in all of those literary works, openly and implied.

Exactly. There's nothing particularly unique about our "society." The Bible has more murders, genocide, and rape than any video game that religious nut Jack Thompson ever thought about banning.

And I'd give the body count to Hamlet over Iron Man, certainly in terms of depicted violence.

There is, however, another statement being made that is far more deserving of attention - and one that is perhaps hinted at in your message title and initial line: that of a society grossly and openly infatuated with violence, crime and immorality. I don't regard the film as being much improved over the game in that regard, as the function of superheroes is to inflict violence upon the supposedly criminal and immoral; the attributes are just as intense and focal, and the violence is still being vicariously exercised by the audience through the main character. The audience is still enthralled by the spectacle of an avenging crusader - a lone judge and executioner, dictating his or her own principles, through physical coercion, to the rest of the world, in the spirit of imperialism. Both (most of) the game(s) and (most) film(s) are just examples of a culture of violence and judgement. How can one form of unaccountable self-righteousness, where the world revolves around the whims and powers of a single individual, be a better example than any other - when every problem of our age, and every solution to those problems, is social in nature?

Just wondering, have you seen the movie Iron Man or played GTA yet?

Aloha,
the Ape

...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."

I was wondering the same, judging from the inflated statements of this scribbler.

The numbers are misleading, because the unit cost of a video game is.......what, $60? What's a ticket to a movie going for these days? About $12?

$500 million is five times $100 million--what is 12 into 60 again?
Seems like the SAME numbers of actual people partook in both items, which is the more important number to look at in this, not the final dollar count.

The cost disparity between the game and the film mean the comparisons are flawed until the numbers of consumers are taken into account. If both cost the same, then one could say the game kicked the shit out of the movie, but that is not actually the case.

Okay... lets look at that. The same number of people that went to go see Iron Man bought a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV.

I'm sorry, that's still impressive. Crazy impressive. Shit kicking impressive.

I'm even more impressed with the cost to create the properties and the returns they're getting. How much did it cost to create that game and distribute it? About $100 million (yeah! can you believe that?) How much did it cost to create that Iron Man movie and distribute it? About $140 million, not to mention that huge $70 million marketing campaign.

Wow...

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Won’t those same people go out and buy the DVD when it comes out? Plus there will be all the merchandising. DVDs have a longer shelf life as well, while GTA will be discarded for the next shiny new game in under a year – GoWII for example. Gears is much more fun in any case.

Won’t those same people go out and buy the DVD when it comes out? Plus there will be all the merchandising. DVDs have a longer shelf life as well, while GTA will be discarded for the next shiny new game in under a year – GoWII for example. Gears is much more fun in any case.

Yeah I know.

Even when the movie leaves theaters, it's got a second life on DVD where folks can get a better experience in the privacy of their own home with their flat screens and home theater speakers.

Folks spend $500 million dollars on a game that they'll either put away to collect dust or re-sell at a yard sale, just to spend probably another $500 million on the next big thing.

Isn't the entertainment industry awesome? :D

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Ironman will forever live in my memories of 25 cent comic books.

If it's anything like Xmen, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Spiderman, Batman or even the Superman movies it can't compare to the comic memories.

The only film of this sort that I've enjoyed recently was Ghost Rider. Don't ask me why but it caught my fancy. But then I don't know that it ever was a comic, but it has that feel.

I play computer games but Grand Theft Auto isn't on my list. Not into shooter and fighter stuff. Grim Fandango is the last one I've really spent any time on.

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

Ironman will forever live in my memories of 25 cent comic books.

If it's anything like Xmen, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Spiderman, Batman or even the Superman movies it can't compare to the comic memories.

The only film of this sort that I've enjoyed recently was Ghost Rider. Don't ask me why but it caught my fancy. But then I don't know that it ever was a comic, but it has that feel.

I wasn't deep into Iron Man comics, but I read them enough to know the basics of the story. I thought the movie caught them very well.

I'm with you on Ghost Rider. It didn't do well, but I found it a fun watch. It did start out as a comic book.

I'm with you on Ghost Rider. It didn't do well, but I found it a fun watch. It did start out as a comic book.

Never saw the comic, but I did enjoy the film in fact I've watched it couple of times. And each time I got into it.

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

How can one form of unaccountable self-righteousness, where the world revolves around the whims and powers of a single individual, be a better example than any other - when every problem of our age, and every solution to those problems, is social in nature?

Isn't this what all the reality shows are about? Isn't this why our kids are measuring each other? Isn't this why all the kids come here and ask what every job pays, before they consider going into a particular field of work. Few ever ask other questions. Most just want to know how much they can earn.

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.