Al, Ian, and Tim dive into the $184 billion gaming industry versus Hollywood’s measly $42 billion box office, discovering that respect for source material apparently took 30 years to figure out.

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This episode covers why early 90s game adaptations were universally terrible, whether TV shows work better than movies for adaptations, and Tim’s inexplicable excitement for Battlefield 6 despite it being a obvious reskin. The discussion meanders through GoldenEye’s perfection, Spider-Man 2’s web-swinging physics, and Al’s controversial Uncharted movie defense before concluding that movies might become extinct because gamers have longer attention spans than expected. Audio quality remains questionable as three middle-aged men argue about Karl Urban’s casting choices while completely forgetting this was supposed to be about video games and movies.

Grumpy Old Gamer Podcast – Episode 2 Show Notes

Episode Title: Video Games and Movies
Hosts: Ian, Al, Tim
Episode Length: ~45 minutes

Episode Summary

In the second episode of the Grumpy Old Gamer podcast, the hosts examine the relationship between video games and movies, exploring the massive revenue differences between the industries, adaptation successes and failures, and why Hollywood is finally starting to respect gaming as a medium. The discussion covers everything from classic game-to-movie adaptations to the recent shift toward television series.

Key Topics Discussed

Shocking Revenue Differences: Video Games vs. Movies

• Gaming Industry Revenue (2023): $184 billion
• Box Office Revenue (2023): $42 billion
• The Surprise Factor: Most people would assume movies make more money
• Gaming’s Growth: From niche basement hobby to global entertainment giant
• Spending Patterns: Gamers buy $50-70 games multiple times per year vs. occasional $10-20 movie tickets

Why Video Games Outperform Movies

• Marketing Visibility: Movie trailers more prominent but show entire plot in 90 seconds
• Game Trailers vs. Movie Trailers: Games show glimpse of 12+ hour experiences vs. movies showing all best moments
• Franchise Loyalty: Gaming has consistent franchises (Call of Duty, Battlefield) while movies rely on reboots
• Interactivity Factor: Games offer immersion and participation vs. passive movie watching
• Personal Cinema Attendance: Hosts rarely attend theaters anymore

The Impact of Trailers: Movies vs. Games

• Superman Trailer: Recent James Gunn trailer didn’t stand out
• Battlefield 6 Trailer: Generated significant excitement and anticipation
• Trailer Problem: Movie trailers show all the best parts, leaving nothing for the actual viewing
• Franchise vs. Reboot: Gaming maintains ongoing franchises while movies constantly reboot

Iconic Game Adaptations: GoldenEye and Spider-Man

• GoldenEye (N64): Considered one of the best FPS games ever, successful movie-to-game adaptation
• Spider-Man 2 (Tobey Maguire): Great movie with exceptional game adaptation featuring realistic web-swinging mechanics
• Immersion Factor: Games make you feel like the character in ways movies cannot

From Games to Movies: Hits and Misses

Successes:

• Tomb Raider: Enjoyed for “two reasons” (Angelina Jolie)
• Mortal Kombat: Cheesy but memorable (“Your soul is mine”)
• The Last of Us: TV series praised for respecting source material
• Warcraft: Performed better internationally despite US box office failure

Notable Failures:

• Super Mario Bros (1993): Poor adaptation and poor movie
• Street Fighter (1994): Cash grab without respect for source material
• Borderlands: Recent disappointment
• Mixed Reception: Uncharted movie (one host enjoyed it despite general criticism)

Hollywood’s Approach to Game Adaptations

• Early 1990s Strategy: License popular game names, ignore source material
• “Coins in Their Eyes”: Studios saw built-in audiences as guaranteed profits
• No Respect for Fans: Assumed they could “do what the f*** we like”
• Kiss of Death Era: Early 2000s video game movies expected to be terrible
• Current Status: 50/50 success rate, some targeted at different demographics

The Evolution of Gaming and Movies

• Cultural Impact Gap: Avatar makes billions but has no lasting cultural significance
• Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay: Video game better than the source movie
• Gaming’s Advantage: 20-30 hour storytelling vs. 2-hour movie constraints

The Shift to TV Adaptations

• Format Advantages: TV series can match gaming’s extended storytelling (10-hour series vs. 10+ hour games)
• Recent Success: The Last of Us and Fallout TV series
• Production Design: Fallout series looked like “3D printed assets” from the game
• World Building: TV format allows proper development of game worlds
• Future Prediction: More game adaptations moving to TV format

Respecting Source Material

• 30-Year Learning Curve: Hollywood took from 1993-2023 to understand gaming’s importance
• Power Shift: Gaming no longer junior partner to Hollywood
• $180 Billion Audience: Gamers spend massive amounts and demand respect
• Fan Expectations: Gamers live in these worlds, not casual entertainment consumers
• Community Investment: MMO players (Eve Online example) invest years of their lives
• Long Memory: Gaming community remembers and punishes disrespectful adaptations

The Future of Movies and Games

• Production Costs: Top games cost $240-265 million (similar to major movies)
• Revenue Disparity: Same investment, vastly different returns
• Generational Shift: Future generations may skip cinemas entirely
• Cultural Significance: Movies retain perceived higher cultural status despite financial reality
• Attention Span Debate: Hosts disagree whether shorter attention spans drive change
• Ultimate Prediction: Movies may eventually cease to exist as entertainment form

Notable Quotes

• “Gaming is worth four times annually in terms of income than what movies are”
• “Fortnite isn’t really a game, it’s a storefront for selling skins” (callback to Episode 1)
• “Your soul is mine” – memorable Mortal Kombat movie line
• “Gaming is no longer the daddy and the gaming world being the junior partner”
• “You can’t f*** about with gamers. You just can’t do it because this is their life”
• “Money makes the world go around”

Memorable Moments

• The $184 vs $42 Billion Revelation: Shock at the massive revenue difference
• GoldenEye N64 Nostalgia: Discussion of one of gaming’s greatest movie adaptations
• Spider-Man Web-Swinging: Remembering the revolutionary mechanics in Spider-Man 2
• Super Mario Bros Movie Roasting: Unanimous agreement it was terrible
• Eve Online 12-Year Investment: Personal anecdote about gaming community dedication
• Carl Urban as Johnny Cage: Excitement for upcoming Mortal Kombat casting

Future Episode Teases

• Warhammer 40K: Amazon and Games Workshop collaboration with Henry Cavill
• Star Wars vs. Star Trek: Promised future debate
• Comic Book Movies: Learning to respect source material

Technical Notes

• Game Development Costs: Red Dead Redemption ($240M), Call of Duty MW2 ($250M), GTA 5 ($265M)
• Movie Production Costs: Avengers Endgame ($356M), Avatar (similar range)
• Gaming Revenue Growth: From niche hobby to $184 billion industry
• TV Format Success: 10+ hour series matching game narrative length

Contact & Links

Listen: Spotify | Apple | Amazon | YouTube
Follow / Community: Discord | Twitch | Steam | Curator | Facebook | Twitter | Bluesky | Instagram | Threads
Contact: Website | grumpyoldgamer[at]gog.fm

Episode Verdict

The hosts conclude that while gaming has financially overtaken movies, Hollywood is slowly learning to respect source material. The future likely belongs to television adaptations of games rather than movies, as TV format better matches gaming’s extended storytelling capabilities. The industry power dynamic has fundamentally shifted, with gaming now the dominant entertainment medium.

This was the second episode of the Grumpy Old Gamer podcast. The hosts encourage community engagement and welcome both agreement and disagreement from listeners across all their platforms.