Uncharted Film Director Feels Games Aren't Emotional

Uncharted the film has already been having a tough time pleasing fans, now the Director David O' Russell adds more fuel to his own fire.

"You guys are playing the game, and it’s about playing the game. It’s not about a narrative embracing you emotionally."

[theunleashed64]

hey! about doing me a favor and everyone else if you just change the name of the characters in the movie and the name of uncharted to something else that be great.

[lociefer]

n4g members feel uncharted film director dosent play games or gets them

[LORD-PHOENIX]

yet i bet he messes up the film.

he needs to go and play heavy rain

[BakedGoods]

I'm a big fan of the director, but Uncharted is literally 'uncharted' territory for him.

If you're not going to make a movie faithful to the series (fans and Naughty Dog included), then skip it.

[captain-obvious]

this movie is going to flop hard

[PlayerX]

Lol Like n4g matters.

[shadow2797]

Now he's just being stupid.

I could just as easily say that when you're watching a movie, you're just watching everything happen. You're not experiencing the events of the narrative from the first person, but from the third person. You have no control.

What Mr. Russell fails to understand is that videogames have the potential to be a storytelling medium far beyond any medium before it. In a lot of ways, the player becomes the character. The player becomes vested in the story and events, because in a way, it's actually happening to them.

We haven't quite pushed past the movie barrier yet, but one day videogames will be the best way to experience a story, no contest.

Oh, and arrogant much?:

"I personally think it’s really cool when you [...] get someone such as myself to make this picture. You can be guaranteed that it’s going to be real, it’s going to be raw, it’s going to be intense, it’s going to be original, and it’s going to be propulsive."

[Soldierone]

The more i hear from him, the more sad I get. This could of been such a great film and he is ruining it before it even gets out.

first he thinks there is a family in this game then he says this. no wonder kojima doesnt want hollywood touching MGS.

[hay]

I believe Mr Russel told us more about himself that he intented. It's obvious he doesn't know much about games, also it appears that he doesn't know the game at all, that's why film won't be faithful to the original but will end as an... "interpretation" of the action/adventure cinema respecting names, not the game itself.

[Reibooi]

I'm really sick of these retarded hollywood directors who make statements about gaming and gamers without having ever played a game in recent times. Just because you played Frogger or Pac Man back in the day doesn't mean you have a opinion on gaming today.

Gaming not emotional? Really? My ass. I have been saddened by many a game. Shadow of the Colossus moved me more then any movie as did Xenosaga Episode III. I cried my eyes out during the ending of Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core despite KNOWING before hand how it ended. Gaming is full with emotion. And for those who say that when someone says there is no emotion in gaming they are referring to game play and not cut scenes they are still wrong.

Again Crisis Core is a perfect example. In the last portion of the game you play Zack in a battle against 1000's of soldiers you cannot win and you will often hear of many people who refused to stop fighting because they knew what was coming. That's emotion DURING game play. It's not as common in gaming but it does happen.

As for Uncharted 2 it's a emotional roller coaster. You laugh at Drake when he is funny you feel for him when he is hurt and you really feel for Elena by the end when you are unsure of her fate after what happens. It was JUST as emotional if not more so then any movie with the same type of premise.(basically better then any adventure movie in recent memory)

[CrIpPeN]

Final Fantasy VII, IX and X are emotional rides.

I think it is terrible saying that games are not emotional.

maybe he have seen to much footage of shooters.

[ShinFuYux]

Excuse, does anyone know if there's a petition I can sign that says I wont watch this movie unless the director and story is changed. You see, when someone who says he's really not into video gaming his main idea about story should be "really intense family dynamics on a global stage" is utter bull.

Someone, PLEASE, PLEASE make a petition and so we can sign it and send it to sony and show them that their fanbase is WEEPING, CRYING with agony seeing how this franchise is going to be ruined.

[-Alpha]

Petitions wont work. Just ignore the damn movies. If you think this will suck wait until Shadow of the Colossus' movie :|

[PixlSheX]

True! I just finished Shadow of the Colossus last night and the ending was sooo sad. Games hardly make me cry, but this game had me crying like a little girl. Other than MGS4, FFX and this i can't think of any.

[Jio]

He obviously hasnt played many games

[Cajun Chicken]

This man hasn't even looked at the back of Uncharted's box.

[life doomer]

that doesn't explain how I almost cried at the end of metal gear solid 4, and I rarely get emotional for anything.

[SSKILLZ]

I'm with you bro, MGS4 ending = T_T

[-Alpha]

Games offer something movies can't: interactivity.

When done right, it allows players to get personally attached to characters' fates and stories in a way unique to the industry itself.

When I invested a good 2-3 weeks beating Shadow of the Colossus the character and story stayed with me throughout the game and well after.

Games don't primarily aim to draw emotion. There is diversity in games, like in movies, that are meant to play on many other factors: fun, happiness, enjoyment, social interactivity, competitiveness, sadness, fear, etc. These all invoke emotion.

A well told story in a game can and has been done and they've done it in unique ways that can't be mimicked without the use of a controller.

[SMW]

Someone obviously hasn't played Heavy Rain eh....

[fourtwenty2009]

David O Russell: READ MY LIPS: I don't trust you.

Everyone else: Boycott this film. Play the games as they were intended.

The best way to voice your opinion is with your wallet. Make this movie a flop.

[Sarobi]

And with that said, no one will see your movie. lol

[SuicideShaun]

I agree somewhat. But he should just make the movie emotional and stop bitching about the game not being emotional. It doesn't need to be if we are killing things!

[NJShadow]

Hey David O' Russell, you suck!

[RedPawn]

Crisis Core would smack poo poo out your jawbone, and btw after any Mathew McConaughey I feel cheated of life, money, and dignity except Reign of Fire.

[radphil]

"Uncharted Film Director Feels Games Aren't Emotional"

Tell that to the people that went through Aerith's death in FF7 first time around, or the microwave scene in MGS4, or near the end of HL:EP2(won't spoil that one), or some of the scenes and stories in Lost Odyssey.

Edit: I really think there's some sort of bot going around, cause I just posted this, and not even a min later i got a disagree. :p

[bjh089]

naw games have plenty of emotion to em jus as much as movies do

[the_kutaragi_baka]

this guy is crazy...

the ending of MGS4 put me to tears.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

and the death of galuf of Final fantasy 5 :(

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[GSpartan777]

I disagree. I cried every time toad told me that the princess was at another castle or when I shoot someone in black ops and they don't die because I was never aiming at them due to lag. Obviously games are emotional, this guy knows nothing.

[gman_297]

Do you ever stop being utterly hilarious and awesome?

[Lionalliance]

Dead Island Trailer wants to speak with you....

[Kakihara]

Can you imagine a director of an adaptation from any other medium talking like this??

'Yeah, I didn't actually read the Lord of the rings. I'm just not into books but hey, my son read it and I sort of glanced at it over his shoulder so I'm sure I'll be able to make a pretty cool adaptation'

[DFresh]

Yet this asshole is going to be directing a movie to one of the greatest video game series of all time.
(Face Palm.)

People like this are the reason video games will never be successful on the big screen.

Reasons:

1.) You got directors/actors who don't even play the games to the product that their making.

2.) Disrespect video games and don't take it seriously.

3.) Don't follow the original story, characters, or dialogue.

4.) The original game creators aren't overseeing their creations being made into a movie.

5.) Live action video games movies always suck.
(I like the CG style for video game movies like Resident Evil: Degeneration and FFVII: Advent Children.)

6.) Original voice actors aren't present in the films.

etc.

Hell if these people would just play the fucking games they are directing they would realize they have everything in front of them to make their game movies already.
(Everything is already in place before you all you have to do is take everything from the game and just put it on the big screen. That's it. Your job would be so much easier.)

Just so many things wrong with this picture.

At this point I don't want video games turning into something for the big screen because if your not gonna take it seriously don't fucking bother.
(Guess who will be the people watching these films. The fans of those series. Fans like me will buy the movies, t-shirts, and the hats.)

T_T

Seriously it's ridiculous.
(This same things I mention above apply to all video games turning into movies by the way.)

[Scotty056]

So there was no feeling for the end of Red Dead? Infamous? How about a few points in Killzone 2?

[BlackBriar]

Russell please take Marky Mark far far away from this movie! Please!!

[MightyMatt101]

I say all us N4G members get together and kill him. Then we can all have a yummy BBQ afterward like nothing ever happened :)
I'll bring the soda's and shotgun... Just let me know when we can kick this party off :)

[smashman98]

the quote in the headline is taken way out of context i for one want to see if a movie based on a video game can finally win an award

[gman_297]

Me: Hey, mom, I'm going out to kill David O' Russell (and Marky Mark if he fucks up another game-based movie)!

Mom: All by yourself?

Me: Nah, of course not. I have several million other Uncharted fans coming along, too!

Mom: Oh, well have fun! Oh, and we need dinner tonight, so bring his body home and put it in the fridge if it isn't too messy.

[turgore]

3 words: METAL GEAR SOLID.

[floetry101]

I honestly cannot wait, CANNOT WAIT, until this community sees how good the film turns out. Russell is one of the best directors in this current generation of filmmakers. There was NO BETTER CHOICE for this film.

[gorebago]

The video on youtube of lily tomlin freaking out on him is epic. I heart huckabees 8)

[ZombieAssassin]

I have to agree that he is a great director, but as far as keeping true to the game I doubt he'll even try. That said it could still be a great movie but I think most would prefer they just call it something else.

[floetry101]

@zombie, A fair assessment. If I had a preference, I wouldn't want it to be made into a film, period. It's evident that David O. Russell is making changes to the concept, you can take that either way with game adaptations, but I have full confidence in whatever Russell produces. I think in making Uncharted into a film, changes were neccessary to seperate it from the game franchise. Where this differs from Silent Hill or the Resident Evil films, is the fact that a true visionary is behind it. He might tweak it, yes, but it's for the best I think.

[gorebago]

Dude obviously hasn't played dead space 2 and enjoyed it's needle in the eye scene.

[ultramoot]

From the top of my head, I can name a few that I've found to be quite touching -

Prince of Persia trilogy (So many to choose from)
Warcraft 3: RoC (The final scenes from the Human Campaign)
Call of Duty 4 (Middle & End of campaign scenes)
Dragon Age Origins (Human Warrior/Rogue storyline)
.......plus a lot more that I can't quite recall right now.

[Shadowstar]

Is this an old quote? I thought they said that the whole "family dynamics" weirdness was a misquote, but there he is saying it again...

Anyways, I'm not sure Uncharted is really the best example of an emotional game. It's a lot of fun, gets the adrenaline pumping, all that, but really... it's emotional like the good Indiana Jones movies were emotional. There's some stuff there, but the real point is a great action movie with some archeological mystery.

[bwazy]

Games arn't emotional?

Fuck.

I cried at the end of Chrono Trigger, I cried when Aerith died in FFVII, and I sure as HELL felt a HUGE amount of emotion throughout the Uncharted series... I don't know why the game is even featured on the cover, its bloody brilliant.

[Pozzle]

Well, here's undeniable proof that he hasn't played the Uncharted games. If he had, he wouldn't make such shitty statements.

[VenomProject]

I've got two words for that director...

Jack.

Ass.

[Jamaicangmr]

Sony Uncharted is one of my favourate games franchise. I am truly excited about an Uncharted Movie however Sony please don't let this idiot direct it.

Please fire him before he goes ahead and makes a mess of one of the most cinimatic video game franchises in history.

PLEASE SONY, I BEG OF YOU.

[Inception]

Wow, what a nice blunder O'Russell. You made a movie from a video game, but you're bashing that video game not emotional. What a way to cut your potential viewer (fans of Uncharted) and what a way to make your movie flop...hard!

[LoneWanderer09]

He just needs an excuse to protect him self for F'n up a great game with a future horrible movie

[rocky047586]

You guys are all cool for voicing your opinion, just as he had the right to do so for himself. But with that being said, I trust the guy to make a great film out of the franchise. Also, I have to say that you guys keep on saying "yeah video games have meaning, they have emotion." yet not ONE of you have named moments IN GAME that has made you feel emotion for the character, only cutscenes, which are...MOVIES right?

Just let the guy make his movie and we'll see how it turns out? You guys really wanna just see a rehash of the video games' story? Really? There's so much more you can do with this franchise because it's so broad and diverse enough to be able to take it in any direction to be honest. Just like the novel and the comic book that is coming soon, they have NOTHING to do with the games, so you're going to be mad at those as well?

[P_Bomb]

Then you're not paying attention. I'll say it again for the people that already said it. MGS4 microwave scene. That's gameplay, he doesn't move if you don't.

Same with the brutal melee end of GOW3 where you can pound on Zeus forever until the screen is pure red with his blood and you feel catharsis. Or how you feel like a predator slowly stalking a legless Hermes. Or in GOW Chains of Olympus where you have to push Calliope away forever as she clings to Kratos and keeps coming back, you really feel the heartbreak there.

Or the desperation/responsibility/sad ness you feel in countless games where you do wounded escorts from Prince of Persia '08, Uncharted 2 and various Silent Hills to having to steal back the corpses of Ezio's dead family in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Carrying your dead father and brothers was a pretty heavy flashback.

Trying to cut off a limb in Heavy Rain and flubbing it with certain tools only to have to keep hacking at the bone, that was cringe inducing. O'Russell is preaching about fixing something that isn't broken. He mentions failed game movies but fails to see how far most of those deviated from the source material themselves, like Max Payne. He's repeating the same mistakes and with the same actor(s) no less.

[rocky047586]

I actually agree with you and I never said that no games can be emotional within the gameplay. But a LOT of people do NOT feel the same things for the games that you mentioned though, some people just play games to escape their own world or to pass up time. I certainly can see where Mr Russell is coming from when he says it in generalities that's for sure.

Again, I think in this case the characters of Uncharted are its' greatest assets, not the story. It is an entire universe and within that, you can have multiple mediums tell a whole other story from what we've seen already and that'd be okay because we don't know much about Nathan Drake anyway.

With that, there's so many adventures that this guy and his friends(and now family)can go on because of how the universe is set up, there should be plenty of leeway for David Russell to do what he wants with the story, it's the CHARACTERs he needs to get right!

[Inception]

@rocky047586
You want us to list emotional moment IN GAME? ok here's one of my emotional moment (sorry, can't list them all cause it's tooooo much):

- When i killed one collossus after collossus in Shadow of the Collossus, i felt pity and sad in the same time
- When i drag Yorda hands all the way in that big castle. I felt that i must protect her no matter what happens
- Every boss battle in MGS series, specially with The Boss and LiquidOcelot
- When i explored The Mansion in Resident Evil 1, I felt creepy and always alert for something that i don't know and might kill me

Yeah, that's four of my emotional moment, IN GAME, when i played video game. So what's yours rocky? do you have any??????

edit
@Pbomb
definitely agree with you bro. well said and bubbles up ^^

[rocky047586]

Of course I have some, I'm not going to list them because I'm tired. Again, I never said that there aren't ANY emotional moments in gameplay, it's just that it's not a natural thing to have in games, there's not A LOT of games that actually have these cinematic approaches like the ones you named and that other guy as well. Also again, A LOT of other people don't get emotionally invested in their games, even the ones that you mentioned. I know a person that LOVED MGS4, but he didn't give a damn about Snake or anything of the sort.

I can almost guarantee that all of the naysayers of this film will be eating crow when they finally see even the preview of the movie, let alone the actual movie itself. David Russell isn't some hack job that is just trying to cash in on the success of the game, he cares about writing powerful stories and great characters and that's what he'll do with this.

Uncharted has a great character set already, and if someone is consulting him on how the characters are supposed to be then he'll nail it for sure no matter what story he has them in.

[Mr Tretton]

I guarentee you this guy hasn't played anything but Wii Fit. Doesn't seem like someone that knows anything about games. Doubt he knew shit about Uncharted before he was given the offer.

[rocky047586]

I'm almost sure that he has at least seen the games and the characters, read about the story, etc., he doesn't have to play the game in order to make the film to be honest. All he has to do is stay true to the CHARACTERS and he'll do just fine.

That's the only thing I'm really worried about, I'm not worried about what kind of story he has them set up in, I'm just worried about if he captures Nathan Drake and company the way that they are in the game series. The story doesn't have to go with the games at all to be great, as long as it's a great story I wouldn't mind if that's all he changed.

[Tyre]

Russel needs to see Gore Verbinski's speech during DICE 2 years ago...he explains the potential of games and knows exactly what the problems is with Hollywood...too bad he couldn't make Bioshock the movie : ( the speech is still on XBL i think...gamers need to check it out it's a brillant speech......Russel is using Uncharted for the wrong purpasses...Uncharted isn't like that..and do not force it into the movie based on Uncharted...plz let someone else make the Uncharted movie or don't do it at all.

[gypsygib]

He's right if you equate "emotional" with sadness but I've been made very happy by games and have developed emotional attachments to many game characters. Master Chief and Solid snake are like old friends, even Sam Fisher is a f'ing cool bad ass. Don't get me started on Kratos, he's one of the best characters ever.

I used to really like Marcus Phoenix and the Gears gang until Cliffy B's maturity level mysteriously dropped from a guy in his 20s to that of a 10 year old and ruined them in Gears 2.

[nskrishna2]

Games can't be emotional?
He obviously hasn't played MGS, Dragon Age: Origins in the part where the attack of the dark spwan starts (that sence reminds me of the President's speech from Independence Day) and then FF7..one of the most shocking moments in gaming history..
My adivce to the director would be to play a few games

[Psycho_Mantis]

Clearly this guy talks out of his ass. Metal gear solid games? Hello?! They made me laugh, cry, and by the end of MGS4 my heart felt nouthing but sadness. A game has never done anything to me like that befor. Hell look at RDR ending, i wont spoil anything here but damn...it was one of the greatest endings i ever saw.

[AlienFodder]

And this is why people like him should completely stay away from video-game-to-movie adaptations. This is going to fail so miserably... *sigh*

[CanadianTurtle]

Wow, he actually said that?

That is enough to tell me that he shouldn't make ignorant assed comments like that because he is not a gamer.

[Nac]

I think they can be. I think they can be even without going to a cutscene. Hell, look at Half-Life 2.

[Da_Evil_Monkey]

"I started to brew together what I thought could be a really cool idea that I’d never seen in a film before…Really intense action and really intense family dynamics on a global stage."

WTF Drakes family aren't featured in the games!!

change the name, it's not like the majority of non-gamers care if it's called Uncharted, and from the looks of it none of the fans of the franchise are going to like the film.

[rocky047586]

So what if his family isn't featured in the games? How does that HURT the film in anyway? How does that tarnish Uncharted because he wants to feature Nathan Drake's family?

I guess you're pissed about the story not being the same in the novels that are coming out as well, right? And the comic book too because it's a totally different story than the first two games.

[Da_Evil_Monkey]

It hurts the film because the film is UNCHARTED!!!! If your going to change the story and generally not follow the source material, then why even link it to the game. Do you think the average person cares that this is based off Uncharted. No they don't. Linking it to Uncharted is a way to get fans of the franchise to be interested in it. As it stands now, I don't think any Uncharted fan will enjoy this film, as Uncharted anyway. Thats not to say that it will definitely be a bad film, it will just be a bad film adaptation of Uncharted.