While Sony announced today that their Playstation 4 console would be available November 15th, it was a little surprising to learn that one of their launch games, WATCH DOGS, would be getting the big screen treatment. An open world game similar to GRAND THEFT AUTO, WATCH DOGS looks to push the boundaries of the next generation of video game technology with amazing graphics and gameplay. While I haven’t been into Sony games since the PS2, I have been baffled by just how badass these new games look. At first glance, WATCH DOGS doesn’t seem all that different from other games, but if you check out the level of detail in the gameplay trailers, you would change your mind.
Columbia Pictures president Hannah Minghella touts the action-adventure focus of the game along with the unique way the game controls information flowing between the game world and the main character.
Watch Dogs centers on Aiden Pearce, a brilliant hacker bent on revenge and inflicting his own brand of justice after a violent family tragedy. Using all of his skills, Pearce hacks into Chicago’s Central Operating System (ctOS), which controls the city’s infrastructure, including security cameras, traffic lights, and public transportation, as well as databases containing key information on the city’s residents. In the game, Pearce turns the entire city of Chicago into his ultimate weapon.
As a plot goes, that would make a great movie. Taking the game out of the mix, I am sure Sony could make a film from any number of directors. Back in the day, video games were hard to adapt because they were not as in depth as they are today. Games like WATCH DOGS, SPLINTER CELL, and ASSASSIN’S CREED are pretty much interactive movies now. Making them into films shouldn’t be as hard as it seems.
While there are countless other video games I would rather see made as movies, I am sure Sony is trying to push their new system in every way imaginable to ensure it is a success. With the acclaim already rolling in for WATCH DOGS, this should be an easy sell.