People go to the movies for a cinematic experience.  Video games can provide a similar experience with an added level of immersion and interactivity.  Over the last few years, I’ve become obsessed with video games that play out like movies.

We’ve been given countless movie like experiences in video games but today I’d like to focus on the studios behind them.  The top 10 cinematic game studios.

HONORABLE MENTION | NINTENDO: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, BETHESDA SOFTWORKS:Fallout 3, Skyrim

I’m currently wrapped up in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  It’s been dominating most of my free time for a while.  Giant RPGs are tricky because they don’t really present a single narrative but that’s also an advantage.  The ‘movie’ is different for every single player depending on the choices they make.

The big draw in games like Skyrim is the world itself.  Bethesda Softworks creates incredibly detailed and wonderful worlds to explore.

10. BLIZZARD – World of Warcraft

You hear stories about divorces being blamed on Azeroth.  While I never got into World of Warcraft, I was completely obsessed with the Warcraft real time strategy games.  It was worth it for the cut scenes alone.  Blizzard has always created amazing animated cut scenes that weave their plots together between the action.  These scenes have always been beautiful and compelling.

Is there a movie?

Sam Raimi has long been attached to a World of Warcraft adaptation but nothing concrete has come along in a while.  If you want to follow the film (or the rumors) check out this site.

9. ROCKSTEADY – Batman: Arkham Asylum

In my humble opinion, the geniuses at Rocksteady created the best superhero video game of all time when they unleashed Batman: Arkham Asylum.  At least until they topped it with an equally brilliant and fun sequel, Arkham City.  These games are love letters to superhero fans with tons of hidden references and cameos.   People want to be Batman and these games are the closest thing to it.

The real stand out here are the voice actor’s amazing performances.  Especially Mark Hamill as The Joker.

Is there a movie?

You really can’t plan a Batman movie until Christopher Nolan wraps up his legendary trilogy when The Dark Knight Rises is released.  Still, I’m sure Warner Brothers is already planning some kind of sequel/reboot/remake/re imagining…  Thing.  It’s not a stretch to think they have considered these games at some point.  Though I’m thinking Nolan will return as a producer and the series will continue the amazing style and tone he developed and mastered.

8. SQUARE ENIX – Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy is one of the most recognizable video game franchises on the planet.  It’s a world that has already inspired numerous film adaptations.

Is there a movie?

Yes.  Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was released in 2011 with Advent Children following in 2005.

7. KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS/KONAMI – Metal Gear

Hideo Kojima is a legend. Of all the franchises listed here without a movie, Metal Gear is by far the most surprising. No movie yet? Come on Hollywood!

Is there a movie?

It’s listed on IMDB but right now it’s safe to say no movie will be coming any time soon.

6. BIOWARE – Mass Effect

I’m obsessed with the Mass Effect series.  This is literally an infinite universe that Bioware has created full of amazing characters and massive battles.  Not only is the series a blast to play but it allows you to carry your character over to the sequels.  Nice!  I can’t wait for my character’s third adventure aboard The Normandy.

Is there a movie?

Legendary Pictures are currently developing a Mass Effect movie.

5. ROCKSTAR – GRAND THEFT AUTO

Grand Theft Auto 3 changed the way we looked at games forever. It paved the way for so many incredibly deep sandbox games. Grand Theft Auto 4 raised the bar and with the anticipated 5th installment on the way, you would think Hollywood would capitalize on the franchise’s popularity right? Everyone loves a good heist movie and these games are packed with cinematic heist sequences. Not too mention cars, crime, violence and more.  Somebody make a Grand Theft Auto summer action movie please?

Is there a movie?

A little digging revealed some rights issues behind the scenes but there hasn’t been a ton of talk out there about getting a production started.

4. IRRATIONAL GAMES  – Bioshock

I would love to see the world of Rapture on the big screen.  The original Bioshock had one of the best stories I’ve ever played through.  I was totally captivated by the world, the art style, the Big Daddy/Little Sister relationships, the twists and so much more.  (Jean Dujardin as Andrew Ryan?  I don’t mean to type cast the guy but it could definitely work.)

Is there a movie?

A while back, Director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring) was on board and Bioshock was in the early stages of pre-production.

However, budget issues forced the project to the sidelines.  This movie has to happen and it HAS to be R rated.  I’m happy waiting as long as they don’t sacrifice the elements that made the game so memorable.

XTRA | Wouldn’t it be Awesome if the Bioshock movie happened?

3. BUNGIE – Halo

Halo redefined the first person shooter when it was released in 2001. It introduced us to an action hero made for the big screen. Master Chief. The game is full of imaginative and exciting set pieces that MUST be filmed eventually… Right?

Is there a movie?

Peter Jackson led a team that included director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) in a phenomenal pairing that every geek loved…

Unfortunately budget issues at Microsoft put a stop to it and they moved on. To date, no official word has surfaced on the Halo movie.

2. INFINITY WARD – CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE

The Modern Warfare franchise pretty much functions as a movie already.  Each level is full of amazing heart stopping moments.  I still go back and play the sniper level from the first Modern Warfare.  Crawling on that grass hoping to avoid capture gets me every time.  Great franchise.

Is there a movie?

Nope.  Still no word in any official capacity.  You have to assume that somewhere there is a studio agonizing over who would play Soap if they ever made a movie…  All I found was a couple old articles on MTV and /Film.  However, you can’t ignore the original games or the recent Black Ops either…

1. NAUGHTY DOG – UNCHARTED

THE cinematic video game experience.  The Uncharted series has successfully blurred the line between video games and movies.  When you play Uncharted, you ARE Nathan Drake and you are most definitely IN a movie.

Is there a movie?

David O. Russell was gearing up to direct Uncharted with Mark Walberg attached to star.  The casting alone caused some controversy as many fans out there wanted Nathan Fillion to win the role.  Just when people got used to the idea of David O. Russell’s approach to the material the project fell apart.  What intrigued me were the rumors that Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci would potentially be involved.

This movie WILL happen especially after the huge success of Uncharted 3.  It’s just a matter of when and who the artists behind the project will be.

I’M WAY BEHIND…

It’s nice to be able to look back and confidently rank the film’s you’ve seen in a given period of time.  Normally, I’m at the movies once a week during the summer movie season.

That wasn’t the case this year.  I missed a ton of movies.  So I’ve decided to rank all the movies I’ve reviewed in 2012 so far.

2012 MOVIE RANKINGS: JANUARY-SEPTEMBER

12. Dark Shadows

11. John Carter

10. The Hunger Games

9. The Grey

8. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

7. Indie Game: The Movie

6. The Amazing Spider-Man

5. Chronicle

4. Prometheus

3. Ted

2. The Dark Knight Rises (x2)

1. The Avengers (x3)

Throughout the summer, I managed to catch 4 other movies but didn’t have time to write up reviews…  They were all pretty terrible anyways:

• Men In Black 3 (In flight movie)  High hopes for a few laughs.  Disappointed in the ending.  That wouldn’t have weighed on K when he was recruiting J in the first movie?
• Snow White & The Huntsman (In flight movie)  I had a little motion sickness on the flight home…  A boring movie didn’t help.
• American Reunion (On Demand) Nostalgia can only get you so far.  I was in high school when the original was released.  I WAS the target audience.  It was fun catching up with the original cast but I wasn’t a big fan.
• Battleship (On Demand) I had high hopes for a brainless blockbuster.  I’m a big fan of Peter Berg but Battleship made Revenge of the Fallen look like Die Hard.

All in all…  That’s really not a lot of new releases…  Thankfully, I’ve decided I will no longer limit my reviews to film’s I see in theaters.  I’ll still be able to rank the ones I missed as I catch up.

While I wait for the film’s I missed to be released on Blu Ray/On Demand, I still have a lot to look forward to in 2012.

CLICK HERE FOR 10 MUST SEE MOVIES FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2012

XTRA | Game of Thrones Season 2: The Best Moments

Click here for more reviews.

A NEW ERA BEGINS…

Since this is a new beginning, I thought it would be nice to reintroduce myself and this site.  My name is Jason McKinnon and I’m a professional editor working in the live television world of sports.  I’m also a passionate screenwriter, a Photoshop nut and an independent filmmaker.  My interests can be summed up in two categories:  Sports & Movies.

The Athletic Nerd began with the simple goal of writing about the movies that inspire the aspiring filmmaker.  Over the years, it evolved and focused on three main areas:  Movies, Screenwriting & Independent Film.  You can navigate to each of those categories using the menu above.  I like to write about anything and everything related to movies.  From the scripts that inspire to the features we admire.  I’m also a big fan of indie films and regularly promote other people’s work on this site through a feature called The Post.

This site has evolved a lot in three years.  I’m proud of this blog but most of all, I’m proud that I stuck it out all these years.  So many blogging sites around the web talk about bloggers losing interest within a year.  I think 6 months is the average burnout.  Some people just get bored or they aren’t satisfied with the results after hours of hard work.

Getting high levels of traffic isn’t easy.  It’s frustrating.  If you don’t have time to comment on other sites, write guest posts and more then you’re already slowing your progress.  Likewise, not everyone can afford to advertise their blogs online or anywhere for that matter.  Personally, I’ve never spent a penny on advertising.  But my daily traffic has been the same for roughly a year now.  Is there room to grow?  Can I crash through the traffic barrier and gain new readers?

That’s what Year Four is all about:

BETTER CONTENT.  MORE TRAFFIC.

This blog is somewhat established now but it’s time to grow.  I’m talking about traffic growth but also personal growth as a writer.  Year Three was a groundbreaking year in terms of overall design and style but I feel like the content could have been much better.  I want Year Four to represent an ambitious leap forward.

The first major change is my posting frequency.  In an effort to deliver better articles in a structured way, I’ll be posting three articles a week from now on.  (Or more depending on the week.)

• Mondays will typically be reserved for Independent Film, news & reviews.
• Wednesdays will mostly deal with Screenwriting.
• Fridays will be all about movies including features like All Time Best.

Reviews, Interviews and other featured posts will pop up at any time.

MORE MOVIES.  MORE SCREENWRITING.  MORE INDEPENDENT FILM

This schedule isn’t set in stone and will most likely change so I don’t feel like I HAVE to come up with a screenwriting post every week.  Speaking of which, this new approach gives me more time for screenwriting as well.  I can’t wait to finish my next screenplay.

During my time away from this blog, I eliminated a bunch of features in order to simplify the site but I strengthened others.  This year The Post will receive the biggest boost with regular articles and interviews promoting filmmaker’s work from around the world.

Have a project you’d like to promote?  Contact me using the CONNECT menu above.

THE SUMMER OF SCREENWRITING

The screenwriting section of this website is home to hundreds of articles but never a series like this.  When I took my break from blogging, my main goal was to finish a screenplay called Strangers.  I accomplished that goal!

While I was finishing the script, I was writing posts about my journey.  Starting this week, I’ll begin posting over 20 articles about the journey to FADE OUT.  As an added bonus, I’ll be including a LOOKING BACK feature updating each post with my thoughts now.

It’s my hope to attract other writers like myself who have gone through similar journeys.  This summer I rediscovered my love of screenwriting.  I shouldn’t have put it off in the first place.

XTRA | Screenwriting vs Anxiety: A Personal Tale

GUEST POSTS

I’m also happy to announce that Year Four will be the first time, I’ll be accepting guest posts.  I’m going to be extremely picky but I’d LOVE to hear from anyone who loves movies, screenwriting and independent film.  I’m looking for articles about what inspires you.  What fuels your love for film.  I want to share the projects you’re passionate about.  So hit the CONNECT button above and get in touch if it’s something you’re interested in.

YEAR FOUR BEGINS

In addition to an updated set of graphics and a new promotional strategy, I’m ready for another year of movie blogging.  I hope you all enjoy the content that’s on the way.

As always, I’d love to hear from you.  Tweet, email or comment!

Time to get going!

GEARING UP FOR THE ATHLETIC NERD’S RELAUNCH

At the end of May, I posted an article explaining why I was taking over three months away from The Athletic Nerd. Basically, it was a busy summer at work, I wanted to finish a new screenplay and I’m getting married in a few weeks. All good reasons to slow things down and really focus for a little while.

I still posted new reviews here and there but for the most part, this site hasn’t really seen any regular content since May… I miss it here.

However, the break was exactly what I needed as I accomplished my goals (details to come) and it gave me a chance to evaluate where this site is heading.

Movies, Screenwriting & Independent Film.

That has been The Athletic Nerd’s tag line since day one and I’ve stayed true to that. In three years, I’ve posted more than 900 articles about the movies that inspire the aspiring filmmaker. Regular features have come and gone and I’ve created a bunch of new graphics. But for the first time, I was able to take a step back and plan ahead for a change.

Throughout the last few months, I’ve done a lot of work behind the scenes to improve things around here. You’ll also notice a bunch of new graphics when the blog returns in a few weeks. I’ve included a test image although I have yet to make those elements ‘clickable’.

Essentially, I wanted to take the time and completely reorganize and refocus the content on this site.

In the past, I wrote 6 posts a week. Every week. While fun, it didn’t leave me much for screenwriting so I had some decisions to make. I eliminated several features and simplified others while completely redesigning the navigation. Casualties include ‘If I Could Only Recommend ONE’, The Rundown, The Screenwriting Spark among others. I’ll miss these features but I’ve also revamped and updated others.

When the blog relaunches on September 15th, I’ll be posting 3 new articles a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The simpler format gives me more time to focus on screenwriting and better content on this site.

I’m going to leave out some of the new things I have planned for now but I’m extremely excited to get back to blogging. But this will be my last post until then. Now that I finished my screenplay and the Olympics have ended, I’m officially on vacation from extra projects until I return from my honeymoon.

I can’t wait to relax and recharge.

In the mean time, keep sending me projects you’d like to see promoted on The Athletic Nerd. The Post will be returning in a big way.

Catch up by visiting the three main sections of this site:

Click here for Movies

Click here for Screenwriting

Click here for Independent Film

Click here for tons of short films, features, trailers, websites and more!

FINALLY…  A LOGO

The Athletic Nerd is now close to 3 years old and has evolved a ton over the years.  Slowly, I’ve carved out an identity for this blog and the graphic look has been gradually improved along the way.  Regular readers probably hopefully noticed a couple new banners, ads and post headers popping up over the last few months.

Branding is definitely key when it comes to first impressions.  Long ago, my blog was hideous…  It’s okay you can say it.  With so many fantastic looking blogs out there, you have to be able to compete when it comes to design.  So today, I’m unveiling the one thing I felt The Athletic Nerd was lacking.  An official logo!

Graphic design is a tricky thing for someone with no training and no ‘official’ experience.  For years, I’ve relied on tutorials online and my obsession with Photoshop to get by.  I’m sure design professionals will spot flaws I’m unaware of but I like it.  I wanted something simple that could be implemented in a variety of ways.  For now, I’m sticking with the header image above and the odd advertisement but you’ll see it all over the place in time.  In the end, I wanted something that could stand up next to the blog’s tagline:

Movies, Screenwriting & Independent Film

Hope you like the new logo.  Stay tuned for a more updates including a brand new series which should be unveiled towards the end of next month!

Click here to check out my about page and email me at jason@17west.ca with any comments, questions or suggestions.

Thanks for visiting!

Jason.