Readers Tell Us Their Video Game Adaptation Ideas For This Year’s Best Picture Nominations

Yesterday, I posed a reader discussion asking what Best Picture nominated films could possibly receive video game adaptations and readers responded.

You can check out the responses below where readers came up with ideas for every nominated film, posed some original ideas, while many said that the discussion was ridiculous and the two mediums – film and video games – should stand alone as they represent totally different forms of artistic expression.

You can check out the responses below.

American Sniper
Considering sniper games already exist and are popular, many suggested a sniper game for American Sniper. “Well, the only one I know anything about is American Sniper,” wrote rooster707, “I think it would pretty much be exactly the same as Sniper Elite.”

The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game takes place in 1939 following the true events of Cambridge mathematician as he works to crack the Nazi code. Stonecutters908 suggested, “A Puzzler/ War Strategy game based around the code breaking in The Imitation Game would be kind of cool.”

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Birdman was a popular response. It seems most of our readers are picking it as a favorite to win, but also see some potential in it being a video game. Reader cyruz wrote, “Considering that Birdman is already Max Payne x BioShock x Psychonauts...” and Cycledude10 wrote, “I don't care if it's a game, a book, or a freaking abstract art museum exhibit; I just really want more Birdman,” and elects Telltale as a developer. Dan Mellman wrote that he’d like to see a Sierra-style adventure game adaptation of Birdman.

Selma
Readers Robert Hansen and Dan Mellman had interesting ideas for Selma, the historical film that follows the evens of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965 Hansen wrote, “I'd play a Selma game focused on organization, speechwriting, rhythmic oratory, and ‘battles’ where you do worse the more you fight.” Mellman wrote, “I can really see Selma as a Telltale game – if it weren't for the historical context, which sort of locks you in to certain decisions.”

The Theory of Everything
Reader BRAV0 F1VE wrote, “The Theory of Everything as a Japanese dating sim,” which could be considered a joke until you factor in the romance angle of the film. It kind of makes sense.

Boyhood
Reader buddyacker had a serious response writing,  “Boyhood would be excellent if presented in the same format as Life Is Strange.” Heaven1134 had a slightly different idea writing, “Quantic Dream should make it and it will take 12 years to complete a playthrough.”

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Reader SummitJay suggested The Grand Budapest Hotel, not necessarily because it would be a great video game, but because he would like to see Wes Anderson’s directorial style lent to an interactive experience. Polish Thunder called out some specific scenes they think would work writing, “I feel confident saying The Grand Budapest Hotel would make a good game. It has gunfire, a murder mystery, and a toboggan race.”

Whiplash
For Whiplash, blackjango wrote, “A Rock Band clone of Whiplash would be possible.” locopenguin99 wrote, “That final drum solo in Whiplash would be absolutely insane in a rhythm game.”

Many readers had multiple ideas for Best Picture nominations. GhostReconSpart suggest that Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Whiplash would all work with Telltale Games treatment.

Reader avpfan13 wrote, “A gritty, tripped-out Birdman adventure game would be awesome. We're basically already up to American Sniper Elite III.” They also suggested, hopefully in jest, “A kart-racing game based on The Theory of Everything could be cool, as well as an endless runner game for Selma.”

BreakingBald wrote, “I think a Boyhood or Birdman game made by Quantic Dream would be really cool.”

Despite all the ideas from readers, many were openly opposed to the discussion at all, offering some worthwhile arguments. Head to page two to see what else readers had to say.

The Doctor wrote in response to which of the movies could be video games, “None. Movies shouldn't be compared to games. They offer two completely different forms of storytelling. I hate to sound pretentious, but we need to stop perpetrating the idea that games are just platforms for traditional stories. The Shining is an amazing movie that would never work as a game. BioShock is an amazing game that would never work as a movie.” Canuckian-Carson wrote, “I would like these to just stay as films.”

Console gamer had a lot to say writing, “I hate to be that guy, but I simply can't stand this article. I understand it's just a creative discussion and that we're not seriously proposing video game adaptations of these movies. At the same time, video games as an industry need to start doing their own thing.” Console gamer continued writing, “People need to respect the fact that pieces of art stand on their own and should be handled as a singular thing. It’s the same reason I don't want a Last of Us sequel. It's just not necessary.”

Tim Gruver wrote, “None of them because they were all conceived on the basis of powerful imagery as opposed to engaging interactivity. To faithfully adapt them would be to make the kind of mediocre licensed games we so commonly detest.”

Some readers just totally abandoned the premise of the discussion and offered suggestions completely unrelated to the Best Picture nominations. Linkin park forever wrote, “I say we just forget these movies, and make a Dawn of the Planet of the Apes game. Think about it, apes versus humans. They can have different tiers or apes and humans, and it would be fantastic. Dual-wielding machine guns on a horse would provide interesting gameplay.”

Reader Azel2020 called out Nightcrawler writing up more or a less a pitch based on the movie. “Frantically driving from brutal crime scene to scene and trying to beat your competition by taking the best routes to the crime and the best shots of altering crime scenes and questioning just how far you'd go to get the best story,” Azel2020 wrote. “You could build yourself up from nothing using whatever means you want and you would have to decide what was worth and not worth your moral compass etc. The driving segments, footage shooting and editing, and rival competition fights could make a great game!”

Lastly LADodgersFan called me out for an, admitted, huge oversight. “Not cool Kyle. You forgot to list the best one of all: Mortdecai. Of course it would probably be a whimsical mustache-twirling platformer.”

Mortdecai is currently sitting at a 13% review score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 27 on Metacritic.