Games must avoid film mistakes, says Control producer

Todd Eckert, producer of the Cannes award-winning film Control, has said that while videogames continue to merge with other media, they must be careful not to repeat the mistakes made in the past by the film industry.

Eckert, who is also a media financier, said that while convergence can be beneficial, videogames companies should take care to not walk in to the same problems as film.

"As the media community contemplates the possible benefits of convergence, it's important to take a step back and contemplate what the concept really means from a videogame perspective.

"While there is certainly much to learn by careful study of where film has repeatedly, and at times disastrously, gotten it wrong, the game industry must make certain it ingests these lessons from outside other media, rather than through a process of assimilation."

As interaction with character becomes more detailed, Eckert believes that games can replace movies as the dominant form of entertainment.

"Technology has advanced so much that we can now, believably, portray human situations in games and people can now interact meaningfully with these characters and their stories – that's something you just can't do in film.

"Because of this, videogames have the potential to be the world’s dominant medium. They are not quite there yet, but I believe a continuing focus on creating games that not only sell, but more importantly mean something, will bring them to that level."

Todd Eckert will be speaking on day two of next month's GameHorizon Conference, taking place June 18 – 19 at the Baltic Flour Mill in Newcastle. More information about the event can be found here.