You might have noticed that we are huge fans of science fiction (don't tell anyone). As modern patrons of the arts, we count ourselves so lucky that we don't just have books, movies, and television to draw from but also the development of fascinating Sci-Fi video themed games, both big and small.
As with any form of media, this borrows heavily from its compatriots, and that is what we want to take a look at here today. How exactly have Sci-Fi movies and games helped each other, and how has this allowed both of them to grow?
"A Typo Fix Could Save Aliens: Colonial M" (CC BY 2.0) by BagoGames
Perhaps the most obvious form of growth we see in this regard comes from the addition of another avenue of expansion through visibility. Direct interpretations of existing franchise media and new entries both contribute to making a healthier and more creative environment, and this can come from places you might not expect.
The online casino industry, for example, is not what most of us think of when we think Sci-Fi gaming, but even this arm has proven an extremely helpful addition to the genre as a whole. One of the biggest hurdles to interest in Sci-Fi is how its appeal is underestimated by outsiders, after all.
By offering simple attractions like a welcome bonus, websites like NetEnt Casino draw players in. In this case, the NetEnt casino review website is using their recently redesigned interface to help streamline and guide. Now fully updated for the new generation of web connectivity, this service gives users over both mobile and desktops a more convenient and efficient way to connect than ever before.
No longer do fans of internet casinos have to do the hard work themselves, as everything here is listed and reviewed simply and effectively. Clearly labelled sections tell punters what is available from where, and with what available bonuses.
Of course, an introduction is just a start. Once here, the relationship between the two tends towards the major AAA gaming scale. In this way, we have to turn to the range of film to game adaptions for thanks.
As with any form of media, the quality of these translations can vary heavily, but the best among the pack act as huge boons to the other side of the media river. Take the Alien series for example. While something like Colonial Marines utterly failed to inspire, the same cannot be said of Alien: Isolation.
"2016-01-03_00040" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Paul B. Hartzog
Isolation is, in some ways, the most actively engaging way to feel the threat of the eponymous Xenomorph. In this game it stalked you, and your goal was not to kill, but merely to survive. As a way to experience the terror of the threat of the individual Xenomorph, Isolation was only surpassed, at least in our opinion, by the first Alien film.
This is a microcosm of what makes the relationship between Sci-Fi games and movies so great. When it works well, it gives us a way to become part of that universe, to experience the feelings that the protagonists had to face. Add to this the capabilities for expansion of lore, both new and established, and its little wonder that the best here are so deeply loved.
As a two-way street, games and films introduce fans of one side into the media to the other, even if indirectly. Helping build engagement and public interest helps keep the series we love strong, and we can only hope we'll see more of this type of attention being paid going forward.
The Alien: Isolation attention, we mean, maybe we could do with less Colonial Marines.
