Directors in the Gaming World: Who Would Make a Blockbuster?

In case you didn’t get the memo, let me fill you in: video game movies generally aren’t the greatest. This topic has been discussed endlessly, but less has been said about directors’ other endeavors in the gaming world. With Peter Jackson helping out on the new Halo game (and movie, for that matter), and both Stephen Spielberg and Zack Snyder signing game deals with EA, there seems to be a trend of directors taking on new roles.

Even though directors don’t know how to touch a game movie, they can get games themselves, right? If so, what other directors could do justice to a video game? Here’s a list I have compiled of directors that could envision halfway decent games:

Tim Burton: In my opinion, the more insane you are, the more creative you’re going to be. It’s worked for me, and clearly Burton falls under this category, too. Anyone who has seen any of his films can attest to that. He’s great at creating worlds of his own that are deeply bizarre and imaginative, and I’d love to see his mind unleashed in a game.

Robert Rodriguez: The moody, monochromatic style that he used in Sin City would translate well into a game. I reckon it would be similar to MadWorld. Or heck, even a video game for Machete (of Grindhouse fame) would be vastly entertaining.

Terry Gilliam: The ever-talented Terry hasn’t had much luck these days in the film industry, so I think he needs to explore different outlets for his creativity. Even if it’s a game à la his Monty Python days where the main character is a giant foot that comes down from the heavens and crushes everything in its path, I’m sure I’d play it.

Guillermo del Toro: Anyone that has seen Pan’s Labyrinth or Hellboy 2:  The Golden Army will probably agree that this man would make one hell of a dark fantasy game. The settings and character designs he chooses would be ideal for this kind of venture. His games would be one part Silent Hill, one part Final Fantasy—all parts badass.

Uwe Boll: Okay, I know what you’re thinking: I’ve totally lost my mind. Nevertheless, hear me out on this one. The games couldn’t be any worse than his movies, right? Even if the games fail miserably, it’ll still result in a good laugh. Moreover, maybe his desire to make so many game-based movies is really expressing a passion to make games themselves. I think if we humored him for a little while and let him tinker with a few actual games, he’d disappear and find a lucrative career in the blogger-boxing industry.

Despite Boom Blox not being what I expected from Spielberg, I have faith in this idea. These aforementioned directors could undoubtedly bring some original ideas to the table—yes, even Uwe. Perhaps if Snyder is successful with his video games, I just might get my wish.