Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
Bonnie and I have talked alot about Downloadable Content (DLC) and its impact on video games and to a lesser extent entertainment. I know we cover all kinds of geekery, but if you think we'll get tired of discussing DLC . . . we're probably not going to for awhile. DLC is big.
And that leads me to another Go Farther, an idea I'd like to see people try more – and that you may get a few ideas from.
Namely, DLC, be it X-box, Wii/Ds, or what have you gives you awesome chances for synergy.
So, yes, there will be a Risk movie. And a Monopoly movie. There's the failed attempt at Thundercats that looked actually cool, but films as we've seen are really working to create effort-free Multimedia synergy. Or to put it more crassly – grab a name, slap a film on it, profit from the free publicity and associations.
I am sure people will see the aforementioned films and others out of various reasons, from buying the publicity to morbid curiosity. Some may even make money or provide interesting experiments (the Monopoly film may do so). However, I think those behind the films are missing something.
Namely, a longer-term plan that builds interest, community, and long-term involvement.
Disney is a company that is learning how to Go Farther with what they do.
This may sound strange, as people often associate Disney with rather conservative endeavors – a bunch of throwaway films, the alternating animated hits, etc. However, Disney has, if you step back, gone farther and has looked for many ways to make more of what it has.