Classic Literature as Insipiration for Video Games

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Well, I know I have picked up books because a movie was based on them many, many times. And I never claimed that the game was going to lead a lot of people to seek out the poem, but with the multitude of people who will be playing the game, it is exremely unlikely that not one gamer will seek out the poem.

And, as mentioned before, the developers have stated that the majority of the games inspiration comes from the imagery. And I still think it looks like a really good game.

[Barbarous]

I just don't understand why they needed to make this? What is the point besides ruining a classic?

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Well, the ultimate point is to make money.

[Hank Stamper]

i think when video game designers have to turn to classic literature for new ideas = scraping the barrel .. i have no interest in computer games anyway being a grumpy old man averse to such trends, but i thought the yooof of today were only interested in games that involve guns or cars (or preferably both).. i'm fairly sure there will be an absence of both in this game (really!), so i can't see anybody getting too excited about this...

and will it turn people onto the poem who might otherwise never read poetry? i'm taking a MASSIVE wild stab in the dark with this one ... NO!

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Someone, somewhere will pick up the poem because if this game. Of this I have no doubt.

And there are many games without cars andguns that are big. There are many that are really popular that aren't violent or explicit at all, like Little Big Planet, and the majority of games on the Wii.

[Hank Stamper]

but aren't the majority of games on the wii virtual reality sports type games for people who are too lazy to do the real thing? let's all stand in the living room playing tennis... just buy a racket and go to a club.. much better fun, much better exercise!

but yeah i was making tongue in cheek sweeping generalisations.. i'm sure there are plenty of popular games that don't involve guns and cars, i just can't imagine dante's inferno being one of them!

[Madame X]

Someone, somewhere will pick up the poem because if this game. Of this I have no doubt.

I think we should rather be asking if this Dante-on-steroids will manage to tempt what remains of that rare breed of boorish bibliophiles on this planet into the exciting world of...electronic gaming!

[Drkshadow03]

. . . I mean NEVER watched a film, thought 'yeah okay, that was awesome, now let's read the novel!', it just doesn't work like that. A huge part of reading a novel (especially those who aren't literature lovers) is the plotline's mystery - being revealed chapter by chapter. For example, look at The Lord of the Rings trilogy - the films make the story seem action packed and fast paced with that hollywood cringe for comedy. Let's face it the majority of society, whilst they may read, aren't literature lovers who would pick up The Divine Comedy, or Shakespeare, or Milton, or even Dostoevsky for a fun and entertaining read. . . . I mean, it's absurd if you think about it, you don't get people reworking Monet's paintings and making money off of it, so why should people create a brutal (don't even get me started on the violence) retelling of an epic poem and collect their pay?

Three points:

1) I can say with complete honest that I have seen a movie and then wanted to read the book. One concrete example off the top of my head is A Clockwork Orange. Saw the Stanley Kubrick film first, and wanted to read Anthony Burgess' book. I also know my brother started reading the Harry Potter books after he watched the films.

2) When Lord of the Rings came out on film LOTR book sales spiked. In fact, this happens any time a book comes out on film. When a film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice comes out people book sales spike significantly. Ergo, the logical conclusion is that, yes, many people do in fact want to read the book after seeing the movie. I will add, however, that usually the movie needs to be successful in the box office for it to have this impact. Whether you are for or against making literature in a video game, it will be interesting from sociological-economic perspective to see if it suddenly spikes up sales for Divine Comedy.

3) They can collect pay for ripping off old artists because copyright law doesn't protect something that old. Copyright laws are already BAD ENOUGH (sorry, little kid you can't draw Mickey Mouse on your little crappy school project that is making no profit whatsoever or Disney will sue you). There is nothing wrong with reworking and borrowing from older literature in theory, not legally or artistically.

[Adagio]

Three points:

1) I can say with complete honest that I have seen a movie and then wanted to read the book. One concrete example off the top of my head is A Clockwork Orange. Saw the Stanley Kubrick film first, and wanted to read Anthony Burgess' book. I also know my brother started reading the Harry Potter books after he watched the films.

2) When Lord of the Rings came out on film LOTR book sales spiked. In fact, this happens any time a book comes out on film. When a film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice comes out people book sales spike significantly. Ergo, the logical conclusion is that, yes, many people do in fact want to read the book after seeing the movie. I will add, however, that usually the movie needs to be successful in the box office for it to have this impact. Whether you are for or against making literature in a video game, it will be interesting from sociological-economic perspective to see if it suddenly spikes up sales for Divine Comedy.

3) They can collect pay for ripping off old artists because copyright law doesn't protect something that old. Copyright laws are already BAD ENOUGH (sorry, little kid you can't draw Mickey Mouse on your little crappy school project that is making no profit whatsoever or Disney will sue you). There is nothing wrong with reworking and borrowing from older literature in theory, not legally or artistically.

Okay, so you watch a film and it may inspire you to pick up the book - that's great. However, why did you want to read those books? because the film was enjoyable. Every adaption of a book is usually nothing like the reading experience - reading is alot more personal than watching someone else's interpretation of the work we all know that. What if (and many of these exist) the adaption sucks? Will you still want to read the book then, or will you be put off? The fact is ALOT of people watch movies, and alot of movies are based off of films. It's not really fair. The Lord of the Rings, A Clockwork Orange and the Harry Potter series were successful. What of the ones that aren't?

But yeah, fair enough I do enjoy movies and in my younger days I used to really enjoy videogames. Perhaps it just irritates me because certain works that I love have been made into cringey money-making products. I mean how much better would it have been if they took their inspiration from Dante's poem and create a really terrifying Hell for an original hero and some great characters to be trapped in?

[Drkshadow03]

Okay, so you watch a film and it may inspire you to pick up the book - that's great. However, why did you want to read those books? because the film was enjoyable. Every adaption of a book is usually nothing like the reading experience - reading is alot more personal than watching someone else's interpretation of the work we all know that. What if (and many of these exist) the adaption sucks? Will you still want to read the book then, or will you be put off? The fact is ALOT of people watch movies, and alot of movies are based off of films. It's not really fair. The Lord of the Rings, A Clockwork Orange and the Harry Potter series were successful. What of the ones that aren't?

But yeah, fair enough I do enjoy movies and in my younger days I used to really enjoy videogames. Perhaps it just irritates me because certain works that I love have been made into cringey money-making products. I mean how much better would it have been if they took their inspiration from Dante's poem and create a really terrifying Hell for an original hero and some great characters to be trapped in?

Actually it would've been cool if they took Dante's hell and you can choose different characters to play, but the different characters are different famous writers (Shakespeare, Dante, The Beowulf Poet, Emily Dickinson), and they have special movies based off their work: Shakespeare has an acting ability where he can shape-shift into different Shakespearean characters and gain different defensive/fighting attributes and techniques, The Beowulf Poet already comes with sword in hand, Emily Dickinson can spin villians into words with her voice. So then you get to play around with an original story that needs to explain why all these literary giants are trapped into Dante's hell. Maybe the villains aren't just the denizens of hell, but also other writers. Make the story more puzzle-oriented than action-oriented.

[mayneverhave]

The player of Dante's Inferno will be inclined to read the Divine Comedy until he realizes what he's gotten himself into and is bombarded with constant allusions to mythology, Roman history, Italian politics, theology, and esoteric numerology.

I'll admit the very concept of the Inferno interested me even in my early teens when I first bought the book, but it takes more than just a passing interest to attempt a in any part thorough reading of the poem.

[Paulclem]

Agreed. All of that is missing from the video game. What the developers want is an interesting setting with which to set a familiar scenario. I don't see a problem with them doing this, but it will not encourage a reading of the poem. Literary courses may do that, but not necessarily.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I think the original poster is correct when he states that more people will read Dante as a result of this game, it is a mathematical certainty. However to what extent, and to what range and depth is entirely another matter.

Computer technology and literature are coming closer together with the impact of media and digital technologies, sure, but at the same time they are still worlds apart. The instant gratification required in the majority of computer games, is a totally different experience to that of reading a substantial text, such as the DC.

I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of those who do go out and buy the text after playing the game, will give up after the first few stanzas. At the most it will be cast aside when the next game comes out with all its flashing promise.

I'm not belittling computer games, (computer games which are strongly pushed as an art form by British government policy today) but that computer games and literature seldom mix.

I just can't see the individual who demands the instant gratification in a computer game taking any real pleasure from this work. For surely, this is a text which demands several readings and a whole host of critical and historical understanding in order to appreciate it properly.

[mayneverhave]

I heard that in the 4th level of the game you get to fight Aristotle, and he throws copies of the Rhetoric at you!

[Drkshadow03]

I heard that in the 4th level of the game you get to fight Aristotle, and he throws copies of the Rhetoric at you!

They should make it so you have to read the entire rhetoric as a bonus challenge on a television screen no less. Twenty bucks says there would actually be some gamers who would do it in order to have completed ALL of the game.