AGC Day2: It's Party Time!

Well the games have officially begun! The exhibits were set up and the developers were passing out resumes. Today's events were very much in full swing. They even had a bar in the middle of the exhibit room. Lucas Studios gave away a PSP and we even got a few jobs lined up. That's what a conference should be about.
Besides the keynote this morning, the panel that was most interesting was Hollywood and Videogames: A Marriage Made in Hell. Our panelists discussed issues of separation (they called it "racism") among gamers and Hollywood IP's. Now racism was really the wrong term, but we understood where they were coming from.
The biggest issue at hand was the disparity of narrative between Hollywood and the gaming community. Hollywood, being linear in thought, has a hard time incorporating non-linear stories that are very standard in the gaming world, especially among MMOG's.
How does this affect marketing for IP's and the desire to have a stronger foothold within the gaming community? We all know that money talks. The amount of revenue being generated is a staggering statistic in the gaming world. For example, with 7 million subscriptions, Blizzard entertainment generates 1 billion dollars in revenue. 1 billion dollars! One game!
From a branding perspective, there needs to be an understanding by Hollywood for the gaming community. As Hollywood gets younger, the gamers become more frequent. Younger film makers understand that interactivity increases usability.
The issue is the narrative. How can the gaming community come up with a better narrative story line that doesn't involve shields, guild wars, and women running around with a mesh bikini and a sword? That's where Hollywood comes in. The writing skills of aspiring Hollywood film makers can be well used in the gaming world. This will cut down on every crazy fantasy game that comes out every year. Our prediction is that World of Warcraft will run its course and the world of gamers will need something new. Will Hollywood join in this endeavor? We'll see.