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Scott Pilgrim vs. the world of video games
I saw the upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. The World movie at Comic-Con last weekend, and while our purview is still just interactive entertainment, the film is an indication of just how prevalent video games have become in popular culture. Just like the popular indie comics on which it's based, the film is chock full of video game references and even has some big plot points that invoke old-school video game clichés. Gaming is woven into the language of this story and this movie. I got a chance earlier this week to sit down with director Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley, and the movie's cast to talk about the flick, video games in general and how mainstream audiences will react to seeing games used onscreen in this way. We also got some new insight on the retro-style Scott Pilgrim vs. The World game. %Gallery-98112%
Interview: Scott Pilgrim production manager Marc-Andre Boivin
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World has been selected as one of Joystiq's E3 Standouts this year. It's got everything an old school gamer could want: a 2D beat-em-up foundation, pixel art by Pirate Baby's Cabana creator Paul Robertson and a chiptune soundtrack by Anamanaguchi -- not to mention it's based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's seminal rock and roll Canadian comic. Can it get any more geek chic than that? We spoke with Ubisoft production manager Marc-Andre Boivin to learn more about how this nugget of awesomeness came about, the PSN timed-exclusivity agreement and our one disappointment so far: the game's lack of online co-op. The full interview follows. Joystiq: This Scott Pilgrim game is sparkling with indie charm, and yet it's being made by Ubisoft -- a big company. How did this project come about at Ubisoft? Marc-Andre Boivin: From my understanding, Universal first proposed a project to Ubisoft, and it was the vision of the initial director and the initial team. They worked with [Scott Pilgrim creator] Bryan Lee O'Malley, with the creative team in place, and they found that the beat-em-up style with the pixel art style was a good direction to go. I think everyone agreed at that time that this could be interesting, and I think the creator of the books, Bryan Lee O'Malley, liked the genre as well. So they started the project that way. Since the beginning, that was the vision -- a beat-em-up with the pixel art style that we have. %Gallery-95506%
Scott Pilgrim game tackled by Ubisoft
Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim is making the leap from indie comic page to video game in 2010. Ubisoft Montreal is in the early stages of developing Pilgrim's video game debut, proving almost nothing can take O'Malley's Canadian indie-hero out of the Great White North. According to IGN, the Scott Pilgrim game will follow the story of the comic series where an unmotivated Pilgrim falls for "the perfect girl," Ramona Flowers, and in order to win her heart he must battle her seven evil exes. While details of the game are scarce, O'Malley expects it to resemble a side-scrolling beat-em-up -- as the creator is a big fan of classic video games. Pilgrim-purists should be happy to hear the game will be modeled after the "cartoony" look of the comic series. No console platforms were revealed. Scott Pilgrim's movie debut is currently filming in-and-around Toronto and stars Canadian Michael Cera. For a teaser of what to expect from the film, watch anything Cera is in. He pretty much acts the same in everything.
