With so many video games being adapted into movies and TV series these days, we are seeing bigger and bigger names taking on these projects and actively coming out and saying that they haven't played the source material. While it's not a mandate that the folk involved with making video game adaptations actually play the titles they are based on, it would please many of the existing fans to know that the filmmakers and even cast are fans of the original material.
To this end, in a recent interview on the Post Games podcast (as noticed by PC Gamer), director Paul W.S. Anderson has mentioned that he believes it's "outrageous" that directors would expect an adaptation job without playing the source game.
"I think it's important for me to be a fan. You know, it always shocks me when directors give interviews and they're doing a videogame movie and go, 'well, I never played the game'. Like, that's outrageous! You know, would you adapt War and Peace and say, 'you know, I never read the book: I've got the script, it's fine, I shot that, the book I'm not interested in.'"
Anderson then goes on to explain that he believes not playing the games is "doing a disservice to the people who love the game and have invested many hours and days and months of their time into this world".
He also expresses that playing the source material isn't just the responsibility of the director, but all of those who are involved, noting: "I always make sure the production designers I work with play the game or watch playthroughs of the game, so they know what it looks like, and the director of photography knows how the camera moves. In a lot of video games that overhead shot, the top-down look of a room where it's a grid, is very, very important. Resident Evil—going through doorways, obviously very important. Pushing through a proscenium arch, into a scene... All of those things are present in my movies because they're present in the games that I've adapted. I make sure the entire crew are immersed with all of that as well, so if you're a fan of the game you really feel like the DNA of the game is built into the film you're watching. I think that buys you a lot of goodwill."
Do you agree with Anderson's opinion that those involved with a video game adaptation should have to play the source game?