At this point I’m going to Ladbrokes and betting against everything Kotaku promotes. They are like Jim Cramer of the gaming industry.
The fact that movies aren’t being wholesale investigated for money laundering is a travesty at this point.
I had a conversation with my sister about that recently.
The amount of shows and movies that have $100,000,000+ budgets is rising, yet more and more of them feature very limited sets, small casts of mostly mid range talent, and a dozen executive producers all putting up their own money (this is all especially prominent with big shows on streaming networks, cough Star Trek cough The Acolyte)
Here’s my comparison: a group of 10 investors come out and announce they’re spending a billion dollars to develop a new luxury car. They drum it up as being the next big thing. Then, when it comes out, it’s about as nice and luxurious as a base model Toyota Camry. Fine, but not “a billion dollars” fine. Immediately, everyone would be wondering where the hell that money went? There’s definitely a chance it was just squandered, but you have to wonder. When you have a group of private investors with executive power over the project, what goes on behind closed doors?
For all we know, they’re literally just passing massive checks in a circle to one another to say “yes, it says right here in our bank records that we spent a combined $100,000,000”, meanwhile only 25% actually goes into the production, and they pocket the rest. Then, when the flock of people have to come and check out the new megaproject, all they need to recoup is a few million more than they spent (far less than the perceived budget), and they can run for the hills.
Anywho, crackpot theory time over. But think about it, if my simple brain can think this stuff up, why can’t the hollywood bigwigs, who actually have the capital to make it happen?
For all we know, they’re literally just passing massive checks in a circle to one another to say “yes, it says right here in our bank records that we spent a combined $100,000,000”, meanwhile only 25% actually goes into the production, and they pocket the rest.
That would be illegal and easily discovered
But you could pay $10M to hire another company to do the sound mixing. They might spend $500k to do the work. You might also be the owner of that company, and the money ends up back in your pocket…And that’s not embezzlement or a kickback, because that’s what it’s called when poor people do it
Good point, I shouldn’t have used the world ‘literally.’ I was just trying to make the point that there are plenty of creative ways where tremendous amounts of money could end up back in someones pocket when by all means it should have gone elsewhere.
And yes, your example is perfectly believable and I wouldn’t at all be shocked if that kind of thing happened frequently.
It looks to be an acceptable movie in the same vein as minions to me. I really hope the plot won’t be as formulaic as it definitely is, because I’ll be compelled to watch it at some point.
Yeah, it’s not like Minecraft itself is marketed to the hardcore gamer demographic. It’s essentially a kids’ movie. I suspect it might still suck at that though.
Are you guys surprised and angry that this generic movie for children isn’t for you, or am I missing some context here?
Why can’t the movie be for everyone like the game is? Why make it purposefully empty and soulless so only small children with a short attention span can enjoy it? Take some notes from the Lego movie. It’s not that hard.
The fact that capital-G Gamers are still hell-bent on the GamerGate-era war against Kotaku is deeply amusing to me.
Gaming journos bad, something something.
Sir, this is a good Pastafarian server, pls censor that filth. The childrens eyes can’t handle the raw sewage that is the word g*mer.
Reminder: Jack Black broke up Tenacious D to try to save this thing
and…
“Oh, no see, you’re mad, but you see this version of the franchise isn’t for you. It’s for a new crowd that was alienated by the previous version and you need to be nice and let them have their…”
Shut the fuck up, if it’s a version of a thing made for people who are defined by not liking the thing, it’s not going to get the other crowd to like the thing, it’s just going to piss off the people who do like it…
This is the second time I’ve seen someone say this. Tenacious D is not broken up. Where are you getting this information?
Fuck kotaku. It’s biased journalism and garbage takes just for the sake of being garbage takes. Seriously the most useless reporting in the industry. And also, fuck Jack. He is a coward and should’ve had Kyle’s back. It wasn’t even that bad of a joke.
I’ve read the article. It is based on the author’s personal experience, which, news flash, does not represent reality as a whole. Also, even then he is wrong, kids movies can appeal to anyone: The Lego Movie, The Super Mario Bros Movie, Sonic the Hedgehog films.
Also, he called Minecraft Story Mode a “Netflix cartoon”.
I mean, if you’re going to make a movie based on a video game, shouldn’t you aim it at The demographics that most commonly played that video game?
You mean 5-12 year olds? Cause that’s what they did
I feel like Minecraft has kind of lagged in popularity with the current crop of 5 to 12-year-olds compared to some of the newer games, like Roblox.
Dress To Impress movie adaptation when???
That may be so, but that’s irrelevant to them. Their IP is Minecraft, not Roblox. They only need to appeal to the largest demographic of people who enjoy Minecraft (aka kids, not adults). The other interests of their target audience are hardly relevant. All that matters is that they’re interested in the topic though to see a movie.
Or more accurately, bug their parents to pay to see the movie. Because those are additional tickets, too.
Players aged 15 to 21 make up the largest group of Minecraft’s player base at 43%.
The remaining 21% consists of players between 22 to 30 years old, and 20.59% are users aged 61 to 80.
You might be thinking of demographics from like 10 years ago, but those kids grew up dude. Kids are not the primary demographic.
If were going average or median I would be genuinely surprised if it was under 20 ngl.
They advertise to kids cause kids and adults buy it then, advertise to adults and youre just cutting off part of your market - companies aren’t so super sterilised these days cause today’s youth are just super loaded
Yes cause 5 to 12-year-olds are the only people who play Minecraft. Nobody over the age of 12 plays Minecraft at all and there aren’t millions of Minecraft players out there that are anywhere from 12 to 70 years old.
Minecraft is mostly popular with people who were 5 - 12 years old 10 years ago.
The most frustrating thing about this article is that it completely ignores that good movies targeted at kids still have to be good. Personal complaints aside, the new Mario movie was reasonably good for adults and great for kids. Pixar keeps churning out things that are fantastic on many levels. Bluey is an amazing show that can resonate with kids and parents. I don’t for a minute buy the elitist bullshit of “well you’re not a kid so you can’t comment.” Muppet Treasure Island holds the fuck up as an adult so this writer can fuck right off.
What’s also weird is Minecraft is 15 years old at this point. That means you’ve basically got a huge age range (kids to adults) within the target audience. Why isn’t it targeted at the entire fanbase?
Why isn’t it targeted at the entire fanbase?
Is that a serious question? Because the answer is obvious…
Ok, let me start out by saying I have an 8 year old, and he fucking loves Minecraft. And hey, I played the game a bunch back when it was in beta and I was like 25. But I did not love the game the way that he loves the game… He’s obsessive about Minecraft, some days it’s all he talks about. How many adults do you know like that?
And here’s the real question, when’s the last time you bought Minecraft merch for yourself? Because my kid has a Minecraft lunchbox, a Minecraft hoody, a Minecraft Lego set, some Minecraft figurines, and of course the Minecraft sheets and PJs.
Hahaha fair point
I mean tbf we got 40 year old on here salty about this movie, while my kids can’t wait to see it.
It reminds me of adults bitching about minions being dumb and childish, that’s the point
So sometimes the most profitable quarterly isn’t the best thing to do?
Minions were made TO BE DUMB, Minecraft is the most popular game in the world MADE DUMB FOR PROFIT - there’s a massive difference and blaming the people mad not the problem is pretty stupid
Why are you pretending like Minecraft is a masterpiece of storytelling and mature gaming? The game is stupid and fun and kids love it. Why does everyone want every game movie to be dark and broody?
No?
I’m just saying people enjoy a game idk what youre gaining from gatekeeping that.
Saying something is just for kids is the only stupid thing I’m hearing tbh, adults are allowed to have fun
To be fair Minions is a childrens film and the people complaining about Minecraft are fans who for right reason hate the real characters thing. It would’ve been better to be animated…we all know the film is gonna flop.
u ok buddy?
Showed this to my kids. Their reaction was:
Kid 1: bruh
Kid 2: Is that the guy from Peaches?
My kid loved it.
I’ve been playing Minecraft off and on since the Beta. I usually play the “All the mods” packs when they launch.
I do not understand how people get so emotionally invested in an IP.
If it isn’t a good movie who cares? Just spend your time doing something else.
Just reiterating what others have said but… if you have an IP you like and want more of it in the future (regardless of medium!) then its success in any other medium will likely impact whether or not you get more.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where:
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Money matters more to most IP holders than the IP itself
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New IP is seen as risky
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Those in charge don’t have to take responsibility for their failures
If there is a commercial failure of an IP, there is a good chance that its failure will be seen as the IP generally failing or falling out of poluarity instead of the failure to best utilize the IP that likely occurred. As a result, priorities will often shift away from the IP to something else in all mediums (ex. ASOIAF/GOT). Unless the IP is absolutely gangbusters in all other mediums, it will suffer. Similarly, success will likely lead to more utilization of the IP in any medium.
It’s unlikely that the IP owner will sell or license the IP in the near future because at one point it was popular and new IP is hard to make. It would be better to hoard IP and maybe try again in a decade when they need a trick up their sleeve. Plus, another failure might damage the IP even more.
Admittedly, I’m not attached to any brands or IP in particular and so I’m not invested really. I just makes me a little sad when some IP I thought well of has this happen… or when the person who benefits from the IP turns out to be a person I’d rather not give money to. Occasionally I’ll ponder what might have been if things had gone differently and feel a little bad.
If there is a commercial failure of an IP, there is a good chance that its failure will be seen as the IP generally failing or falling out of poluarity instead of the failure to best utilize the IP that likely occurred.
For example, when EA released Tiberian Twilight and it was absolutely awful and didn’t sell, they said that people just didn’t want RTS games anymore and shelved the entire C&C franchise. That was fourteen years ago and we haven’t had a new C&C since then that wasn’t mobile shovelware.
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