Are Games Detracting Theater Audiences?

With the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto IV for the PS3 and Xbox 360, it's all but guaranteed that millions of people will be staying home to get their fix of Liberty City come April 29th. The highly anticipated title will be the first Current Generation offering from the GTA series and has already reached over 3 million preorders in the US alone.

With this kind of selling power, gamers will no doubt be devoting a considerable amount of time in front of their televisions making good use of their new purchase. With an estimated 100+ hours of gameplay from the single player missions and the bonus of a slew of multiplayer options, a first for the series, people may choose to spend the week at home rather than going out.

This is a cause for concern in the film industry, where the new Iron Man flick will hit theaters just three days after the release of GTA IV.

The target demographic for both the film and the game are virtually the same for both titles, so the potential audience can for Iron Man's opening weekend could be sapped by GTA's release. Will gamers take a break from their misadventures in Liberty City to watch Tony Stark become Iron Man? Can a film release really be affected by the release of a videogame?

Hollywood is worried that this can absolutely happen.

In October 2007, Halo 3 was blamed for the poor box office showing of the Ben Stiller film "The Heartbreak Kid," which was released in the wake of Halo 3's September 25th release date. The rest of the film industry also suffered supposedly under the weight of Master Chief's gun as it was reported that total industry sales were down 27% compared to 2006 figures.

Personally, I think that Hollywood might have reason to fear big games releases in the future as the game industry continues to increase its mainstream appeal. I know that given the choice between buying a quality $60 game and playing all weekend and paying $10.50 for a night at the movie theater, I'll tend to take the game unless there are other incentives to get me out of the house. I generally only will go out to see a film in a group or on a date, otherwise I'll wait until I can watch it at my leisure in my own home.

The initial investment does cost more for a game, but with a game I'm going to be getting more time spent per dollar than I would for the 90-120 minutes I'll be spending in the theater. Games can also be played through multiple times and I have the option to sell them after I've finished them.

The appeal of a new blockbuster game has more weight than the appeal of a new movie title. The problem is that many movies that are coming out these days are just rehashed old films, unwanted sequels, revived old television shows or just plain bad. there are plenty of good movies that reach the silver screen, but many of the best are often lost in the shuffle.

The film industry still has a saving grace: I'm not going to buy buy Lost Odyssey for a girl to watch me play on a Friday night. As the trend in gaming tends to lean toward being more social, this could change. My friends come over some weekends just to play Rock Band and Wii Sports instead of spending money on a movie, but there are times when it's nice to get out into the world, socialize and interact with other people. As long as going to the theater remains a social event and people are willing to pay to see the new terrible Superhero Movie or Meet the Spartans the industry wont have to worry too much, but it will have to get used to the new kid on the block in the form of videogames taking away some revenues.

Riccitello: Hollywood is 'worried' [ Gamespot ]