Everyone talks about the many similarities, and differences, between the game industry and Hollywood — along with the convergence of the two. Many in the industry have a general sense of the way movies are made, the transition from the studio system to project based contracting, the slippery modes of accounting, etc, etc. Given the extent to which so many of us use Hollywood examples and analogies, I thought it wise to do some actual background research/reading.

Luckily enough, I came across the superb book “The Big Picture: The New Logic of Money and Power in Hollywood“. The Big Picture not only goes into great detail on the history of Hollywood, providing interesting morsels of trivialis along the way(eg, the term “blockbuster” comes from the movies that were so popular that the ticket queue went around/over the next street block, or “box-office” comes from the fact that the money made from a money was kept in a box in the office, duh), but parses out the economic, political and social logic behind Hollywood, the global movie industry and films as an art form.

So while the history was certainly informative (eg, who knew it was mainly Walt Disney’s drive to focus on character based IP that would provide for the new/current model that the old studio system would evolve to), it is the exploration of the intersection between the political, social and economic implications. Sadly, when most mainstream media look at the game industry, they are mainly looking at economic impact, the tech or simply the negative social issues… Sadder still, most folks in the industry rarely stop to consider all these aspects as well. Here’s a great section that nails where us in games really fall short (for countless reasons):

“…cynicism notwithstanding, even in terms of their enlightened self-interest, studios require more than just commercially successful projects. In addition to their desire to offer a product that will appeal to financiers, merchandisers, and licensees, studio executives need to preserve and nourish their relationship with the stars, directors, producers, and agents who define the Hollywood community… If studio executives made only films that maximized the amount of money in their clearinghouse, they would do so at the serious risk of losing their standing in that community and, with it, their connection to the people, events, honors, and opportunities that brought them to Hollywood in the first place. …they have concerns that go beyond the economic logic dictated by the balance sheet of the clearinghouse. Their decisions must also take into account a broader if less tangible consideration: the social and political axes of Hollywood.”

Amen.