Movie Director Michael Bay Plans $25 Million FPS

 

The L.A. Times is reporting that Michael Bay, acclaimed director of Armageddon and the upcoming Transformers, has started plans to create a first-person shooter. This isn’t the first time Bay has shown an interest in video games; he was even recently attached to direct a film based on Prince of Persia. As co-chairman of Digital Domain Inc., Bay appears to be doing this to help expand the company, mostly known for special effects, into other markets.

I wish I could be more optimistic about Bay’s unexplored talents as a game maker, but his passion for style over substance and tendency to overindulge in corporate sponsorship has never particularly won me over in his movies. On the other hand, maybe these talents will work out in another medium.

I have to say, I’m a little wary about all these movie directors suddenly jumping on the game-making bandwagon. The last game I can think of that was directed by a film director was Enter the Matrix, and that one ended up in bargain bins in less than a year. I’d like to be cheering on Digital Domain, but all they really have going for them is a handful of directors who have never created a game before. Well, at least those games will have some awesome cut scenes.