There aren't a lot of sure bets in the videogame industry, but for the past few years the "Call of Duty" franchise was a pretty safe place to put your money. Even after the holidays, they've led the game sales pack for at least the first few months of the following year — but not this year.
E3 is usually the videogame industry's big party of the year — a chance to celebrate its strengths and showcase the titles it expects to drive sales forward for the rest of the year. But as the game makers gather for this year's event, a cloud hangs over the soiree.
There are some familiar franchises on this list of the biggest game-to-movie stinkers, proving that even if a studio options a game with an enormous fan base, it can't assume those players will show up at the box office.
The history of financially successful videogame-to-movie conversions is a pretty short one. Here are eight examples of gaming franchises that have managed to succeed on the big screen.
Rovio has turned its one hit wonder into a money making machine. Its newest game - Angry Birds Space went on sale at midnight and almost immediately became the top selling and top grossing app on the iPhone and iPad, not just in the US, but also in China and Japan.
For the first time, people are using its XBox gaming console more for entertainment—watching movies and TV shows and listening to music—than for playing video games.
When Activision Blizzard’s long-awaited Diablo III went on sale at midnight, it had already broken sales records. Once players got their hands on the game, they also overloaded Activision Blizzard's servers.
Videogame makers are unveiling their new slates — which no surprise are looking to seize spots in the top three games of the year — as well as find new ways to make money.
Nintendo and Sony took pains to avoid mentioning their next generation console systems at this year's E3 videogame conference. But their publishing partners had plenty to say about what gamers can expect in 2013.
Zynga will participate in E3 for the first time. But instead of using the media-saturated event to showcase its titles, Zynga's there with another goal in mind: capturing the eye of some of the industry's best talent.
Microsoft is taking Apple head-on with an iTunes competitor. Starting this fall, XBox will offer 'XBox Music,' with 30 million songs — just a bit smaller than Apple's catalog.
Electronic Arts is trying to adapt to the new digital landscape. That message from CEO John Riccitiello was sent loud and clear at the company's E3 presentation.
Judging by the lines at Nintendo's E3 booth, Nintendo's Wii U is a hit, but the system could have been a lot different if Nintendo had listened to its inner demons.