Bruckheimer to Develop Video Games in MTV Deal

Posted on December 20, 2007

The New York Times reports that blockbuster Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer is going to try his hand at developing video games. The Times says Bruckheimer's company is going to announce a deal with MTV next Wednesday.

On Wednesday Mr. Bruckheimer's company will announce a deal with MTV to develop actual video games, which would probably start appearing on store shelves in 2009. The new games will be based on fresh concepts rather than on current MTV shows or on Mr. Bruckheimer's vast library of past projects, which includes the "C.S.I." television franchise and movies like "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."

As its audience has grown more interested in video games, MTV, a division of Viacom, is trying to follow them. In August, MTV announced that it would invest more than $500 million in its interactive entertainment business over the next two years. Several weeks ago, it released Rock Band, a well-reviewed game in which players operate instrument-shaped controllers in time to pop songs.

But this deal marks the company's first attempt to develop titles that do not involve music or its already established television shows.

"This is more analogous to a film deal," said Van Toffler, president of the MTV Networks Music and Logo Group. "We'll have a handful of people who will develop and nurture ideas."

The article doesn't really say what type of games Bruckheimer will develop but if it follows the style of his movies then these will be games with very large budgets. Other big Hollywood directors including Steve Spielberg and John Woo have also developed video games.

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