JACK SKELLINGTON VIDEO GAME?
Oh man this is cool news, Jack Skellington is making his way onto video game systems next Halloween! Of course theres always a kicker, this will not be a violent game, but would you really expect it to be? Here’s all of the details…
Aint it Cool News reports, ‘This years E3 game developers conference in Los Angeles featured the unexpected appearance of a figure very familiar to fans of dark fantasy: Jack Skellington, the lanky hero of the 1993 stop-motion musical, TIM BURTONS NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. A life-sized Jack was perched atop a display featuring a video loop announcing an upcoming videogame based on NIGHTMARE; the footage showed a few shots from the THIS IS HALLOWEEN number that opens the film, then it went into new footage of the NIGHTMARE game, featuring approximately thirty seconds of the camera whirling through a remarkably faithful Halloweentown, past the Mayor and other characters from the film, before it ultimately zoomed in to focus on the grinning figure of Jack. This was all that most attendees of the conference learned of the game, but with some persistence we were able to corner Buena Vista Games marketing director Bob Picunko and convince him to offer up a few choice tidbits about the game.
Picunko told us that the game will not be based directly on the story of the film, but will be an original story set in the NIGHTMARE universe. He said that it will be an adventure game, but will not be violent. (As Picunko put it: Tim Burton created Jack as a very thoughtful character, so obviously it wouldnt be right for him to be running around with a gun.) Asked if the game would be pitched more at adults or kids, Picunko compared it to KINGDOM HEARTS, a game that he said was appropriate for kids, but a 17-year-old also wouldnt be embarrassed to take it home from the store. Picunko was hazy on the question of whether Burton or composer Danny Elfman would be involved in the games creation, although he did say that he hoped they would be and he hoped that Elfman could be persuaded to write a few original tunes for the game. Picunko also said it was too soon to say whether the films other holiday realms (Christmastown, Eastertown, etc.) would appear in the game, although he did say that this was high on the wish list of the games creators and that theyd sold the games concept to Disney with some test footage of Jack visiting these realms. Interestingly, Picunko said that the game footage on display at the conference had been created with a very fast turnaround, making it all the more impressive. The games creators are clearly taking great pains to capture the lushly atmospheric look of the film.
Unfortunately, NIGHTMARE fans face a long wait before the game will hit stores: Picunko says it wont be released until fall of 2004, just in time for the Halloween season.’
Courtesy of Bloody Disgusting
For over 20 years the Horror Asylum has continued to bring you the very best genre news, reviews, giveaways and interviews in the horror world.