In lack of better ideas and an outwardly crippled imagination, increasingly more productions are adaptations of popular video games. If “Tomb Raider” hit the spot – mostly because of Angelina Jolie and her similarity to Lara Croft – it doesn’t mean every adaptation will shatter the box office. The “Silent Hill” movie adaptation was an example of a fine story twisted around and with graphics worse than in the game itself, not to mention how many people turn a deaf ear when they hear about “Sims: The Movie”.

The most recent console-to-screen adaptation involves the dark, somber and highly popular “Max Payne”. The main character is played by Mark Wahlberg, who is a cop in search of his family’s murderer. The director, John Moore, spent a bit of his time perusing game boards, and the results were nowhere near surprising. As it usually happens, the reviews from die-hard Max Payne gamers were far from favorable. It’s interesting to notice that comic book adaptations received a much better welcome from avid comic book readers. The most popular example are the Superman and Batman series, closely followed by the adaptations of Spiderman, X-Men, Sin City and many others.

The game-to-screen transitions are seemingly becoming a trend, as Sony Pictures is preparing the “Metal Gear Solid” movie, Universal is transforming “God of War” and Walt Disney Pictures – “Prince of Persia”. 20th Century Fox is apparently on a roll, after their previous adaptation of the game “Hitman” was met with success.

Directors are torn between the two ways one can adapt a game. On the one hand, you want to give gamers new elements which aren’t included in the game, in order to make them want to see the movie instead of continuing to play the game. On the other hand, those who haven’t played the game need a straight story in order to understand what’s going on in the movie. Striking a balance between these expectations is the key to a successful adaptation. But the balance is hard to achieve, as history has shown us time and time again.