Film maker J.J. Abrams and game maker Gabe Newell, two highly respected individuals in their own respective fields, met today in a keynote kicking off the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit — and it was just about as entertaining as you'd expect.
Throughout the conversation, the two esteemed experts sparred back and forth over storytelling in both games and movies. Abrams and Newell jokingly teased the others' field, pointing out the limitations of each medium.
The keynote included clips Cloverfield in which Newell noted the viewer had no choice in the story. "I'm looking at that as a gamer and saying put the camera down and let me fucking run. And you won't let me do that," Newell pointed out. In turn, Abrams presented a clip from Half-Life 2 in which the player wasn't even paying attention to a conversation between the Dr. and Alex.
In the end, it was all in good fun as both praised each others' work and respective medium (despite the said limitations). The overall sense was that both films and games can both equally tell an engaging and powerful story in their own unique way.
The presentation concluded with Abrams revealing an idea for a game they'd like Valve to work on, while Newell acknowledged the want to work with Abrams on a Portal and Half-Life movie. Whether any of that will happen remains to be seen, but what an entertaining thought!
And with that, D.I.C.E. Summit 2013 has officially begun. We look forward to providing you coverage of the great things we're sure to see.
