Watchmen game winds up at Warner Bros.

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Jul 23, 2008 11:16 am PT

Episodic prequel series for upcoming feature film to hit Xbox 360, PS3, and PC next year.

Fans of Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel Watchmen have another reason to be excited (or apprehensive). The upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film adaptation is already faced with the daunting task of capturing the nuanced and layered story of the original comics, but the studio's interactive entertainment arm today announced it would further adapt the film into games.

The Owlship watches a Watchman.

Set for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, Watchmen will be an episodic downloadable series developed by Deadline Games, the Danish studio behind Chili Con Carnage, Total Overdose, and Faith and a .45. Described as action-brawlers, the games will serve as prequels to the film, chronicling the vigilante team of Rorschach and Nite Owl in their earlier days. The game will not only build up the backstories of various characters from the film, but also introduce new opponents into the mix.

Like the comic, the film kicks off with Rorschach's investigation into the murder of a former teammate and superhero. Set in an alternate-universe 1985 where the Cold War stalemate hangs heavy over the world, the film is working off a screenplay from Alex Tse and David Hayter (writer of the new Lost Planet film and voice of Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series).

Watchmen is being directed by Zack Snyder (300, 2004's Dawn of the Dead) and stars Stephen McHattie (A History of Violence, Theodore Rex), Jackie Earle Haley (The Bad News Bears, Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence), and Billy Crudup (Big Fish, Mission: Impossible III). The film is scheduled for a March 6 release in the US.

85 Comments

  • The_Praetor

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 1:21 pm PT

    GAH, A FREAKIN BEAT-EM-UP?

    Watchmen is just too deep to put into a mindless brawler. Man, this sucks so much.

    Rorschach is better suited to an RPG... an action-adventure... SOMETHING.

  • thorsen-ink GameSpot staff member

    Posted Sep 30, 2008 10:12 pm PT

    Do NOT screw this up Warner Bros. Watchmen is sacrosanct in the comic pantheon.

  • Dark_Lullaby

    Posted Sep 14, 2008 2:52 pm PT

    It took me hours to convince myself that the film could do the book justice. A joint release game shows the true intentions of Warner bros and their next blockbuster cash cow.
    I beg all that read this to read the book.

  • RorshachV

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 6:51 pm PT

    as if I wasn't apprehensive enough about a Watchmen game, it's being made by the people who did "Chili Con Carnage." I think it's safe to assume the game will be a disgrace to Moore's masterpiece.

  • SpartanTnT

    Posted Jul 27, 2008 11:12 am PT

    The movie looks really cool, hopefully the game would be good too, unlike most movie-game transitions.

  • mightycloud

    Posted Jul 27, 2008 4:28 am PT

    I love the comic and urge anyone remotely intrested in comics or superhero games to pick up a copy. That said the movie looks good, but it's need to be about 4-6 hours long to dramatise it properly (including the back story sections at the end of each issue), and I can't see the point in doing games based on just a few lines of dialogue from Rorschach's diary.

    It's just a cheap cash-in on a cult favourite/ new corparate franchise.

  • TehUndeadHorror

    Posted Jul 26, 2008 3:41 pm PT

    Oh my god... what is that?! It looks like a gimpy batman or something...

  • halo1399

    Posted Jul 26, 2008 12:32 pm PT

    .........They're choosing this over the Dark Knight????

    Makes me want to punch a wall.

  • Dadamac67

    Posted Jul 26, 2008 1:44 am PT

    This sounds disgusting....A movie?..YES!....and it looks awesome!....Zack Snyder is a real talent...300 Was amazing......can't wait for it..but a video game?....ridiculous idea...Watchmen was'nt about kicking a$$...it was a drama?....more than anything...looking at these heroes and their human flaws...and it was a murder-mystery....it was deep Man!...it was deep....I read it around '88 or so...and its still in my head......a video game?.....if Alan Moore is pissed about the movie...wait till he hears this...its like making a video game based on "Moby Dick" or "On the Road"...dumb corporate idea

  • Aerothorn

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 4:19 pm PT

    WHY WHY WHY

    While I remain skeptical of the movie, it seems like they're at least TRYING to be faithful to the comic. But giving the game rights to these guys? What are they thinking?

  • Lebbin

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 10:15 pm PT

    The games might be good, but I don't think they would do justoce to the book.

  • Knightbringr

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 4:54 pm PT

    I was praying that they didn't screw up the movie, but after watching the preview it actually looks like it may be good. All I can think about after reading this is Enter the Matrix. Please... PLEASE... don't screw it up.

  • xbox360progamer

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 4:29 pm PT

    this is going to sux..

  • LiontamerV

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 4:28 pm PT

    Why?

    Seriously. For those who've read the Watchmen everything is explained in the course of the comic. No need to add more pointless filler that wasn't written by Alan Moore

  • ray4594

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 4:28 pm PT

    I think the movie and the game is more for fans of it. But who knows I can be wrong

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