Project Runway taking off on Wii

TV-based games often turn out to be a "hot mess," but Atari wants to "make it work" with a Wii adaptation of the Lifetime Network's latest acquisition, Project Runway. According to a Variety report, Project Runway production company Weinstein Co. has signed a deal with Atari for a series of games based on the hit show, with the first title to appear on the Wii next spring.

While the show's stars, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, have not yet been finalized for the game, the various parties are working out details to have them appear. Players can expect the game to follow the show's format, wherein an assortment of aspiring designers are given a challenge and a limited amount of time to create new fashions fitting the theme every week. Gunn provides contestants with advice along the way, and a panel of fashion experts (including Klum) watch models take the designs up the runway, rating the efforts and eliminating at least one designer at the end of each show.

According to Variety, the game will ask players to make their designs and specify hair, makeup, and accessories for their models. When it comes time for the runway portion of the show, players will be able to use the Wii Balance Board to virtually strut the catwalk, or stand on the sidelines as a photographer, snapping shots of the new outfits. The game will have an enthusiastic and dedicated fan base to tap into, as Project Runway attracts more than 4 million viewers every week.

Project Runway isn't the only mainstream show about to find its way into games. The Twilight series of teen vampire novels and films is getting into games with its very own Scene It? trivia game, and Deep Silver is prepping a game based on Fox's concluded Prison Break. Reality TV titles have been particularly plentiful, with Hell's Kitchen, Deadliest Catch, Karaoke Revolution: American Idol, and Dancing With the Stars all receiving gaming adaptations.