Help us name our videogame documentary

[mattbarton.exe]

Hello, everyone. I am writing to ask your help in selecting a title for a feature documentary about the history of videogames. The film, which is being produced by Lux Digital Pictures, covers the entire history of the topic from the earliest mainframe days all the way up to modern times. It is an in-depth history that will be loaded with gameplay footage from all eras, as well as commentary from industry figures like John Romero and David Crane. We really want it to be successful, and of course that begins with a great title.

 

Please vote for your favorite, and consider offering some reasons below. Also, if you have an idea for an even better title, feel free to suggest it.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[GroovyBee]

I don't like any of the options.

 

How about :-

 

Press fire to begin

Game Over!

Wagga wagga wagga <-------- (How the pacman dot eating noise sounds)

The joy of sticks

CX40 <------------------ (worked for Lucas's THX1138)

[jrok]

I'm not so sure any of those names really nails it down. "Epic Win" and "W00t" in particular seem like wide, wide misses (sorry). I mean... "W00t" could be about the a teenaged girl's obsession with text messaging. And the others all seem too generic/prosaic. If you're really covering video game history from "Space War!" and dedicated systems on up, then the title should be something that all electronic games share in common, and iconic enough that all generations of video gamers and developers would recognize it instantly.

 

Maybe you should fish through your A-roll for a good soundbyte?

[mbd30]

"From 'Death Race' to 'Grand Theft Auto IV': The Complete History Of Video Games"

[S1500]

All those vote options are terrible. I nominate "Player 1"

[GroovyBee]

How about "1UP". Thats a video game phrase that has been around a long time.

[STICH666]

Well 1UP sounds more connected to just Mario.

[GroovyBee]

Youths!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-up

Edited July 20, 2009 by GroovyBee

[jrok]

"Joystuck!: 50 Years of Blips, Bloops and Bleeps"

[carmel_andrews]

The world according to videogames

 

the A-Z of videogames

 

From things that smell (pong/tele tennis) to the ps3

 

And on the 7th day god created videogames

 

Videogames on Videogames...an honest review of the past, present and future

 

Vidoegames...As reviewed by charles darwin

[STICH666]

Youths!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-up

I was saying it sounds like it's connected to Mario rather than the rest of the gaming world.

[+thegoldenband]

As others have said, most of the titles you've suggested are less than compelling. #4 and #5 are pretty generic, and #1 and #3 make me uncomfortable in that "your dad trying to use the latest slang" sort of way.

 

Playing With Power is considerably better, but probably too NES-specific and still feels forced.

 

I like a few of the above suggestions, specifically Press Fire To Begin (a Parsec reference?), The Joy Of Sticks (which is clever without being too cloying), and 1-Up (the finished product will sort towards the beginning of the alphabet, which could boost sales).

 

How about Power Up? That's my girlfriend's suggestion. Simple, direct, reasonably universal, and easily extensible with a subtitle of some sort, e.g.:

 

Power Up!: The Past, Present, and Future of Video Games

 

Or however you want to do it, really.

Edited July 21, 2009 by thegoldenband

[darthkur]

Insert Coin

 

or

 

 

[STICH666]

Insert Coin

 

or

 

 

Again that title sounds to only be used when talking about a certain type of game and not the game market itself. Would be a great title if it were about arcade machines though.

Edited July 21, 2009 by STICH666

[FlightSuit]

None of those name ideas were any good.

 

Epic Win

 

This, of course, is a take-off on the very recent, extremely modern Internet slang term, "epic fail." Extremely modern Internet slang is very annoying, and doesn't seem very relevant to a documentary which purports to cover a history which spans several decades. Also, where's the win? Who won something? Videogaming in general is about loss: You fritter away countless dollars and many long hours of your short life, which you will never get back. How is that a victory?

 

Playing with Power

 

What power? Whose power? If you're a videogamer, you're not playing with power; you're playing with yourself.

 

W00t

 

Please see my previous comments about incredibly annoying Internet slang. Add to them the fact that Woot is the name of a very popular Web site and store which doesn't have anything to do with gaming. This can only confuse people.

 

The Videogame Revolution

 

This is just about the least original, most generic title imaginable. There are only, like, a million magazine and newspaper articles or TV human-interest pieces which have already used this name as a headline or title.

 

The Age of Videogames

 

This isn't especially bad, but it's not particularly good, either. It's just kind of bland.

 

I'm sorry if my comments seem harsh, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em, and I woudn't be doing you any favors by withholding my opinions. I do sincerely wish you the best of luck with your documentary, and I'll be interested to know what title you ultimately choose.

Edited July 21, 2009 by FlightSuit

[jrok]

Somebody voted for "W00t?" Seriously?

 

Could that somebody please explain? (or "PL3453 3><PL41|\|"). Apologies to the OP (or his agent), but that is a truly terrible, inexplicable title for something about the history of this medium.

[chrisbid]

How about something along the line of "Video Games: the Fad that Never Died" or "Video Games: The 40 Year Fad"

 

In the early 80's, most people over the age of 30 saw video games as nothing more than a pet rock, hula hoop, or rubik's cube. It was something that would die off, but since the crash, game companies have managed to keep people interested in video games.

[Bill Loguidice]

Based on the results of the polls here and elsewhere, there are three leading candidates right now, two which have "Videogame" in the title, and the third which would have it in the subtitle. The important point to remember is that we're not necessarily looking to get the best title to appeal to videogame and computer fans, because we believe they'll find out about and want to watch this regardless, just like all of the others that have come before, such as "King of Kong". What we really need is a title that indicates what it is while piquing the interest of non-gamers as much as possible. If we can just get them to give the film a quick look, it would then be the film's responsibility to keep them hooked.

 

Also, just to clarify one last time, since it may not have been immediately obvious, we are taking viewers on a videogame history journey from the 1940's to the "future", covering every possible platform, regardless if its computer, arcade, console or handheld, with a particular focus on the games themselves, interspersed with quite a few interviews. Certainly in roughly 120 minutes there won't be room to get into every nook and cranny, but I guarantee we'll be covering things that haven't been covered before in a mainstream production.

[mckafka99]

I haven't any idea why, but this popped into my head: "Oscilloscope : The Evolution of Video Games"

[classicgamingguy]

How about:

 

"Playing with Yourself: The epic rise of video games"

 

Catchy and suggestive!

[KIWASABI]

Digital Crack: A History of Video Games, the World's Safest Drug

 

-Adam

 

Edit:

Or

 

Digital Crack: A History of Video Games, the World's Safest and Most Addictive Drug

Edited July 21, 2009 by KIWASABI

[A Sprite]

Hello, everyone. I am writing to ask your help in selecting a title for a feature documentary about the history of videogames. The film, which is being produced by Lux Digital Pictures, covers the entire history of the topic from the earliest mainframe days all the way up to modern times. It is an in-depth history that will be loaded with gameplay footage from all eras, as well as commentary from industry figures like John Romero and David Crane. We really want it to be successful, and of course that begins with a great title.

 

Please vote for your favorite, and consider offering some reasons below. Also, if you have an idea for an even better title, feel free to suggest it.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

 

 

Taking Control. (followed by whatever subtitle you care to add. )

 

What makes videogames unique as a medium is the active participation of the player in constructing the experience. There's a kind of silent conversation between creator and audience, whether it's as simple as "One more hit and you'll die! What do you do now?" or as complex as "Your desire to be close to someone you love can hurt them, how do you balance each other's needs?" As games become more and more advanced, we see the participation of the player growing - witness the emergence of sandbox games.

 

This narrative even extends to the time before videogames - what would later become pinball games had no flippers. The player's sole participation was in launching the ball...

Edited July 21, 2009 by A Sprite

[potatohead]

How Video Games Became Ordinary --A coin operated coming of age geek adventure.

 

This documentary features a new look on the story of how video games came to life, filled with everything from dark smoke filled rooms with strange sounds and lights, to corporate titans waging war, one quarter, one cartridge at a time where fortunes could be made or broken over what Mom 'n Dad bring home from the K-Mart!

 

See "How Video Games Became Ordinary" on DVD, or the more authentic VHS today!

Edited July 21, 2009 by potatohead

[GroovyBee]

Some others :-

 

Binary: It's a state of mind.

Binary: Into the zone.

Frag! Its only a game.

Be the game.

[jrok]

Be the game.

 

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na...