The prospect of a keynote discussion at the DICE Summit taking place this week between Gabe Newell and J.J. Abrams seemed intriguing enough. After all, the two are some of the biggest names in their respective fields, Newell being the co-founder of Valve and Abrams being one of the most prolific producers and directors in Hollywood over the past decade. The conversation the two had on stage today was interesting enough, but the most noteworthy bit came in the form of a revelation that the two sides could collaborate on a game, as well as a movie based on Portal or Half-Life.
Newell explained that the talk was a rehash of conversations the two have had previously, Gamasutra reports. It centered around the strengths and weaknesses of storytelling in film and games. Because of the linear nature of film and TV, Abrams said that “games in many cases are far better than movies in telling story,” although he did later note the problem with game characters who are “empty vessels.” Newell, meanwhile, took issue with the lack of agency in movies; he showed a clip of the Abrams-produced film Cloverfield and quipped about how he’d like to be able to put down the camera “and f***ing run.” Abrams countered by pointing to the problems that can arise with telling a story when players are free to run around, doing whatever they want.
