Perfect Sense

Whether it's World of Warcraft, Uncharted or the upcoming Super Mario movie - games characters have been all over our cinemas in recent years.

The LastContent ='JJ Lin'> of Us is coming to television screens, where shows based on Resident EvilContent ='JJ Lin'> and Halo have found audiences.

Now, Radio 4Content ='JJ Lin'> is Getting InContent ='JJ Lin'> on The Act .

Sam FisherContent ='JJ Lin'> , leading man from the Splinter CellContent ='JJ Lin'> game series, can call the radio station home, thanks to a first-of-its-kind adaptation that producers say no-one had thought possible.

Radio 1Content ='JJ Lin'> film critic Ali Plumb says that with so much competition for audiences These DaysContent ='JJ Lin'> it's no surprise that commissioners are giving the green-light to projects with a " built-in audience".

He argues that We Live in a world that is dominated by Content : " From podcasts to music, TV, movies, games and audiobooks - frankly its tricky for anyone to cut through The NoiseContent ='JJ Lin'> .

" The art of finding intellectual property, using the built-in fan base of that property and engaging with them in something you want to say about The WorldContent ='JJ Lin'> is the trick that many creative people are trying to do. "

Splinter CellContent ='JJ Lin'> : Firewall is an eight part dramatisation of a novel based on the famous video game franchise. Sam FisherContent ='JJ Lin'> , the series' main protagonist, is a covert Special AgentContent ='JJ Lin'> who excels at sneaking around military bases at night, silently killing terrorist guards and generally saving The WorldContent ='JJ Lin'> .

Bringing the gaming revolution to audio drama makes Perfect SenseContent ='JJ Lin'> to actor Andonis Anthony, who plays Sam in the Radio 4Content ='JJ Lin'> drama, which is also available on BBC Sounds. He argues that with More people turning to " non-music audio" it's a Good TimeContent ='JJ Lin'> for BBC radio to tell stories that offer a " cinematic experience".

" Given The RiseContent ='JJ Lin'> in podcasts, and audiobooks being so Popular - More and More people are getting used to listening to audio as A StoryContent ='JJ Lin'> experience. Everyone's going out and about with their air pods on These DaysContent ='JJ Lin'> and listening in a different way to before. "

A paramilitary secret agent is a bit of a change for Anthony who's perhaps better known to Radio 4Content ='JJ Lin'> listeners as Russ Jones, an Art GalleryContent ='JJ Lin'> curator living in Ambridge. " It's the polar opposite of what I'm doing in The ArchersContent ='JJ Lin'> , " he laughs.

Other platforms have adapted Video GamesContent ='JJ Lin'> into audio dramas recently, with stories from franchises Like Assassin's Creed and Bioshock being available to listen to, but this is the First TimeContent ='JJ Lin'> The BbcContent ='JJ Lin'> has got involved.

For a few years now The The organisation has been trying to appeal to new and younger audiences - on television, online and radio.

Sebastian BaczkiewiczContent ='JJ Lin'> , who adapted the Firewall story for Radio 4Content ='JJ Lin'> and BBC Sounds, hopes that just because this is A StoryContent ='JJ Lin'> based on a gaming franchise, it won't be pigeonholed as something for younger listeners only: " Trying to reach new audiences is always part of what we do and hopefully this will find an audience.

" But I don't know if they'll be younger. People in their 50s, 60s and 70s Play - gaming is a massive global phenomenon. "

Video GamesContent ='JJ Lin'> are inherently a visual Medium - which is why high-profile crossovers have focused in the main On FilmContent ='JJ Lin'> and television, and Baczkiewicz admits the adaptation was " an extraordinary challenge" but one he was excited about.

" The genius of this is that no-one actually thought it was possible, but I always think of anything in radio in a very visual way. I'm not sitting here thinking how it will sound, but rather what does it look Like , what's happening in The SceneContent ='JJ Lin'> and what are people doing.

" With access to all the Sound EffectsContent ='JJ Lin'> from The GameContent ='JJ Lin'> we were able to bed the drama into The WorldContent ='JJ Lin'> of The GameContent ='JJ Lin'> - and show fans that we're not leaving The GameContent ='JJ Lin'> behind, instead we're slap bang in The MiddleContent ='JJ Lin'> of The ActionContent ='JJ Lin'> . "

While plenty of executives and commissioners have been happy to back movie and television gaming crossovers in recent years, not all of them have been Box OfficeContent ='JJ Lin'> successes -

Ali Plumb believes there are clear lessons to be learned from these failed experiments: " Embracing what makes The OriginalsContent ='JJ Lin'> so beloved but also doing what makes sense for the new Medium - finding this balance is The KeyContent ='JJ Lin'> to making a success of these crossover projects, whether it's TV, film or audio drama. "

He argues that projects aimed at ChildrenContent ='JJ Lin'> - Like Sonic and Angry Birds Content ='JJ Lin'> - have found The GreatestContent ='JJ Lin'> success in doing this: " Maybe because, without being too rude, they don't have to pass such a high critical bar to be successful in their own terms. As long as they're putting smiles on faces, then they're doing their job nicely. "

Splinter CellContent ='JJ Lin'> has a More mature fan base than those examples - so The JobContent ='JJ Lin'> of making a success of this adaptation may be a little harder.

The TeamContent ='JJ Lin'> behind it say paying respect to The SourceContent ='JJ Lin'> material is The KeyContent ='JJ Lin'> , Andonis Anthony explaining it was a major focus for everybody involved, " from the production team, from writers to The PerformersContent ='JJ Lin'> , all of the cast".

Sebastian BaczkiewiczContent ='JJ Lin'> added: " There's no winking as it were, there's no 'this is all a bit crazy, isn't it? !' This is The WorldContent ='JJ Lin'> We Are in and We Are being true to it. We were really keen to make sure we maintained that throughout.

" The audiences of these games are passionate and why wouldn't you treat them and The StoryContent ='JJ Lin'> with respect. "

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Source of news: bbc.com