Most videogame executives at studios are well aware of the deservedly bad reputation that movie-based videogames have. The smart ones (and many of them are smart) are trying to find ways to improve the quality of the genre, as recent news from Marvel, Universal and Paramount all demonstrate (click through for details).

Today brings the news that Warner Bros. is taking an innovative, and I think quite promising, new approach with "Watchmen." Turning this fan favorite comic turned movie into a videogame is, of course, a no brainer. But making a AAA console title in time for the film's release this March would, as is always the case with the tight schedule of theatrical releases, be difficult.

Warner's solution is to turn "Watchmen" into a series of downloadable episodic videogames. Two are already in the works from Danish developer Deadline Games, and if they're successful there could be more. Warner Bros. Interactive's senior VP of production and development Samantha Ryan says this model lets the studio make a game that's just as high quality as a AAA disc-based game ("complete with shaders and physics"), but have it done in time for the theatrical release by simply making it shorter (the second installment should come out with the DVD).

If "Watchmen" goes well, I think we can expect Warner and other studios to follow this example, since it's a good way to put out a game that takes advantage of the huge studio marketing spend on a movie release without putting out something that's embarrassing to the producers and ultimately harmful to the IP.

For full details on the "Watchmen" game, check out my story in today's Daily Variety. But for even more in-depth info, here are some excerpts of my interview with Ryan about the strategy and the game:

Me: Why make "Watchmen" into downloadable games? Is it simply a matter of time?

Samantha Ryan: What we're trying to do with "Watchmen" is create the best quality game that delivers the experience fans expect from what we believe to be a great movie and a great property. Rather than the more traditional "time is limited squeeze the puppy onto the market" route, we wanted to craft something that's the best possible game it can be.

There's a great crossover between "Watchmen" fans and gamers. It's a hard core property and a hard core movie and a hard core game. A downloadable game allows us to deliver the experience that fans expect.

Me: So this is the same quality as an AAA game, but just shorter?

SR: It's not a 10 or 20 hour retail game. But it's a solid game experience for what it is and will be priced appropriately.

Me: You obviously didn't feel you had the time to make a high quality disc-based game. So how long do you have to work on the downloadable "Watchmen" games?

SR: Just over a year. We really feel like we're setting a new bar for what it means to be a downloadable game. It's not an Xbox Live Arcade title where we're recreating "Tetris" or a simple fighter. The graphics look as good as any traditional PS3 or 360 game sitting on the shelf at retail.

Me: Are you confident a short game will satisfy "Watchmen" fans?

SR: We still feel this game is satisfying and delivers what people want. It's more "Watchmen." We just don't want to get lost at retail. We don't want to have a low quality game. There's already tons of that out there. We'd rather give this the focus and care and attention it deserves.

Me: When will the episodes come out in relation to the movie?

SR: There will be a chunk with the film release. Several hours of gameplay with the film. After that there's another. They're both about equal in length. [The second is expected with the DVD]

Me: "Episodic" game implies that it can keep on going. So if "Watchmen" does well, would there be more than two episodes?

SR: We'll play that by ear. We're treading into a space where no one has tread before. No one has synced a downloadable game with a film of this magnitude. Very few have put out a downloadable game of this quality. It's a fairly significant investment of time and money. If it works, it could be a new delivery mechanism that we explore further.

Me: For movie-based games especially, this seems to make a lot of sense?

SR: You're thinking how I think when we have to get games done on incredibly tight schedules. Especially when they're adult games. When you're talking about content of this rich nature with a huge fan base, it deserves some tender loving care. With over a year to go, some people would have said "Sign me up for a retail sku." Maybe for a kids game, that would be fine. Not for "Watchmen."

(Wondering about the details of the game? All I know so far is that it's a brawler where you can play as Night Owl or Rorsach. Sounds like there's a good chance of co-op, though that's not confirmed. Ryan promises that the art style is fantastic and "captures the grim and gritty look of 'Watchmen.'" Hopefully I'll be able to see for myself and report back soon.)