The Cut Scene - Video Game Blog by Variety

Slightly behind schedule department

This arrived in my e-mail box today...

Today, D3Publisher released a downloadable demo of Dark Sector for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft via Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network!  Available now for download worldwide, the demo will offer players a fantastic introductory experience into the world of Dark Sector as they unleash the power and become a hero.

For those who don't recall, "Dark Sector" was released in March.

I'll be sure to download that right after I catch the trailer for "Jumper."

Leonardo Dicaprio starring as Nolan Bushnell

Here's a big step in the ascendancy of videogames to the cultural mainstream...

Tatiana Siegel reports in today's Daily Variety that Paramount has bought a pitch titled "Atari" with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to star as one of the founding father of videogames, Nolan Bushnell.

DiCaprio is also producing, which should hopefully give "Atari" a decent chance of actually getting made. Writers Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman, who have only indie credits between them, apparently convinced Bushnell to grant them the rights and then went and got one of Hollywood's biggest stars attached, which was surely a huge help in warming a big studio up to this inherently geeky project.

But that's how business gets done here and if the result is that a computer geek who helped make videogaming the mass media that it is today is recognized the way that America does it best -- with a big movie star portraying him -- that's something about which gamers should be absolutely ecstatic.

Warner Bros.' Jason Hall re-emerges as an Internet host

Last year, soon after Jason Hall "ankled" (Variety's term for that nether region between getting fired and resigning that happens so often in Hollywood) his position as head of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, I heard an interesting story from someone I know in the industry: While pitching his new production banner HD Films, Hall also let it be known he was interesting in acting. The 6'4" and seriously jacked Hall has always stood out (literally) in the industry for being a physically imposing guy and apparently he was eager to put that look to use in front of the camera.

It's a year later and Hall hasn't made it big thus far (at least in terms of stuff I know about) as a pure producer, but the acting thing is starting to work out. Newsweek's N'Gai Croal has an interview with Jall about "The Jace Hall Show," (which also has its own fledgling website here) a new show debuting on Crackle.com soon that will feature him doing interviews and comedy bits. It's apparently about "lifestyle, entertainment, celebrity and culture as it surrounds videogames" and features him in what he describes as a "hybrid ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm'-‘Jimmy Kimmel'-type of situation." I'm not really sure what that means either.

I'm definitely of the opinion that videogames need more coverage of the culture and personalities that surround them, just like other media get, so it'll be interesting see whether Hall can pull this off. Croal has a brief trailer on his Level Up blog that basically demonstrates that the show is going to be fast paced and feature interviews with some of the same kind of people you would expect to see at the Spike Video Game Awards -- Cliffy B, Zach Levi, etc. -- and some less obvious folks, like Gregg Grunberg from "Heroes" and the development team of "Duke Nukem: Forever."

Just as interesting is the way "The Jace Hall Show" is being distributed. It's on Crackle.com, which is noteworthy only in the sense that it's owned by Sony Pictures. Apparently Warner Bros., which had a first look deal with HD Films when Hall left last year, either wasn't interested or didn't have a home for it.

But it's also going to be available on Xbox Live for $1. As far as I know, it's the first original Internet content that's being sold on Xbox Live. Are people willing to pay $1 for something they can get on the Internet for free? Will five minutes for $1 sell better or worse than 22 or 44 minutes of network television for $2?

(I also feel the need to note, just for the record, that despite Croal's claim at the top of the interview that his blog Level Up had "an exclusive first interview" with Hall when he left Warner last year, we actually posted our story, complete with quotes from Hall, earlier that same day.)

Pontiac's Spy Hunter commercial

Want another sign that video game culture is now mainstream culture?

Variety's marketing reporter Marc Graser has just tipped me off to an awesome new commercial for Pontiac based on "Spy Hunter." It's a fantastic idea and a cool commercial. Of course there was that great Coke ad that played off "Grand Theft Auto" but I think this is the first one I've seen based on a classic game. It's obviously aimed directly at guys in their late 20s and 30s who remember playing "Spy Hunter" as a kid and will immediately get the reference with no explanation. I expect we're going to see a lot more ads like this. Maybe an airline ad based on "Joust?" Or an energy ad drink that plays off "Mike Tyson's Punch Out?"

(I wonder if Midway gets any cash for this? If it is, expect publishers with good '80s libraries like Midway to be pushing marketing deals like this as a new revenue source.)