In June, the Syfy 
Channel and THQ debuted “Red Faction: Origins,” a television movie that not only received decent reviews, but was also the test pilot for a potential series. Days later, the latest game in the series – “Red Faction: Armageddon” – landed on store shelves.
Just shy of two months after that, though, all talk the TV series had stopped and THQ had put the game franchise on ice. And that death knell called into question the effectiveness of the transmedia movement.
[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris looks at the odd 
disconnect between video games and the film industry, discussing the ins-and-outs of “transmedia”, and how publishers could potentially take advantage of the system.]
Video games and Hollywood have always been the Woody Allen and Soon-Yi of the entertainment world. They’re together forever, but the fit has always been an odd one — and a little creepy at times.
Yet, for all the talk of film and video game synergy, you don’t see a lot of real world applications. Typically, the drill goes something like this: Studio wants to extend the reach of its upcoming nerd-friendly film; reaches agreement with game publisher; crappy game ensues (usually due to severely restricted development windows).
[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris catches up with the 
Tribeca Film Institute’s director Beth Janson as the prestigious film-making body launches its TFI New Media Fund — for projects that wed traditional film-making with interactive projects like video games.]
One of the film world’s most prestigious festivals is taking an interest in the video game space.
The Tribeca Film Institute (a nonprofit group affiliated with the Tribeca Film Festival) and the Ford Foundations’s JustFilms initiative have announced the creation of a new annual grant — the TFI New Media Fund — for projects that wed traditional filmmaking and new media.
It’s rough being a video game icon 
in the transmedia age.
With titles like “Red Faction” and “Halo” starting to expand beyond their gaming roots into novels and television, some of the rights owners for the games that made the industry big in the first place are exploring their options. And it’s not a pretty picture.
[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris 
looks at how initial releases in game franchises are extending across film, books, action figures and beyond, talking to THQ’s Danny Bilson about the just-announcedHomefront prequel novel and why the “fiercely competitive” market demands that extra transmedia step.]
The video game industry, if you haven’t noticed, isn’t just about games any more.
Sure they’re important, but for many publishers, they’re the hub of a broader entertainment property.
Chris Morris: Journalist 