Director John Woo.

JUNE 1, 2007 • In a break with convention, Ninja Gold is being developed concurrently as a video game and motion picture by Deus Ex gamemaker Warren Spector and action director John Woo. Usually game properties are licensed later from films, and in rare cases, the reverse is true. The idea behind the property originated with Woo, who wanted to explore how traditional ninjas would have to adapt to the modern world. Spector and Woo collaborated on the characters and situations, which the film and game will share.

Impact: In 99.99% of the cases it is not a good idea to try and jointly develop a game and a movie. Given the type of property and the background of the names involved, this seems to be one of the rare cases where it could work. If it does pan out expect numerous copycats to unsuccessfully try and jump on the bandwagon.