Diesel Powered

Vin Diesel, in between killing inmates with teacups and threatening to eat small children, plays videogames, lots of ’em. The guys a big geek at heart (seriously, break dancing, D&D – the whole kit ‘n caboodle), so much so that he formed Tigon Studios in 2002. Tigon Studios is a developer geared to translating Diesel’s filmic adventures to the videogame medium, the latest of which will be The Wheelman, headed to the PS3 and Xbox 360.

The Wheelman is billed as being one of those cross media synergistically enhanced entertainment ventures we’ve heard so much about. The film will be developed by MTV Films in association with Diesel’s Tigon Films, and is to be distributed by Paramount. The aural side of things will naturally be overseen by MTV, while distribution of the game will be handled by Midway Games.

Not too many details on the films plot have surfaced just yet, all we know is that Diesel is the titular “Wheelman” who comes out of retirement to protect the woman he loves. However, if Tigon Studios last adaptation of Diesel’s work (The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay) is anything to go by the game might end up not following the movies plot at all, instead building on the characters and universe – we can only hope. The idea of movie game tie-ins is nothing new, but perhaps developers should start heeding David Jaffe’s advice and play to the strengths of the medium.

Vin Diesel, in between killing inmates with teacups and threatening to eat small children, plays videogames, lots of ’em. The guys a big geek at heart (seriously, break dancing, D&D – the whole kit ‘n caboodle), so much so that he formed Tigon Studios in 2002. Tigon Studios is a developer geared to translating Diesel’s filmic adventures to the videogame medium, the latest of which will be The Wheelman, headed to the PS3 and Xbox 360.

The Wheelman is billed as being one of those cross media synergistically enhanced entertainment ventures we’ve heard so much about. The film will be developed by MTV Films in association with Diesel’s Tigon Films, and is to be distributed by Paramount. The aural side of things will naturally be overseen by MTV, while distribution of the game will be handled by Midway Games.

Not too many details on the films plot have surfaced just yet, all we know is that Diesel is the titular “Wheelman” who comes out of retirement to protect the woman he loves. However, if Tigon Studios last adaptation of Diesel’s work (The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay) is anything to go by the game might end up not following the movies plot at all, instead building on the characters and universe – we can only hope. The idea of movie game tie-ins is nothing new, but perhaps developers should start heeding David Jaffe’s advice and play to the strengths of the medium.