Video Game Business Garnering Star Power

Electronic gaming has matured into an $11 billion business, topping movie box-office sales and taking viewers away from television.

Pierce Brosnan, Jet Li and Cameron Diaz, among others, have lent their voices and likenesses to games. Acclaimed film directors such as the Wachowski brothers shot footage not just for “The Matrix” films but also for the game based on the movies.

Games are no longer the follower, either. The “Van Helsing” video game was released the same day as the movie this month. Soon, more blockbuster game franchises, such as “Halo” and “Doom,” are expected to become the basis of movies.

After a long courtship, these two industries have become intertwined in a young marriage, under the common law of entertainment.

Read the full article at the Star Tribune.