Some $20 billion worth of video games were sold last year. Games now outsell movies, and games now look more and more like the movies. “The convergence between films and games makes sense for many reasons. Both special-effects-laden blockbusters and shoot-’em-ups rely on computer power, and as games consoles become more capable their output becomes ever more cinematic. Indeed, modern games based on “Star Wars” look even better than the original films, since today’s games consoles far outperform any special-effects technology available back in the 1980s. Costs have increased as the production values of games have improved: the typical budget is now $5m-8m.”