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The record-breaking success of 鈥�The Hunger Games,鈥� which raked in $155 million in its opening weekend, means a mountain of merchandise must be close behind. And no major franchise is complete these days without a video game.
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The Hunger Games Adventures for Facebook and Hunger Games: Girl on Fire for Apple devices have already amassed loyal followers, despite the exclusion of a full-fledged arena in both games. The Hunger Games Adventures has 200,000 monthly users, according to Facebook. But Lionsgate, which owns the rights to 鈥淭he Hunger Games鈥� film series, wants to bring the high-budget and high-definition excitement of the movie to a console game.
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While the Facebook and Apple games have been simple and successful, a console version could be dramatically more detailed 鈥� and profitable. But how graphic should a 鈥淕ames鈥� game be?

鈥淥utside of the name that has 鈥榞ames鈥� in the title, it鈥檚 [a] no-brainer that you鈥檇 make a game based on the book or movie,鈥� Lionsgate digital marketing vice president David Hayes听. 鈥淏ut we鈥檝e been careful and cautious that when we do embark on a new project, we鈥檙e doing it the right way and delivering an experience that fans will enjoy.鈥�
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Lionsgate has reason to be cautious. Suzanne Collins鈥� 鈥淭he Hunger Games鈥� describes the annual Games as a fight-to-the-death. Twenty-four children enter 鈥� only one can survive. The PG-13 film was tactful in portraying these deaths, often leaving them up to the viewer鈥檚 imagination. That didn鈥檛 stop parents and bloggers from debating whether the film was appropriate for children.
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But video games are notoriously graphic. Designers have been unafraid to show blood and gore before 鈥� especially in first-person shooter games, which would be a reasonable format considering Katniss is the most prominent character. The red flag? Kids killing kids is more controversial than adults killing robots or faceless enemies.
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鈥淜illing in a Hunger Games game needs to feel specific,鈥� writes Owen Good on the popular video game blog . 鈥淚t should not be lost on the player that these are other human beings that are dying, that they have names and stories and are not simply faceless ... cannon-fodder. That means that every fight will have to be hard-won.鈥�
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Others argue that instead of attempting to make gamers feel bad for killing kids, such as option shouldn鈥檛 even exist.
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鈥淲hile parents might be able to talk themselves into letting their kids see the movie, because the violence is masked by various PG-13 filmic techniques, there isn't much chance of that happening in video-game land,鈥� writes on the Southern California Public Radio website.
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Regardless of the game鈥檚 aesthetics, it could face another problem 鈥� the age-old curse of the game based on a movie. Electronic Arts鈥� 鈥�Harry Potter鈥� game series was widely panned by critics, as were 鈥淓nter the Matrix,鈥� 鈥淛aws,鈥� for PS2 and Xbox, 鈥�Tomorrow Never Dies鈥� (an unfortunate descendent of the excellent 鈥�GoldenEye 007鈥�), and countless 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� duds.
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Whatever comes as a result of Lionsgate鈥檚 game will fuel the debate among parents, gamers craving authenticity, censorship advocates,听and fans. Its designers have an uphill battle to face, but the marketability of 鈥淭he Hunger Games鈥� ensures that the game will be at least moderately successful.
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May the odds ever be in their favor.

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