At other times, it's a mixed bag. Lots of weird games have been made for the Star Wars universe, for instance. But the good ones have worked together to create magic. I've played several of the fighter games and Jedi games, and the Real-Time Strategy game "Galactic Battlegrounds" as well; all of these games have expanded on the movie experience for me and vice versa.

And sometimes, it's just embarrassing. I've heard that "Redguard" for the Morrowind world got a very tepid welcome indeed. It's a similar story to this one from the looks of it - a first-person action game with light RPG elements for a world that's had some hugely successful hardcore RPG games beforehand.

I have often wished for melded experiences myself. As an example: One dream I have is of an action first-person strategy game in which you can see what a general would actually see in a battle (so no top-down views except on the battle map inside the tent, and no instant knowledge but scouts and messengers racing to and fro to update that map!), and if you wished so you could be the fighting lord and race into the battlefield with your men! It'd be a tradeoff of sorts between greater strategic control in your tent, and the fast-paced action and your positive influence on your men out there in battle.

But in practice, some games (particularly of late) have come close but none have quite made my dream come true when push came to shove. And therein lies the real problem I think: Once you start crossing and redefining genres, the possibilities become nearly endless and while that sounds tantalizing it may also mean that few players will get a game they wished for that way! It's hard work and some luck involved in getting a seminal game to take wings. Maybe the "boring" game industry aren't so evil after all when they rarely dare to take risks.