Irvine Firm Picks Up Rights for ‘Waterworld’ Games

Interplay Productions Inc. said Thursday it has garnered the rights to create video and CD-ROM games based on “Waterworld,” the most expensive film ever made, which is due out this summer.

It is the second such deal made between the studio and the Irvine game-maker. Since MCA invested in Interplay last year, the firm gets first glance at MCA’s productions and picks those it wants to turn into games.

“They have treated us like we are their own division,” said Brian Fargo, president of Interplay. “They look to us to be their interactive arms.”

In the year they have acted as partners, “Waterworld” is the second MCA film Interplay has bought the rights to convert to a game. It also agreed to develop “Casper,” a Steven Spielberg picture based on the comic book character “Casper the Friendly Ghost.” It will be out in late May.

Though it is still months away from its debut, “Waterworld” has been the subject of much media attention. Its budget, at more than $175 million, makes it the most expensive film ever made.

Fargo said he has found the criticism of the futuristic action film set in a world where there is no dry land “ridiculous.”

But analysts said the success of a video game is almost never tied to the success of the film.

“The challenge is to create a really good game,” said Nick Donatello, president of Odyssey, a San Francisco market firm specializing in home entertainment. “Getting your hands on the rights is a step, but it is only the first step.”

Donatello pointed out that making video and CD-ROM games based on films has become as common a merchandising gimmick as T-shirts, McDonald’s cups and dolls. But like other merchandise, not all of it catches the imagination of the public.

“Last Christmas, there were thousands of game titles out there, many based on movies,” said Donatello, “and there were probably 20 hits. That’s how hard it is.”