The other day I watched a bit of that show, “Video Mods” on MTV2. I can’t say that I was really all that impressed. What I’d heard about the show was that they recreate popular music videos using 3D graphics and then skin them using video game characters and stuff.

The concept itself is really cool, I think. But the execution is just really klunky and boring to watch. One of the key things that they are forgetting is that video games aren’t so much fun to watch as they are to play. But of course, they don’t care about such subtleties, I’m sure, since the show is essentially just a marketing tool for Sony’s PlayStation format. All the video game characters used are from PlayStation games, and the host basically pitches particular games throughout the show. It’s really heavy-handed, I think.

I know MTV is owned by Viacom. But, I’m trying to find out if all the musicians whose videos are used in that show are signed under Sony’s record labels. I can’t seem to find a comprehensive list of which record companies own what labels, divisions and imprints though. Oh well.

Anyway, the thing that I think is interesting in this show is that it feels like an important intermediary step in the evolution of media. I wonder how long it will be before you have movies on DVD where you can go in and tinker with how the characters look, and different endings and stuff like that. A skinnable, mod-able movie is what I’m looking for.