Remediation

Remediation = the representation of one medium in another 

hmmm now that sounds familiar.

To put it in more simple terms, remediation is taking a formula that works from one medium and apply it to a similar one. It's a convention that has been widely used since the appearance of digital media. Radio adopted from theater, television from radio, internet from television, television from the internet and games from all of the above.

There are two ways of remediating  something : by being aware that you are doing it or not, and by this I mean you are either doing it, thinking you are bringing something new to the field, without actually persevering the medium you started from; or you know you are using conventions established by other medias and show how your "adaptation" of that convention belongs to the original and is somewhat linked in theme or aspect.

Talking about remediation in games, a short introduction to that subject would be to watch the German production "Run, Lola run". The way it's shot, the music and the costumes, all kinda lead me to the thought of a combination between "The Fifth Element" and "Scott Pilgrim vs The World". Both of these movies are later productions that Lola, but all of them have plot points that are similar to games. All of them have the "hero", who is not actually a hero, until the situation demands it ( Lola has to save her boyfriend,) (Korben Dallas(Bruce Willis) is a taxi driver that has a Leeloo ( Milla Jovovich) dropping in his taxi and guides her along her journey to save the world ) ( Scott Pilgrim is a teenage boy that has to battle the 7 evil ex's of the girl he is in love with.) The visuals in these 3 movies, especially "Run, Lola run" and "Scott Pilgrim vs The World" are very game like and the way they are shot can easily be summarized in levels/waves and boss battles with small interludes/cut-scenes in which the story is developed.

 

Talking a bit more just about "Run, Lola run", the main remediation element is that of Lola "respawing" if she failed in her mission. This element is commonly known in video games, where the player respawns at the previous save point if he falls into a snake pit. Many would argue that this kind of approach in a film would be impossible without video games, but I would go a bit further back and say that it would be impossible without Greek mythology. The lay motif of rebirth/retry/"resapwn" has been around since the stories of Hercules, and they are present in most works of literature. A very common example I would give would be that of Gandalf, who in the Fellowship of the Ring (both the book and the movie, but first the book) he falls to his doom, battling the Balrog, but is brought back by Galadriel after he defeats the creature. He "respawns at his last save point" atop Caradhras and ventures off after Frodo and co. to finish his quest.

So yes, remediation. You start from one place talking about a concept and end up with the same concept, but in another field.