AFI BLOG: Media and Technology

Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer behind blockbusters including “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” will expand his entertainment footprint with a deal to create original videogames with MTV.

The collaboration, announced today, is part of a growing effort by MTV’s parent, Viacom Inc., to participate in the fast-growing videogame business. Viacom boosted its clout in the industry with the acquisition last year of Harmonix, the company behind popular music videogame “Rock Band,” and it has committed to spending $500 million on games and interactive entertainment by the summer of 2009.

Mr. Bruckheimer’s move to add videogames to his repertoire underscores an increasing interest among Hollywood power brokers in participating creatively and financially in the games business. Director Steven Spielberg has a deal with games publisher Electronic Arts Inc. to create three original games, the first of which will allow players using Nintendo Co.’s popular Wii console to build and destroy structures made of virtual blocks. Mr. Spielberg’s second game for EA will be an action-adventure title.