Games and Literature: Why are so few games based on great books?

I’m playing a game based on Phantom of the Opera right now, and while it’s not a great game, it has reminded me of a question I often ask myself: why are there more games based on Tom Clancy than Shakespeare, and what are the implications of that for games as an art form?

That’s the point of this video – to discuss the reasons why so few games are drawn from great pieces of literature and then to discuss why those of us that want to see games evolve as an art from should care.

Let me know your own thoughts in the comments!