David Jaffe has cited mythologically minded films such as Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans as major influences on the development of the hit PlayStation 2 actioner God of War. Now it looks like Jaffe's future titles might have to compete with efforts from Ray Harryhausen, the big-screen, stop-motion special-effects expert responsible for those seminal films.

　　According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, Harryhausen is working with Mindfire Entertainment to create new films, TV features, games, and more under the "Ray Harryhausen Presents" banner. The first announced projects in the deal are a pair of films: one in Harryhausen's familiar setting of Greek mythology and another dealing with alien invaders. The special effects will be done with computers but will attempt to retain the spirit of Harryhausen's stop-motion work.

　　As far as the games go, Mindfire CEO Mark Altman told GameSpot that it was very early in the process, but there are still some definites. "They'll be very action-oriented and creature-centric, and the feeling is that this is a broader universe than just new films," Altman said. "It's particularly important for all of us who are Harryhausen fans to expose him to a new generation and a new audience beyond just those who grew up with pictures he was involved with...It hearkens back to when we were growing up to put yourself in these movies--I don't know if I want to be Harry Hamlin in Clash of the Titans, but if you could be the protagonist and fight these creatures, there's a visceral thrill."

　　As for why now is the time to introduce the gaming world to Harryhausen, whose special effects haven't been seen in a new film since Clash of the Titans opened in 1981, Altman said the technology wasn't there before.

　　"Maybe back in the day, the Atari 2600 wouldn't have done justice to what he was doing, but now where gaming is, it's such a natural fit. There's such a great synergy between the movies and games, given the genres that he's renowned for."

　　Altman said the company would begin looking for an external development house "once the material is more finely honed." Mindfire has never made a game based on a film before, but it does have experience bringing several game properties into the world of film. It played a role in creating House of the Dead and House of the Dead II, and is currently at work on DOA: Dead or Alive. The first films from the Mindfire-Harryhausen collaboration are expected to arrive in spring of 2007.