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“Scarface: The World Is Yours” is a new video game adaptation of the famous 1983 Al P

In the video game world, film adaptation is often the sincerest form of mediocrity.

“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” for the Atari 2600, for example, rushed into production after only five months and the infamous flop was allegedly so bad that, according to urban legend, thousands of copies were buried away in the desert.

On Friday, however, video game and movie aficionados alike face better odds.

To promote the upcoming release of Vivendi Universal Games’ “Scarface: The World Is Yours,” Melnitz Movies, in association with THX and Sierra Entertainment, is hosting an event Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. that includes prizes, giveaways and a screening of the 1983 Al Pacino-starring film that inspired the game.

Vivendi Universal Games will also be on campus promoting the game, and outside James Bridges Theater with playable copies.

“(Scarface: The World Is Yours) has been in development for three years,” said Julie Thomas, Vivendi Universal Games director of promotions and in-game marketing. “It is actually (on) a much higher budget (than most of our titles). I would say it’s probably considered one of the highest production budgets out there.”

According to Melnitz Movies Director Amy Adrion, THX and Vivendi Universal Games were already planning the event and asked if UCLA and Melnitz Movies wanted to participate.

“So we said ‘Definitely, yes. It sounds really, really interesting and will probably be of a lot of interest for students,’” she said.

Penned by established Hollywood scribe David McKenna, who is noted for having written “American History X” and “Blow,” the game takes a few liberties with the original film’s ending to chronicle Tony Montana’s struggle to rebuild his empire – with players in control.

“You’re beginning to see that (games) are beginning to tell stories, not (just be) interactive movies. The story aspect of games is becoming more important and stronger, especially with franchises,” said Mark Tuffy, THX director of advanced technology.

In addition to the story’s pedigree, over fifty well-known actors contributed voice work to the game including James Woods, Ice-T, Oliver Platt and Jason Mewes.

“Scarface” is the latest in a trend of high-quality video games based on film franchises that seek to bring the cinematic experience home. Earlier this year, “The Godfather” was released as a game and featured the voice talents of Robert Duvall, James Caan and even archival audio of Marlon Brando himself.

Technically speaking, “Scarface” also bears the unique distinction of being THX certified, hence the company’s involvement in putting on the event.

According to Tuffy, the THX certification program launched with video game adaptations of well-known movie franchises such as “Lord of the Rings” and “James Bond.” “Scarface” is only the 24th game to receive the certification, but more video systems are beginning to request approval.

“We have a large contract with Sony for their first-party games (for the upcoming PlayStation 3),” said Tuffy.

The program seeks to establish higher audio and visual standards throughout video game production akin to those of THX certified theaters. While still only a few years old, Tuffy foresees a significant increase in output in the coming years, especially with the advent of next-generation game consoles.

“We’re finding that more companies are getting involved and interested in doing (THX certification), especially in the transition from standard-definition to hi-def,” said Tuffy. “That’s where they’re really looking for expertise from a company like THX in how to increase the quality of their games, especially as the consumer will be expecting more from a next-generation platform with high-definition capabilities.”

UCLA’s James Bridges Theater was chosen in part because it is one of several dozen THX-certified theaters in the Los Angeles area and the only one on a college campus. Not even THX founder George Lucas’ alma mater of USC boasts one, according to THX representatives.

Are there more games of the same scale as “Scarface” coming in the near future?

“We will be making a big announcement at the Spike TV Video Game Awards for a major 2007 launch based on a major film franchise,” Taylor said.

Until then, stop by Melnitz on Friday to say hello to Tony Montana’s little friend before the game hits shelves nationwide.