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From “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” — the latest in a long string of video game adaptations — coming this summer with a high-profile cast and director, it’s only a matter of time before more of the most popular game franchises are whipped into Hollywood shape. Like “Halo.” Or “Call of Duty.” Or… “Missile Command”?

That’s right folks. Instead of adapting one of the games that break sales records and become household names, the powers that be in Hollywood are turning to a 30 year old Atari arcade game with a “plot” that’s so simple, calling it high-concept is an understatement. Not that there’s a problem with any of this. The whole “aliens bombing Earth’s cities” pitch rarely disappoints the blockbuster junkies.

Missile Command is a 1980 arcade game by Atari, Inc. that was also licensed to Sega for European release. The word is, via the Los Angeles Times, that Atari is keen on putting a number of their franchises on the big screen. They’re talking to studios now about “Missile Command,” with Fox and Peter Chernin’s production company the likely future home for it.

For those who need a refresher, “Missile Command” is a game where players are tasked with defending six cities on a distant planet, shown on-screen as six structures spread across the bottom of the playing field. Attacks scroll down from the top, taking the form of glowing lines which mark the direction of travel for the city-destroying bombs. Players must move a cursor around the screen, firing missiles to destroy the falling bombs in mid-flight before they reach planetside.

If you’re struggling to see where a story might tack onto this, you’re not alone. The basic idea was done in “Independence Day” and any number of other cataclysmic sci-fi flicks. There are going to need to be some special flourishes to separate “Missile Command” from similar movies, and to make it stand out as a video game adaptation. We shall see. Gamer lunatic that I am, I remain hopeful.