Like me, Millennials grew up in the Golden Age of Gaming and witnessed the rise of home consoles, online gaming, and ever-evolving technology. And while technology grew with us, that meant many of us never stopped playing games, because games continued to grow with us.
Now, as this generation takes over executive roles in Hollywood, video games are emerging as the IP of choice. And it's not just because superhero movies have been on the decline lately.
There's a lot of money in the games industry, and companies like Disney and Netflix are looking to add games to their subscription services. The gaming industry earned him $56.6 billion in 2022, but this figure would definitely have increased here in a year or two.
They also inspired a long and entertaining Wrap article about how we got to this point.
So today we'd like to dig into why games are so valuable and what the future holds for this intellectual property.
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video games and hollywood
the last of us
HBO
Video games are no longer just a subculture. They are a dominant force in pop culture, rivaling and sometimes surpassing film and music in terms of revenue and global reach.
Popular games have a huge built-in audience. When adapting a video game, the first step is to build a loyal following to ensure interest and potential box office revenue.
And modern video games boast complex characters, elaborate worlds, and immersive narratives that are perfect for film and television, in contrast to the loose narrative games that emerged in the early days of technology.
The curse of video game adaptations
For a long time, Hollywood was very bad at adapting video games into movies and TV shows. It was considered a curse and people looked down on the movie as: doom and original Super mario bros immediately.
However, things changed once people associated with these games came to power in Hollywood.
For years, video game adaptations were notorious for their poor quality, leading to the idea of them being “cursed.” This is largely due to studios ignoring the essence of games' appeal, misunderstanding the difference between games and movies, and in some cases simply trying to make money off popular titles.
While there may still be occasional duds, the growing number of critically acclaimed and financially successful film adaptations indicates that the curse of video game adaptations is waning. It is shown that.
Let's look at some great examples.
Video games and millennials
tomb raider
Ilzek Kitshoff/Warner Bros. Pictures
Movies and TV based on games have less of a problem, and many of them relate to millennials.
We grew up loving a certain game, and we brought that passion we played in that game to the big screen. But we also grew up seeing bad adaptations, so we quickly learned all the lessons about what to avoid.
Millennials were one of the first generations to fully appreciate gaming as a unique storytelling medium. This understanding leads to an interest in adapting the game's rich narrative into movies and television shows.
And other business opportunities as well. Video game adaptations create a lucrative cycle. Movies and series can spark interest in the original game, and games can increase the appeal of their adaptations.
Examples of movies and TV shows based on video games
mortal kombat
Warner Bros.
Like movies and television, games come in a variety of sizes and scopes. It has built-in characters and story, so it's easy to adapt. And it leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
You can watch premium shows on HBO, kids movies, and even indie horror comedies.
Each has a built-in audience and the potential to attract people to the game, and vice versa.
There's a lot of room for collaboration.
blockbuster movie
- Sonic the hedgehog (and its sequels): A fun adaptation of the surprisingly successful and classic SEGA series.
- detective pikachu: An attractive and unique representation of the world of Pokemon.
- uncharted: A big-budget action-adventure spectacle based on the popular game series.
- tomb raider: Lara Croft gets a grittier reboot starring Alicia Vikander and Angelina Jolie
- mortal kombat (2021): A reboot that brings the game's bloody violence to the screen.
- warcraft: Visually impressive and a hit with some fans in the gaming world.
critically acclaimed tv show
- witcher: A very popular dark fantasy series based on books and games.
- difficult to understand: League of Legends : Stunning animation and complex characters make this adaptation much more than your typical tie-in material.
- Castlevania Dracula: A dark and stylish anime adaptation of the classic vampire hunting game.
- The Last of Us: One of the most critically acclaimed adaptations of all time, capturing the atmosphere and story of the beloved game.
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners :Cyberpunk 2077 A vibrant anime spin-off set in the gaming world.
Other notable adaptations
- resident evil: It is a long-running film series that has recently been released as a Netflix series. Although there are pros and cons, it is a standard for game adaptations.
- Hello: Recent series on Paramount+. Although it has received mixed reactions, it has gained fans even among gamers new to the game.
- Werewolf inside: A surprisingly entertaining horror-comedy film based on a VR social game.
- Five Nights at Freddy's: The film adaptation was one of the highest-grossing video game films of all time, the highest-grossing Blumhouse opening film of all time, and the highest-grossing Halloween weekend of all time. It has become a movie.
What will the future hold for the intersection of Hollywood and video games?
difficult to understand
Netflix
It's time to understand the theoretical stuff. I don't have a crystal ball, but I have some strong opinions about where this is going.
In the future, Hollywood and video games will become even more closely intertwined.
We move beyond simple adaptations to projects that are purposefully created from the beginning as both a game and a film/TV experience.
Games will increasingly incorporate cinematic techniques for richer storytelling, while movies and shows may begin to experiment with interactive elements. This creates a flow of talent between industries, making gaming expertise essential in Hollywood.
Imagine playing as your favorite characters and taking a break to watch their other cinematic adventures, sometimes with different outcomes.
Tools such as virtual production further facilitate this integration. Both industries value established game series and seek to turn them into vast universes across multiple media.
I think we are approaching the day when we will constantly be thinking about the question of what defines a “game” and a “movie” in the world of interactive storytelling.
Let us know what you think in the comments.
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