Image: Fallout, Amazon Prime Video
Video games have been a staple of the entertainment industry for many years now with massive IPs like Pokemon and Nintendo dominating different platforms in the entertainment industry. For a while now, audiences have been entertained by movies and TV shows telling the stories they know and love without having to sit through 8 hours of game time. This way of consuming the stories is easier and more accessible for the average audience member and can add some lore to their much loved characters for fans of the games. With an already established and loyal fanbase, building a TV show or movie upon the IP is a sure-fire way to ensure that there will be an audience for the product.
As expected, from passionate fans of the games, the products come under great scrutiny but, as of recently, some of the most in-demand shows are video game adaptations and have warranted the production of a second season (The Last of Us and Halo).
It also seems that each streaming platform has a headline video game adaptation so it is evident that the demand for this genre is not only obvious to fans but has been noticed by production companies. It is also somewhat cheaper for an audience member to consume the story in film or TV form than to buy the game, console and add-ons, further emphasizing that this is more accessible and so popular form of media for the lore.
As seen in the data taken, the top ten video game adapted TV shows are ranked worldwide, a week from the release of the new fallout show.
Shows like Arcane: League of Legends, draws upon the established popularity of characters in the game and builds its own story around them, with players of the first person game already acquainted with them and so excited to see characters like Jinx, Caitlin, Jayce, Silco and Vi. This provides very solid groundwork to build demand around for the project and is likely how the show’s second season was greenlit by Netflix.
Since its release on the 10th April 2024, Amazon Prime’s Fallout, has been wildly successful, reaching peaks of #4 worldwide within days of its first release and after only a week, the show was renewed for a second season. A different take on a video game adaptation, Fallout has a new story and characters, set in the world of the game, building on the nostalgia to draw in fans of the game that has spanned over 13 console games and 1 mobile game, beginning in 1997.
Audience members that are not necessarily familiar with the game, could have been drawn to the show for the cast (Yellowjackets’ Ella Purnell) or as a result of the excellent reviews following its release with the Guardian stating that the show is an “immaculately made, supremely witty post-apocalyptic drama”.
Since release, the demand has risen and has remained constant for 2 weeks afterwards, without any significant fluctuations, likely due to the positive reception from fans and critics alike.
Since its release in January 2023, The Last of Us has had immense success with a worldwide peak demand of 155.5x the average with a worldwide peak of #1 in demand of all TV shows. With such positive reviews and a fanbase that has grown beyond the game, it is not surprising that the show continues to exhibit an exceptional demand score.
An analysis of the gender and generation composition of the audience for this show displayed that the majority of audience members are male and reside in Gen Z. The surge in a younger audience could due to the prevalence of the game at the moment with the release of The Last of Us Part II Remastered on January 19, 2024. It is fresh in the gaming circuit which could have translated to the demand for the show.
Over the years, video game movie adaptations have has mixed reviews with some loved by fans but with the popularity of TV show adaptations, it is anticipated that “video game IP will be the next big battleground for Hollywood”.
Lots of video game movies were massive hits at the time of their releases such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. This movie had a peak demand rank of 156.4x the average and sparked the production of a sequel with similar success. Boasting a stellar cast, the movie was perhaps a turning point in the quality and demand for more live-action adaptations of games.
Building on the Nintendo IP, movies such as 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie has an average demand of 39.7x the average since the beginning of this year and grossed a massive $1.36 billion worldwide at the box office indicating that there is a clear demand for animated adaptations of video games as well.
The horror genre has also had success with video game adaptations in the past year with the release of Five Nights at Freddy’s with a peak demand of 52.3x the average since release, worldwide. Over the years, there has always been a demand for horror video games, with Resident Evil a constant staple in the gaming industry so it is to be expected that Five Nights at Freddy’s would be successful. Further to this, much loved characters adapted for the big screen provided nostalgia to fans of the original game and provided an enjoyable watch for the average horror fan.
