Gaming, movies and series: review of the history of video game adaptations to the big screen

Video games become movies, just as there have been heroes of the big screen that have been turned into games. The mix of genres is confirmed with the premiere in the next few days of “Uncharted”, a success of Playstation consoles.

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The Japanese giant Sony has spared no effort to bring to the screen this game that is reminiscent of the “Indiana Jones” saga.

For this, he recruited famous actors such as the British Tom Holland, a favorite of the new generations for his role in “Spider-Man”, but also established faces such as the American Mark Wahlberg and the Spanish Antonio Banderas.

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This feature film aimed at family audiences generates many expectations.

“The game was a colossal success (with more than 40 million copies sold) which should not lead to a failure in the cinema”said Laurent Michaud, an economist specializing in video games.

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If the bet turns out to be a blockbuster, Sony, which is the leading console company and a major player in the movie industry, will certainly have a gold mine to exploit.

The group “has many other successful video game franchises”noted Mio Kato, an analyst at LightStream Research.

There is nothing original about this formula, and these adaptations to the big screen go back a long time, beginning with the rudimentary release of “Super Mario” in 1993.

The first success at the box office, despite mixed reviews about the quality of the product, was “Tomb Raider” in 2001, starring American actress Angelina Jolie in the role of the character Lara Croft.

Others also took the opposite path, with questionable results. But in these attempts, few achieved the favor of the public and critics, as was the case with “Goldeneye” from the “James Bond” saga in its version for the Nintendo 64 console.

For John Evershed, director of strategy for the American animation studios Trioscope, recently there has been a massive increase in video game adaptations to make films Y series.

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“Only two years ago, there was a noteworthy adaptation of a Serie based on a video game: ‘Castlevania’”, told AFP, referring to a game by the Japanese group Konami, which takes place in a universe inspired by “Dracula”.

“Now there are more than 12 series at different stages of development or production.he indicated.

In them “Arcane”, which like “Castlevania”, is broadcast on the American platform Netflix.

Is Serie animated, originates from “League of Legends”, the flagship game of the Riot Games studio, which was released in November, after the final of a world tournament in this discipline, which is one of the most popular in the world.

For experts there are several reasons that explain the increase in these adaptations. “Video games were of paramount importance in the entertainment industry. Culturally they are more relevant for people between 18 and 34 years of age than music or cinema”Evershed said, referring to the size of the industry.

The base of the number of players has also increased considerably.

Michaud pointed out that now there are people in their 50s or 60s who play. “When a game-inspired movie comes out, you know you have the potential to attract a huge audience”he added.

In addition, Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners, indicated that “Download platforms like Netflix can attract Y retain viewers who are gamers to increase their user base”.

“One way to do it is to offer them content that attracts them, like this type of game”he claimed.

The adaptations of video games to movies and series started off on the wrong foot, but have been improving over time. (Photo: Diffusion)

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Source: Elcomercio