By: Angela Cui, Violet Garner, Natalie Geriot, Ruhi Guhathakurta, Muge Li

As the video game industry continues to grow, Hollywood studios are capitalizing on this intellectual property (IP) success through film and television adaptations. With an established fanbase, this can be a fairly risk-averse approach to developing new content. However, it can also come with high expectations for authenticity. Learn more about the history and evolution of video game adaptations in Part I: Playing the Game: The Convergence of Video.

In collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, students from Heinz College’s Master of Entertainment Industry Management program sought to better understand the current market for video game adaptations. In Part II, see what factors film and video game executives consider to make an adaptation successful. Additionally, through a survey of gamers and non-gamers, learn what potential audiences prefer to see.

Mastering the Quest: Interviewing Industry Professionals

Interviews were conducted with seven entertainment executives that worked at both studios and game developers to obtain a holistic perspective of the industry today. Interviewees included four studio executives in the IP and Acquisitions department, two video game developers, one video game business affairs and strategy executive, and one involved in the physical production of a video game adaptation. Questions pertained to the interviewee’s role within the entertainment industry, their opinion on the video game adaptation space, and how unique factors such as genre, type of game, and gaming console can make or break an adaptation.

A Director of Acquisitions at a prominent Hollywood studio explained that video games are difficult to track and acquire, as they are not traditionally represented by agents in the way another piece of IP, like a book, would be. Multiple sources explained that there are many added risks to adapting video game IP, the most pivotal of which is convincing video game developers to take the risk in the first place. As a result of the video game industry being more economically profitable, developers do not often see the incentive to branch out into other mediums (Anonymous IP/Acquisitions VP, personal communication, November 20, 2023).

Another factor brought up by multiple sources is the fear of alienating fans. Most popular video game IPs have loyal and outspoken fanbases that need to be catered to while crafting an adaptation. As a result, adaptations must often tow a fine line between pleasing loyal fans by staying true to the source material, and making the necessary changes for the film or show to be widely marketable to audiences outside of the video game fanbase. However, our survey revealed that gamers and non-gamers alike are open to deviations, provided that the writers respect the source material. When asked about the types of games they prefer, a representative from Sony Pictures Entertainment said PlayStation has a treasure trove of “AAA (Triple A) Games,” or high-budget, high profile games, such as The Last of Us, God of War, Horizon, Uncharted, Gran Turismo, and Ghost of Tsushima. When Sony executives look at titles to adapt, they are looking at big, active titles that provide the potential for sequels, expansions, and spin offs, instead of older IP that they consider “dead” (backlist titles that are considered less exciting, with no new recent installments and a less active fanbase). However, there are other factors, such as storyline, fanbase, and game sales that dictate whether an adaptation gets made (Anonymous contact at SPE, personal communication, December 7, 2023). Content fatigue, especially with large franchises, seems to be a predominant factor leading to the mainstream success of video game adaptations in the past five years (Carter Swan, personal communication, January 5, 2024). Swan pointed out that a lot of people who grew up playing Triple-A games are now executives and producers pushing for these adaptations to get made, (similar to how the generation before them grew up with the comics, that led to the golden age of superheroes). Swan believes video game adaptations are following the success of similar large scale IP adaptations, informed by understanding the fanbase and watching them grow.

An executive who previously at Hivemind during the production of Netflix’s The Witcher (2019) stated, “video game executives are great, but television people know the market best and know the industry. Sometimes game [executives] try pushing things which makes it hard for the TV people to do their job.” An employee of the film and television department at a major video game developer told us that they are still in the process of building the connective tissue between game developers and television producers, so both sides have a forum to chime in and have a say in the adaptation of their IP (Anonymous Contact at SPE, personal communication, February 5, 2024). Representatives from Sony and PlayStation spoke to us about how the collaboration between Sony Pictures Entertainment and PlayStation is still developing, and how the two groups function differently, leading to the requirement of a neutral force to mediate disagreements and understand how the two groups work together. However, both sides acknowledge that “the biggest benefit to Sony employees is to work together [with PlayStation] to make a hit” (Carter Swan, personal communication, January 5, 2024).

The interviews led us to conclude that while adaptations of video games have existed for years, the industry is still in the process of understanding such a niche market, and there are many factors (often individualistic to certain games, video game developers, and studios), that make or break the success of an adaptation.

In The Gamer’s Lair: Our Survey Results

To further understand consumers’ opinions on video game adaptations, we conducted an online survey to measure habits, preferences, and expectations about adapting a video game into a film or TV show, while doing a comparison analysis between gamers and non-gamers. In our study, “gamers” refer to persons who have played video games for at least 4 hours in the past 7 days, or persons who self-identify as a gamer. We launched the survey on February 2, 2024, and had it open for 60 days. The survey was distributed on multiple platforms including our own social networks, LinkedIn, and Reddit communities focusing on gaming and entertainment fans.

Player Profiles: Survey Sample

The survey received 409 responses, with 312 valid samples, meaning 312 respondents who completed the survey. Among those respondents, 53% were female and 42% were male, with 1% non-binary and 4% “prefer not to say.” The sample skewed younger with 59% aged 18-24. There were 42% respondents who played video games for more than 4 hours in the past 7 days, and 11% respondents who identified as gamers, but played less than 4 hours. These respondents are included as gamers in this research, which makes up 52% of the total sample. Overall, the survey sample covers a wide demographic and is equally spread across gamers and non-gamers.

The completion rate of our survey was 72%, which means that a portion of the respondents abandoned the survey midway. This was a foreseeable limitation due to the length of our survey. We took this into consideration during the survey design stage, but decided to leverage the length in order to gather more in-depth responses. The completion rate did not have a great impact on the representativeness of the sample and the actual results in data analytics.

Decoding Perspectives on Adaptation Factors

In the first part of the survey, respondents were asked about their media consumption habits. Those who played video games were asked about the devices they use for gameplay, and they were allowed to choose up to three types. Overall, mobile phones (63%), PC (52%), and Nintendo consoles (38%) are the three main devices they use for gameplay (Figure 2).

**Figure 2:** *Gameplay Habits by Devices*

Role-playing games (59%), shooting games (52%), and action & adventure games (44%) are the most popular game types among gamers, while 73% of non-gamers more often played mobile games (Figure 3). In terms of consumption habits in film and TV, gamers have a stronger preference for sci-fi, fantasy, and action than non-gamers, while expressing 35% lower interest in romance than non-gamers. Gamers are 35% more likely to watch video game adaptations than non-gamers as well (Figure 4).

**Figure 3:** *Gameplay Habits by Game Types - Gamers vs. Non-Gamers*
*Note.* Respondents were allowed to choose up to three types that applied in this survey question.

**Figure 4:** *Film/TV Consumption Habits by Genres - Gamers vs. Non-Gamers*
*Note.* Respondents were allowed to choose up to three types that applied in this survey question.

In the second part of the survey, respondents were asked to list their favorite video game, then created a scenario in which they made decisions on factors that would influence an adaptation of this game. 236 responses were recorded for this scenario from respondents who had a favorite game in mind. However, 70 (30%) respondents were against the idea of making an adaptation. The remaining 166 (70%) respondents were asked about their preferences on their favorite IP’s adaptation, such as whether it should be a film or a TV show, the storyline, characters, tone, and the use of Easter Eggs (Figure 5).

**Figure 5:** *Agreement Level of Statements on Adaptation Factors - Gamers vs. Non-Gamers*
*Note.* The percentages show the overall agreement level (including both “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree”) of each statement.

More than 80% of respondents showed interest in watching an expanded backstory about secondary characters in their favorite game. In contrast, less than 30% of respondents agree that the adaptation should be an exact remake of the game or agree that a completely new story should be made based on the game’s world setting. In terms of the use of Easter Eggs, 85% of gamers are expecting lots of hidden references to the game in the adaptations, while only 57% of non-gamers agreed with this statement. Over 60% of non-gamers want it to be light-hearted and easy to watch, while having less interest in a dark and intense tone (17%).

In the survey results, there was not a strong preference for whether the mock adaptation should be a film or a TV show. However, we did record 31 open-ended reasonings about why some respondents chose, “I don’t think it should be adapted” for certain games. Respondents expressed concerns about games containing multiple outcomes and endings, “simple lore,” or are tied in with player-driven exploration, which means that the story is based on player’s choices.

The importance of the creative elements of an adaptation was tested by a ranking question. Not surprisingly, “Story” remains the top priority. However, some game-related elements such as world setting didn’t stand out in the ranked responses, and the use of Easter Eggs is the least important element among both gamers and non-gamers. The survey also asked for respondents’ opinions on innovations, which means making changes (such as changing the storyline, characters, etc.) to a video game series to adapt it for a film or TV show (Figure 6). Overall, respondents had an open mind for adding new elements to an adaptation, but gamers are more sensitive towards the changes; about 90% of gamers care about making changes in an adaptation, and 58% are “open to some changes only if the writers respect the source material,” while 25% hold negative sentiment towards changes. Innovations have less impact on non-gamers – 25% don’t have any strong feelings about changes, and 19% have the appetite for any changes.

**Figure 6:** *Acceptance Level of Innovations - Gamers vs. Non-Gamers*
*Note.* The percentages show the overall agreement level (including both “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree”) of each statement.

Respondents reported clear preferences for storyline portrayal in an IP adaptation in terms of content. First, respondents reported agreement that an adaptation should follow the original storyline, but also disagreed that the adaptation should be an exact remake of the game. This suggests that viewers enjoy when adaptations follow the original storyline overall and address the most prominent plot points; however, fans are less interested in remakes that do not offer anything new to the IP. This is further supported by the fact that respondents strongly agreed on the idea of adaptations elaborating on the backstories of characters, as well as the findings of strong consumer agreement with being open to changes, (as long as the source material is respected). Additionally, respondents' opinions on preexisting adaptations follow this trend: for both The Last of Us (2023) and Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023), respondents reported that the adaptation was different from the game, but that they still enjoyed watching the adaptation.

Adaptation Showdown: The Last of Us vs Five Nights at Freddy's

An examination was conducted of HBO’s The Last of Us (2023) and Universal Pictures’ Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023). These two adaptations were chosen as they were two of the most talked about and commercially successful (by viewership and box office gross) video game adaptations within the last year (as of 2024). The Last of Us gained a cumulative 30.4 million viewers upon its release in 2023, making it the biggest by viewership for any HBO series since the final season of Game of Thrones (Porter, 2023). Five Nights at Freddy’s had a worldwide box office of over $291 million, (Box Office Mojo, 2024a) making it Blumhouse’s highest grossing film. The Last of Us is also highly rated with a 96% critics rating and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (2024a). Reviews for Five Nights at Freddy’s were more polarizing with a critics score of 32%, but was more of a hit with the audience at 87% (Rotten Tomatoes, 2024b).

Fan comments about these adaptations on social media and discussion boards were varied. A Reddit user commented on the film saying, “the movie captured perfectly [Five Nights At Freddy’s] as an experience: simple story, lots of hidden details, but some problems persist from pacing and character development cut short” (Eviloo, 2023). Despite their criticisms, they would still actively recommend the films as a fun time with friends who are also fans of the game. Others who were less familiar with the franchise pointed out that they wished the film would have brought in newer fans by being easier to understand for those who hadn’t played the game, pointing out that the film was “pretty explicitly targeting hardcore fans” (IUsedToBeRasAlGhul, 2023). Even fans wanted a film that was truer to the horror genre, Reddit user FriendOfSapphires (2023) commented that they hoped to see “more guts, not made for the fans, but trying to create something new with a vibe that pays homage to the horror-comedies of the 1980's.”

Online fans of The Last of Us game were overall more vocally positive about the adaptation. Many people praised the show for respecting the source material while also building upon it. One Reddit user wrote:

“It’s what I’ve wanted from every video game adaptation. Keep 95% of the source material, add small flourishes to flesh the story out and help pacing. I don’t care that I already know the story they’re telling, how many people replay games or re-watch shows all the time? Let me see it in a new way. (Cyonar, 2023). ”

These comments are strongly correlated to our survey results, with 49% of overall respondents choosing the option “I am open to some changes, but only if the writers respect the source material.” The other common insight was that fans found the adaptation of The Last of Us to be enjoyable as a standalone TV show due to the narrative format of the original game. One comment states that the show is great because “on some level the game's script was already heavily inspired by cinema and prestige television” (Deleted Reddit user, 2023). From our interviews, we found that this is also one of the elements that some professionals are looking for in adaptations: a strong existing narrative and detailed worldbuilding (Anonymous IP/Acquisitions Director, personal communication, November 20, 2023).

Our survey found that the majority of people have heard of HBO’s The Last of Us, with approximately 40% of respondents having seen it. Of those viewers, a majority have not played the game (62%), however, non-game-players who agreed that the show is easy to understand were mostly neutral or slightly agreeing as to wanting to play the game first. On the other hand, those who have watched the Five Nights at Freddy’s film included more game players (around 50%, a higher percentage than The Last of Us), meaning more game fans watched this adaptation than general audiences. There was also a higher percentage of game players who enjoyed the film compared to non-game-players (higher portions who chose “strongly agree” and lower “strongly disagree” when asked if they enjoyed the adaptation). The online commenters and survey results also tell us that there is an appetite for genre and character driven stories, beyond what the original video game offers.

A lot of these findings are reflected in critics’ reviews of both the film and the show. There is a big juxtaposition between what fans thought of Five Nights at Freddy’s versus reviews by critics, furthering the sentiment that Five Nights at Freddy’s is more fan-focused, while The Last of Us focuses on storytelling beyond game fans. On Metacritic (2024a), the aggregate critic reviews of Five Nights at Freddy’s is “Generally Unfavorable" at 33/100, while The Last of Us gets “Universal Acclaim” at 84/100 (2024b). The Associated Press reviewed the film saying, “caught between PG and R, as well as lost at the crossroads of inadvertent comedy and horror, the PG-13 Five Nights at Freddy’s has to go down as one of the poorest films in any genre this year,” (Kennedy, 2023, para. 4) giving it a 0/4 stars. The Austin Chronicle even points out that “with dreary visuals and a lack of real twists or scares, there isn’t much here for a general audience to hold onto,” (Martinez, 2023, para. 4) with a 2/5-star review.

On the other hand, The Last of Us had generally very positive reviews from both the critics and users. The Los Angeles Times gives the show a full 5 stars and calls it “a prestige drama based on a prestige video game, with quality distinctions that place this story in a league of its own” (Ali, 2023, para. 3). Many of the reviews praise the show for keeping the heart of the game alive while subverting tropes and standing on its own as an excellent TV show – especially from the perspective of non-game fans. Empire gave the show 5 stars stating, “comfortably the best adaptation of a video-game ever made: one that deepens the game’s dystopian lore, while staying true to its emotional core” (Nugent, 2023, para. 8), while IGN, a popular gaming review site, says outright that “it delivers an enriching show for fans of the PlayStation hit, while also managing to stay welcomingly thrilling to newcomers” (Cardy, 2023, para. 9). Critics, often looking at the core of filmmaking and storytelling, show us that who the story is being told to and how the story is portrayed matters.

The examination into Five Nights at Freddy’s and The Last of Us revealed that there are differences in making an adaptation that is tailored towards a general audience, compared to focusing on the fans of the game. HBO’s The Last of Us had more non-game-players watch and enjoy the show, whereas with Five Nights at Freddy’s, the number of non-game-players who watched the adaptation was far less and had a lower level of enjoyment than game players. This aligns with the direction that Blumhouse Productions was trying to take with the movie; Jason Blum (2023), the CEO of Blumhouse Productions, stated in an interview with Seth Meyers that they “did something interesting on the movie,” where they only made the adaptation for the existing game fans instead of trying to target a general audience as well. He went on to say, “if other people want to see it, that’s fine with us… but we’re not trying to expand the audience. We’re trying to keep the fans thrilled” (Blum, 2023). This is also reflected in the large differences with the critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, mentioned earlier. HBO’s The Last of Us and Universal Pictures’ Five Nights at Freddy’s are exemplary representations of the outcomes using different targeting strategies. However, despite lower reviews from critics and not targeting a broader audience, Five Nights At Freddy’s sustains itself as a massive hit for Blumhouse against their other films and in revenue generation (a $30 million budget compared to a $190+ million WW box office revenue). Taking this into consideration, both of these video game adaptations can be considered successful. Overall, this points to the importance of understanding which groups of consumers to target for each adaptation concept. Some concepts (in this case story-based) may work better than others (e.g. survival horror) as an adaptation for wide audiences.

From Pixels to Progress: Key Takeaways

Survey results exemplified the differences between gamers and non-gamers in both entertainment consumption habits and preferences for multiple adaptation factors, such as storyline, character, tone, and the use of Easter Eggs. These findings could help studios define the target audience for a specific adaptation – whether a film or television show is made more for gamers, or the general public.

Gamers are the more accessible target for adaptations, considering they already show a stronger willingness to watch a film or TV show based on a video game. Gamers in general have a more intense taste of content. This was reflected in the survey results both in their preference for sci-fi, action, and fantasy in comparison to romance and drama, and their higher interest than non-gamers in seeing an intense and dark adaptation instead of an easy-to-watch one. Gamers care more about making changes to the original game IPs in an adaptation, and whether the adaptation could translate the spirit of the game. Non-gamers’ opinions better represent the preferences of casual film and TV audiences. According to the survey results, non-gamers enjoy comedy, romance, and drama, and they are more willing to watch light-hearted content.

Expanding on the backstory of secondary characters might be a preferable direction. Both gamers and non-gamers showed strong interest toward this creative element, while going against a remake of the game or a completely new story. In our interview with Marion Robertson, she mentioned that the format of episodic TV allows more character depth. A storyline expansion was implemented in the TV adaptation of The Witcher (2019), where they “built on the female characters instead of keeping the focus on Geralt” (Marion Robertson, personal communication, February 24, 2024). The use of Easter Eggs and gaming elements could satisfy gamers, but it is the least important factor when people are making decisions on whether to watch this adaptation or not, whereas game type matters. Games that have multiple endings, simple lore, or are tied in with player-driven exploration are not considered a good IP source for a film or TV show.

Not surprisingly, survey results revealed that audiences care most about the story above other elements of an adaptation. Audiences will watch an adaptation if the overall story is well thought out and appeals to their taste. Many of the film and TV adaptations that have been successful have been storyline-heavy and adapted from narrative games (i.e. The Last of Us). This correlates to sentiments revealed in interviews; one interviewee working in IP at a studio stated, “narrative baked into the games create a storyline that already exists that studios can build off of,” and that a strong narrative helps these adaptations seem more authentic to audiences, bolstering their success (Anonymous IP Director, personal communication, November 20, 2023).

Having a successful adaptation can be attributed to understanding the game itself and the fans of the game. These results appeared both in the survey and interviews. Targeting the fans of the game IP leads to higher attachment and a stronger enjoyment of the adaptation, compared to those who have not played the game. This was shown through a higher percentage of “strongly agree” for the statement “I enjoyed the film/show” from players versus non-players. However, if game players are often more loyal to the game itself, they will likely enjoy the game better than the adaptation, but this should not impact the overall interest in the adaptation itself. One factor that many industry professionals attribute to the ongoing success of video game adaptations is the increase of executives and industry personnel making TV show and film development decisions who are game fans themselves. Understanding the fan perspective and which elements are important to the source material has helped create more adaptations in both quantity and success (Anonymous Video Game Developer, personal communication, February 5, 2024).

Television shows and films derived from video game IP have been proven to be a successful endeavor for both film studios and gaming companies. Based on this comprehensive research study, we can predict that game adaptations will continue to be a trailblazing form of media in the entertainment industry, and that games with a narrative format will have the most success in viewership and in box office revenue.