Fallout, a new Amazon Prime series based on the post-apocalyptic video game franchise of the same name, has delighted critics and fans and will return for a second season, the BBC reports.
Adapting a video game franchise to the big screen used to be a hell of an endeavor – but the latest ones have reached new heights. “Super Mario Bros” is the second-highest grosser of 2023, behind only “Barbie”.
Meanwhile, on TV, “The Last of Us,” which earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for its performances and gripping story, is also based on the video game of the same name.
Fallout 4 was the best seller. PHOTO Shutterstock (Archive)
The appeal of video games to Hollywood studios is obvious. The biggest games have millions of enthusiastic fans – and a ready-made world for writers and directors to use.
Clearly, adaptations can appeal to viewers. But can the phenomenon work in reverse? Can, for example, the new season of “Fallout” convince viewers to try video games?
Since the release of the TV series, the Fallout games have been very popular. In Europe, Fallout 4, a 2015 game, was the best seller this week, with the extended series taking four of the top ten spots.
It should be noted that Bethesda, the Microsoft-owned studio that makes the game, reduced the prices of the games in the series and even made Fallout 76 free for a short time.
“They're not as popular as TV shows”
It's safe to say that most of the downloads will be made by established fans who watched the series and feel a hint of nostalgia. But not everyone is so sure.
James Batchelor, editor-in-chief of GamesIndustry.biz, argues that downloads by established fans alone would not have been enough to fuel Fallout's rise, suggesting that people are discovering the games for the first time.
“It also has to be about new people, new people who want to try these games themselves.”he says.
“Amazon Prime has a much larger audience than the console market. And as important as video games have become, they are not as popular as TV shows, movies and streaming services. And the fact that Fallout is based on a video game, people will be intrigued to see the source material.
It's the same as going to see a movie and then deciding to read the book“, Batchelor added.
The resurgent interest in gaming has not been beneficial to everyone. A group of Fallout game enthusiasts were disappointed this week when they learned that a long-awaited fan project has apparently become an indirect casualty of the TV series.
Fallout London is a mod that turns PC copies of Fallout 4 into a “game in game”which takes place in Great Britain.
Project director Dean Carter said it has become a “snowball” and turned into a four-year project that involved volunteers from around the world and was set to be released for free on April 23rd.
“A good series or movie”
But just this week, Bethesda announced that it will release a delayed “next-gen” update for Fallout 4 – which will give the game a graphical and performance boost – on April 25.
Thus, Fallout London will likely need weeks or months of additional work. Carter says Bethesda is “fantastic with their community” in general and urged Fallout London fans to stay away from the company, but admits he's frustrated he wasn't warned about the timing of the update.
As expected, there will be other shows and movies inspired by the games in the coming year – including “Minecraft,” the comedy “Borderlands” and a third “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie.
Could there be a danger that video game adaptations will follow the same path as the Marvel movies and lose audience interest due to oversaturation of the market?
Although GamesIndustry.biz's Batchelor admits that not every game “it is sure to be a good series or movie“, he believes there is less risk of the audience getting bored.
“Video games are not one genre”, he says. “There are so many different stories being told, so many different gameplay ideas that can be adapted. And video games are so varied.”
“The Last of Us proved that video games can, in fact, tell truly moving and heartbreaking stories.”he says.
