STORY BY JOHNNY GARCIA
STAFF WRITER
Video games had a large influx of new content, with new motion picture projects beginning production preparing for releases.
While video game films and TV series are nothing new, they have never been as prominent as they are now. Previously, it was significant when a video game announced a new piece of media that was unlike the electronic games. The only series that has had a consistent presence is Resident Evil, unlike other video games only occasionally got a piece of media such as the Assassin’s Creed or Street Fighter films.
Generally, these video game movies have been panned by both critics and viewers alike. Not only have the quantity of video game movies risen in recent years but, the quality has as well. Films such as Detective Pikachu and Sonic The Hedgehog broke the mold with video game movie adaptations, with both being successful to fans and critics alike. The success of these films was the start of an increase in video game studios seeking to expand into motion picture, with pieces of content in these mediums in production.
There are over a dozen video game movies in production currently, all at various stages of development. Films based on Portal, Yakuza, Borderlands, and Metal Gear Solid are just a few of the major electronic games that will soon have their stories being told on the big screen.
It is not just movies that video games are becoming ingrained in, but television as well. Previously, they were generally animated shows of already popular franchises and their mascots, such as Sonic The Hedgehog, Super Mario, and Pac Man, all of which are household names due to their popularity.
However, in recent years, many, lesser known video games to the masses have begun production or have started to release. Netflix is a large pioneer in this, with animated shows based on video games Castlevania, League Of Legends, and Cuphead all available on the platform, with all of them being big successes. Other streaming services have taken note, with HBO Max producing a television series based on Halo, and Amazon to release a show for Fallout.
The sudden influx is not coming from nowhere. Video game based productions often flopped, however, Detective Pikachu appeared to be a turning point for the genre. After its success (which was quickly followed by Sonic The Hedgehog’s own), more studios saw it as a new avenue to produce stories and content unlike what was seen before.
Aaron Suarez, a Cypress local and film major, said that this is likely going to be a big fixture in Hollywood.
“It’s like when Marvel movies began to gain traction. Superhero movies released sparingly, and now they are releasing on a near monthly basis. Trends are looking like video game movies and shows are following this same path,” said Suarez.
Suarez said that this would not be just a fad.
“The numbers don’t lie, these new video game movies and tv shows have been incredibly successful, even for more niche releases. Look at Arcane (a show based on League Of Legends), a lot of people who aren’t even interested in League Of Legends were watching it. Like superhero shows and movies, video game ones have just as much staying power,” said Suarez.
They are able to bring these video games and characters to life. Generally, they will either tell an entirely new story with the character, as seen in Sonic The Hedgehog, or follow the original plots of the source material more closely such as Netflix’s Castlevania series. Both ways of tackling the genre have seen proven success, and more video games, from mainstream series such as Final Fantasy and The Last Of Us, to more obscure ones like Sleeping Dogs and Ghost Of Tsushima are on the way.
The wide range of video game media being released is exciting to many, including Cypress student Kevin Escobar.
“Fallout is one of my favorite video game series, so being able to watch a show about it is like a dream come true! I’ve been playing these games since I was a little kid, so seeing all these new movies and shows is exciting!” said Escobar
