Flipping the script Game IP transmedia needs to evolve
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The entertainment landscape is changing. As superhero fatigue sets in, game IP is now dominating screens, from HBO’s The Last of Us to the Minecraft movie. Unlike movie trends (Westerns, superhero movies), the game-to-movie trend is here to stay, as the games market is a cross-genre treasure trove of beloved IP and fandom, with new IP arriving frequently. While success stories have proven that game franchises can captivate mainstream audiences, the games and the TV / movie industries alike are failing to fully harness their transmedia potential. Despite soaring viewership and cultural relevance, two critical gaps persist for the games market: the lack of accessible gaming entry points for new fans and the absence of timely, revenue-driving game content tied to adaptations.
Interviews with players and viewers reveal consistent gaps between media adaptations and effective player engagement. We suggest focusing on four solutions: prioritising gateway games, aligning release windows, leveraging live-service engagement, and – above all – refining cross-industry pipeline plans that are more flexible and achievable. This will be neither easy nor cheap, but the TV, movie, and games industries – and the game brands that power them – will be better for it.
Key data in this report:
- Weekly average hours spent for games and TV / movies, by gamer type, Q4 2024, global
- Movie and TV consumption behaviour, gamers and consumer average, Q4 2024, global
- Penetration of anime and mature animation fandom by gamer segment, Q4 2024, global
- Consumers’ qualitative opinions about game-based transmedia so far
This report sources data from:
- MIDiA Research Consumer Survey Q4 2024, Total: 9,019 (US: 1,002, UK: 1,000, Australia: 1,001, Canada: 1,000, Germany: 1,006, France: 1,008, Sweden: 1,000, South Korea: 1,001, Brazil: 1,001)
- Multi-region qualitative interviews [n=15] with gamers and consumers about game-based TV and movies
Words: 3782 Pages: 16 Infographics: 3
Companies and brands mentioned: Arcane, Assassin’s Creed, A Minecraft Movie, Amazon, Amazon Luna, Barbie, Borderlands, Borderlands 4, Call of Duty, Castlevania, CD Projekt RED, Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Disney, Fallout 76, Fortnite, Gameboy, God of War, HBO, Invincible, League of Legends, Love, Death & Robots, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Minecraft, Minecraft Legends, Netflix, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Riot Games, Samsung, Samsung TV, Sony, Steam, Super Mario, Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Boys, The Last of Us, The Lion King, The Witcher, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, TikTok, Tubi, and Xbox