Skybound Forecasts a Decade-Long Surge in Video Game Adaptations for Film and TV

The entertainment industry is currently witnessing a significant trend of acclaimed video game adaptations being brought to life on the big and small screens. Recent successes include The Super Mario Bros Movie, the Fallout and Last Of Us series, and Sonic The Hedgehog 3, all of which have garnered millions of viewers and broken box office records. This wave of adaptations is expected to continue, with the debut of Gearbox's Borderlands movie. David Alpert, CEO and co-founder of Skybound, believes that this trend is not a fleeting fad, but rather the beginning of a long-term movement that could last for five to ten years. He draws parallels with the comic book movie industry, which experienced a similar surge in popularity after the release of Spiderman in 2002. Alpert attributes the shift in the video game adaptation landscape to two key factors: the evolution of video games themselves, which now offer immersive virtual worlds with complex characters and storylines, and the technological advancements in film and TV production, which have made it possible to create high-quality special effects. He cites Fallout as a significant step forward in the screen adaptation of video games, praising its faithfulness to the original property and its overall quality as a TV show. Alpert also expresses his hope that a video game adaptation will soon reach the same level of excellence as the movie adaptation of Dune. Skybound has been at the forefront of bringing properties from one medium to another, with notable successes including The Walking Dead and Invincible. The company's co-founder, Jon Goldman, advises developers to focus on creating great games before attempting to expand into other mediums, emphasizing the importance of having a solid foundation in the video game itself. He also warns against treating adaptations as spin-offs or marketing tools, instead advocating for a primary focus on quality. While screen adaptations can serve as powerful marketing tools for video games, Goldman notes that companies have yet to release a new video game simultaneously with its film and TV show. He attributes this to the fact that games companies are already generating significant revenue and have not been successful in developing their IP for filmed entertainment. The conversation also touches on the differences between the business models of the video game and film/TV industries, with Goldman highlighting the 'unbound business model' of video games, which can range from free-to-play to thousands of dollars in revenue per player. He believes that this model is distinct from the all-you-can-eat subscription prices that have become prevalent in the TV and film industries.