Relations between the video game industry and the cinema industry are not limited to adaptations of video game franchises to the cinema, and vice versa. The cinema did not wait for the years 1990-2000 to take an interest in the world of video games.
In fact, we can even speak of synergy between the two: borrowing codes and cinematographic language, evolution and exploration of new modes of narration, new techniques developed for cinema and video games… The relations between these two industries are therefore complex. , marked by both convergent and divergent forces, a spirit of sharing and collaboration, but also a competitive logic.
For years, video game publishers have been content to sell their licenses to the Majors to see them in the overwhelming majority of cases poorly adapted to cinema or exploited in a format suitable for television.
As long as we talk about adaptations, try to avoid Game Over in our little quiz below!
In recent years, however, we may be witnessing a real turning point. That which consists in regaining control vis-à-vis the Majors concerning the exploitation of their video game catalogs on small and large screens; a be closely associated with the development of films or television programs in order to best promote extremely powerful brands.
Even if it means throwing yourself into the battle, as did the French publisher Ubisoft, a pioneer in the field, which has also turned to Netflix for several adaptations of its licenses, whether in animated form or in film, like The Division.
Of course, there are still counterexamples to this. But the colossal success of the series The Last of Us, broadcast on Amazon Prime and based on the fabulous license created by the Naughty Dog studio, suggests a brighter future than before in terms of adaptation of video game licenses on adults and children. screen.
Although the success of The Last of Us also poses a real question: is the format of a series simply not the best suited for these adaptations precisely? It’s that it’s complicated to transcribe in a 2 hour film the universe of a game on which we spent 30 hours just to follow the main story…