Adapting video games to movies and shows is not a new trend, however, with the evolution of technology and the increased use of well-known names, they have become more popular than ever.
The trailer for the upcoming movie “A Minecraft Movie” was released two weeks ago. Upon its release, there were mixed reactions. Many were excited to see their favorite game come to life, but others were quick to critique it. People claimed that the life-like animation was unsettling and that it could be better if it was fully animated.
This reaction is common when it comes to adaptations. Avid enjoyers of the game want the movie or show to do the game justice so they critique it early on, while some are just happy that the game is receiving the attention they think it deserves.
One instance in which fans’ criticisms made a huge impact was when the first “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie trailer was released. This was everyone’s first time seeing Sonic in his CGI style, and long-time fans were not impressed. His humanoid appearance unsettled many, and they quickly expressed this on social media. The film’s director responded promptly, saying that the team behind the movie heard the fans’ cries and would work hard to correct Sonic’s design. The movie earned $319.7 million at the box office worldwide and received an audience rating of 93% despite its theatrical run being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Borderlands” is a more recent video game adaptation that had a lackluster reception. Fans of the game claim that the film did a horrible job representing it. Others, who knew nothing of the game, said it had no soul and was uninteresting. The film had a budget of $110-120 million and earned only $31.4 million at the box office worldwide.
Television and digital media junior Teeghan Rosas enjoys creating videos and playing games. He appreciated the concept of video game adaptations, but one in particular stood out to him.
“I personally like the ‘Fallout’ TV show,” Rosas said. “I felt like it had elements of what makes a TV show great, but also what makes the games great. They brought an interesting twist to the story.”
Digital animation and game design junior Jason Zawacki is not a big movie watcher but loves making games. He talked about what impact video game adaptions may have on the game design industry.
“When games get adaptations it’s also us working on it because we’re animators too,” Zawacki said. “The impact would be none, or it could create more jobs and opportunities for animators.”
Video game adaptations will always face this scale of excitement and criticism. Without this criticism, however, fans may face disappointment after disappointment. Big names and fancy special effects cannot save an adaptation on their own. It will always be important to fans that the original game is properly honored.