Why Is Netflix Committed To Game Adaptations?

Netflix has made many popular video game adaptations on their platform. One of the most well-known of these is Castlevania, a popular game series that became an anime recently. Another adapted title includes DOTA: Dragons Blood, which has multiple seasons in the works.

A series such as Arcane have proven the use of adaptations works. The series won four of the five grammies it was nominated for and brought in substantial revenue. The four seasons of Castlevania averaged over 90% of critics and 89% of the audience. With successful adaptations such as these, it’s easy to ignore less successful ones, such as the recent Resident Evil adaptation, with a 26% favourable score from the audience’s reviews.

Using An Established Fanbase

Video games such as Castlevania have been around since 1986, and the franchise has had 26 games in the main series with several spin-offs. The franchise has sold over 20 million game copies through the years, equaling a relatively large base of players eager for new content.

There are over 150 million registered players for the popular MOBA, League of Legends. Netflix helped to transform this game into a series called Arcane, which grabbed the player base and newcomers to produce a profit worth millions.

Gaming Of All Forms Is Popular

Video games are one of the most consumed forms of media, with two-thirds of Americans playing titles frequently across the various console platforms. The media is easily accessible on personal computers and laptops; more than 2.6 billion people have at least one game installed on their smartphones. 

Many people mistake it, but popular gaming, such as Black Jack and Poker, dominates movies due to the tension and rush they produce. The best rated and most famous gambling and poker movies all introduce an aspect of gaming that many viewers can relate to.

Video Games Are An Artform

Games put you in control of some aspect of the story, a trait which usually results in some unexpected chaos that lets players have a lot of fun telling the story their way. At least, this is the general concept of video games. 

However, this aspect isn’t typically shown in an adaptation. But, while many players become invested in a story within a game, not all players can keep up their ability to progress through the game. This appeal is what brings interest in video game adaptations. Never having played a game or never being able to finish it means not experiencing the story. Through a film, one narrative of a game’s many possible stories is told.

An adaption is doing its best when it tells the story using the universe of a video game and expands upon it. Many video game films and shows suffer due to their portrayal of beloved characters. This frequent failure makes it challenging to determine what makes a good adaptation.

The Plot’s Already There

Creating the plot for a Netflix series can be tricky, with many writing conventions and the quick pace of production. Using a video game as the base for writing a story is an easy way to create a plot. After all, the world and the characters are already established, with consistent backgrounds and histories.

The Witcher Series is a video game and book adaptation, having been made into a game first. The series began by following the source material of the novels, telling the tale of Gerald of Rivia. However, as the series progressed, it became a new story mirroring aspects of the novels and the games but becoming entirely its own.

Not As Easy As It Seems

While the plot may be there, ready to be adapted for a film or series, the process isn’t as easy as copying and pasting the story. Most video games introduce choice as the central aspect and use side-quests or hidden areas to flesh out characters and the world. 

Taking away this aspect of choice and the various ways in which players become invested in a story can leave the plot feeling flimsy. Writers need to set their outline using the universe to reward players and not overwhelm the general audience that hasn’t experienced the source material. Castlevania masterfully uses the characters and world to tell its own story, unique to the anime adaptation.

Game On

Video game adaptations will be around for a while. They use popular franchises that allow for an instant classic if done right, thanks to the pre-built fanbase that the title has. However, adaptations such as Castlevania and Arcane have shown that adaptations can build onto the legacy established by the games.