Just a moment ago they were pixels on the screen, now they're on Emmy lists: characters from video games who suddenly cry dramatically while Oscar-worthy music plays. Welcome to the golden era of game adaptations. Just in time for the BAFTA Games Awards 2025, the creators behind The Last of Us, Fallout and other major projects about the future of games in series format - and how to master the balancing act between fan service, Hollywood pathos and franchise management.
From the loading screen to the living room: how games are conquering Hollywood
Today, the adaptation of a game is no longer just a by-product, but an investment with a calculated risk. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a box office magnet, The Last of Us became a cultural topic of conversation, Fallout mutated into a serious sci-fi dystopia. Anyone who owns a hit game today potentially also owns the next prestige project on HBO or Prime Video. "Hollywood has realized that games can tell stories - sometimes even better than films", says Asad Qizilbash from PlayStation Productions. Who would have thought that Sony, of all companies, would one day be flirting with the Emmy?
But it's complicated. Like any relationship where both partners want control - except this is about billions and fan forums. Todd Howard from Bethesda reminds us why Fallout opted for a series: "A movie would simply have been too short." The Fallout-world needs space. And by that he probably doesn't just mean screen time, but also budget - thanks to Prime Video.
Sony is now planning more series than games. God of War, Horizon Zero Dawnmaybe even Astro Bot - each title is checked internally for Netflix suitability. Qizilbash reveals: "If a game wins prizes and builds an audience, then it becomes interesting for us." Or in other words: first the controllers have to click, then the camera can roll.
When series decide the life and death of entire franchises
But with increasing importance comes responsibility. Today, bad adaptations can damage more than just a studio's ego. They jeopardize the entire brand. That's why creative minds like Craig Mazin think ahead - and also to the end. "When the story is told, it is told." Sounds almost too reasonable for this industry.
And while Fallout 76 After Season 1, it is clear that series and games are now influencing each other. What used to be ridiculed as "transmedia storytelling" is now a strategy.
Ultimately, Mazin's great insight remains: "The size of these things takes time." A sentence that you should keep in mind - regardless of whether you are developing a game, producing a series or simply providing popcorn.
We have first impressions from Season 2 of The Last of Us shared in this article.
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