by Rowan Smalls
Given this obvious link between films and games, is the close relationship a good or a bad thing? The answer is that the relationship is generally positive, as the two industries feed off each other and also provide competition for each other within the entertainment industry. Let’s examine this in more detail.
The rise of the gaming industry
There is no doubt that gaming has experienced a huge rise in popularity in recent years. In 2019, the global gaming industry was estimated to be worth around $152 billion. Game design companies like Rockstar Games and Ubisoft have created popular series like Assassin’s Creed and Grand Theft Auto. Casino gaming has also been well represented by companies such as Betway, enabling people to experience a real world gaming experience digitally, in their own home.
Video games turned into movies
The growth of the gaming industry has led to the movie world embracing gaming heroes as the stars of movie franchises. For the most part, this has been a positive development for the film industry.
For instance, films like Pokémon Detective Pikachu have attracted gaming fans to cinemas, to watch their favourite characters appear on the big screen. One of the main reasons why Pokémon Detective Pikachu worked so well was its clever mix of a hugely familiar gaming character with the vocal talents of renowned actor Ryan Reynolds.
This is not the only example of fans enjoying the experience of gaming characters taking to the big screen. Films like the Tomb Raider series and reboot, Rampage, Mortal Kombat and Sonic the Hedgehog have also achieved various levels of popularity over the years. However, the gaming industry does not serve to merely provide the film industry with a creative influence. Gaming is now a major player in the entertainment industry and a serious rival to the movies.
The rising power of gaming in the entertainment industry
There is still something special about the opening of a film, with all the glitz and glamour that is involved. The buzz that surrounds a film premier can never be duplicated by the release of a game, as far as film enthusiasts are concerned.
However, revenue from game releases certainly competes with revenue from the opening weekend of films. You only have to compare the US$858,373,000 revenue from the opening weekend of Avengers: Endgame with the US$1 billion revenue generated from the first three days of sales of Grand Theft Auto V to see that this is the case. The symbiotic relationship that gaming has with the smartphone industry only seems likely to increase its competitiveness in the entertainment world.
The truth is that gaming and the film industry does seem to be a match made in heaven for the most part. Both the exchange of creativity, and competition, should help to improve the quality of both industries if they are used in the right way.
