Ampere: Adaptations Boost Video Game Numbers

TV series adaptations of video games help boost gameplay itself, according to Ampere Analysis, with screen spin-offs driving an increase in player growth of almost 140 percent.

According to Ampere, Prime Video’s adaptation of Fallout last year drove a gain of almost 500 percent in monthly active users (MAUs) for the hit video game. For The Last of Us, the HBO show helped add more than four million players across two seasons.

Per Ampere, the average uplift in players is 203 percent, compared to just 48 percent for movie adaptations.

While Fallout and The Last of Us are juggernauts, even lesser-known properties have seen boosts. Netflix’s anime adaptation of Devil May Cry delivered a 358 percent increase in players versus the previous month. Even Minecraft, which already has a massive gamer base, was boosted by the movie adaptation, with a 30 percent gain in MAUs.

Ricardo Parsons, analyst at Ampere Analysis, said: “Media adaptations are superchargers for the player bases of gaming franchises. They attract new audiences at scale, from first-time players diving into Fallout’s wasteland to lapsed gamers returning to Minecraft. And unlike DLC or remasters, hit adaptations showcase these stories to a wider audience, extending their reach. With adaptations of Call of Duty, Life is Strange and Dark Deception all announced recently, Ampere expects this trend to continue—creating win-wins for publishers seeking new players and studios hungry for ready-made fanbases.”