Video games have existed since 1958, with the first video game being a simple tennis game named “Tennis for Two” created by American physicist, William Higinbotham. Its early invention allowed video games to develop in many forms, featuring better graphics, more immersion, and new platforms just to name a few. Now you can play a game on your phone any time– not just on a computer or console. What about watching a video game though?
Recently, more and more video game shows have been released with varying levels of success. League of Legends, The Last of Us, Fallout and Cyberpunk: 2077 have all had successful show adaptations, so what is the key to success? The answer, surprisingly, is moving away from the original source material.
The Last of Us is a successful video game with an 89% score on Metacritic and a 9/10 score from IGN. The show, however, did not stay true to the game’s plot, featuring major changes such as the time setting, opening scene, how certain plot events were depicted and some character relationships.
With change, fans often criticize how the changes ruin something already good, but they fail to consider how an issue with adapting a video game is losing the interactive aspect that makes games unique. Players usually interact or play through a game’s story in the first person, allowing for a better sense of connectedness to the story and the characters. When that aspect is removed, the story can feel less powerful, meaning that showrunners would have to compromise in different ways. Adjustments aren’t bad though, they are necessary; despite having changes, The Last of Us’ show adaptation did well. Tayvin Vo, a senior who played and watched The Last of Us, stated “There were better scenes and longer scenes… it made [the show] more understandable.”
Many adaptation viewers will have played the game already. Adding new details can potentially enhance the original material, drawing players in even more. For example, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners serves as a prequel to the game and takes place entirely before the events of Cyberpunk 2077, meaning the plot is entirely different from the game. Upon release, the show was a massive hit, with a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes’ critic rating and a 9/10 rating from IGN. The show’s ratings were so high in fact they outperformed the game’s Metacritic rating. With the success, developers added many easter eggs to the show within the game for players to return and find as well as attracting new fans to the game.
Now, as new video game adaptations continue to be released, fans have begun to worry about changes to their beloved games. Series such as, Devil May Cry, a Netflix adaptation of Devil May Cry, and Like a Dragon: Yakuza, an adaptation of the Like a Dragon game franchise have received mixed opinions from fans online as preview released. Fans nervously wait for releases, but with changes seen in previews, they aren’t sure if the shows will be worth the watch. However, they should ask themselves the question of why they are judging something they haven’t even seen in full.
