Whip Media Survey on video game TV & movie adaptations
March 22, 2022
As streaming services are mining video game IP that will attract global audiences, Whip Media conducted a survey to gauge what audiences are looking for in video game TV & Movie adaptations.
Upon surveying US audiences who expressed an interest in Halo, the survey found:
- 65 per cent of likely Halo viewers subscribe to Paramount+.
- 71 per cent said they have played a Halo game yet 43 per cent do not consider themselves avid gamers indicating that the TV series is attracting more general audiences, not just gamers.
Halo comes to Paramount+ on March 24th. The popular Xbox game is the most anticipated Paramount+ show in Whip Media’s global data and outpaces the competitive set. Halo has greater anticipation than Netflix’s Arcane; DOTA: Dragon’s Blood; Castlevania; Love, Death & Robots; and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness at the same point in time pre-release.
Which Upcoming Video Game Based TV Shows Do Viewers Plan To Watch?
- 83 per cent of respondents were either very interested or interested in TV adaptations of video-game related content. As Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Paramount+ and others have significant adaptations in the works, Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed (69 per cent) is the next upcoming TV show based on a video game that respondents most plan to watch, followed by:
- Fallout: 62 per cent (Prime Video)
- The Last of Us: 61 per cent (HBO)
- Resident Evil: 55 per cent (Netflix)
- Mass Effect: 53 per cent (Prime Video)
What Video Games Would Viewers Like To See Turned Into A TV Series Or Movie?
- God of War is the video game respondents most said they would like to see turned into a TV show or Movie, beyond the currently planned slate of announced titles. Horizon and Red Dead Redemption shared 2nd, and Legend of Zelda was 3rd. Call of Duty ranked fourth.
Viewers Want High-Quality Adaptations
- As streaming competition is prompting more video IP being adapted into TV series and movies, there is debate about how the story should diverge from the game. Respondents had mixed feelings when asked how much a TV Show or Movie should expand upon the game with 32 per cent saying “I don’t care as long as the quality of the content is high.”
- Another 25 per cent said they prefer content that stays well within established bounds of the game’s universe; 22 per cent prefer content that takes creative liberties to expand the game’s universe and explores stories of entirely new characters.
With a built-in global fan base and consumer demand that is clearly there, video game adaptations are poised to take off in this competitive market for subscribers.
Methodology: Survey conducted March 11-16, 2022 among 438 US-based users of Whip Media’s TV Time app who are following “Halo” in the app. To “follow” a title in TV Time means that a user has added the title to his/her Watch List.