HBO’s adaptation ofThe Last of Ushas seen remarkable success, especially when compared with earlier attempts to bring video games to film. Given the fan reception toHBO’sThe Last of Us, Sony should continue to use some of its other IPs to find similar success in film and TV, as well as promote its own subscription services.
Some of what Sony could push forward using the success ofThe Last of Usisn’t new for the PlayStation brand, as the early era of the PS4’s life attempted to cross over multiple forms of media. However, with film adaptations of video games being given proper care the way HBO focused onThe Last of Us, this could be a great time to foster multimedia platforms that go beyond simply having media apps installed.
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More Sony IPs Deserve Adaptation
There are a number ofSony properties that fans already hope will be adaptedinto TV series, includingBloodborne,Detroit: Become Human, andReturnal. That being said, it might be easiest to work with in-house developers that are owned and operated directly under Sony like Guerrilla Games (there is aHorizonadaptation in development), Santa Monica Studio, or the more recently acquired Bungie. This offers some impressively cinematic properties that could perfectly be brought to new life with a film adaptation.
The success ofThe Last of Uscould easily lead to more collaborations with companies like HBO. Considering the previous success ofGame of Thronesand its prequel, aGod of Waradaptation could make for a strong replacement to that demographic. Of course,Amazon Prime calling dibs onGod of Wartakes that off the table for HBO, but it could be best for Sony to spread these properties out across multiple platforms.
Sony’s Weekly Released Games on PS Plus
Adapting more properties from games to film isn’t the full extent of whatThe Last of Us' success can teach Sony. For example, Sony could learn from the way that a weekly release schedule managed to capture public attention with the release of eachepisode ofThe Last of Us. Releasing high-quality content week-by-week can make for a more memorable experience during that initial release window.
Disney+ has continued to draw attention with the release of series likeAndor. This could easily work for whatever Naughty Dog has prepared withThe Last of Us 3in its video game form, perhaps having a cinematic story told through a series of weekly releases. On top of keeping fans hooked for weeks, this could also synergize with the PS Plus Extra or Premium services to give access as long as they continue to pay for the subscription.
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Using Adapted IP to Promote PS Plus
It wouldn’t be new for PlayStation to work with film production to offer this type of streaming as a part of the PS Plus subscription service. Early versions of PS Plus boasted access to shows likePowersduring the start of the PS4 era. So, working deals with HBO or Amazon to provide access to Sony-owned properties likeThe Last of Usor theupcomingGod of Warseriescould help all three companies draw in new customers.
The Last of Usis streaming on HBO Max.
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