For the previous couple years Sony has been taking a renewed strategy with regards to utilising their many present and previous Intellectual Properties, with the PlayStation console producer increasing to a transmedia technique. First beginning with the Uncharted film again in 2022, up till PlayStation Productions’ most up-to-date cinematic launch (Gran Turismo), these diversifications have – with one apparent exception – been obtained each critically and commercially in a considerably dim mild. While a majority of those initiatives haven’t fairly set the world on hearth, I don’t really assume they have been meant to.
Of course, all these totally different movies and exhibits aren’t being made only for the sake of it. Sony has an overarching objective in thoughts, and that objective is to get non-PlayStation followers to purchase a PlayStation; get pre-existing PS5 house owners to develop outward and take a look at their many number of totally different first-party choices – and final but additionally least – get core followers of every IP to double dip on these new exhibits/movies. Sony has crafted this technique, this formulation, and it’s working.
The Plan
Gran Turismo (or ‘Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story’ in some areas) is the 4th and newest mission to come back out of Sony’s PlayStation Productions. Founded in 2019 this new initiative would see well-liked PlayStation IPs being supplied out to a variety of totally different distributors – relying on what platform they deem most acceptable. So far, 9 initiatives in whole have been introduced as a part of this plan with 4 having now been launched, these being:
- Uncharted – 2022 (Theatrical Release)
- The Last of Us – 2023 (HBO)
- Twisted Metal – 2023 (Peacock)
- Gran Turismo – 2023 (Theatrical Release)
The remaining 5 initiatives which have been introduced – although have had just about no particulars shared – are:
- Days Gone (Film)
- Ghost of Tsushima (Film)
- Gravity Rush (Film)
- God of War (Amazon)
- Horizon (Netflix)
Sony have clearly not been selecting to launch all their totally different diversifications by an entire modicum of mediums for no cause. While we might hazard an informed guess as to why every of the totally different unreleased initiatives have been chosen to premiere on their respective platforms, it makes extra sense to have a look at the initiatives which have come in and out explicit PlayStation Production’s most up-to-date launch – Gran Turismo. Before going into all that nonetheless, I’ll briefly contact on the opposite three initiatives.
Uncharted
Uncharted made sense because the kick-off for this new enterprise. Nathan Drake and Uncharted as an entire amassed tens of millions of followers over the course of its two-generation run. While PlayStation doesn’t essentially have a mascot, Drake’s charming smirk and countless quips have been all the time entrance and centre when it got here to advertising PlayStation as an entire. What’s extra, the franchise is just about only a reskinned Indiana Jones – a movie sequence which had managed to create a wonderful Summer Blockbuster kind of really feel and formulation. Did Uncharted bust the block? Nope, however it was a reasonably respectable begin, particularly for being the primary launch to come back out of PlayStation Productions. Even so, the movie managed to make over $400 million on the field workplace throughout its run, cracking into the highest 15 highest grossing movies of the 12 months. And once more, I don’t assume it was meant to earn a living anyway.
While in fact it did earn a living, I feel the aim of the Uncharted movie was to maintain present followers of the dormant franchise glad throughout this down interval whereas additionally introducing new folks to the sequence by proxy of it being a giant theatrical launch starring Tom Holland. By the time all these new converts can have performed by the prior 5 (technically 6) video games, a brand new rebooted Uncharted ought to be nearly popping out of the oven – all prepped and able to promote tens of millions of copies.
The Last of Us
HBO’s The Last of Us was in fact the previously-mentioned exception to the essential reception of PlayStation Productions’ present output. This adaptation clearly had essentially the most direct consideration given to it, with Neil Druckmann himself coming again to work personally on the present alongside the multi-award-winning Craig Mazin. And in fact, as is within the identify itself, the present was launched by HBO – undeniably the very best high quality and most prestigious TV community there may be. What’s extra, The Last of Us tells a sluggish and intimate story, one which requires time and area to permit for the quiet moments to shine by. There was no better option than HBO and the numbers have confirmed it. While a essential darling, the present was additionally large for HBO, amassing 24 Emmy nominations in whole while additionally breaking information with a median of 32 million viewers per episode. None of that is that stunning nonetheless; The Last of Us is PlayStation’s golden goose.
Despite having wonderful gameplay (particularly in Part II), The Last of Us has all the time been identified and appreciated most for its story, and so with the ability to current this narrative to dozens of tens of millions of recent folks in a rigorously crafted and creator-approved method helped the story of Ellie and Joel to be skilled by those that will doubtless by no means decide up a DualSense controller – and that’s okay!
While undoubtedly a present that any grownup can take pleasure in, HBO’s The Last of Us really entered the mainstream, seeing mums and dads; older sisters and brothers; your boss at work and numerous others who’ve – and by no means will – play any video video games (exterior of possibly proudly owning a Nintendo Wii) get the chance to take a look at this masterpiece. HBO’s The Last of Us really was a present for everybody, and it succeeded in doing simply that whereas additionally drawing extra eyes than ever to any and all future PlayStation Productions.
Twisted Metal
The subsequent mission to launch was the difference of Twisted Metal, being distributed by Peacock. While definitely essentially the most low-profile of all of the releases to this point, the reintroduction to this useless franchise managed to subvert expectations by being a genuinely enjoyable time, regardless of its partial departure from the supply materials. Unless you’re a long-time PlayStation fan, you might be unlikely to have heard of the identify Twisted Metal. Similarly, the model has no actual cache throughout the mainstream.
With Sony set to quickly deliver again this franchise in online game type (a minimum of in keeping with leaks and rumours), tying it in with the Peacock present makes an entire lot of sense. No one actually is aware of what Twisted Metal is these days, and even those that do are working on video games which for a lot of peaked in the course of the PS2 period. Releasing a TV present first not solely brings again the long-dormant IP in a extra informal approach, however it additionally helps to present long-time followers of the video games an perception into the way forward for the franchise.
The launch of Twisted Metal on this method served as a low-risk medium reward technique – and to this point it appears to have labored. While early promotional materials didn’t appear to resonate with followers, come the present’s eventual launch final month many critics and followers alike ended up having a swell time, calling it “a screen-popping, wickedly humorous, severely twisted and action-jammed journey that leaves us wanting extra”. While to not say that Twisted Metal doesn’t have any followers this present day, the success of this new present will undoubtedly result in many first-timers making an attempt out the following recreation when it lastly releases – maybe someday across the present’s second season.
Gran Turismo
Finally, we come to the principle occasion. Gran Turismo is accessible to observe in cinemas proper now, and whereas the essential consensus was less-than-stellar – with many calling it a glorified PlayStation advert – the viewers reception couldn’t be farther from this. With a 98% viewers rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s fairly clear that those that overview movies professionally missed the mark with what this movie is supposed to be. Does it characteristic a bunch of product placement? Yes, but additionally, on this context, PlayStation logos being slapped in all places is sensible. It is predicated on a real story in spite of everything, and so it could be odd and considerably disingenuous for Sony to omit the location of PlayStation within the empowering story of Jann Mardenborough and his rise to motorsport racing glory.
All that apart, as with all of the prior diversifications, Gran Turismo was developed with a function in thoughts – doing a reversal of the movie itself, and getting tens of millions of non-racing followers to get into the style. I take pleasure in racing video games, although like many, my choice traditionally has been extra tied with the likes of Need for Speed and different arcade-style racers. I by no means understood (nor did I attempt to) the managed chaos required to achieve a motorsport race. It all the time appeared as if enjoying a recreation like Gran Turismo merely put up too many boundaries and limitations, forcing me to tackle sure routes and manoeuvres – with any deviances being penalised.
The Gran Turismo movie helped me to not solely perceive why folks love the game (and recreation sequence), however to visualise it in a approach that finally noticed me go away the cinema wanting nothing greater than to select up my controller and play a bunch of Gran Turismo 7 – hell, I’d have hopped in a automobile and brought it for a spin if I might drive. But the purpose I’m making an attempt to make is that the Gran Turismo movie made me lastly perceive what the 80 million+ gamers who’ve loved the sequence over its 25+ 12 months historical past knew for many years.
This capability by the movie to translate the fun, pleasure, stress and ‘managed chaos’ of a motorsport race could be understood by just about anybody. My sister, who can’t even appear to wrap her head across the concept of twin analogue sticks, in seeing the movie loved it by itself deserves. Polyphony Digital and specifically Kazunori Yamauchi is the brainchild behind the Gran Turismo sequence from its very inception. While it’s in fact a franchise designed to promote, Yamauchi himself makes the GT video games for the love of automobiles. The Real Racing Simulator – as it’s identified – helped showcase and share his love of racing automobiles with 80 million folks. The concept behind the difference is to proceed this additional. Whether or not you find yourself shopping for GT7 on account of this movie, the best way by which it manages to rigorously introduce you to the world of motorsport racing implies that so long as you end up having a newfound love for the game, then ‘Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story’ has carried out its job.
Conclusion
Each new mission launched beneath PlayStation Productions has carried out so with a specific set of objectives in thoughts, and in my view all these objectives have to this point been met. If in watching any of those diversifications, you end up not drawn to or thinking about them, that’s okay! It simply implies that the movie/present was not for you (and certain wasn’t made for you). That stated, in viewing these initiatives from a distant lens, it’s fairly clear that Sony has a plan in thoughts – and that plan is working.
KitGuru says: What do you consider the diversifications launched to this point? Which is your favorite? Do you propose on watching Gran Turismo? Let us know down beneath.
