The movie bug has reportedly bitten XBOX in a big way with new reports that the game-maker has started offering up some of its most popular IPs to Hollywood.
Any potential deal would see all of the IPs snapped up by a single studio, suggesting XBOX is looking to build a long-lasting and trustful partnership with a studio that can turn their video game franchises into successful multimedia cash cows. In terms of available content, XBOX possesses a treasure trove of untapped IPs that could translate well to the big and small screen, namely high fantasy series like Fable or more gritty sci-fi like Gears of War.
The company is reportedly seeking an eye-watering sum for access to its vault: $300m, according to one of Belloni’s sources. The sky-high price has allegedly led to discussions souring with one potential partner, and will be a tough pill for others to swallow when cost-cutting measures are the order of the day. No deal has been finalized and talks between XBOX and interested parties are fluid and evolving.
Some first-party XBOX franchises have already seen adaptations released previously and have hardly had the runaway success of other video game-inspired fare. In 2022, a Halo TV show debuted on Paramount+ to a mixed reception from critics and fans alike for its slow pacing and deviation from the source material. Third-party subsidiaries of Microsoft, such as Bethesda Softworks, have had more luck with turning their game stories into watchable TV, with Fallout seeing huge viewers and continued success of Amazon Prime.
It’s possible XBOX execs are seeking to match console competitors PlayStation and Nintendo’s foray into the film and TV space, who have built strong followings for their Last of Us adaptation on HBO and string of Super Mario movies, respectively. PlayStation is already planning an adaptation of its tentpole God of War franchise, with Dave Bautista starring as Kratos, as well as an anime version of its Japan-set Ghost of Tsushima title.
Any potential deal would see all of the IPs snapped up by a single studio, suggesting XBOX is looking [for] a studio that can turn their video game franchises into successful multimedia cash cows.
The news of XBOX’s Hollywood ambitions comes as the company’s focus on video games has led to less than rosy financial returns, leading it to lay off thousands of staff across various studios in recent months, including the studio behind Halo. Those redundancies came after new XBOX CEO Asha Sharma said her goal for the gaming giant is to reach 1 billion people every day through its products—a notion critics scoffed at as impossible considering XBOX’s current standing.
Another trend XBOX is betting big on is nostalgia, with the company recently announcing a disc-to-digital program which allows players to convert their physically owned games into digital licenses. It will also assist developers bring their classic titles from previous Xbox generations to new platforms with an in-house emulation tool that removes much of the technical barriers that often hinder such jumps.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.dualshockers.com/xbox-is-shopping-a-300m-elder-scrolls-diablo-and-halo-package-to-hollywood-studios/
